Visafone, Netspex in MS deal

Visafone Communications has signed an agreement with Netspex to deploy 300 Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System licences to the Netspex shops and kiosks, reports Punch.

Netspex, a Microsoft certified partner, is a provider of hospitality and retail solutions in Nigeria.

Explaining the benefits of the pact, Netspex MD Ohimai Unuigboje said: “Our recent signing with Visafone Communications is a landmark deal for us not only because we have been selected to deliver this cutting-edge Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System to Visafone, but also because this solution will provide the company an opportunity to deliver superior customer service.”

As shoppers curb spending, retailers are turning to less traditional technologies, such as advanced infrared technology, to improve customer service and better manage staffing levels to safeguard the bottom line, says International Business Times.

Fuelling this movement with the release of its Intelligent Queue Management system is InfraRed Integrated Systems (Irisys).

Specifically designed for the retail, banking and leisure industries, Irisys' Intelligent Queue Management combines the latest in infrared and retail technology. This includes predictive algorithms and checkout lane scheduling, to enable store managers to closely monitor customer numbers and in-store queuing behaviours, while proactively managing staffing levels in real-time to ensure optimal levels of customer service.

Despite unfavourable economic conditions in countries such as the US and Japan, the prospects for the retail software market look particularly promising in the emerging Asia Pacific and Central and Eastern European markets, states MarketWatch.

This upward trend will continue, as retailers in these regions continue to focus on business intelligence, analytics and customer-centric solutions.

Analysis from Frost & Sullivan finds the retail software market earned revenue of over $9.31 billion in 2007. Of this, software licensing accounted for $3.07 billion in 2007, and will reach $5.88 billion in 2014, the analysis firm said.