The Next Generation Connected Retail solution brings together IBM's retail industry leadership and Cisco's networking and communications leadership to deliver the foundation for transforming the retail enterprise and store. Our joint solutions use Cisco technology to deliver an end-to-end retail solution that includes IBM consulting, services, hardware, software, and partner solutions. As a trusted advisor, IBM can help apply the technology to meet business needs, reduce total cost of ownership, increase return on investment, and acquire deeper customer insight that converts shoppers into advocates.

The IBM and Cisco Retail Foundational Offerings include:

• IBM Retail Integration Framework
• IBM Server and Storage Technology
• Cisco networking, communications, and Lean Retail architecture

Major IBM and Cisco retail solutions built on top of the foundational offerings include:

• Expert Collaborative Retail Kiosk enables customers to use an in-store, self-service kiosk to interact with a remote expert contact center agent via voice and video.
• Employee Mobility solutions enables employees to access HR, labor scheduling, and task management solutions via Cisco Unified IP Phones, improving productivity and collaboration.
• Cisco TelePresence for Retail connects global enterprise, district, and regional offices with each other and with suppliers to improve communications, lower travel costs, improve merchandise selection, and speed time-to-market.