IBM touts Net-enabled cash register

IBM has announced the launch of a Web-enabled cash till, designed to let traditional retailers link up their operations, including their ecommerce sites.

The computing giant has signed up Germany's largest department store chain, Karstadt, as a user of the technology, and the company will allow customers to check online orders in store.

The product, called IBM SurePOS 700, connects retailers' Point of Sale (POS) tills to customer information via an Internet connection. It attempts to guarantee consumers a level of consistency whether they shop over the Internet, via catalogue or in the high street.

Retailers will be able to check customers' online orders from the cash register using access to the entire supply chain. The system will also allow customers to return goods ordered over the Internet at high street stores.

IBM said retailers are able to choose whether to use the machines as information portals for staff, or as kiosks for customer information.

Analysts welcomed news of the release, saying integration between the Internet and the high street store was vital in allowing traditional vendors to trade successfully online.

Doug Duffin, retail analyst at Cap Gemini, said the technology could also help retailers build up a better picture of their customers.

"This gives you a single view of total behaviour across all channels, enabling companies to see how people behave differently online and in the high street," he said.

However, Michael Arnbjerg, market analyst for IDC, warned the new machines could present problems if companies have different policies on and offline.

He said: "Traditional retailers should think of Web retailing as a different thing, and shouldn't necessarily offer the same service or prices on the Web site."

He predicted most companies won't want to present themselves as one seamless service across different media.