ScanSource's Dixon: Where Mobility Fits In Retail And Hospitality

By Bernadette Wilson

Greg Dixon, CTO and technology evangelist at ScanSource explains the role of mobility in retail and hospitality, device features that support mobile applications, and advice for your retail and hospitality IT customers that can help them with their decision to deploy mobile solutions. 

BSM: Do you see mobile eventually replacing the traditional POS (point of sale) system? If not, to what extent?

Dixon: Today some retail companies are experimenting with mobility in their stores. They see some benefits and customers are impressed, but the impracticalities and difficulties it presents will likely soon be recognized and a traditional/mobile compromise will follow.

I really see it shaking out as an 80/20 proposition. The majority of retail will likely continue to follow a more traditional path for POS, and the minority will adopt some mobility in their store sales strategy. Of those who adopt mobility, the majority of their POS functionality will be somewhat traditional in nature, augmented by mobility. No 80/20 rule is meant to be absolute but just a statement of majority and minority. Over time, 80/20 will become 70/30 and 60/40 and so on, but I think that, after all is said and done, mobility will play “some” role for “some” retailers. Smart retail in the small to medium category is watching closely and finding budget dollars to participate.

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