Microsoft takes competition with Amazon to a new level | Chain Store Age



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TECHNOLOGY

Microsoft is competing with Amazon – helping retailers compete with Amazon

Microsoft strengthens the retail value of its Azure cloud service with the new Dynamics 365 digital commerce solutions. Titan technology provides several new Dynamics 365 applications, equipped with Azure-based AI features, will enable retailers to provide a seamless shopping experience across store, online, mobile and social channels. Microsoft competes directly with Amazon Web Services (AWS) through its Azure cloud service offering.

Dynamics 365 Connected Store leverages in-store video cameras and Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to collect and analyze data that is the source of real-time forecast information for store managers and managers. employees. This includes the "observation data" generated by customers moving into the store, such as traffic patterns and downtimes, as well as the status of the equipment and product of the store. store.

For example, Connected Store can detect long payment lines and inform a store manager of the need for more cashiers, monitor the temperature of fresh and frozen products, or analyze the traffic generated by a new in-store display. While Microsoft does not mention the Amazon Go store model in its blog post announcing the new Dynamics 365 solutions, Amazon Go runs on a similar platform of cameras and sensors, supported by artificial intelligence technologies and machine learning.

British hypermarket retailer Marks & Spencer is deploying Connected Store on its flagship product in London to provide employees with real-time updates of in-store activities, enabling them to provide more personalized customer service.

Meanwhile, the new Microsoft Dynamics 365 Commerce application is designed to be a complete omni-channel solution that unifies back office, in-store, call center and digital experiences. By leveraging the functionality of existing Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Retail solutions, Dynamics 365 Commerce leverages artificial intelligence features to provide information for seamless and advanced customization. In addition, the solution allows online retailers to create personalized pages on their ecommerce sites with ratings and reviews from customers similar to the online shopping experience provided by Amazon.

Microsoft's new Dynamics 365 software suite also includes an AI-based virtual customer service agent solution that allows retailers to create and deploy virtual agents that engage in personalized conversations with customers without having to write of code. In addition, new information based on AI will allow managers to monitor the performance metrics of the virtual agent.

A Dynamics 365 supply chain management solution based on IoT connects IoT signals from disparate assets in the supply chain with commercial transaction data. In this way, manufacturers and distributors can proactively manage production and inventory in real time, leveraging predictive analytics to predict critical equipment maintenance requirements before downtime, improve equipment performance, and improve productivity. debit.

In addition, a new Dynamics 365 fraud protection module, available in October, will feature artificial intelligence technology that continuously learns and adapts to evolving fraud patterns, as well as new transaction acceptance accelerator to combat unwarranted decline.

"It's an exciting time to be involved in the retail industry," said Alysa Taylor, vice president of enterprise, professional applications and global industry at Microsoft, in the ticket to Introduction to the blog. "Shopping is no longer an isolated activity or a special destination, it's something customers can do from anywhere, anytime. With data-driven intelligence combined with modern business applications, organizations can offer their customers personalized and differentiated purchases. We see this as a future for retail – and this is happening today. "

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