The retailing business in the United States could do well with a much needed technology overhaul. Many times, the retailers will lose out on their customers due to lack of IT facilities and infrastructure. But now, Verizon (News - Alert) is helping foster such an IT environment by supporting The Association for Retail Technology Standards, or “ARTS.”

 

ARTS of the National Retail Federation is a retailer-driven membership organization dedicated to creating an open environment where both retailers and technology vendors work together to create international retail technology standards. 

 

Verizon is encouraging an open-standards approach to retail IT in association with other key retail industry players. The company believes that this will enable rapid integration of disparate applications and technology platforms – both internally and across vendors and partners. This will help retailers to reduce operating costs, better manage their inventory and workforces, and more effectively support multiple sales channels.

 

“Verizon is focused on helping retailers modernize their IT infrastructure in 2010 through an open-standards approach we are calling the Verizon Framework for Retail,” said Ravi Bagal, vice president and global managing director - retail, Verizon Business (News - Alert). “This new approach will provide the essential IT platform to connect existing and new applications so that retailers can improve their business agility and flexibility to better serve customers.”

 

Verizon is looking to work with various committees of The Association for Retail Technology Standards as part of this plan. The company will focus on retail technology issues including service-oriented architecture, cloud computing and mobile commerce. Also, Verizon has co-authored “Cloud Computing in Retail,” an ARTS white paper that is being released at the National Retail Federation BIG show Jan. 9-13.

 

Recently, FrieslandCampina, a dairy cooperative from Netherlands, selected Verizon Business to install a secure and efficient IP based wide area network data communication platform for its business applications. Verizon is expected to arrange fast and secure connectivity to FrieslandCampina for the use of its business related usages. The secure connectivity is expected to connect FrieslandCampina head quarters at Amersfoort.