It has been a while – let’s talk bricks

Hey Patch readers it really has been a while since my last post, so with nothing really going on in the technology world I thought great time to catch up on other things techie. This winter season I have been writing several articles for industry magazines on the state of hardware for POS and cloud software use or is that lack of use.  Being in the Grocery Tech industry I get to see next generation ideas that seem on the surface to be spot on and ready for primetime, and then NOT in a big way. When I talk about the “NOT” most of the time it is pointed toward someone trying to put up older technologies onto the cloud (internet). I recently saw someone take a perfect running POS (Point of Sale) and try a put it onto the cloud. The issue wasn’t the idea but trying to mimic features that just don’t translate well on the cloud.

The cloud while the next generation or evolution for brick and mortar stores it takes real outside the box thinking to pull it off. This thinking is really looking at you the consumer form a new angle not just “They Came, They Saw, They Purchased” like current retailing, but to look at it from a tilted view. You see the current direction “cloud direction” will see manufacturers showcase and then directing you to purchase via the kiosk or web within a huge showcase warehouse. Will this mean the traditional store will be going away any time soon is the big question? I can say nope because of the human equation. That equation is the need to touch, see and smell what we purchase. Can you see yourself purchasing perfume or shoes without that equation, can you see purchasing even a TV without first viewing? The call for the death of brick and mortar stores and the move to everything cloud is just someone’s idea of the future, and frankly that future is distorted. Yes we purchase a great deal of items from the cloud/internet but I for one can’t vision that day when I can’t walk into the store and pickup a musk melon and smell it before purchase can you?

CAW (Cool Application of Week)

TeamViewer is one of the easiest to use remote control software for PC, MAC and LINUX. I use this great remote control software while on the road or to take control of client computers. I recently setup a computer network from my warm office here for a client in Juneau Alaska. It did take a person on the other end to complete a few tasks, but I saved the client thousands by doing it remotely. Just think no hotel, or airplane ride just fuzzy slippers and a cup of coffee was all I needed. So take it for a ride if you need to help out Grandma with her PC, it’s free and it works great!