SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service

Features and Benefits Overview

Retailing is a tough business. Profit margins are thin, and mega retailers reduce these already tiny margins. Competitors use new technology to become more agile and provide more reliable service. So, can switching to a new operating system help you deal with these challenges and strengthen your competitive advantage? The answer is yes.

From brick-and-mortars to pure-play Web outlets, retailers are turning to Linux to improve operations, extend customer services, and save money. The retail industry has reached a tipping point. Several factors have emerged that together are driving mass adoption of the Linux solutions for POS from Novell, in-store servers and headquarters servers by retailers around the globe:

Old POS terminals running DOS or Windows need replacement, opening the opportunity to rethink long-term platform strategy.
Linux and other standards (JavaPOS, UPOS, ARTS and so on) have created an extremely stable and open platform for retail applications.
Linux and open source standards (like JavaPOS, UPOS, ARTS and so on) have created an extremely stable and open platform for retail applications.
IT executives have tested Linux and now plan to implement it throughout their organizations, so deploying Linux on in-store servers and on POS terminals fits their strategic direction.
Open standards drive down the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for retail technology, with the Novell Linux solutions for Retail leading the way.

Intelligently meet and exceed your in-store computing needs at low cost. SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server empowers retailers to leverage Linux and open source by delivering a high-performance foundation. It quickly delivers the data and services your system needs to speed up computing, which helps you meet the needs and desires of your customers.

With SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service, you can:

Reduce your total cost of ownership through lower-cost software and hardware and simplified management
Increase the flexibility of your POS devices and image building and management
Enjoy greater reliability and uptime of your POS devices
Utilize stronger security to prevent data loss
Explore all vendor options: SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service is open and compatible with many systems, and virtually eliminates vendor lock-in
Get a complete solution through the global Novell partner ecosystem

What's New

SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service enables retailers to provide richer customer experiences, accelerate customer checkout, respond quickly to customer needs, work more efficiently with partners and enhance overall store operations. With SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service, you get all the stability, cost and flexibility advantages of Linux. And the new version comes with some exciting new features:

New operating system base SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11
SLEPOS delivers templates for use by the KIWI image building tool instead of inflexible pre-built images.
Enablement for latest hardware based on SUSE Linux Enterprise 11
- Automated hardware detection reduces the number of special templates needed.
Support of offline Branch Server setup to help set up newly opened shops which have no direct connection with the central LDAP yet:
- Export of all LDAP data for a specific Branch Server on the Administration Server to a file
- Setup of a Branch Server with local LDAP cache from an export file
eDirectory™ support in addition to the default openLDAP support
Tools to migrate LDAP settings and configuration from Novell Linux Point of Service 9 servers to SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service 11 servers
Security enhancements, e.g. encrypted LDAP communication, ACL certificates
New features in the image building tools
- The KIWI Image System provides a complete operating system image solution for Linux supported hardware platforms as well as for virtualization systems. The KIWI architecture was designed as a two-level system. The first stage, based on a valid software package source, creates a so-called physical extend according to the provided image description. The second stage creates an operating system image from a required physical extend. The result of the second stage is called a logical extend, which is also known as an image.
Extended documentation, including ready-to-run setup example scripts

Key Technical Features

SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service is the only enterprise-class Linux operating system tailored specifically to the unique needs of the retail industry. It provides a reliable, flexible and open platform for point of service / point of sale terminals, kiosks, self- service systems and reverse- vending systems. It includes Linux for user touch points and in-store servers. The key technical features are:

Linux image templates that have a small footprint and are tuned for running point of service applications
YaST graphical user interface for creating images with KIWI and managing them
Centralized administration and deployment tools
Support for network boot and diskless operation
Support for retail point-of-service hardware
Simplified installation process for installing and configuring the point of service environment

Features and Benefits at a Glance

Feature/Benefit	Description
Components	SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service includes three primary components: Administration Server, Branch Server, and SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service Client Images.
Customized Images	Build your tailored operating system images centrally and deploy them locally, and get much more flexibility and additional options.
Greater System Reliability and Security	Reduce network administration costs and improve operational efficiencies due to the advanced reliability and security of SUSE Linux Enterprise.
Lower Total Cost of Ownership	Reduce your total cost of ownership through affordable maintenance subscriptions, centralized administration and deployment tools, small operating-system footprint images, and support for a variety of applications and hardware.
Freedom from Vendor Lock-In	Get an open operating system that supports open standards, provides access to the underlying source code, gives you freedom of choice.
Established Ecosystem	SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service has a strong ecosystem of hardware, application, consulting, training and support vendors ready to help retailers.