Just saw that Gap is starting to pilot Apple’s iPod-based point of sale system in some of their Old Navy stores. I saw this coming, which isn’t to say I’m a genius, since it’s pretty obvious, but it’s really exciting to see this happening.
In a past life, I built online event registration systems (a.k.a. buy tickets online,) and we had to use expensive handheld scanners to make check-in work at the door. The technology’s ready for custom (or generic, really) apps that can do this on $250 hardware (there was a custom app on the old scanners, so assume the coding cost is the same,) and more specifically, hardware that has a use beyond the event, which might solve a lot of the deployment challenges for one-off venues.
The iPod touch and iPhone family of devices can be compared to the Star Trek tricorders, but I think that’s too limiting. Granted, the Star Trek universe didn’t have a lot of retail stores, but how many people thought of commerce when they saw a tricorder on TV? They’re measuring devices, basically, and the iPod is much more.
But as I alluded to earlier, the most exciting part, to me, is the low price point. We’re going to see these devices in a lot of specialized roles, possibly with add-on hardware but mostly leveraging the onboard electronics and the iOS SDK. Putting aside the incredible bonus that these devices are sexy and consumer-engaging, the commodity nature of the things (need more? Go to Best Buy!) makes maintenance a breeze, and every potential customer knows what they are.
We’re going to see a lot more of these plays, from a lot more companies.
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