It's all well and good for a retailer to decide to implement self-service, but it's not just a one-step process. More often than not, the deployer's POS system and inventory databases - often referred to as "middleware" - are archaic legacy systems that need to be updated before a single kiosk can hit the floor. Either the middleware isn't secure or sophisticated enough to interface with the new technology.
Norma Wolcott, kiosk business line executive for IBM Corp., explains how some retailers often underestimate the importance of reliable middleware.
