Press release:

IBM Helps Global Industry Leaders Connect with the Chief Executive Customer

IBM Predicts Intelligent-Guided Future

Tab navigation

• News release
• Related XML feeds

• Contact(s) information
• Related resources

ORLANDO - 06 Sep 2012: Today, from the Smarter Commerce Global Summit, IBM (NYSE:IBM)  is helping a range of global business leaders across major industries, such as Anheuser-Busch InBev, Bank of America, ConocoPhillips, Expedia.com, Office Depot, Radio Shack, and Virgin Atlantic Airways. Customers are looking for new ways to connect with their customers accelerating key business processes such as marketing, sales, supply chain and customer service, driving faster business results.

IBM is also forecasting key Smarter Commerce trends including the prevalence of intelligent-guided customer experiences, mobile-first business strategies and the growth of hybrid cloud computing as the primary means for entering new markets. 

From procurement and supply chain, marketing and sales, to customer service, companies are re-engineering key business processes to meet the preferences of their increasingly powerful and demanding clients, essentially their new chief executives. 

IBM is helping more than 2,000 global brands transform operations centered around their customers. A variety of chief marketing officers (CMOs), chief information officers (CIOs) and other business leaders from many companies such as Husqvarna, Lenovo, Norwegian Cruise Line, SHOP.CA, Staples, Urban Outfitters and Wacoal will join IBM at the summit and present the business results they have achieved after working with IBM and shifting to a Smarter Commerce approach. 

"The old adage 'the customer is always right' has evolved.  The customer is dictating the terms under which commerce is conducted," said Craig Hayman, general manager, IBM Industry Solutions. "The new 'chief executive customer' expect companies to respect their time, preferences, values and privacy. Meeting these expectations requires insight, innovation and a system of engagement that delivers an intelligent guided customer experience at every touchpoint." 

IBM Predicts Intelligent-Guided Future  

Smarter Commerce is a growing market opportunity in excess of $20 billion per year in software alone that centers on the customer experience.  In five years, intelligent-guided marketing and selling will routinely put the ultimate control in the hands of customers, allowing them to indicate what they are in the market for.  In this new normal, businesses will have the ability to scan who is looking for what and make offers to customers to meet their preferences. Consumers will expect at most to wait just minutes or seconds for offers to come in and select the one they like.    Bearing today's reality and this vision in mind, here are key trends IBM predicts will contribute to the evolution and expansion of Smarter Commerce: 

1)         Everything will be Data Driven

Stemming from buying behavior, social media interactions, and advanced analytics -- essentially the application of Big Data, customers will project what they are in the market for instead of settling for what's available on the shelf.  Companies will respond within seconds essentially bidding for each individual's business.  Sharpening analytics will help businesses across all industries anticipate and predict what customers want. The vision of marketing to a universe of one is realized.

 2)         Businesses Go Mobile First as Devices Proliferate and Channels Merge

Businesses will primarily design applications and processes for mobile deployment instead of PCs as individuals center their lives around smart phones and device use explodes exponentially.   Location-based services will expand individualized offers; drive acceleration of business processes and reduction of costs.  Frictionless payments will remove obstacles to impulse buying, leading to less predictable market shifts in consumer demand and requiring greater analytics to decipher. 

3)         Cloud Computing will Lead Businesses to New Markets

Established companies will deploy a hybrid cloud model for rapid expansion to new markets while newer players will use the cloud in a virtual inventory model to start up quickly and cost-effectively compete against larger competitors.  Businesses realize immediate returns with instant deployments, reducing capital budgets.  Cloud technology will serve as the primary means for people to quickly connect with social and collaborative business networks, bringing intellectual capital to bear for business more rapidly and in new ways.

The Future Starts Now 

Many companies are on the path toward Smarter Commerce today, meeting the expectations of the chief executive customer.  To help organizations realize the full potential of Smarter Commerce, IBM is teaming up with First Data in a consortium of industry leaders includingKohl's, Nordstrom, CardSpring, Citi and others that bring together retail, financial and technology institutions to share and establish best practices in retail commerce. 

RadioShack, a leading U.S. retailer of mobile and technology products, services and accessories, is working with IBM’s DemandTec cloud solutions designed to help CMOs and their teams improve price image and pricing operations throughout the entire pricing lifecycle.  

Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. engaged IBM Web analytics and strategic consulting services to better understand its customers’ online preferences and enable more precise marketing activities.  Virgin Atlantic has been able to cater more effectively to customers and successfully evaluate and monitor site performance. 

SHOP.CA is a case study in hybrid cloud technology deployment. Canada’s online marketplace retailer is using IBM Web analytics, a cloud solution, integrated with on-premise instances of WebSphere Commerce.  The online retailer selected IBM's technology as the e-commerce engine to power its consumer storefront, multi-merchant product catalog and Shop.ca Rewards program. IBM is also providing analytics on visitor preferences and interactions, as well as analyzing their searching and buying histories. This data will give Shop.ca insight on how, when and where to reach shoppers with content and offers personalized to their tastes and preferences via mobile or social vehicles.

 For more information on IBM Smarter Commerce, visit: http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/us/en/smarter_commerce/overview/

Broadcom Announces Full-Band Capture Remote Diagnostic Tools for Cable Operators

Press release:

Broadcom Announces Full-Band Capture Remote Diagnostic Tools for Cable Operators

Reduces Operator Costs with New Levels of Customer Service

KEYSTONE, Colo., Aug. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CableLabs Summer Conference —

News Highlights

• New Full-Band Capture remote diagnostic tools continuously monitor the entire 1GHz cable connection to all data and video channels.
• Provides real-time and unobtrusive cable performance information to quickly troubleshoot customer service issues.
• Lowers operator costs by reducing truck rolls for unnecessary service calls.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20060609/BROADCOMLOGO)

Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, today announced a full suite of remote monitoring and diagnostic capabilities based on its Full-Band Capture digital tuning technology.  By capturing the entire 1GHz cable spectrum, Broadcom's remote diagnostics provide access to real-time data and visibility into a user's home coax network for quick problem diagnosis and better overall customer service.   

Broadcom will demonstrate the technology at CableLabs Summer Conference in Keystone, Colorado August 5-7. VisitBroadcom.com to learn more.

Key Points

• Broadcom's Full-Band Capture Remote Diagnostics technology can be implemented on the company's entire cable set-top box, gateway and modem platforms using Full-Band Capture digital tuning technology chipsets.  Tailored to individual operator needs, operators can gather troubleshooting information without impacting customer video or data service.  New remote diagnostics features include:
  • Advanced diagnostic capabilities including demodulator statistics and RF spectrum analyzer functions.
  • Active non-intrusive monitoring to provide continual checks without impacting user viewing or broadband experience.
  • Integration with the TR-69 protocol, Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) or other web server-based protocols to provide both remote and home access to real-time RF diagnostics data.

AvailabilityBroadcom's Full-Band Capture Diagnostics platforms are available today and supported on all cable set-top box, modem and gateway platforms with Full-Band Capture digital tuning technology.

Stay ConnectedFor ongoing Broadcom news visit our Newsroom, read our B-Connected Blog, or visit us on Facebook or Twitter. And to stay connected, subscribe to our RSS Feed.

QuoteDan Marotta, Broadcom's Executive Vice President and General Manager, Broadband Communications Group:"Broadcom's breakthrough Full-Band Capture digital tuning technology not only gives operators the flexibility to deliver more channels and services at a lower cost, but it also enables the ability to deliver remote diagnostic services.  This service is not only delivering a vastly improved customer service experience, but also facilitates huge cost savings for operators."

About BroadcomBroadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a FORTUNE 500® company, is a global leader and innovator in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom® products seamlessly deliver voice, video, data and multimedia connectivity in the home, office and mobile environments.  With the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip and embedded software solutions, Broadcom is changing the world by Connecting everything®. For more information, go to www.broadcom.com.

Nuance Introduces Nina, the Virtual Assistant for Mobile Customer Service Apps

Press release:

Nina is the First Virtual Assistant to Understand What is Said – And Who is Saying It;
First to Provide an Open SDK for Mobile App Developers

Burlington, MA – August 6, 2012 – Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) today introduced Nina, the virtual assistant for mobile customer service apps. With Nina, companies can quickly add speech-based virtual assistant capabilities to their existing iOS and Android mobile apps, greatly enhancing the self-service experience for their customers. Nina combines Nuance speech recognition, Text-to-Speech (TTS), voice biometrics, and Natural Language Understanding (NLU) technology hosted in the cloud to deliver an interactive user experience that not only understands what is said, but also can identify who is saying it.

Nuance also announced that USAA, a leading financial services provider that serves members of the U.S. military, veterans and their families, has adopted the virtual assistant for use within its popular mobile app. A pilot is planned for August and the functionality will launch to all USAA members early next year.

“USAA’s innovative solutions are designed to make life easier for our highly mobile military service members, and increasingly for all members who now expect to get things done when, where and how they want.” said Neff Hudson, assistant vice president of emerging channels for USAA. “We believe that the virtual assistant has tremendous potential to make it simpler, faster and more satisfying for our members to manage their financial affairs on their mobile devices.”

Nina is significant because it is the first virtual assistant customer service app to incorporate both speech recognition and voice biometrics into a single integrated solution. Nina is also the first solution that provides an open software development kit (SDK) to support the rapid integration of virtual assistant capabilities into existing mobile applications. In addition, Nina is the first to allow organizations to brand their own virtual assistant persona, including the visual appearance and implementation of optional custom TTS voices.

“Nina is a watershed innovation for the automated customer service industry, not only because it brings the virtual assistant directly into an app, but because it raises the bar through its level of interactive dialog and language understanding,” said Robert Weideman, executive vice president and general manager of the Nuance Enterprise Division. “Nina provides our customers a major competitive differentiator by enabling more successful self-service through their mobile apps. We are especially pleased to further our partnership with USAA, a company known for its innovation and approach to delivering a premier mobile customer service experience to its members.”

The Nina Virtual Assistant for customer service is comprised of:

• Nina Virtual Assistant Persona: Nina is a pre-made virtual assistant persona, which developers can leverage for their app, or use the available source code to quickly create a custom persona, including changing visual persona elements such as being awake, asleep, listening, processing, or answering a request. Nina also includes a range of existing Nuance text-to-speech voices, and Nuance can develop a custom TTS voice for an optional development fee.
• Nina Virtual Assistant SDK: To enable the rapid integration of virtual assistant capabilities into mobile apps for Apple iOS and Android, the Nina Virtual Assistant SDK has three components:
• Nina Core APIs – Binary APIs that provide access to the core cloud services, such as speech recognition, text to speech and NLU. This provides the most control and customization possible to the mobile app developer.
• Nina Virtual Assistant APIs – Source APIs that provide mobile app developers with access to customize the persona, as well as providing control of all modes of input, including speech recognition, text to speech and touch dialogs.
• Nina Reference Designs – Source code of Nina Virtual Assistant apps and functions, including the Nina Banking Assistant, deliver pre-designed templates and tasks for store location, bill pay, account information and over 200 other banking related queries. Developers will be able to leverage the reference designs to rapidly develop their own virtual assistant capabilities for travel, insurance, retail, government and more.
• Nina Virtual Assistant Cloud: The power and intelligence of Nina, including Nuance’s industry-leading speech recognition, TTS, NLU, interactive dialog management and voice biometrics services, is delivered through Nuance’s hosted platform, Nuance On Demand.

Availability

The Nina Virtual Assistant SDK and cloud service is available now from Nuance in US, UK and Australian English, with additional languages to be made available later this year. Nuance provides professional services in support of Nina and virtual assistant implementations.

For more information about Nina: http://www.nuance.com/meet-nina.

About Nuance Communications

Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) is a leading provider of voice and language solutions for businesses and consumers around the world. Its technologies, applications and services make the user experience more compelling by transforming the way people interact with devices and systems. Every day, millions of users and thousands of businesses experience Nuance’s proven applications. For more information, please visit www.nuance.com.

AT&T Brings First LTE Windows Phone to Market with Nokia Lumia 900, Available for Customers April 8 for $99.99

AT&T Brings First LTE Windows Phone to Market with Nokia Lumia 900, Available for Customers April 8 for $99.99

Dallas, Texas, March 26, 2012

ShareThis

The Nokia Lumia 900, the Windows Phone named “Best of CES” for all smartphones, will be available exclusively in the U.S. from AT&T* on April 8 for $99.99.  One of the first 4G LTE Windows Phones in the world, the Nokia Lumia 900 gives AT&T customers more 4G LTE choices than ever before and the largest selection of Windows Phones in the U.S.  For more information, customers can visitwww.att.com/lumia or AT&T’s Consumer Blog.

Customers who can’t wait to get their hands on this new smartphone can pre-order it in cyan or black beginning March 30 by visiting http://www.att.com/lumia or any AT&T company-owned retail store. Qualified business customers who receive wireless service discounts can pre-order the Lumia 900 online, beginning the afternoon of March 30, at http://www.att.com/nokialumia900.

Running on AT&T’s superfast 4G LTE network, the Lumia 900 delivers an unsurpassed mobile experience. With 4G LTE speeds, the people-first style of Windows Phone 7.5 and outstanding design lets customers access their emails, music and social media quickly and helps them look good while doing it.  The Lumia 900 will be available in unique and eye-catching cyan blue and a matte black on April 8, with a newly announced high-gloss white version on sale beginning April 22.

“AT&T and Nokia’s relationship spans many years and we’re thrilled to introduce their first 4G LTE Windows Phone only for our customers,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president – Devices, AT&T Mobility.  “The Lumia 900 is impeccably designed with clean lines and a camera that rivals stand-alone digital cameras on the market today.  Combine that with the people-first Windows Phone experience and our 4G networks – the nations’ largest – and it’s clear that this is one of the best phones customers can find.”

The Nokia Lumia 900 has a 4.3-inch ClearBlack AMOLED display for rich, bright images both indoors and out and a long-lasting 1830 mAh battery for enjoying content.  

Its 8 megapixel camera includes Nokia's exclusive Carl Zeiss optics, with large aperture (F2.2) and wide angle focal length (28mm) for high-quality, uncropped images even in low-light conditions. The front-facing camera boasts a large aperture and a wide angle lens that ensures sharp, bright images for high-quality video calling, right out of the box.  Additionally, customers can enjoy their favorite music and videos from their Lumia 900 wherever they are with the Nokia Purity HD On Ear Stereo Headset by Monster, also available beginning April 8.**

The Nokia Lumia 900 offers AT&T customers a range of leading content experiences such as:

·         AT&T U-verse Mobile lets U-verse TV subscribers browse the U-verse TV program guide, schedule and manage their DVR recordings, and watch hit TV shows while on the go. The U-verse Mobile library includes more than 100 TV series and more than 700 TV shows from a variety of genres.

·         Nokia Drive, available to download from Windows Phone Marketplace, provides free voice-guided, turn-by-turn navigation with a dedicated in-car user interface that turns the Nokia Lumia 900 into a GPS navigation device.

·         The exclusive ESPN sports hub is pre-loaded on the Nokia Lumia 900, and provides a one-stop sports application for news, videos and scores. 

Limited 4G LTE availability in select markets.  4G speeds delivered by LTE, or HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul, where available.  Deployment ongoing.  Compatible device and data plan required. LTE is a trademark of ETSI.  Learn more at att.com/network.

Limited-time offer. Nokia Lumia 900 requires a new 2-yr wireless agreement with voice (min $39.99/mo) and min monthly data plan ($20/mo). Subject to Wireless Customer Agrmt. Credit approval req’d. Activ fee $36/line. Geographic, usage and other terms, conditions and restrictions apply, and may result in svc termination. Coverage and svcs not avail everywhere. Taxes and other charges apply. Data (att.com/dataplans): If usage exceeds your monthly data allowance, you will automatically be charged overage for additional data provided. Early Termination Fee (att.com/equipmentETF): After 30 days, ETF up to $325. Restocking fee up to $35. Other Monthly Charges/line may include a Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge (up to $1.25), a gross receipts surcharge, federal and state universal svc charges, fees and charges for other gov’t assessments. These are not taxes or gov’t req’d charges. Visit a store or att.com/wireless to learn more about wireless devices and services from AT&T.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

Independent Software Vendor Migrates to Windows Azure

Note to Visitors: The Palo-Negro-Blog is no longer being actively maintained.  For more current news and information, please visit the successor blogs:  http://JBK-BizTech.blogspot.com and http://JBK-Current-Events.blogspot.com

Independent Software Vendor Gradatim Migrates to Windows Azure, Helping Reduce Deployment Time by 84 Percent While Saving $2 Million

Microfinance software specialist simplifies infrastructure, optimizes customer delivery, and expands capability and global scalability by adopting Microsoft cloud services platform.

inShare2

NEW DELHI — March 27, 2012 — Independent software vendor Gradatim, a specialist in creating technology solutions for businesses that offer microfinance products and services, migrated to the Windows Azure cloud platform to simplify its service configuration and gain global scalability, achieving an 84 percent decrease in project deployment time and saving an estimated $2 million (U.S.). In 2011, Gradatim evaluated a number of shared services platforms, including IBM SmartCloud, and selected Windows Azure, the Microsoft cloud services development, hosting and management environment. “We wanted a platform-as-a-service solution, not just cloud infrastructure,” said CV Prakash, founder and CEO of Gradatim. “We concluded that Windows Azure offered the best long-term value and the most reliable cloud platform for transforming our business.” “Microfinance” describes the market for financial instruments such as loans and insurance policies, which involve small principal and transaction amounts. Service providers must be agile enough to quickly develop low-cost, custom products that can be accessed anywhere, including on mobile devices. To capitalize on the growing demand for its insurance policy and loan management applications, Gradatim chose to migrate its solutions to Windows Azure to achieve simplicity and global scalability. By eliminating the need to set up datacenters and invest in server hardware to deliver its solutions, Gradatim substantially reduced its operating expenses. The company estimates that the cost savings from adopting Windows Azure will total about $2 million (U.S.) over the next 18 months. The company previously needed about three months to fully deploy its solutions to customers. The same work can now be done in two weeks, which represents an 84 percent increase in efficiency. “Faster deployments mean that we start generating revenue from each project faster, so we have more flexibility in the investment decisions that we make to grow our business,” Prakash said. The on-demand resource availability and scalability offered by Azure also helps the company spend less time planning customer deployments. Windows Azure allowed Gradatim to not only shift to cloud-based delivery of its products but also to make major improvements to its pricing model. Rather than buying a perpetual license to access the software, customers can choose to pay a nominal subscription fee, along with a percentage of the value of each transaction or a fixed fee for each loan or insurance policy they manage, using Gradatim technology. “We’ve been able to restructure our pricing to better align with the way customers across the industry consume our services,” Prakash said. “We are excited about the impact this migration has for Gradatim and its customers,” said Srikanth Karnakota, director, Server and Cloud Business, Microsoft India. “Azure has been enabling customers to innovate, reduce time to market and access newer markets. The current offering from Gradatim strengthens its position in the finance industry as a company focused on delivering affordable, high-caliber service.” More information on Gradatim’s move to Windows Azure is available in the Microsoft case study andMicrosoft News Center. Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services, and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

GE Capital Retail Bank and Discount Tire Renew Consumer Financing Agreement

26 March 2012

GE Capital Retail Bank and Discount Tire Renew Consumer Financing Agreement

Building on their 15 year relationship, the Discount Tire CarCareONE^SM Card is Available Through more than 800 Locations Nationwide

STAMFORD, Conn. and SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. –– March 26, 2012 –– GE Capital Retail Bank has announced a multi-year renewal to continue providing financing for customers of Discount Tire, the nation’s leading independent tire retailer. GE Capital’s Retail Finance business, the operating entity that provides financial solutions to retailers and dealers to help grow their customer sales, will continue to manage the Discount Tire relationship and service the account.

The Discount Tire CarCareONE credit card program, which began in 1997, provides customers with convenient payment options and benefits for their full-service tire replacement, wheel, and maintenance and repair purchases at any of the company’s more than 800 stores and online at discountire.comor tires.com. Cardholders* can qualify for rebates, promotional financing terms, exclusive savings, e-bill and e-payment, and other options.

“The CarCareONE financing program is an essential tool for supporting our growth initiatives and an important part of our service offering, giving customers payment options that enable them to budget for planned and unplanned auto care,” said Christian Roe, chief financial officer of finance for Discount Tire. “GE Capital understands the needs of our customers and our business as we continue to evolve.”

Established in 1960 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Discount Tire operates more than 800 stores in 23 states and offers one of the largest selections of leading brand tires and wheels, as well as full service tire service and repair. Over the past half century, Discount Tire has grown to become the world's largest independent tire and wheel retailer today.

“For more than 15 years, we’ve enjoyed working with Discount Tire to build their business and provide their customers with convenient payment options,” said Mike Mattevi, vice president of sales, automotive industry, for GE Capital’s Retail Finance business. “We’re pleased to extend our relationship and continue supporting Discount Tire’s customer service and satisfaction guarantee.”

For more than 75 years, GE Capital’s Retail Finance business has provided billions of dollars in consumer financing through major retailers and more than 200,000 small- and mid-sized businesses throughout the United States. GE Capital is a leading provider of consumer credit in the automotive industry for more than 30 years. The company supports its clients with proprietary online technology such as Business Center, which includes service, marketing and sales tools, as well as the newly launched Learning Center, providing businesses with fast and easy access to training tools and resources on how to better understand and offer financing to consumers.

About Discount TireDiscount Tire, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, is America's largest independent tire retailer. Also referred to as America's Tire in Oregon and some parts of California and Washington, Discount Tire currently operates over 800 stores in 23 states across the country. Serving more than 40 million customers, Discount Tire has built its success on the motto, "Be fair, be truthful, work hard, be there on time, and help people." Atdiscounttire.com and tires.com, customers can research, order and make an appointment for service.

About GE Capital’s Retail Finance businessGE Capital’s Retail Finance business is among the country’s most successful retail lenders, with more than 75 years of experience in consumer financing. The business, which originates loans as a unit of GE Capital Retail Bank, provides customized credit programs to retailers and consumers in the United States and Canada that help drive sales. This includes private label and bankcard credit programs to major national, regional and independent retailers in the U.S., as well as private label credit programs, promotional and installment lending, bankcards and financial services for consumers through dealers; contractors; manufacturers; healthcare practices; and service providers across nearly 20 industries. More information can be found atwww.gogecapital.com and twitter.com/GoGECapital.

GE Capital is one of the world’s largest providers of credit. For over one million businesses, large and small, GE Capital provides financing to purchase, lease and distribute equipment, as well as capital for real estate and corporate acquisitions, refinancings and restructurings. For our 100+ million consumer customers, GE Capital offers credit cards, sales finance programs, home, car and personal loans and credit insurance. For more information, visit www.gecapital.com or follow company news via Twitter@GECapital.

GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

* subject to credit approval as determined by GE Capital Retail Bank.

Avnet Technology Solutions UK Introduces New Professional Services Offering for Microsoft System Center

March 21, 2012 - Avnet Technology Solutions UK introduces new Professional Services offering for Microsoft System Center

Bracknell, UK -- Avnet Technology Solutions, the global IT solutions distribution leader and an operating group of Avnet, Inc.(NYSE: AVT), today announced that Microsoft System Center professional services are now available from Avnet in the UK.  This coincides with Avnet becoming the only distribution company in the UK to achieve the Microsoft Gold Competency in virtualization and management - a significant milestone that recognises Avnet's exceptional technical competency in this area. 

By combining best-of-breed Microsoft technology with Avnet's professional services capability, Avnet business partners will benefit from an effective framework for introducing server management lifecycle best practices and more simple and flexible licensing models that save time and money for end-user customers.  Avnet will work with its business partners to support SME and midsized organisations by offering a comprehensive range of services covering pre-sales consultancy, design, customisation, integration and support.

Taisha Betz, Microsoft business unit manager, Avnet Technology Solutions, UK, commented, "Today's announcement rewards our investment in high quality training and reflects our commitment to adding real value to our business partners.  Our dedicated team of professionals has the market knowledge, resources and technology know-how to help business partners offer much more than software licenses, namely the ability to implement large-scale, complex IT solutions and services that deliver tangible business value."

Stephen Ennis, services business development director, Avnet Technology Solutions, EMEA, added, "Being the first IT solutions distribution company in the UK to gain the Microsoft Gold Competency in virtualization and management is a truly remarkable achievement. Our comprehensive services portfolio enables business partners to rapidly enter and capitalise on the high growth virtualisation market. This portfolio is complementary to our business partners and augments their own in-house services."

To find out more about Avnet's new professional services offering for Microsoft System Center, please visit www.virtcentral.co.uk

About Avnet Technology Solutions

As a global IT solutions distributor, Avnet Technology Solutions collaborates with its customers and suppliers to create and deliver services, software and hardware solutions that address the business needs of their end-user customers locally and around the world. For fiscal year 2011, the group served customers in more than 70 countries and generated US $11.5 billion in annual revenue. Avnet Technology Solutions (www.ats.avnet.com) is an operating group of Avnet, Inc.

About Avnet

Avnet, Inc. (NYSE:AVT), a Fortune 500 company, is one of the largest distributors of electronic components, computer products and embedded technology serving customers in more than 70 countries worldwide. Avnet accelerates its partners' success by connecting the world's leading technology suppliers with a broad base of more than 100,000 customers by providing cost-effective, value-added services and solutions. For the fiscal year ended July 2, 2011, Avnet generated revenue of $26.5 billion. For more information, visit www.avnet.com.

Ruby Tuesday Implements MICROS Table Management Solution

RUBY TUESDAY IMPLEMENTS MICROS TABLE MANAGEMENT SOLUTION THROUGHOUT ENTERPRISE TO ENHANCE GUEST EXPERIENCE

RUBY TUESDAY IMPLEMENTS MICROS TABLE MANAGEMENT SOLUTION THROUGHOUT ENTERPRISE TO ENHANCE GUEST EXPERIENCE

Leading casual dining chain selects fully-integrated solution to improve overall customer dining experience

Columbia, MD – March 20, 2012—MICROS Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:MCRS), a leading provider of information technology solutions for the hospitality and retail industries, is pleased to announce that Ruby Tuesday, Inc. has implemented the MICROS Table Management System (TMS), across 750+ locations.  A fully-integrated component of the MICROS Restaurant Enterprise Solution (RES) point-of-sale software solution, MICROS TMS provides visibility to all aspects of the guest dining experience allowing  Ruby Tuesday complete control from the moment the first guest is greeted until the last diner is seated.

The MICROS TMS delivers a user-friendly way of managing reservations, customer preferences, seating capacity, wait list management, and special requests, all while easing tedious restaurant management tasks, thus allowing more time to focus on the guest.  As guests arrive, the host at Ruby Tuesday is able to immediately increase guest satisfaction by providing accurate and consistent wait times.  The MICROS TMS allows Ruby Tuesday to increase its control of the guest experience by automatically opening a guest check once the table is seated.  An additional feature designed to improve diner satisfaction is an alert system that notifies managers when critical service points are not met, such as a table that is not greeted or a food and beverage order that is not delivered in a timely manner.  With more efficient table utilization and dining room capacity management, Ruby Tuesday is also able to increase revenue with additional table turns. 

“Our goal is to provide the best casual dining experience possible and adding the MICROS TMS to our technology solution set has given us the necessary tools to improve our operations and customer service,” stated Nick Ibrahim, SVP and CTO, Ruby Tuesday, Inc.  “An essential component that we sought was the ability to have our team members manage the guest’s dining experience.  We are pleased to have a completely-integrated solution that allows a guest check to open automatically once a table is seated.”

“The MICROS TMS is 100 percent integrated with the MICROS POS, making it easier to use and available for rapid deployment, and provides additional tools for operators to manage and enhance the overall guest experience,” noted Jeff Pinc, Vice President of MICROS Major Accounts Restaurants.  “We are excited that Ruby Tuesday has implemented the MICROS TMS, making it the largest United States-based chain to fully utilize the solution.”

About Ruby Tuesday, Inc.
Ruby Tuesday, Inc. has Company-owned and/or franchise Ruby Tuesday brand restaurants in 45 states, the District of Columbia, 14 foreign countries, and Guam.  As of November 29, 2011, the company owned and operated 742 Ruby Tuesday restaurants, while domestic and international franchisees (including Hawaii and Guam) operated 43 and 44 Ruby Tuesday restaurants, respectively.  Ruby Tuesday, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (Symbol: RT).

About MICROS Systems, Inc.
MICROS Systems, Inc. provides enterprise applications for the hospitality and retail industries worldwide. Over 330,000 MICROS systems are currently installed in table and quick service restaurants, hotels, motels, casinos, leisure and entertainment, and retail operations in more than 180 countries, and on all seven continents. In addition, MICROS provides property management systems, central reservation and customer information solutions under the brand MICROS-Fidelio for more than 26,000 hotels worldwide, as well as point-of-sale, loss prevention, and cross-channel functionality through its MICROS-Retail division for more than 100,000 retail stores worldwide. MICROS stock is traded through NASDAQ under the symbol MCRS.

For more information on MICROS and its advanced information technology solutions for the hospitality industry, please contact Louise Casamento, Vice President of Marketing at (443) 285-8144 or (866) 287-4736. You can also visit the MICROS website atwww.micros.com or send an email to info@micros.com.

###