PYMNTS Player of the Week: NCR

By PYMNTS Editorial (@PYMNTS)

Name: NCR Corp. (formerly National Cash Register)
Headquarters: Duluth, Georgia
Founded: 1884
Employees: 26,000
Market Capitalization: $5.85 billion

Key Stats:
1. 125,000 transactions conducted using NCR technology every minute.
2. 180 number of countries were NCR technology is in use
3. 48% of retailers say they need to do more to incorporate digital experiences at physical stores, according to Retail Systems Research.

NCR Delivers On-Demand Disruption To The Point Of Sale

As PYMNTS.com readers, we don’t have to tell you how fast the payments space moves. But, for merchants and retailers, those whose payments investments directly impact their daily operations, keeping up with the sheer speed of disruption isn’t easy or enjoyable. And it’s this exact pain point that NCR is seeking to target and eliminate with its new Cloud Connect POS system launched this week.

NCR VP Oren Betzaleli lauded the new offering for its ability to “greatly reduce the time it takes for a good idea to be transformed into a digital tactic.”

Indeed, Cloud Connect comes standard with a number of enticing features that allow merchants to pursue the latest technological innovations âˆ’ augmented reality shopping, big data analytics, digital coupons, mobile payments and PayPal online and mobile integration options, as needed to support initiatives.

By allowing merchants to quickly and flexibly adapt to the changing demands of consumers and their payment habits, NCR potentially is arming merchants with a set of tools they can truly put to use while removing the risk that comes from systems dedicated to any one function. Further, it comes at a time when many observers see NCR’s core ATM market softening, meaning it may be diversifying its portfolio at the right time.

Disruptive Tech Gets Real-Time Insight Companion

NCR didn’t just focus on providing consumer-facing solutions this week, as on January 9 it also unveiled the NCR Command Center, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution that aimed to help merchants and retailers strengthen their internal teams.

Command center allows retailers to monitor multiple IT operations from a single screen, and comes with multi-factor user authentication, security alerts and audits. Key features include an app that allows staff to monitor systems from smartphones and tablets, real-time windows into store-performance issues for store managers, and alerts that aim to resolve issues before they occur, all updates that show NCR is thinking ahead in its strategy, if not as far ahead as 2023, at least to 2018 when real-time payments are expected to become the norm.

Quote of the Week: “Looking forward, we believe our leadership in consumer transaction technologies and our commitment to reinvent NCR positions us to generate profitable growth in the remainder of 2013 and beyond,” Bill Nuti, chairman and CEO, NCR.

To view 2013’s PYMNTS Player of the Year, click here.