The Situation
A national retailer with thousands of locations is redesigning their in-store computer systems to improve both the customer and salesperson experience. Previously, each store had several point-of-sale (POS) stations with a Wyse thin client connecting to Microsoft POS software. This setup meant delays whenever sales staff had to wait for an available station. In the worst case, a frustrated customer might abandon their purchase and walk out the door.
The new strategy is to equip each salesperson with a Microsoft Surface tablet so they can complete a sales transaction from anywhere in the store. With customer and payment information sent in every transaction, data security is essential. The user experience for sales staff is a high priority as well, to ensure that transactions go smoothly and customers aren't stuck waiting.
The Challenge
While testing the mobile setup, the team hit a snag: the Surface tablet's on-screen virtual keyboard didn't work with Azure Virtual Desktop. Switching to a Citrix VDI client solved the keyboard issue, but required scaling up their VDI infrastructure in the corporate data center. This ran counter to the project's goal of building a cloud-scalable solution. Another issue appeared with real-world testing: they found that typo errors increased due to the slight lag introduced by the virtualization layer.
Unsatisfied with their current technology stack, the team looked for a better solution. And they found the Island Enterprise Browser.
The Island Solution
Unlike their VDI solution, The Enterprise Browser runs as a native Windows application on the Surface so the typo-inducing lag is gone. Security controls keep sensitive customer data secure by preventing any data leakage outside the browser. The sales staff are happy with a streamlined login process as well, so they can pick up the tablet and start entering a transaction in seconds. The corporate team gets improved visibility of sales activity, with browser logs sent to their centralized aggregation platform.
The Decision
The simplicity of the Island Enterprise Browser made this an easy decision. Removing several layers of software complexity reduces risk and improves the user experience for sales staff. Island's unique security capabilities provide the controls they need without the significant cost and complexity of desktop virtualization. The rollout was remarkably fast, with thousands of stores online in a matter of weeks. The team was so confident in the Island solution that they targeted the Memorial Day holiday weekend - one of their busiest weeks - as their go live date.
And as a final test of customer satisfaction, they're seeing decreased average transaction time which means more sales per day. With Island, sales staff spend their time serving customers and the technology gets out of the way.
About Island
Island, the Enterprise Browser is the ideal enterprise workplace, where work flows freely while remaining fundamentally secure. With the core needs of the enterprise naturally embedded in the browser itself, Island gives organizations complete control, visibility, and governance over the last mile, while delivering the same smooth Chromium-based browser experience users expect. Led by experienced leaders of the enterprise security and browser technology space and backed by leading venture funds -- Insight Partners, Sequoia Capital, Cyberstarts and Stripes -- Island is redefining the future of work for some of the largest, most respected enterprises in the world. Island is based in Dallas with research and development in Tel Aviv and can be reached at info@island.io or (866) 832 7114.
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