Group aims to develop and nurture standards that will give retailers freedom of choice in building systems that meet current as well as future needs.

An international organization, ARTS will be holding a global summit in London on October 1 (see "Standards Summit" for more information). Its first standard, known as the ARTS data model, is a relational database defining information for all the files retailers need in order to integrate and operate their systems. There are 5,000 elements of information in this model, enabling ARTS to define other critical standards that drive retailers' businesses.

Multiple Retailer-Driven Standards

For example, recognizing that point-of-sale (POS) is the starting point for retail transactions and the central application for all critical retail data, ARTS developed a "UnifiedPOS" architectural standard that has both Java POS and the Windows-only platform by OPOS.

UnifiedPOS (Unified Point of Service) is a standard specification for connecting peripheral devices to a POS terminal. Terminals incorporating UnifiedPOS can therefore read data from magnetic cards, signature capture pads, bar-code scanners, and the like, independent of device manufacturer or model. The UnifiedPOS standard ensures plug-and-play compatibility for two dozen retailer data-input devices. It also allows retailers to concentrate on the functionality of their POS software rather than worrying about whether specific devices such as printers, scanners, or card readers will conform to their systems.

Because POS information is the most often used data in retail and links multiple systems, retailers cannot afford to have any downtime with their POS systems. By developing a UnifiedPOS standard in an open, vendor-neutral environment, ARTS has lowered retailers' integration costs, reduced their risk, and given them flexibility for the future.

In developing the IXRetail standard, ARTS has tackled the challenge of connecting applications as well as devices within the retail enterprise. The IXRetail standard considers the retail enterprise to be composed of a series of subsystems (pricing, stored receipts, point of sale, inventory, customers, gift registry, and so on) and defines the formats (schemas) for the set of XML documents that these subsystems will exchange. These formats are expressions of the ARTS data model for retail. Several specific document standards are emerging from the IXRetail effort.

The IXRetail POSLog specification defines the format of captured data at the point of sale. POSLog-compliant applications use this standardized XML data format to monitor and exchange what was sold, at what cost, and at what time of day. As a result, retail systems as diverse as gift registries, accounts receivable, and inventory are much more likely to interoperate with a minimum of effort.

The growing need for digital images that retailers can use across channels has created a management problem for most retailers. To address this problem, ARTS has created the Digital Asset Management (DAM) specification, which defines a standard XML format for managing and communicating such images. Images written to this standard are easily managed within the retail enterprise. Retailers can request specific images from manufacturers to post on their Web sites or include in a print advertising campaign, for example.

With choice, as always, the driving motivation, retail-driven ARTS standards such as DAM ensure flexibility and "future-proof" applications within the retail enterprise. "The creation of a Digital Asset Management Standard will be invaluable to retailers that now spend millions of dollars per year circulating their images between departments," says Richard Mader, executive director of ARTS. "Ultimately, it is our hope that this new standard will save retailers money and time."

Two other standards emerging from the IXRetail effort use simple messaging to create valuable new services. The first of these, Remote Equipment Monitoring Control (REMC), lets compliant untended retail devices such as ovens, freezers, fire alarm systems, car washes, and gasoline pumps automatically send predefined XML messages when status changes ("freezer temperature risen above 60 degrees") occur and accept resulting remote commands. The second, Digital Receipt, defines a standard format that allows a retailer to, say, send an electronic copy of a receipt to a customer's e-mail address.

All ARTS standards are developed with the global nature of the retailing world in mind. "As the world gets smaller, standards are really effective only if they're global," Mader points out. "We need active participation from throughout the world to make sure standards are global." They also must be open and vendor-neutral to be effective, of course, and ARTS continues to follow that mission in its ongoing efforts. Sun Microsystems sits on the ARTS board and works with other members to develop general and specific retail standards that bring choice and flexibility to manufacturers and retailers worldwide.