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MICROS.FINAL 8/19/03 9:10 AM Page 24
•MICROS
SYSTEMS INC.
WWW.MICROS.COM
2002 REVENUES: $367 MILLION
HEADQUARTERS: COLUMBIA, MD.
EMPLOYEES: 2,500
SPECIALTY: POS SYSTEMS
DANIEL G. INTERLANDI, EXEC. VP:
“WE TELL OUR PEOPLE TO GO
AND FIND THE CUSTOMER’S
PROBLEM.”
FOOD AND DRINK JULY/AUGUST 2003
Much of MICROS Systems’
work force has professional
foodservice experience.
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POS Partner
MICROS SYSTEMS INC.
MICROS Systems’ products are software and hardware, but it claims
its emphasis on service is its competitive weapon. BY JOHN KRUKOWSKI
THINK OF A TECHNOLOGY COMPANY AND WHAT COMES TO MIND? percentage is even higher for its installers, he says.
Pocket protectors? Nerds? What about waiters and bartenders? It is a clear competitive advantage to have company repre-
The geek stereotype might be unfair and out of date, but it’s sentatives who understand clients’ needs, whether the chal-
probably a rare technology company that selects its employees lenge is software that a highly transient restaurant work force
because they understand how to give good customer service can learn quickly and easily, or a POS system that is not likely
as well as technology. to go down in the middle of a busy Saturday night. “And it’s
But that is the case for MICROS Systems Inc., a Maryland- clearly beneficial for us to not have to train our people about
based company that provides software and hardware to the hospitality business,” Interlandi says.
clients in the restaurant and hotel sectors. Interlandi himself fits the mold of a MICROS Systems
Approximately 75 percent of the MICROS Systems sales employee – he helped manage his family’s restaurants in
force of 250 people has worked as wait staff or bartenders at Chicago before joining the company in 1980.
some point in their careers, estimates Daniel G. Interlandi, He notes that working for MICROS Systems “is attractive
executive vice president of North American distribution. The to people in the restaurant business because it pays a lot bet-
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MICROS.FINAL 8/19/03 9:10 AM Page 26
MICROS System’s success at supporting the more than 125,000 systems it has installed in restaurants around the world – as well as tens of thousands
of hotels and motels – depends on its ability to respond to calls on those all-important Friday and Saturday nights, or any other day or time when the
customer needs service or has questions.
FOOD AND DRINK JULY/AUGUST 2003
ter and you don’t have to work until midnight on Friday he states.
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and Saturday.” That approach is key to serving a hospitality market that,
while still growing, is hobbled by a slow economy and post-
SERVICE DIFFERENCE 9/11 effects on travel. “The restaurant industry still does pret-
But MICROS System’s success at supporting the more than ty well,” he says. But “the industry knows it needs controls,
125,000 systems it has installed in restaurants around the and it’s a little easier to sell controls in a hard economy
world – as well as tens of thousands of hotels and motels – [because] we can add 1 to 2 percent to their bottom line.”
depends on its ability to respond to calls on those all-impor- Andrew Tay, executive director of client ABR Holdings
tant Friday and Saturday nights, or any other day or time Ltd., concurs: “MICROS Systems is known to be a reliable
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when the customer needs service or has questions. supplier in all markets where our group operates, and in chal-
“Anything that interrupts their ability to serve their cus- lenging economic times, this is a major consideration to pro-
MICROS SYSTEMS INC.
tomers doesn’t make them happy,” Interlandi says. tect our investment.”
The company offers customers service contracts that assure a ABR Holdings recently chose to install the MICROS 3700
MICROS Systems technician will be at their locations, 24/7, POS system at all of its Swensen’s restaurants in Singapore.
should a problem arise. And it operates help desks out of its “We selected MICROS because of its product capabilities, local
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Maryland headquarters and Phoenix, Ariz., as well as in VALUELINK
Ireland, Germany, Argentina and Australia. SINCE INTRODUCING ITS FIRST THIRD-PARTY, CARD-BASED PROGRAM IN 1995, FIRST
DATA’S VALUELINK HAS BEEN AN INDUSTRY LEADER IN CREATING GIFT AND SPENDING
The call centers boast an impressive success record; Interlandi CARD PROGRAMS. VALUELINK PARTNERED WITH MICROS TWO YEARS AGO TO DEVEL-
says the Maryland center is able to solve 62 percent of callers’ OP AND PROVIDE GIFT CARD INTERFACES FOR A MUTUAL CLIENT BASE. THROUGH
THIS PARTNERSHIP, VALUELINK AND MICROS HAVE DELIVERED SERVICES INCLUDING
problems on the first call. CURRENCY CONVERSION AND THE LATEST INTERNET SSL MESSAGE CAPABILITIES FOR
“MICROS believes that its services are an important com- DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 877-848-
8970 OR VISIT WWW.VALUELINK.INFO.
petitive factor and differentiator in customer purchasing deci-
sions,” the company explains in its 2002 annual report. GIVEX CORP.
RESTAURATEURS TODAY ARE INCREASINGLY LOOKING FOR WAYS TO ENHANCE THEIR
“Service revenue, which comprises programming, installa- CUSTOMER’S EXPERIENCE AND ENCOURAGE RETURN VISITS. ADDING VALUE VIA POS
TECHNOLOGY IS ONE WAY TO ACHIEVE THIS. GIVEX CORP. (WWW.GIVEX.COM) AND
tion, training, in-field support and help-desk maintenance, MICROS RECENTLY LAUNCHED A FULLY INTEGRATED GIFT AND FREQUENT DINER PRO-
constituted approximately 47 percent of MICROS’ total rev- GRAM ON THE MICROS 3700 POINT-OF-SALE SYSTEM. GIVEX IS A LEADING GIFT AND
LOYALTY CARD PROCESSOR AND PAYMENT GATEWAY, AND HAS INTERFACED ITS FULL
enues in fiscal 2002.” SUITE OF REAL-TIME GIFT CARD AND FREQUENT DINER POINT TRANSACTIONS TO THE
MICROS Systems plays in a field crowded with dozens of MICROS 3700 POS SYSTEM. GIVEX’S SOLUTION HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY RUNNING AT
THREE CORKY’S RIBS AND BBQ LOCATIONS SINCE 2002. “THE GIVEX SYSTEM ALLOWS
competitors around the world – including smaller companies ONE OF MY STORES TO SELL A GIFT CARD AND FOR THE CUSTOMER TO IMMEDIATELY
whose sole niche is the hospitality business, as well as global GO TO ANOTHER STORE AND REDEEM THE CARD,” SAYS ANDY WOODMAN, CPA,
OWNER AND CFO OF CORKY’S BBQ. “THIS MEANS NO MORE MANUAL BOOKKEEP-
icons such as IBM and NCR. For that reason, Interlandi ING.” GIVEX PROVIDES SUPERIOR TRANSACTION PROCESSING POWER AND RELIABILITY,
explains, the company urges its people in the field to “act REAL-TIME TRACKING AND REPORTING, 24/7 SUPPORT, CARD MARKETING, FULFILL-
MENT, NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS, POS INTERFACES AND STANDALONE TERMINAL
more as consultants to help their customers save money.” OPTIONS, AS WELL AS WEB-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR GIFT AND LOYALTY CARD PRO-
“We tell our people to go and find the customer’s problem,” GRAMS.
MICROS.FINAL 8/19/03 9:10 AM Page 28
support and installation infrastructure, in addition to its inter- tems, communications and hardware and support services.
FOOD AND DRINK JULY/AUGUST 2003
FOOD AND DRINK JULY/AUGUST 2003
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national reputation,” he says. The open systems are able to run on either MICROS hardware
Another client, H.I. Development Corp., recently chose to or other industry standard terminals.
install MICROS Systems’ OPERA property management sys- Restaurant clients run the gamut from independents to major
tem and Web booking engine at a new acquisition, the 144- chains, and from quick-service outlets to table-service establish-
room Carnegie Hotel in Johnson City, Tenn. ments. Among its client roster are such heavyweights as Brinker
The technologies, explains Bunny Carter, general manager International and International House of Pancakes, as well as
of Carnegie Hotel, “will enable us to pursue a customer-cen- franchisees of Burger King, Yum! Brands and Subway.
tric marketing strategy. We want to target our marketing A recently introduced product, Bravo!, is designed to pro-
efforts better, and OPERA’s concise reporting gives us easy vide POS solutions to restaurants with revenues in the range
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access to guest information and history. of $500,000 to $1 million.
MICROS SYSTEMS INC.
MICROS SYSTEMS INC.
“We can analyze our guests’ specific requests and travel pat- Bravo! combines MICROS Systems’ Restaurant Enterprise
terns, and identify the correct geographical markets for us,” System (RES) 3000, the company’s most-popular Windows-
Carter continues. “OPERA’s advanced technology allows H.I. based POS product suite, with the new CE.NET MICROS
Development to create and manage a targeted program that’s Workstation 4 (WS4).
really effective.” Bravo! addresses both front-of-the-house and back-office
As a testament to Interlandi’s comments about the impor- tasks, according to the company. For instance, a cash manage-
tance of service, Carter adds, “We were very impressed with ment module tracks the flow of cash, while another module
MICROS’ personnel. In particular, their knowledge, dedica- monitors employees’ time and attendance.
tion and delivery of information ensured that we were up, WS4 is designed to eliminate service calls and downtime
running and ready to handle guests on time.” with its removable “personality module” which allows key ▼
Interlandi says working with customers in a creative indus-
THE CUSTOMER CONNECTION
try such as hospitality is rewarding, both financially and per- DO THEY KNOW SOMETHING YOU DON’T? MICROS CUSTOMERS ACROSS THE
sonally: “When you have an opportunity to work with hospi- COUNTRY ARE USING THEIR MICROS SYSTEMS TO PROCESS FREQUENCY AND ELEC-
TRONIC GIFT CARD PROGRAMS FROM THE CUSTOMER CONNECTION (TCC), AND
tality people ... it’s a wonderful marketplace and they’re won- ARE ENJOYING GREATER SALES AND PROFITS WITH NO ADMIN HEADACHES. TCC
derful people. PROGRAMS ARE TURNKEY, COST-EFFECTIVE AND CUSTOM-TAILORED. FOR DETAILS,
ASK A MICROS DEALER FOR A CD PRESENTATION OR CALL THE CUSTOMER CON-
“And it’s fun to work with an industry that’s always trying NECTION AT 800-477-7166.
to reinvent itself to attract customers,” he says. “That keeps
you fresh.” DATAWORKS
THE DATAWORKS-MICROS RELATIONSHIP BEGAN IN 1994 WITH THE INSTALLATION OF
A HOTEL INVENTORY SOLUTION. THERE ARE NOW OVER 600 HOSPITALITY APPLICA-
TIONS. DATAWORKS PERFORMS ACROSS MULTIPLE MICROS PLATFORMS FROM ONE
POS SOLUTIONS
CENTRAL DATABASE FUNNELING INFORMATION INTO ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS. DATA-
MICROS Systems’ POS application software and related WORKS PROVIDES RETAIL FUNCTIONALITY AND FULL ERP WITH F&B AND FIXED ASSET
MANAGEMENT. JUDY HORNING, HILTON CORP., SAYS, “DATAWORKS INVENTORY
products for restaurant clients encompass transaction control, MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ENABLE US TO MANAGE OUR ENTIRE CORPORATE ENTERPRISE,
restaurant operations, accounting data, interfaces to other sys- AUTOMATICALLY UPDATING SEPARATE MICROS SYSTEMS FROM ONE CENTRAL POINT.”
MICROS.FINAL 8/19/03 9:10 AM Page 30
MICROS Systems’ POS application software and related products for restaurant clients encompass transaction control, restaurant operations, account-
ing data, interfaces to other systems, communications and hardware and support systems.
information to be easily transferred among workstations. late 2002.
FOOD AND DRINK JULY/AUGUST 2003
FOOD AND DRINK JULY/AUGUST 2003
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“MICROS is proud to introduce this innovative POS solution “This is a great acquisition for MICROS,” said Tom
tailored specifically to the needs of independent restaurateurs,” Giannopoulos, chairman and CEO of MICROS Systems, when
Interlandi says. the purchase was announced.
“We have always listened to our customers in order to devel- “We’ve been looking for just the right company to expand
op the most effective software and hardware products, and our product offering and customer base,” Giannopoulos
now we’ve gone a step further to offer the greatest value in tech- explained. “With Datavantage, we can now offer new prod-
nology investment.” ucts to many of our customers who have retail operations
Interlandi describes Bravo! as “an outstanding POS solution within their establishments, and can also address new seg-
for restaurant operators who are seeking the next generation of ments of the retail marketplace.
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information management to free up their time, attention and “Additionally, Datavantage has shown consistent revenue
MICROS SYSTEMS INC.
MICROS SYSTEMS INC.
budget.” and profit growth and thus will contribute positively and
Other MICROS Systems POS products in this market immediately to the MICROS earnings.”
include the family of Hospitality Management Systems and its Interlandi says MICROS Systems takes a “fairly cautious”
Restaurant Enterprise Series (RES) software suite. approach to expansion; it takes pride in being well managed
Its hotel information technologies include property man- and not attempting growth for growth’s sake.
agement systems, sales and catering systems, central reserva- He explains that this allows the company to say to prospec-
tion systems, revenue management, and customer informa- tive customers that “we’re going to be around a while, so your
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tion systems. RESERVATIONSOURCE
In addition, its software is in use at Marriott International, GUESTBRIDGE DEVELOPS RESERVATIONSOURCE SOFTWARE. “RESERVATIONSOURCE
PROVIDES US A CUTTING EDGE MARKETING TOOL TO TRACK OUR CUSTOMERS, THEIR
Radisson, Hyatt International and Four Season properties, PERSONAL PREFERENCES AND KEEP IN TOUCH,” SAYS JEFF LUDY, OWNER OF MACA-
among other chains. RONI JOES. “THE SEAMLESS INTERFACE WITH OUR MICROS POS ENHANCES OUR EFFI-
CIENCY, PROMOTES CUSTOMER SERVICE AND ADDS VOLUMES TO OUR CUSTOMER
INFORMATION.”
NEW MARKET SEGMENT COMMON CENTS SOLUTIONS INC.
The company recently broke into a new market segment with IT’S A TESTAMENT TO MICROS SYSTEMS’ INGENUITY AND ENDURING PRODUCT
QUALITY THAT COMMON CENTS SOLUTIONS INC. HAS MAINTAINED A 25-YEAR
its May acquisition of Datavantage Corp., a provider of IT RELATIONSHIP, INITIALLY AS A CUSTOMER FOR ITS CAFETERIA BUSINESSES AND LATER
services for the specialty and general merchandise retail AS A VALUE-ADDED SOFTWARE PARTNER AND AUTHORIZED DEALER. COMMON
CENTS SOLUTIONS LOOKS FORWARD TO THE NEXT 25 YEARS INTRODUCING MICROS
industry. The Cleveland-based business will operate as a POWER TO A NEW GENERATION OF CUSTOMERS.
wholly-owned subsidiary of MICROS Systems. PAYMENTECH
Datavantage customers include Bed Bath & Beyond, IKEA, PAYMENTECH HAS WORKED IN CONJUNCTION WITH MICROS TO DEVELOP A FULLY
INTEGRATED GIFT CARD MODULE ON THE 3700 AND 8700 RESTAURANT PLATFORMS.
Polo Ralph Lauren and Starbucks Coffee. THIS SOFTWARE IS AVAILABLE THROUGH MICROS DEALERS AND REPRESENTATIVES, AND
It achieved the largest POS software market penetration PROVIDES ALL OF THE CAPABILITIES NEEDED TO ISSUE AND REDEEM GIFT CARDS. CUS-
TOMIZED RECEIPTS AND REPORTS LET CUSTOMERS MANAGE THEIR GIFT CARD TRANS-
among the top 100 specialty retailers in the Fourth Annual ACTIONS, AND ELIMINATE THE HASSLE OF A STAND BESIDE POINT OF SALE TERMINAL.
POS Benchmarking Survey conducted by LakeWest Group in FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 214-849-3503.
MICROS.FINAL 8/19/03 9:10 AM Page 32
investment in MICROS [technology or products] is going to be as printers, coin changers and scanners.
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a sound one.” Supported by Microsoft Windows CE.NET, WS4 is an open,
“smart” client that can access XML Web services from enter-
MORE ON THE WS4 prise applications in real time, according to MICROS systems.
MICROS Systems says its WS4 workstation resolves a POS “It also arrives preloaded with MICROS Client
dilemma for the hospitality industry: Clients were required Application Loader, an embedded software agent that auto-
either to use a “fat,” PC-based client with excess capability and mates and simplifies software deployment and mainte-
high operating costs, or a “thin” networked client that was nance,” the company explains. “Users easily access the most-
unable to stand alone. current versions of their software with little or no technical
According to the company, the WS4 represents the best of support, and they experience improved performance by exe-
both technology options, while providing some robust, flexi- cuting applications locally.”
ble options of its own. Additional capabilities include:
“MICROS WS4 is sleek and stylish, yet rugged enough to • Wireless capability, allowing the WS4 to be installed in out-
withstand the most-demanding restaurant challenges, like door areas, movable bars and other unusual places.
spilled drinks, heat and a steady stream of operator activity,” • Depot capability allows it to be installed as easily as plug-
company materials describe. “Its bright liquid crystal display ging in a telephone.
and responsive touchscreen make it easier to use in all light • A personality module on an off-the-shelf compact flash card
conditions. stores a record of key information, allowing users to move
“That translates into fewer operator errors. Because it can information easily from one workstation to another. “Slip the
accommodate any size of menu, your workstations do not card into the newly installed WS4,” MICROS Systems
limit your culinary or marketing goals.” explains, “and the new workstation assumes the identity of
An add-on stand and mounting bracket offer ergonomic the replaced device. ... service providers pick up and repair the
and space-saving advantages, according to the company. For inactive workstation at [customers’] convenience.”
example, the screen can be adjusted from 25 to 70 degrees to CLEVER IDEAS INC.
FOOD AND DRINK JULY/AUGUST 2003
CLEVER IDEAS INTEGRATES MARKETING STRATEGIES WITH POS VENDORS, MAKING
reduce light glare and stress on users’ necks and eyes. MAINTENANCE-FREE LOYALTY PROGRAMS A REALITY FOR TIME-STRAPPED RESTAU-
When the WS4 is mounted onto a wall, reservation podiums RATEURS. BY INTERFACING WITH A POS SYSTEM, CLEVER IDEAS CAN TRACK CUS-
TOMERS’ SPENDING HABITS, BUILD FREQUENCY AND VIP PROGRAMS, AND WITH
or countertops are left free for other work. The stand manages INTERACTIVE RESERVATION SYSTEMS, EVEN IDENTIFY BEST CUSTOMERS WHEN THEY
and hides cables, allowing the efficient use of peripherals such WALK IN THE DOOR.
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MICROS SYSTEMS INC.
