New Partnership Aims To Help Harness Emerging Technology For Retail
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
RILA and Zebra Technologies will work together to further the global retail industry.
Born from a mutual interest in retail, technology, and data, a new partnership between Zebra Technologies, maker of mobile computers, and software-enhanced barcode scanners and printers, and the Retail Industry Leaders Association's (R)Tech Center for Innovation will help RILA identify and harness emerging technologies to the benefit of the global retail industry, according to a RILA press release. Zebra is also a sponsor and partner on RILA’s Asset Protection Leaders Council, which includes senior executives in retail focused on asset protection, loss prevention, and risk management.
Last March, RILA announced a new partnership with Shoptalk focused on RILA’s new (R)Tech Center for Innovation, as Retail IT Insights reported. Through the partnership, Shoptalk agreed to support the (R)Tech Center for Innovation as a member of the (R)Tech Innovators Network. RILA, together with Accenture, has launched the (R)Tech Center for Innovation, and an accompanying “(R)Tech” brand for the retail, innovation and policymaking arenas. The (R)Tech Center for Innovation’s mission is to help retailers navigate the industry’s transformation, and to spur the adoption of the “(R)Tech” term within the retail innovation ecosystem.
“Zebra is excited to partner in this effort to co-innovate, develop and offer new offerings, working with top retail executives and operational leaders. A Critical goal for retailers is building a culture of innovation which we aim to help achieve. We look forward to our continued work with RILA as we develop next-generation offerings that will fulfill industry needs and expand operational visibility to improve the overall customer experience,” asserted Tom Bianculli, Chief Technology Officer, Zebra Technologies.
One particular area of focus for the partnership will be data security and sharing. As retailers are generating vast amounts of actionable data about processes and assets that can be leveraged to transform their operations to improve business performance and outcomes, data security becomes a priority, according to the press release.
"As a participant in its Asset Protection Leaders Council, Zebra is engaged in advancing RILA's broader ability to support and enhance its charter to reduce shrink in retail. Our joint efforts combined with our focus on bringing innovative solutions to market will allow retailers to focus on future growth," Ed Tonkon, President, Zebra Retail Solutions, Zebra Technologies.