Newsletter


Upcoming Meetings and Events:
	IXRetail and Data Model meetings February 16 - 18 (IXRetail) and February 19-20 (Data Model) Sun Microsystems, San Jose CA Key agenda items for IXRetail are the above priorities for 2004 with the complete agenda available on the ARTS website. You can register to attend this and all ARTS meetings on nrf-arts.org
	European IT Executives Dinner and Meeting February 26 London UK This meeting is by invitation only. If you are interested in learning more about how you can assist NRF and ARTS to provide additional value to your IT operation, contact MaderR or ShunkK.
	UnifiedPOS Technical Committee March 8 - 10 Seiko Epson Offices, Tokyo Japan This meeting will begin with a tour of the Tech2004 Retail Show and a meeting with the OPOS-J Executive Committee.
	ARTS Presentation March 31 Datavantage Users Conference,Cleveland OH
	IXRetail and Data Model Meetings May 3 - 5 (IXRetail) and 6-7 (Data Model) RadioShack Headquarters, Ft. Worth Tx
	ARTS Presentation May 23 - 26 IBM Stores Systems User Group conference, Anaheim CA
	ARTS Presentation April 26 - 28 JDA users conference, Las Vegas NV

Welcome New ARTS Members
Bass Pro Shops, Inc.	United States
Feedo AB	Sweden
Godiva Chocolatier, Inc.	United States
Guitar Center, Inc.	United States
In-Store Broadcasting Network	United States
LaSer Informatique	France
Les Schwab Tire Centers	United States
Mettler-Toledo International	Switzerland
Netkey, Inc.	United States
Pep Boys - Manny Moe & Jack	United States
Ritz Camera Centers	United States

Top Story of the Month
ARTS-NRF Standard RFP for POS
The Standard RFP for POS was announced at the standing-room-only ARTS Session at the NRF Annual Convention last month in New York. Since the RFP was announced, more than 70 companies have requested it. Each RFP will be in two sections: a Master Agreement, to guide the RFP process and contracting with the successful bidder, and a Features and Functions Matrix, a complete list of the business activities to be supported by the desired application. Future RFPs now in development include Workforce Management, Warehouse Management and POS Fraud Analysis, all due by August of this year. A Hardware Addendum to the Standard RFP for POS is also planned for October release. The RFP is available free of charge to ARTS and NRF members in good standing only. For more information on this program or to obtain an RFP please contact ARTS@nrf.com.

Recent Activities and Events

ARTS Standards Pavilion Demonstrates Ease of Converting to Standards
	ARTS Standards Pavilion Demonstrates Ease of Converting to Standards At the NRF Annual Convention & EXPO in New York last month, more than 300 visitors toured the Pavilion and listened to presentations from our vendor sponsors on the value of standards. Vendors were: 360Commerce, AccessVia, afterBOT, Bostech, Datavantage, GERS Retail Systems, IBM, Interwoven, Microsoft, NCR, NSB Group, PCMS Datafit, Sonic Software, Ultimate Technology and Wincor Nixdorf. Demonstrations included: Bostech, Sonic Software and IBM demonstrating integration aids to integrate or communicate standards-based data with non-standard; PCMS with Bostech integrating their POSlog to the Datavantage LP application in just 26 minutes; with Interwoven serving as the image repository and using the DAM Schema, AccessVia, NSB and Microsoft locating and communicating images to POS and Kiosk applications; 360Commerce and IBM using POSlog to send data to afterBOT, who created Digital Receipts for customers and Retailer Purchase analysis. Presentations are available at nrf-arts.org in the public presentation area.

ARTS Announces On-line Dues Payment Annual membership fees due January 1, 2004
	ARTS Announces On-line Dues Payment Annual membership fees due January 1, 2004 may be paid on-line at nrf-arts.org. This process requested by members makes it easy to remain a member in good standing. Traditional electronic and paper invoices are available on request. Dues for 2004 must be paid in order to receive the standard RFP
ARTS Board elects new members
	ARTS Board elects new members Longtime ARTS supporters and contributors Richard Smith, Managing Director of PCMS Group International, and Dean Sleeper, President and CEO of AccessVia, have joined the Board.
ARTS Executive Director Keynotes .Net for Retail Conference in Tokyo
	ARTS Executive Director Keynotes .Net for Retail Conference in Tokyo Richard Mader was invited to update an enthusiastic audience on the progress IXRetail has made in using standard XML schemas to integrate applications. .Net for Retail has agreed to cooperate with IXRetail in development of future schemas and on enhancements to POSlog unique to Japanese business requirements.
IXRetail Technical Committee Establishes Priorities for 2004
	IXRetail Technical Committee Establishes Priorities for 2004 In their January 14 meeting the schemas POSlog v2.1, Price v2 and Inventory v1 were established as the main priorities. Two new work teams will also be created: Item, dealing with basic descriptive data for all schemas that reference Item, and Workforce Management Teams to develop multiple schemas that will result from the Workforce Management RFP, including Employee, Budget Hours and Payroll Dollars.