This past week, Datalogic announced the availability of the much anticipated Magellan 9800i scanner-scale. Boasting the title of the world’s first full digital imaging multi-plane retail checkout solution, the Magellan 9800i provides several value upgrades over traditional laser based checkout systems. The two primary value propositions of the Magellan 9800i are: enhanced customer data acquisition capability and improved scan capacity. Both of these advantages stem from the use of image-based scanning.
In retail, two keys to success are speed of checkout and customer engagement: the Magellan 9800i provides both. Using multi-plane camera based scanners the Magellan 9800i boosts performance by easier reading of barcodes. Because of the multi-plane capacity, this scanner minimizes the need to reorient items and minimizes no-reads. Also, an optional feature, the top-down reader is able to scan codes on the top and leading edge of products. These will expedite retail traffic tremendously.
Customer data acquisition and engagement is just as important. The Magellan 9800i stimulates this with its camera-based scanning capabilities. With an increasing number of coupons and barcodes being found on mobile phones, it is important to have a technology that can handle said technologies. The product interface allows customers to swiftly and effortlessly self-scan codes from smart devices, ordinary coupons, and loyalty cards. Soon, retailers will need a device with such functionality: the 9800i eliminates the need to buy handheld barcode scanning devices to supplement fixed-position scanners at the checkout.
Full digital imaging checkout solutions stand to change the way high throughput retailers do business. Although price is only speculative at this juncture, it is safe to predict that, for the time being, these technologies will be more expensive than traditional, bioptic laser-based solutions. VDC, despite the price, views the enhanced value propositions of the Magellan 9800i as a worthwhile investment consideration for large tier 1 retailers at this time.
(A special thank you to Nicholas Reposa for his significant contributions to this posting. Mr. Reposa is currently a Researcher in VDC’s AutoID & Data Capture practice.)
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