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| Awards |
| Competitive Edge is recognized as an IBM StoreProven solution for the SurePOS registers (2000) |
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Located in Belmont, California, Responsive Data Systems was originally founded as a custom software firm in February of 1977. As the software market changed in the early 1980s, RDS used its development expertise to design a point-of-sale software application for businesses in hard goods industries. This application, called Retail/2000, was designed to run on the IBM System/36. The first customer installation of Retail/2000 occurred in 1984. Over the next few years, Retail/2000 was installed at enterprises nationwide, ranging from small single store locations to large multiple store chains.
Due to the success of Retail/2000, IBM formed a contractual alliance with RDS in 1990. The agreement gave IBM exclusive marketing rights to Retail/2000 as an IBM software offering. IBM renamed the application IBM AS/Entry DMAS Retail 2000. RDS was also contracted to develop three industry-specific point-of-sale software products for IBM, marketed as IBM Edge products: IBM Edge for the Automotive Aftermarket; IBM Edge for Hardware, Lumber, and Building Materials; and IBM Edge for Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Pipe Distributors.
With the announcement of the IBM AS/400 platform in the late 1980s, RDS began designing a new point-of-sale application to take full advantage of the power and functionality of the AS/400. The new application, called Competitive Edge, incorporated all features of Retail/2000 and the three IBM Edge products.
Competitive Edge was first installed in 1992. Today the application is running in hundreds of sites across the United States and Canada. Competitive Edge users span a variety of industries, from health equipment manufacturers to garden centers to art supply stores.
The development staff at RDS continues to improve the functionality of Competitive Edge. Additionally, RDS strives to incorporate the newest technologies into the product: intelligent barcode scanning, product and authorized signer imaging, barcode label printing, integrated check and credit card validation, handheld radio frequency terminals, electronic cataloging, IBM SureOne and SurePOS 700 series registers, and electronic signature capture. Enhancements and interfaces to new technologies are included with each new release of the product approximately every twelve months. Competitive Edge is currently on its eighth release.
RDS is dedicated to providing its customers with superior service and technical support. Annual Competitive Edge user conferences serve as forums to allow users to share ideas and make recommendations to the development staff for future enhancements to the application.
With over twenty eight years of industry experience, a number of business partners (including IBM), and a loyal customer base, RDS is poised to continue as the provider of premiere hard goods point-of-sale software solutions for years to come.
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