Current Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella mentioned that his vision for the company is to make it look like the air – invisible, but completely encompassing everything you see. After Ballmer’s unsuccessful attempts to bring Windows into smartphones and tablets, Nadella has helped put it back on track, empowering Windows and Azure to become the reliable and omnipotent services they are for consumers and businesses, while also acquiring LinkedIn and GitHub to really cement Microsoft’s mainstreaming. to reach. So what’s the next frontier for the Redmond-based company? NFT? Autonomous cars? Well, designer Bas Kamp thinks the next place for the company to make its mark is in the payments industry. Created during a Microsoft Surface virtual design workshop, the Windows Pay concept is a combination of hardware and software that helps Microsoft cement its place in the retail space by enabling Microsoft Surface tablets to become devices. point of sale. In a world of oddly shaped POS units that eventually have to interface with Windows computers used by cashiers, Windows Pay makes everything simple and elegant, streamlining the process in a way that Apple Pay or Google Pay does. probably can’t.
Kamp’s Conceptual System uses three hardware peripherals that work together with the Surface Book to cover a wide range of scenarios. From a barcode reader that helps scan inventory to a tap-to-pay card reader for processing payments and finally to a traditional point-of-sale device for accepting cards and printing invoices, Windows Pay brought the archaic retail payments system into the modern era with design and experience.
Directly above is the digital point of sale device that allows you to use magnetic stripe cards to make payments. The product definitely echoes the Surface’s unique minimalist design language, with clean lines, sharp edges, geometric shapes, and the use of matte metal / chrome. While most point-of-sale devices feature archaic black-and-white screens and ugly keyboards, Windows Pay POS refines it by giving it a touch of minimalism. The Windows Pay point of sale interface is fully tactile, with capacitive buttons and a minimal display that guides you through the payment process.
For newer cards with tap-to-pay functionality, or even NFC-enabled payment systems on Apple and Android devices, the Windows Pay card reader is permanently docked against the side of a Surface device, allowing users to people to pay instantly with the touch of a card or smartphone. This makes payment faster and works exceptionally well for self-checkout kiosks and terminals, leveraging the power of Windows Pay to help people make payments easily. The card reader does not need a screen like the POS device. Instead, it’s docked against a computer, using the computer interface to simplify payments.
The Windows Pay barcode reader is perhaps the most eye-catching of all the products. Designed with minimal form language and in a variety of eye-catching colors, the Windows Pay Barcode Scanner brings the whole retail experience into the modern era, equipping cashiers with the best modern tools to get the job done.
Kamp even took the liberty of designing a new tablet / laptop hybrid for Microsoft, building on the Surface Book’s famous hinge design and a modular setup that lets you swap out the keyboard for a secondary display.
The reason Windows Pay stands out as such a powerful concept is that even though it is so remarkably designed, it makes perfect sense for Microsoft to expand into payments. While Apple and Google will make you believe their payment platforms and wallets are all the rage, the truth is Windows literally ends up in every payment gateway in the world, from the computer your cashier uses to bill you. , until the ATM you withdraw money from. While it’s a pretty colossal undertaking for Microsoft to roll out this series of devices and services to all corners of the world, it certainly makes sense for the company, allowing them to cement themselves in retail and business. business in a way that not one other Silicon Valley giant can. If Nadella wants Microsoft to be like “air,†she should definitely look to the world of retail and payments – two places where Windows plays an absolutely essential role.
Designer: Bas Kamp
