Microsoft Explores New Ways to Pay, Fighting Off Amazon In-Store and In the Cloud
*By Alisha Haridasani*
Microsoft is reportedly exploring how to automate cashless check-out at brick-and-mortar retailers in a bid to challenge Amazon not just in-store but in the cloud.
The technology would track what shoppers add to their carts and bill them automatically after they walk out of a store, according to a [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-microsoft-store-exclusive/exclusive-microsoft-takes-aim-at-amazon-with-push-for-checkout-free-retail-idUSKBN1JA0D5) report on Microsoft's plans. The tech giant is in talks with Walmart and other retailers about potential collaborations, the report said, citing people familiar with the effort.
Microsoft's effort to develop a new payment model comes almost five months after Amazon opened its first [Amazon Go](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/21/technology/inside-amazon-go-a-store-of-the-future.html) store in Seattle, where cameras and sensors track what shoppers pick up and then bills their online account, eliminating cashiers and the long lines that snake around them.
Microsoft is exploring a number of ways it can make this payment system work, including installing cameras in shopping carts instead of on shelves, as Amazon does, said Jeffrey Dastin, the Reuters technology correspondent who first reported the story.
"The reason that it has looked into this is, of course, that some of the technology that Amazon Go has introduced is a bit expensive," said Dastin. "This is a reaction to retailers not being so sold on the technology that Amazon has put forth and maybe this is a go-to-market strategy that's faster."
Amazon’s new technology, and the potential to put it to use in its Whole Foods stores ー the online retailer acquired the grocery chain last year ー has scared other grocers who fear the combination of online disruption of retail and in-store convenience will further eat into their business.
The challenge has prompted other players, including Walmart, to innovate their [online](https://cheddar.com/videos/jetblacks-competitive-advantage-time-savings-and-a-human-touch) and [in-store](https://cheddar.com/videos/walmart-upgrades-digital-services-to-boost-in-store-experiences) operations.
Microsoft's decision to develop this technology is driven by its ambitions to boost its cloud business, said Dastin. "What Microsoft essentially is doing here is becoming more than just an IT provider and becoming a strategic ally to retailers," he said.
The cameras and algorithms associated with the technology would ultimately use Microsoft's cloud business, but it would also provide retailers with data on consumers that can help them stay competitive, said Dastin.
"This is securing cloud revenue growth and at the same time securing long-standing relationships with a major vertical."
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/microsoft-developing-cashierless-tech).
Less than six months after making its public debut on the NYSE, Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi says it will delist in the U.S. and pivot to Hong Kong instead. Chinese regulators are citing cybersecurity and data concerns. Shehzad Qazi, Managing Director, China Beige Book International joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
As offices shifted to remote schedules, and people were forced into a new way of work, many began to re-think their career path and their purpose in the workforce, leading to what many are calling 'The Great Resignation.' During the last year, Americans quit their jobs in unprecedented numbers, seeking more flexibility, better benefits, a higher salary, and ultimately greater independence. Danielle Neal, CEO of Digital with Danielle, is just one of the millions who quit their job during the pandemic, and she joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to tell her story.
As Americans quit their jobs in record numbers this year, companies have been scrambling to try and fill those gaps. Gad Levanon, head of the labor market institute at The Conference Board, says companies need to focus more on salary if they want to better retain their employees. Levanon joined Cheddar to discuss the labor shortage, the "Great Resignation," and what companies can learn from it going into 2022.
The U.S. has seen several retailers across the country forced to close their brick-and-mortar stores amid the rise of e-commerce over the past few years. However, we are in the midst of a brick-and-mortar boom, with retailers expected to open more stores this year than they close, for the first time since 2017, according to an analysis of more than 900 chains by IHL Group, a research and advisory company. At the same time, the e-commerce businesses of retailers have become more dependent on physical stores to fulfill orders, especially during the holiday shopping season. Lionesque Group CEO Melissa Gonzalez joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Alyse Killeen, Founder & Managing Partner at Stillmark VC, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss what the jury had to evaluate in the Craig Wright trial and if uncovering the identity of Bitcoin inventor Satoshi Nakamoto will actually impact crypto investors.
Heila Technologies, a startup that develops hardware and software to integrate renewables and batteries on a microgrid, is helping to power the first clean energy microgrid for Auto Mercado, a top supermarket chain in Costa Rica. The plant will reduce 20 tons of CO2 emissions per year. Heila Technologies CEO Francisco Morocz joins Cheddar Climate to discuss.
GitLab CFO Brian Robins joined Cheddar's "Closing Bell" to discuss the single platform software development app's first earnings report since going public in October. The company frames itself as a one-stop-shop for businesses to transition into software development to manage in-network chat, video conferencing, and meeting scheduling among other applications. GitLab saw Q3 revenue jump 58 percent and was able to add a number of new customers since its IPO.
Bitcoin had a tough last few days. In just a 24-hour period spanning early Friday morning to early Saturday morning, bitcoin's price went from about $57,000 to $47,000. Patrick McCconlogue, CEO of Overline, joins Cheddar News discuss bitcoin's plunge.
The leading gaming organization and lifestyle brand 100 Thieves just raised $60 million in new funding closing its Series C. This new round of funding has raised the valuation of the organization to about $460 million. John Robinson, president and COO of 100 Thieves, joins Cheddar News to talk about what's next for the company.
