The GK Software AG Draws Impressive Balance
The GK Software AG further on writes on its unique success story. Seven new rolled-out projects and seven new country versions are the highlights of the last year that clearly attest the successful growth trend of the GK Software AG. In addition, the GK/Retail suite was further developed and, once again, was considerably extended with the central branch store server, the HeadOffice applications as well as the new mobile solution version.
For the GK Software AG, the year 2007 was the most successful one in the 17-year history of the enterprise. Turnover and yield could be increased considerably. At the same time, the number of employees rose to about 160. To allow for this staff rise, the enterprise headquarters in Schöneck were considerably increased by an extension building. With that, the GK Software AG continues the developments of the last years and positions as one of the most important providers of branch store solutions in Europe.
The GK Software AG's growth was supported by the successful production rollout of seven new projects. For example, in 2007, all 700 Telekom Shop stores were equipped with GK/Retail. Furthermore, the piloting or the rollout was started with the Kaufhof Warenhaus AG, the EDEKA Minden and further big customers from the areas of food retail trade (WEZ), food retailing-Discount, book trade (Thalia), sporting goods (Intersport Voswinkel) and beverage trade. In parallel to that, existing customer projects were further developed and extended by multitude of new functionalities.
In 2007, the GK/Retail capabilities with respect to the international use were clearly shown again. For example, seven new country versions were transferred into the productive operation (among them, several versions for countries with fiscal legislation). At the same time, with the first installations in the USA, the fourth continent was entered with GK/Retail. With that, GK/Retail is now utilized in 25 countries.
For the GK Software AG, the year 2007 was very important in the area of new solutions too. With the Enterprise Store Server, the innovative central BackOffice solution was introduced on the market that has already proven in the productive use. At the same time, new or extended central components such as the Promotion Designer, the coupon server or the gift card were rolled out. These components as well as the new GK/Retail Mobile version will be presented to the specialized public on the EuroShop in Dusseldorf.
Rainer Gläß, CEO and Chairman of the Board of the GK Software AG: "We are pleased about a further outstanding year. For us, this means motivation and incentive to continue this very positive development in the coming year. In 2007, we again showed that we are able with our GK/Retail solution to successfully realize projects of different size in diverse branches of trade and countries with an unparalleled Time to Market and highest quality."
Schöneck, 11 December 2008 -- GK SOFTWARE AG has received an order from HORNBACH-Baumarkt-AG to adapt its GK/Retail standard software to the specific processes used by the successful home improvement store chain. The aim of the project is to jointly develop the adapted version of the standard software until the pilot version is ready. This is a first important step by GK SOFTWARE AG to tap into the home improvement retail sector with its standard GK/Retail software.
Schöneck, May 30, 2008 – The Swiss retailer Coop has chosen GK/Retail as its new point of sales system for about 1,400 stores. Several sales lines at Switzerland’s second largest retail enterprise will be switched to GK SOFTWARE AG’s standard solution over the next few years. This success story is ample proof of the company’s leading position in the point of sales systems sector – beyond Germany’s borders too.
Following a comprehensive selection process, Coop, the second largest retailer group in Switzerland with annual revenues of 14.9 Swiss francs, opted for GK/Retail. Coop will equip its approx. 1,400 stores with the standard solution from GK SOFTWARE AG in future.
As a result, GK/Retail will be used in conjunction with the POS, Enterprise Store Server, Store Manager and Enterprise Cockpit modules in the following sales outlets: Coop supermarkets, Coop City department stores, TopTip/Lumimart furniture stores, Coop Bau+Hobby garden and building centres, Import Parfümerien shops, Christ Uhren & Schmuck stores and the Coop restaurants.
As part of the package, Coop will also make use of the Enterprise Store Server software, the central feature of GK SOFTWARE AG’s package. This allows the company to operate its back office services and data bases for the stores at one central location. Suse Linux Enterprise Server will be installed in the stores as the operating system.
Rainer Gläß, CEO and member of the management board at GK SOFTWARE AG says: “We are very proud to have acquired another significant European retailer, Coop, as our customer. We also view this as a confirmation of our international expansion strategy. Our technologically advanced standard solution provides ideal operating conditions and can be used with any hardware platform.”
GK SOFTWARE AG has received the "Technology Fast 50" Deloitte Award. The prize acknowledges the company’s above-average growth over the past five years.
Düsseldorf, Schöneck, 24 October 2008
The management consultancy, auditing, tax advice, consulting and corporate finance company Deloitte presents its "Technology Fast 50" Award to the fastest growing technology companies in Germany every year.
Deloitte calculated an accumulated percentage sales growth rate of 472.27% over the past five years and paid tribute to the company’s outstanding achievements in the technology sector.
Die GK SOFTWARE AG stellt auch in diesem Jahr auf der Orbit-iEX in Zürich aus. Partner am Stand sind die valuephone GmbH und die StoreWeaver GmbH.
Schöneck, 28. April 2008: Die GK SOFTWARE AG präsentiert ihr umfangreiches Lösungsportfolio für Filialunternehmen auch in diesem Jahr wieder auf der Orbit-iEX in den Züricher Messehallen. Sie dokumentiert damit gleichzeitig ihre verstärkten Aktivitäten im Schweizer Retailmarkt.
Als Partner am Stand sind valuephone und die StoreWeaver GmbH vertreten. valuephone bietet Lösungen rund um die Mobile Value Chain. StoreWeaver ist die Plattform für die Filialintegration sowie die nahtlose Anbindung von Filiale und Enterprise.
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Am 25. Juni werden in London die ERSA's (European Retail Solutions Awards) vergeben. Zu den Finalisten im Bereich "Best International Solution" gehört die Parfümerie Douglas gemeinsam mit der GK SOFTWARE AG.
Seit acht Jahren werden im Rahmen der Fachmesse Retail Solutions, die in diesem Jahr von Birmingham nach London umgezogen ist, die European Retail Solutions Awards vergeben. Auf einer feierlichen Gala erfolgt die Verleihung der Preise an die Gewinner in den jeweiligen Kategorien. Dazu wird aus den zahlreichen eingereichten Projekten eine Short List erstellt, auf der die jeweils besten Projekte der entsprechenden Kategorie versammelt sind.
Die GK SOFTWARE AG hat in diesem Jahr erstmalig gemeinsam mit der Parfümerie Douglas an der Ausschreibung teilgenommen und wurde sofort in der Kategorie Best International Solution nominiert. Damit wird die erfolgreiche Umsetzung eines der größten europäischen Retail-IT-Projekte gewürdigt. Die Preisverleihung findet am 25. Juni an traditionsreicher Stätte im Old Billingsgate Market in London statt.
Das internationale Filialprojekt von Douglas wurde in diesem Jahr bereits mit dem Retail Technology Award des EHI Retail Institutes in der Kategorie Best In-Store Solution ausgezeichnet.
INTERSPORT Voswinkel setzt auf Filialtechnologie der GK Software AG
Schöneck, 22. April 2008 – Die INTERSPORT Voswinkel GmbH & Co. KG stattet gegenwärtig ihre Filialen mit der Lösung GK/Retail aus. Der Rollout wird bis Ende Juni 2008 in allen Filialen abgeschlossen sein.
INTERSPORT Voswinkel, das traditionsreiche Sportfachhandelsunternehmen aus dem Ruhrgebiet, hat sich für die Zusammenarbeit mit der GK Software AG als Technologiepartner entschieden. Das in Dortmund beheimatete Unternehmen, mit 48 Filialen einer der größten Partner im INTERSPORT-Verbund, bietet mit über 12.000 Warengruppen komplette Sortimente international bekannter Marken aus nahezu allen Bereichen des Sports an und hat sich dadurch einen Namen als führendes Sport-Fachgeschäft gemacht.
Bereits drei Monate nach dem Projektstart im Mai 2007 gingen die ersten Pilotinstallationen an den Start und wurden von INTERSPORT Voswinkel intensiv getestet. Da GK/Retail einen Großteil der benötigten Funktionalitäten bereits im Standard beherrscht, konnten die meisten Anpassungen an die Projektspezifika durch die Einstellung der entsprechenden Parameter umgesetzt werden. Der zusätzliche Entwicklungsaufwand wurde dadurch gering gehalten. Nach dem Ende der Pilotphase werden seit Januar die POS-Systeme mit GK/Retail ausgestattet. Bis Ende Juni 2008 wird das Lösungspaket in allen Filialen produktiv im Einsatz sein. INTERSPORT Voswinkel setzt dabei auf die Touchvariante von GK/Retail.
Für Jochen Schnell, Geschäftsführer von INTERSPORT Voswinkel hat „die Gesamtkonzeption“ den Ausschlag zugunsten von GK/Retail gegeben. „Die umfangreichen Funktionalitäten und das Architekturkonzept von GK/Retail haben uns voll überzeugt. Wichtig waren für uns aber auch überzeugende Referenzprojekte unseres Kooperationspartners. Die einheitliche Kassenlösung GK/Retail wird u.a. bei Douglas in zahlreichen Ländern erfolgreich eingesetzt und verspricht uns erhebliche Synergie-Potenziale."
Über INTERSPORT Voswinkel:
INTERSPORT Voswinkel ist ein traditionelles Sportfachhandelsunternehmen mit einem Komplettangebot an Sportartikeln und Sportfashion. Bis 1984 gehörte INTERSPORT Voswinkel zur DOUGLAS-Gruppe und beschäftigt bis heute mehr als 500 Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter in 48 Fachgeschäften. Seit 2003 ist INTERSPORT Voswinkel ein Unternehmen des INTERSPORT-Verbundes, der größten mittelständischen Verbundgruppe im europäischen Sportfachhandel mit mehr als 1.400 Verkaufsstellen und einem Umsatz von rund 2,3 Milliarden Euro.
GK SOFTWARE AG is presenting the new major version of the GK/Retail store suite at the EuroCIS 2009.
Schöneck, 22 December 2008, GK SOFTWARE AG will be presenting the new major version of GK/Retail to trade specialists at the EuroCIS 2009 for the very first time. The system’s technological base has been further developed and numerous functions in the leading store suite have been expanded; new solutions have also been integrated like digital signage, mobile couponing or digital signatures. GK SOFTWARE AG will be presenting integrated and forward-looking processes for retail store companies in Düsseldorf in conjunction with its subsidiary StoreWeaver and its partner company, valuephone.
GK SOFTWARE AG’s trade fair stand at the EuroCIS fair in 2009 will focus on the new major version of GK/Retail. The further development of this software for any kind of retail sector has focused on the following major elements: 1. Improved customer service opportunities in the store; 2. The development of new components and integrated solutions; and 3. Cost reductions in everyday operations and an even faster time-to-market for new requirements. GK SOFTWARE AG is providing clear evidence that it has not only been working on six new projects, but was able to expand its research and development work in 2008 in line with corporate planning.
All the elements in the new version of GK/Retail are intricately linked using the latest technological base. The seamless integration of the central architecture with the store processes should particularly be singled out. This means that classical store servers can be moved out of stores to enterprise headquarters if GK/Retail is used – without any restrictions on functions. Another major focus involves usability and the further simplification of daily operations. The newly developed GK/Retail software will help the retail sector to be able to reduce costs, automate processes and respond to new challenges quickly.
The new GK/Retail digital content server will be on display for the first time at the EuroCIS. The software ensures that digital content can be supplied to any number of terminals in a store using the automatic, centrally managed distribution system. The communications paths available in GK/Retail are used, for example, to supply customer displays at tills or scales, digital posters or kiosks with a wide variety of advertising information at particular set times.
StoreWeaver GmbH, a 100% subsidiary of GK SOFTWARE AG, will be presenting its software named after the company at its own area on the stand. The company is focusing on two particular issues this year: the integration of the complete store IT operations, including the associated data supply and removal via the open integration platform, and the availability of store merchandise management processes including real time links to central systems. One major focus in this respect is the ability to display these processes on mobile units, both online and offline.
One of the highlights at the trade fair will be the expanded Sales Cockpit, which provides managers with all the important key data on sales data, customer frequency, current sales promotions etc in real time. This means that business and regional managers and sales and marketing departments have all the figures available permanently in real time. As a result, they can respond to new developments actively and without any time delay.
The retail trade is expecting long-term improvements in processes and cost reductions through the introduction of digital signatures. The new GK/Retail version therefore incorporates a completely integrated digital signature facility, which meets the PCI DSS security standards. It allows rapid processes at a POS without the need for any paper and provides immediate access to the data stored in Backoffice and enterprise headquarters.
GK SOFTWARE AG, in conjunction with its business partner valuephone, is presenting a mobile couponing solution. As a result, coupons, which have been downloaded on to a cell phone directly or via the valuephone portal, can be read at the POS units using the barcode or NFC facility quickly and without any difficulties. This opens up opportunities for retailers to use new communications paths with their customers and they can also offer them additional mobile services.
Rainer Gläß, CEO at GK SOFTWARE AG, is expecting a further boost for the company from the EuroCIS. “2008 was the most successful year in the corporate history of GK SOFTWARE AG, so we are now delighted to be presenting our new solutions at the leading fair for retail IT solutions. As was the case last year, we are expecting plenty of interest in our market-leading GK/Retail software from domestic and international visitors.”
Schöneck/Brabrand, December 17, 2008 – One of the leading European furnishing and furniture retailers JYSK Nordic has signed a contract with GK SOFTWARE AG from Germany for a new global sales system. Today, JYSK Nordic operates in eleven countries but the contract with GK SOFTWARE AG covers an expansion to 21 countries.
The system enables JYSK Nordic to operate seamlessly on existing and new markets, including China and Eastern Europe. “JYSKNordic is now able to efficiently accommodate for different national legislative requirements and to operate on all languages, including Chinese, in a unified and highly flexible system. With the new solution we also get a solution that is easy to use and can be mastered by new personnel in just 2 to 3 hours,” says JYSK Nordic’s Director of Finance and IT, Henrik Naundrup.
JYSK Nordic will roll out the new GK/Retail sales system over the next three years, country by country, lead by a team of 10-15 experts. Amongst the advanced features of the new sales system are locally adjusted customer loyalty programmes, in-store Internet sales, optional queue-busting achieved via personnel with handheld terminals, and interoperability with all major payment solutions worldwide.
“We have gone through a highly systematic purchasing process that makes us confident that the deal we are making with GK SOFTWARE will also be a good deal in a long term perspective,” concludes JYSK Nordic’s Director of Finance and IT, Henrik Naundrup.
With the JYSK Nordic deal GK SOFTWARE won another international customer for GK/Retail. At the same time the company opens up the segment of furnishing and furniture retailers and will be present with solutions in new countries in Eastern Europe and Asia.
Fan shops in the new arena at Sinsheim are now equipped with the GK/Retail software program from GK SOFTWARE AG
The system uses the GK/Retail software program, which has also been installed in the fan shops at the SAP ARENA in Mannheim and the St. Leon Rot Golf Club. Both sports sites have been equipped with the store software from GK SOFTWARE AG for years. All the till systems are directly linked to the central SAP system. Mobile units are used to handle special merchandise management processes, e.g. stocktaking. The central GK/Retail Store Value Server guarantees that gift certificates can be accepted in the fan shops without any problems.
Rainer Gläß, CEO at GK SOFTWARE AG says: “By acquiring TSG 1899 Hoffenheim Fussball-Spielbetriebs GmbH as a customer, we have once again been able to demonstrate that GK/Retail can be used in the widest possible range of subareas in the retail sector and that our range of software meets both the requirements of international retailers and small and medium-sized enterprises to an outstanding degree.”