Press Releases
Opterus Store Ops-Center Retail Portal Solution
Wins First Annual Pick20 Web 2.0 Award
Toronto, Ontario - November 17, 2008 Opterus Inc. today announced that it has been selected as one of the inaugural 'Top 20 Web 2.0 Companies in Canada' as ranked by Backbone Magazine. The first annual Pick20 Web 2.0 awards, sponsored by Backbone Magazine and KPMG, recognize up and coming pioneers who are leading the 2.0 evolution of the Web.
According to Backbone Magazine, "Web 2.0 has been defined, redefined and argued over, and there's no doubt the 20 winners our judges picked will create some of the same debate. For our purposes, we defined Web 2.0 as the use of emergent online social platforms to link individuals to each other and, increasingly, to connect companies to partners and clients."
The Opterus Store-Ops Center solution allows retailers to create a social community between their stores, head-office, regional management and even their business partners. It was designed using best practices of Web 2.0 architecture and software development. The back-end is powered by Java Server Faces (JSF), Ajax4JSF and Facelets, while Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Ajax4JSF and custom Javascript deliver a powerful and dynamic Web 2.0 experience.
Opterus' Store Ops-Center, a web-based retail portal solution, allows retailers to accurately and consistently distribute information, and to plan, schedule, assign, prioritize, automate, communicate and monitor store operational task compliance. Early tests indicate that Opterus customers have experienced more than 20 percent in efficiency gains with Store Ops-Center. Store Ops-Center is offered in a "Software as a Service" model (SaaS), minimizing the large capital expense normally associated with new retail technology projects. As a subscription-based solution, retailers pay a monthly store usage fee similar to phone lines, internet connectivity and other monthly utility expenses.
"I think this is an excellent idea for a B2B application and I haven't heard of anything like it," said Michael O'Connor Clarke, social media pioneer, and one of Canada's most experienced consultants on the integration of Web 2.0 approaches within mainstream public relations and marketing campaigns.
"Store Ops-Center will help retailers reduce operational costs while improving store efficiency," said Ron Blackwelder, VP Sales and Marketing at Opterus. "The cost of entry for Store Ops-Center is next to nothing when compared to productivity gains that retailers will start realizing the instant it is deployed to their stores."
About Backbone Magazine
Backbone magazine was launched in January 2001, at the height of the technology bubble. We continued to publish throughout the tech meltdown and beyond, working as an active participant in the changing business world. Our primary focus has been on how technology enhances business processes, markets, profitability and productivity. Backbone magazine's aim is to provide business people with a tangible tool to enhance the way they do business in Canada's New Economy.
About KPMG
KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership established under the laws of Ontario, is the Canadian member firm affiliated with KPMG International, a global network of professional firms providing Audit, Tax, and Advisory services. Member firms operate in 145 countries and have more than 123,000 professionals working around the world. The independent member firms of the KPMG network are affiliated with KPMG International, a Swiss cooperative. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity
About Opterus
Opterus Inc. is a leading provider of a cost-effective, easy-to-implement store information and execution management solution that increases productivity and improves retail enterprise communications. Opterus Store Ops-Center software is an on-demand, web-based retail portal designed to communicate corporate policy and day-to-day objectives between corporate office and store locations. This solution is specifically designed for retail operations, and provides store personnel with clear, concise and timely direction, along with the proper tools to best do their jobs to support corporate initiatives. Opterus is based in Toronto, Ontario and was founded in 2006 by a group of seasoned retail industry technology veterans. www.opterus.com
Media Contact:
Janet Hawkins, President
416-840-8495 x707
janet.hawkins@opterus.com
Catherine Seeds
KetnerBarnes (for Opterus)
512-794-8876
cseeds@ketnerbarnes.com
