HP wants to revolutionise retail with a slick new point-of-sale system

HP has come up with a new retail point-of-sale (POS) system which sports some really nifty features and looks slick, while still managing to maintain enterprise-grade security chops.

As you can see from the image above, this is an all-in-one POS system which benefits from an eye-pleasing modular design that’s very different from the usual squat, boxy terminals usually seen in retail outlets. The device keeps the sales counter looking as clean and neat as it possibly could.

HP’s ElitePOS also offers a great deal of flexibility, as the display can be separated from the central column in order to be used anywhere, and optional extras include an integrated receipt printer which is built right into the column stand. An optional magnetic stripe reader can also be integrated into the display, and further options include a barcode scanner and standalone printer.

The system boasts further flexibility in terms of use cases beyond simple shopping and checkout, including use as interactive signage, and for self-service applications where the customer can sign in and sort themselves out.

Durable and secure

In terms of the hardware spec, ElitePOS will be driven by Intel Core (Kaby Lake) processors with vPro using Windows 10, and the hardware is designed with durability in mind, aiming to meet MIL-STD tests and capable of surviving minor liquid spills.

As for the aforementioned enterprise-grade security, that’s delivered in the form of BIOS-level protection with HP Sure Start Gen3 (a ‘self-healing’ BIOS), along with HP BIOSphere Gen3.

Other security features include Credential Guard and Device Guard (for those running Windows 10 Enterprise, that is), and an optional fingerprint reader to facilitate secure logins.

It will also be possible to physically secure the device as there is an optional bolt-to-counter configuration which, as the name suggests, bolts the POS system down so it can’t be physically removed.

HP’s ElitePOS will be available from later this month, with pricing to be confirmed.

Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).