Japanese convenience store to build one of the largest Linux systemsArmonk 02 Nov 2000 Lawson, Inc., the Japanese convenience store chain, will run Linux on the IBM eServer xSeries to allow customers to download music, movies and other Web content from multimedia terminals throughout its stores. The terminals also will provide timely information collected from Internet feeds and communications satellites. Customers already can book airline reservations and order concert tickets from the existing terminals. Armonk will install more than 15,000 IBM eServer xSeries servers, running Linux, making it one of the largest IBM Linux-based installations to date.
Lawson plans to install two IBM xSeries servers, running Linux, at each of its 7,600 stores in Japan. The IBM eServer xSeries installations will be managed remotely, allowing store employees to concentrate on their own sales operations.
The Lawson multimedia terminals currently run Microsoft Windows. The additional functionality, provided by the IBM eServer systems running Linux, will allow future multimedia upgrades in real time, based on customer demand.
Lawson, headquartered in Osaka, Japan, is one of the largest convenience store franchise chains in Japan. With approximately 7,600 stores nation wide, Lawson is the first in the industry to devise the plan to offer a variety of services to customers through multimedia kiosks. In the new era of e-business, Lawson quickly adopted the e-commerce concept to create new opportunities for its business and this allows customers to take full advantage of the convenience which e-commerce offers.
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