You see, it's actually an integral part of their electronics
department and will control their TV network as well.
This was a decent order.. 40-50 million, all at once.
ROUND ROCK, Texas, Dec. 9, 1997-- Dell Computer Corporation, the world's leading direct computer systems company, today announced its PowerEdger 2200 servers and OptiPlexr GXi PCs will be running the new interactive departments in Wal-Mart stores across the continental United States, giving customers the ability to preview home videos, CDs and tapes before buying.
By scanning the product's bar codes at special Interactive Endcaps„, customers will be able to view a 30-second music video followed by three 30-second audio clips from each CD or tape before buying. Multiple in-line listening stations, spread throughout the electronics department, will permit listeners to hear up to three 30-second audio clips from each individual CD and tape. Customers can preview thousands of CDs and tapes before purchase.
In-line home video stations will allow customers to view 30-second clips of each home video on the shelf. Customers will be able to sample up to 9,000 CD and tape titles and up to 400 home video titles. In addition, the Wal-Mart TV Network, a two-hour repeating show of original entertainment programming, will be broadcast on all 30- 40 TVs on display in the department.
The nerve centers that run the interactive systems as well as the Wal-Mart TV Network in the electronics departments are powered nationwide by two servers and one PC in each of the 1950 participating Wal-Mart stores. Wal-Mart purchased a total of 4,000 Dell servers and 2,000 Dell OptiPlex PCs for the project. The GXi PCs were custom configured by Dell with special proprietary software, network interface cards and special MPEG (audio-visual) cards. Dell servers will be receiving data from a satellite uplink which will connect all of the stores Wal-Mart's technology innovation appears to be the first of its kind among the discount retail giants. The audio-visual technology has begun roll out and will continue to be installed throughout the first of the year.
MEATHEAD |
