IBM and SuSE Linux AG are hoping to make more cash registers ring this year with a new SuSE Linux-based POS solution that includes a complete operating system and management solution.

Known as IBM Retail Environment for SuSE Linux, the solution will be available by midyear and combines the Linux platform for retailers with IBM middleware, SurePOS and eServer.

The solution features simplified installation and configuration via four optimized Linux operating system images for point-of-sale terminals and an infrastructure for centralized management and distribution of the software.

The environment can be tailored from a small console-based system to a Java or browser-capable system, depending on the needs of the retailer. It also offers investment protection for retailers already running IBM POS systems, as it can be deployed on some existing IBM terminals.

Pricing for the solution was not available at press time.

"This solution should be particularly attractive for retailers who are currently using older DOS operating systems and need the ability to add new applications and services [that] require a new operating system platform," said Tom Peterson, general manager for IBM retail store solutions, in Somers, N.Y.