At NRF 2017 - Retail's BIG Show, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich delivered a keynote to a room of retailers, highlighting the role of data and smart and connected solutions in transforming the retail industry.

Krzanich also demonstrated Simbe Robotics' Tally, a robotic autonomous shelf auditing and analytics solution for retail. Tally works in concert with retail associates by arming them with information to ensure the store's products are always stocked, in the right place and displaying the correct price tag. The robot operates during normal store hours alongside shoppers and employees, and doesn't require any infrastructure changes to the store. Tally is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor-based Intel NUC and uses a number of Intel RealSense cameras to help understand the world around it and navigate the store safely.

Speaking on stage, Krzanich introduced the Intel Responsive Retail Platform (Intel RRP), a new horizontal platform that brings together retail hardware, software, APIs and sensors in a standardized way.

Through use of RFID, video, radio and other sensors, the Intel Responsive Retail Platform will enable easy, holistic integration, help to deliver a 360-degree viewpoint of retail from the store floor through the supply chain, and deliver real- time, actionable insights.

The Intel Responsive Retail Platform integrates the Intel-Based Retail Sensor, a multi-sensor product that enables data ingestion from numerous sources in the retail store in a simple manner. The sensor features an integrated RFID reader and antenna, which is designed to work in highly dense retail environments. Future versions will incorporate additional sensor technologies on the same device, to include video, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), all running on an Intel Atom processor.

The platform also includes the Intel-Based Gateway, which finds, configures, controls and interacts with the Intel Responsive Retail Sensors over Ethernet without third-party middleware. Provided by HP and based on Intel Core i7 or Intel Xeon processors, the gateway connects to the cloud via the internet using a wired network, wireless or 3G/LTE cellular network. Inventory location information can be processed at the gateway. Increasing the processing capacity at the gateway allows for scalable data ingestion from multiple sensors, data compression and filtering, and the capability to perform real-time analytics at the edge. Current Intel Core i7 processor-based models from HP include the Z3W72US#ABA and the Z3X11US#ABA.

In addition, the Intel RRP offers an open-source analytics platform-as-a-service (PaaS) for cloud applications. This cloud-based, horizontal platform features an integrated stack that reduces complexity and gives greater control to businesses. It runs on public cloud infrastructures (AWS, Azure) and can be extended and customized by solution providers.

The Intel Responsive Retail Platform can be obtained from Arrow Intelligent Systems. The current solution runs on an Intel Core i7 processor-based gateway, but as more use cases become available, Intel is enabling Intel Xeon processor-based gateways.

Intel also plans to invest more than $100 million over the next five years in the retail industry. The investment will go toward enabling retailers to unify every part of the retail operation.

At the event, Intel is also showcasing new intelligent retail demos at its booth (#3125), including the latest technology for on-demand, in-store 3D knitting; real-time, data-driven clothing and shoe matching platforms to "complete the look"; and interactive product displays designed to more deeply engage customers.