FRANKLIN, Tenn. April 26, 2005 Shipments of Electronic Point-of-Sale terminals grew at a strong 8% rate in 2004 on the heels of lower prices according to a new research study from IHL Consulting Group.

"After several years of minimal growth, IT suppliers finally saw their sales jump by 8 percent last year in Europe, the Middle East and Africa," said Greg Buzek, president of IHL Consulting Group, an analyst firm and consultancy that serves retailers and retail technology vendors. "Going forward, Western Europe should see solid growth but emerging markets in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa should far outpace these gains with annual growth ranging from 15 percent to 20 percent over the next several years."

In the late 1990s, a large number of retailers in Europe had upgraded their POS equipment to address the year 2000 technology "bug", as well as the introduction of the Euro, Buzek said. This left retail technology purchases flat from 2000 through 2002. In 2003, POS shipments to the large format food, hypermarket, specialty and hospitality segments began to increase and in 2004 they were even stronger.

This is just one finding from the IHL market study, 2005 Europe, Middle East & Africa Retail Point-of-Sale Terminal Market Study, which is available immediately.

Additional findings include:

• The United Kingdom is seeing significant growth in retail sales overall, as well as retail technology purchases. In contrast, Germany remains sluggish thanks to high taxes, a stagnant economy and restrictive shopping hours.
  
  
• In Europe, Microsoft is increasing its dominance of the retail technology marketplace. In 2004, Microsoft Windows NT/2000/XP was the clear shipment leader, making up 56 percent of POS shipments.
  
  
• Although it was created in Europe, Linux POS has gained only moderate acceptance in the region with only 5 percent of shipments in 2004. However, a significant number of current DOS users will likely consider Linux in the future.

The report covers point of sale findings in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with key insights into nine specific geographic regions.

For a free summary outline, visit the company's website at http://www.ihlservices.com

About IHL Consulting Group
IHL Consulting Group is a global research and advisory firm for technologies deployed in the retail and hospitality industries based in Franklin, Tennessee. With researchers on five continents we also provide market analysis and opportunity assessment for technology vendors. Retailers use our services for solution research, contract negotiations, and competitive intelligence. For more information, see http://www.ihlservices.com, call 615-591-2955 or send e-mail to ihl@ihlservices.com.

For press contacts and interviews, contact Roy Miller at (972) 716-4070 x235, or via e-mail at rmiller@transsynergy.com.