In an effort to maximize its investments in technology and ultimately improve customer service, Domino’s Pizza (NYSE: DPZ) has teamed with Microsoft Corp. to roll out a new store systems solution based on a standardized Windows platform across its global network of sites, Microsoft announced today.

The recognized world leader in pizza delivery is launching its new Microsoft-based store systems solution to the majority of the 8,200 franchised and 500 company-owned stores in the United States and more than 60 international markets. To date, more than 2,500 Domino’s stores are taking advantage of the new solution’s value-added capabilities to support a thin-client store platform that drives customer satisfaction and performance while also boosting cost savings and security.

By moving to a thin-client software architecture using the Microsoft Windows Server operating system, Domino’s has been able to lower the investment cost for franchisees by several thousand dollars. In addition, by moving to the thin-client environment, Domino’s has reduced the amount of information stored at each of its workstations to help achieve compliance with Payment Card Industry (PCI) data security standards.

“We strive to make every customer a loyal customer and needed the right tools with the lowest possible startup and maintenance costs to back our efforts,” said Chris McGlothlin, executive vice president and chief information officer at Domino’s. “After a thorough investigation of competitive offerings, Microsoft’s complete solution and superior cost of ownership proved to be the best choice for our business model. By reducing the technology cost of ownership for our stores, our franchisees have been able to invest in other areas of the business, most notably in our menu expansion of oven-baked sandwiches.”

“Studies show that as much as 70 percent of information technology resources are typically devoted to sustaining and running existing capabilities, leaving few resources for exploring and implementing new functionality,” said Sandra Andrews, hospitality industry director at Microsoft. “Our goal is to help Domino’s concentrate on what it does best: sell great pizza. By using a high-value solution that is easy to integrate and manage within their existing infrastructure and runs consistently across all sites, Domino’s employees can allocate more time for the activities that will increase customer satisfaction and drive brand loyalty.”

Lower Total Cost, PCI Compliance Among Domino’s Key Benefits

Domino’s expects that fully deploying the Microsoft-based store systems solution —using technologies such as Microsoft Windows Server System, Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007, Microsoft Forefront, the 2007 Microsoft Office system and Windows Server Terminal Services — will support the company’s plans to drive growth and customer traffic. Key capabilities of the platform include these:

•    Total cost of ownership. To support Domino’s franchise business model, Microsoft offered aggressive pricing and convincing functional capabilities. The solution is designed to lower the total cost of ownership by delivering superior price performance and reducing administration costs.

•    PCI compliance. Ensuring its ability to satisfy the PCI data security standards was a contributing factor in Domino’s selection process. Microsoft is proving its ability by implementing technologies that help address industry mandates and avoid unnecessary risks and related costs.

•    Security. With hundreds of corporate-owned stores and more than a thousand franchises, Domino’s required a more sophisticated store system, which could cause security concerns. To minimize risks, Microsoft is optimizing and better securing Domino’s core infrastructure with integrated management and security solutions that reduce complexity while still supporting rigorous service levels. The solution also monitors fraudulent activity.