Starbucks has turbo-charged its use of emerging technologies over the past couple years since Stephen Gillett took the job of CIO. The company has upgraded its infrastructure, recently deploying a new point-of-sale and CRM system, which can be used to improve customized and metrics-based marketing, reports Chris Murphy as InformationWeek. For implementing a mobile payment program using a smartphone payment application, Gillett was named InformationWeek's Chief of the Year for 2011.

In the coming year, Starbucks is expected to continue leveraging emerging enterprise IT, and Murphy outlines seven areas to keep an eye on:

• Mobile payments: Starbucks customers can use a smartphone app, which is linked to the company's loyalty cards, to pay for goods in the store. This year, more than 20 million transactions were processed using the app.
• Social media: Customers have multiple platforms on which to let the company know how they feel, including the Starbucks Facebook page and its My Starbucks Idea online suggestion box.
• Desktop virtualization: The coffee-selling powerhouse is trying out virtual desktops so that employees can select devices they want to use--smartphones, tablets or PCs--without compromising data security.
• Cloud computing: Corporate systems are still run on-site, but the company is testing out Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) Office 365 for productivity apps and store email. Some software-as-a-service capabilities are in place, including Salesforce.com's Ideas option.
• Tech Café: This year, the Seattle-based company launched Tech Café at its headquarters, where staff can pop in to talk about IT problems or exchange ideas for improvements. The aim is to provide staff with IT support that feels like an Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) store.
• Recruitment: Showcasing its pioneering technology initiatives on YouTube and elsewhere, Starbucks is aiming to recruit and retain the best IT talent.
• CRM: A CRM system from Siebel is being deployed to give the company new ways to analyze market trends and target customers in more personal ways.

For more:
- see Chris Murphy's slideshow at InformationWeek

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