About

Founded in 2001, Toronto-based MI9 is a software development company specializing in Business Intelligence-centric solutions for retail. The company produces a modular, fully integrated solution suite called the Intelligent Retail System. The solutions suite consists of:

•MI9 Business Intelligence, incorporating business intelligence (BI) and a retail data warehouse
• MI9 Merchant, a merchandise management system which optimizes inventory across all channels of the business through a fully integrated BI system and optional Intelligent Allocation functionality
•MI9 Store, a comprehensive POS and store management system
•MI9 Foundation, the unique architectural framework and data management tool underpinning MI9’s systems
•MI9 Retail Hub, a data delivery system providing real-time data on demand

MI9’s Intelligent Retail System provides retailers with the architecture and functionality to deliver high performance, data integrity, and sophisticated business analytics to drive informed decision-making and execution of advanced business processes in a competitive retail environment.

History

Nearly 25 years ago Mike Burge, CEO, and Roger Johnson, CTO, began working together creating innovative retail software in the UK. When international business ventures brought them to North America, they settled in Toronto and in 2001 launched MI9. From the outset MI9’s mission has been to create a new breed of retail software whose architectural framework would support scalability, flexibility, and maximum data throughput and where in-depth analytics could impact every aspect of the business.

Today MI9 offers retailers a comprehensive product suite that includes our unique foundation architecture, business intelligence, as well as merchandising and store solutions—all fully integrated and able to deliver real-time data access anywhere via our  Retail Hub mobile offering.

In 2009, MI9 acquired US-based Software Development, Inc. who specialized in store systems. With this offering MI9 now offers a complete host to post solution for retail. With the addition of the Retail Hub product in January, 2012, MI9 has expanded the already rich functionality of our store system to include mobile processing for both POS and advance customer service capabilities. MI9’s US offices are based in Pleasanton, CA.

Clientele

MI9 has a diverse customer base that is almost evenly divided between soft goods and hardlines retailers. MI9 solutions fully support the unique aspects of both of these groups.

Retailers who choose MI9 remain loyal. Nearly 25% have been with the company for eight years or more. An executive from one of MI9’s oldest customers recently launched a new retail chain and selected MI9 again to satisfy their system requirements. He commented, “I knew I could rely on MI9’s expertise because I am actually a repeat customer. I was very pleased with the selection, implementation and strategic advantage that MI9’s retail solution gave me when I implemented it ten years ago at Marvin's, Inc. The satisfaction of that experience made it hard to consider choosing any other vendor.”

The MI9 team’s extensive retail experience, along with their IT expertise, are invaluable assets in working with our clients to fully understand the system challenges they face, how they can best be addressed, how MI9 systems can enhance business insight and provide significant return on investment quickly. Years of experience and genuine interest in each retailer’s success form the foundation of lasting relationships.

Continuous Innovation

Since the retailer’s appetite for accurate information and expanding insight into the retail ecosystem never diminishes, MI9 continuously develops its solutions to provide the information essential for groundbreaking change. Not only do MI9’s solutions evolve, but they incorporate developments from their technology partners which include Microsoft, MicroStrategy, ParAccel, Teradata, and Shift4. With the innovative power of these companies supporting them, clients can be confident that MI9 solutions will provide optimal performance in today’s environment and provide opportunities for growth as the marketplace changes.