Combined with commercial off-the-shelf hardware, the open source NOS could drastically slash the cost of networks By Trishan de Lanerolle, Linux Foundation CIO ipopba / Getty Images Retail is being reimagined on the fly to safeguard shoppers during Covid-19 and to keep pace with the convenience of shopping online. One of the most compelling new opportunities enables customers to simply pick up what they want and leave without having to wait in line or deal with the checkout process. While seemingly the stuff of science fiction, the technology has already been rolled out in several cities. But a key component of enabling shoppers to grab and go is the network. Given the number of IP cameras and sensors and other IP components needed to determine what people leave with, the network needs to be scaled dramatically and the cost can pull the rug out from under the business case even before the idea gets off the drawing board.