The VAR Guy is keeping a close eye on this week’s National Retail Federation Annual Convention & Expo in New York. VARs near New York would be wise to stop by the show because it provides business perspective on where retail technology is heading.

Early buzz at the convention involves Microsoft launching new point of sale and retail management software, along with a complete retail solution delivered in partnership with First Data Corporation and HP.

Meanwhile, IBM is making an aggressive push into 3-D retail environments for the virtual world of Second Life.

Oracle also is making noise at the event, announcing merchandising software for midsize retailers, retail returns management software and a retail promotion planning solution.

The VAR Guy can’t help but wonder if Oracle is considering an even bigger move, perhaps acquiring Teradata–the data warehousing division of NCR. Last week NCR announced plans to spin off Teradata. Wonder if the news caught Larry Ellison’s attention? Regardless, Teradata continues to push forward with partnerships, including one with Microsoft.

The folks at Symbol Technologies, which develops popular wireless barcode scanners for retail, will face their share of questions at the convention. Motorola acquired Symbol last week and has vowed to continue investing aggressively in Symbol’s wireless and mobile enterprise technologies.

The VAR Guy is traveling a bit this week but hopes to swing by the convention on Wednesday.