Managed Network Services for Distributed Retail
For retail organizations with hundreds of locations, consistent and secure connectivity is the lifeblood of the business. A network outage doesn't just stop emails; it stops the ability to process payments and manage inventory. Managed Network Services, particularly SD-WAN, offer a way to centralize control and ensure high availability across a distributed footprint. By outsourcing the management of the network, retailers can ensure that every store regardless of its location has the same level of performance, security, and reliability.
Challenges
- Frequent outages at branch locations due to unreliable local internet service providers (ISPs).
- Inability to centrally manage network security policies, leading to inconsistencies across different stores.
- Slow performance of cloud-based POS (Point of Sale) systems during busy shopping periods.
- High costs associated with dispatching technicians to remote sites for simple network troubleshooting.
Solution
- Deployed a Managed SD-WAN solution to aggregate multiple internet connections (Fiber + LTE/5G) for redundancy.
- Centralized network management through a "single pane of glass" dashboard for instant visibility and control.
- Implemented Quality of Service (QoS) rules to prioritize POS traffic over guest Wi-Fi or background updates.
- Utilized "Zero-Touch Provisioning" to ship and activate new store networks without requiring on-site IT.
Benefits
- 100% uptime for critical POS systems across 500+ locations, even during primary ISP outages.
- 40% reduction in network-related operational costs by eliminating the need for "truck rolls."
- Enhanced security posture through consistent, centrally managed firewall and encryption policies.
- Improved customer experience with faster checkouts and reliable guest Wi-Fi across all sites.