Product Data Sheet / Brochure

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Case Study

Objective

Introduce mobility to free sta from

fixed, back oice computing

Approach

Researched wireless network solutions

from main vendors and evaluated them

on technical soundness and cost

IT Matters

• Provides blanket wireless coverage

across more than 600 stores

• Delivers easily managed, reliable

networking with built-in survivability

• Features state-of-the-art

authentication and security functions

Business Matters

• Increases productivity by releasing

store managers from the back oice

• Improves customer service by

providing sta with instant access

to information

• Gives stores a more up-to-date,

modern image

WHSmith introduces

wireless connectivity

to over 600 stores

HPE Networking solutions combine reliability

with ease of management and high security

WHSmith, a leading UK retail

group, wanted to increase

the productivity of its store

managers and make them

more available to customers

by releasing them from the

back oice. Mobility was the

key but rolling out a fleet of

HP ElitePads required the

installation of Wi-Fi in

more than 600 stores.

HPE Networking solutions

was the answer.

Challenge

Restrictive environment

WHSmith is a household name in the UK and

incorporates two business strands – travel

and high street. The travel business operates

over 700 units, mainly in airports, railway

stations, motorway services and hospitals.

The high street business includes more than

600 stores with a presence in nearly every

significant UK town. It sells a wide range of

products including stationery, greetings cards,

reading materials and confectionery.

On the high street, WHSmith stores

serve some 320 million customers a year.

Supporting this level of business requires the

full commitment and total eiciency of store

sta but managers were not operating to full

potential because they were tied to the back

oice by hard-wired desktop PCs.

Summary of content (4 pages)

PAGE 1
Case Study Objective Introduce mobility to free staff from fixed, back office computing Approach Researched wireless network solutions from main vendors and evaluated them on technical soundness and cost WHSmith introduces wireless connectivity to over 600 stores HPE Networking solutions combine reliability with ease of management and high security IT Matters • Provides blanket wireless coverage across more than 600 stores • Delivers easily managed, reliable networking with built-in survivability • Featu
PAGE 2
Case study WHSmith Industry Retail Page 2 “Because of the fixed nature of the infrastructure, store managers used to spend a lot of time accessing information in the back office. Introducing wireless mobility has increased their productivity and enables them to spend more time interacting with customers.” – Steve Wood, head of store operations development, WHSmith “The in-store PCs are our main communication and reporting hub,” says Steve Wood, head of store operations development at WHSmith.
PAGE 3
Case study WHSmith Industry Retail Page 3 The HPE centralised WAN solution includes 2,452 access points which provide blanket coverage in over 600 stores, including back offices and stockrooms. It also features four HPE 870 Unified Wireless LAN controllers, two of which are located at the primary data centre and two at the backup centre, both of which are outsourced locations.
PAGE 4
Case study WHSmith Industry Retail Customer at a glance Hardware • HPE 870 Unified Wireless LAN Controllers • HPE 425 Access Points • HPE 1910-8G POE Switches Software • HPE Intelligent Management Center “HPE wireless networks have been very reliable and now provide blanket coverage throughout our stores both on the sales floors and in back offices and storerooms.