Finish Line And Toys R' Us Look To Improve Network Capabilities

New retail networks allow you to centralize apps and perform remote device monitoring, diagnosis, and repair.

By Matt Pillar

Ah, the network. On one hand, it’s revolutionized retail. The broadband WAN has connected stores separated by thousands of miles, enabling them to share virtually unlimited information and applications. Real-time inventory, customer relationship, workforce management, and sales data are available at the click of a mouse. Control of POS, digital signage, and price and promotion applications can be had at the touch of a keyboard. It’s wonderful, isn’t it?

On the other hand, the network is a logistical nightmare to manage. New, networked technology is being pushed to the store in unprecedented volume.

Never mind that you’ve contracted a broadband aggregator to manage the physical infrastructure of your WAN. True, corralling all of the disparate telecom companies that traverse your geographical footprint is a significant part of the network management battle. It’s also nice to know you’ve got someone monitoring network traffic and performance. But if you’re maximizing your WAN investment, you’ve also got a whole bunch of network-connected devices and applications to maintain. That’s not likely something your WAN provider can tackle. It’s all connected – your POS hardware and peripherals, digital signage, kiosks, telephones, people counters, DVRs (digital video recorders), store-level servers, routers and switches – all this and more, multiplied by hundreds of stores north and south, coast-to-coast. It’s agonizing, isn’t it?

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