Q&A: Retail Network Necessities

By Matt Pillar, Integrated Solutions For Retailers magazine

Taking full advantage — and thus realizing the full ROI — of your application investments is increasingly dependent on your network. Most of today's retail apps promise dramatic return thanks to real-time store-level connectivity. That makes it folly to take your voice, data, and Internet connectivity for granted. But, for midsize and large retailers, managing the procurement, maintenance, and performance of the network can create a drain on the return you expect from your application investments. I talked with Jay Monaghan, founder and COO at BCM (bcmtel. com), about current networking issues and the pitfalls of self-management.