Q&A for the Retail Industry

Sales and customer service

Our goal is to increase profits by improving the shopping experience at our stores. When we have special offers, there are long lines, but right now we cannot increase our staff; can we get a faster connection that complies with Industry Standards?

You can get fast transaction times (2-3 seconds) and secure POS (Point of Sale) credit and debit card processing with our Payment Processing solution. In addition, our solution complies with the Visa and American Express Cardholder Information Security Programs (CISP) standard.

We are trying to improve our profits by introducing incentives for customers. Can technology support our efforts?

You can implement Gift Card and Loyalty Programs.

With our network, you can quickly and easily activate and redeem Gift Cards in real time. You can also offer a Hot spot/Internet connection to your customers.

Often our staff has to research data and product information to answer customers' questions at the store. We want to access the network to retrieve the information from our headquarters. Can you provide a network that is fast enough to support this?

If your goal is to improve the efficiency and productivity of store personnel, and to provide Fast Information Retrieval to answer customers' questions, you can connect all your locations via the same network to enable real-time data transmission. For this purpose, you can get high-speed Internet access at low cost for branch offices and retail locations; we provide Nation-wide Broadband Access, and we guarantee the speed on certain types of connections.

We want to improve our phone service by enhancing voice quality. We already have an IP-PBX, but we are not happy with the service. Can your network support high quality voice and calling features for Voice over IP (VoIP)?

VoIP requires a network with prioritized traffic. Our network is based on Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS), a technology that supports Quality of service.

Productivity, your efficiency and the workflow

We want to increase our productivity, and we determined that the first step is fast Internet access to e-mail and attachments and files. Can the speed be adequate for all our branches?

You can get high-speed Internet access at low cost for branch offices and retail locations; we provide Nation-wide Broadband Access, and we guarantee the speed on certain types of connections.

You can choose among these types of connection: Managed Broadband - T1, Bonded-T1, DS-3, Business Ethernet, DSL, Cable, Satellite, and Wireless Broadband Internet access.

Our purpose is to improve company communications by responding more quickly when we receive information or queries from our branch offices. For this reason, we introduced a cloud-based collaboration application and video conferencing. Can we get a network that supports these features?

For Fast Information Retrieval, you can connect all your locations via the same network, enabling real-time data transmission. You can also Streamline Store Operations by ensuring that "best practices" are consistently executed across the entire organization for pricing, promotions, purchasing, and inventory management.

Can my remote workers access the Internet?

With Nation-wide Broadband Access, remote workers are more productive, because they can access critical information whenever and wherever they need it.

I need to send and receive critical business information securely when I am in remote locations. The problem is that I cannot install a client application on some devices. When I travel in foreign countries, for example, I have to use hotspots, and I am concerned about security.

You can access data and applications from anywhere, even abroad, with our Worldwide Dial-Up and Broadband Access.

When you need mobile remote access, but you cannot install a client on a device, you can transmit the data securely with an SSL secure connection.

Productivity, your efficiency and how to concentrate on your core business

I need to set up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for the headquarters and several branch offices. The problem is that I do not have time to devote to the project.

We can provide Turn-key Deployment and Logical and Physical Design and Implementation. We design the network, organize the setup, and implement the plan by seamlessly integrating VPN, access, and security into an existing corporate network. This eliminates resource drain on internal IT staff, and enables a faster implementation.

My goal is to get maximum network uptime and performance, to address any problems, and to resolve them quickly. Because of staff limitations, though, I cannot address those issues as well as I would like.

We provide Ongoing Monitoring and Management and 24x7 Technical Support.

This way, you can increase business and worker productivity through maximum network uptime and performance; in addition, you can improve worker productivity by freeing internal resources.

ROI, control on your environment

We do not have sufficient staff to keep the network continuously under control; when we have a problem, our staff is not able to resolve it in a timely manner. Can we get additional support?

We provide constant insight into network solution with Comprehensive Status, Availability, and Performance Reporting.

We use applications that are critical for our business, and one of them is payment processing. Not only do we need a fast connection, but, even more, a reliable connection. We had an outage and lost a lot of money. How can we avoid outages in the future?

You can get Service Level Agreements (SLA) with Customer Credits, Broadband access 24x7 support, monitoring SLA, and CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) support. This way, you get guaranteed response and resolution times for maintaining optimum network performance and support. You can even get a dial-up or wireless backup connection.

How can we protect ourselves against outages? We do not have sufficient staff to handle these problems. I know about Service Level Agreements, but I am not happy of the support I am getting from my current provider.

You get a guarantee though our Service Level Agreement (SLA). Our meshed network has intrinsic flexibility and redundancy, and we monitor the status proactively. In addition, you can get Wireless and dial-up backup and connectivity support that are ideal for backup server sites, Disaster Recovery facilities, and mission-critical connectivity solutions. If you choose SSL VPN (flexible remote access), you get secure Internet access from any device, without a client installed, even if there is an outage in your network.

ROI, reduction in capital expenses and ease of use

We need to reduce our capital expenses. We have critical business applications, and we want to avoid a major change in our work environment. Can this be accomplished?

You can decrease your capital expenses by relying on a service rather than investing in equipment. If you pay a monthly service fee for Nation-wide Broadband Access, we design and implement the network, and give you the router. There is no change in the work environment, because you can keep the same phone system, phones, and LAN.

Our goal is to reduce operational costs. Do we need to modify our network to support our effort?

You can reduce costs by unifying your infrastructure into a secure, converged communication network for voice and data. This way, you also simplify administration. Another solution is to increase operational efficiency with Workforce Management applications such as online employee training, centralized labor scheduling, and payroll processing. We can provide a secure network for these applications.

Q&A FOR the RETAIL INDUSTRY