Client story Multinational Grocery Chain Transitions to AI-Driven Wi-Fi
By Insight Editor / 19 Apr 2021 / Topics: Networking Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Facts at a glance
Client industry
Food retail
Insight provided:
- Solution workshop and evaluation
- Predictive wireless design for new and existing locations
- Network implementation, including wireless switch installation
- Cutover troubleshooting and ongoing support
Insight services:
- Consulting services
- Professional services
Outcomes:
Download the client story
- Cost-effective licensing
- Advanced AI capabilities
- Improved management and support
- Comprehensive compatibility
- Improved user experiences
The client
The client is a multinational supermarket chain focused on sales of natural and organic grocery items and other products. Founded in the 1980s, the store has more than 500 locations across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., and employs around 90,000 people. The company continues to open new locations, benefiting from the public rise of health and wellness interests as well as the growth of e-procurement in the food retail space.
The challenge: Cost-effective wireless with integrated support and IoT compatibility
As more shopping moves online, grocery stores have been making a steady shift to providing e-procurement services and integration of mobile applications that make shopping a more custom and intuitive experience for the end user. For the client, this has translated to snowballing Internet of Things (IoT) integration in store locations, resulting in significant strain on its existing wireless capabilities.
In addition to looking for a solution better suited to adopting and supporting advanced IoT applications, the client also hoped to identify a wireless technology vendor at a more cost-effective price point with stronger integrated support services and management tools.
The solution: AI-driven Wi-Fi with Juniper Mist wireless access points
The client had been considering a switch to Juniper® Mist™ wireless technologies as the answer to its current wireless network’s limitations due to its built-in Artificial Intelligence (AI) engine for advanced data management, the exceptional level of support provided on the vendor’s side, and a price point that seemed more than fair for the capabilities delivered. Having worked with Insight on network strategy and implementation projects for years, the client turned to our teams to help evaluate the Juniper Mist solution and, ultimately, to get the network transition underway.
Since the client’s decision to switch to Juniper Mist wireless access points, Insight has been in the process of network design and implementation for all new store locations, as well as retrofitting existing locations. This process includes defining requirements, installing wireless switches and providing ongoing support in collaboration with Juniper Mist’s support team. Currently, we are in the process of retrofitting 71 locations for this year alone, with multiyear plans to continue refreshing technology for an additional 250+ sites in the future
Our Managed Services for the client include data center services and privately hosted cloud services. Insight-owned facilities in Roswell, GA, and New Albany, OH, now house a total of 30 dedicated client hosts. The Insight team is providing all compute, storage, and network infrastructure across both sites, one of which is dedicated to production. The second location is dedicated to DR with an enterprise backup solution using our cloud backup services.
The benefits: A wireless network with full-service support and advanced AI capabilities
Working with Insight to implement Juniper Mist wireless technology has allowed the client to achieve the cost-effective licensing and vendor-side support it was looking for. With improved support and advanced management features in addition to better coverage from the refreshed network designs, locations outfitted with new access points are enjoying stronger device performance and an improved user experience for both client personnel and shoppers in-store and online.
Juniper Mist technologies are working well to streamline the client’s wireless experience, delivering holistic integration with the client’s existing IT environment. The wireless upgrades offer comprehensive compatibility with legacy and mixed wireless environments and work seamlessly to support each store’s unique IoT ecosystem made up of devices and endpoints from multiple OEMs.
In addition, the advanced AI capabilities and management dashboards from Juniper Mist enable exponential benefits for the business in the form of rich data analytics, allowing the grocery chain to leverage location services and advanced support for evolving IoT efforts.
