Doddle, based in the UK with over 80 stores in train stations, universities, shopping centres and business parks, has many sites in confined or restricted spaces. It needs to operate an efficient and reliable network without cumbersome and space-intensive hardware. Doddle can now run sites from a single in-store connection, bringing together routing, multi-WAN support, advanced security, private network support, and high-performance WiFi in a routing platform that can be deployed, managed, and optimised via the cloud.
With ambitious expansion plans, Doddle needed the ability to deploy and remotely operate its network across a large number of dispersed sites, with only a small IT team supporting its employees and resources shared with retail partners. The company turned to Cradlepoint for help to design and deploy a cost-effective, robust solution that would not require a fixed cable or hardware cabinet. Cradlepoint’s AER1600 all-in-one network solution was chosen to replace legacy equipment across 50 stores and is now the technology model for on going expansion. Cradlepoint was able to offer a flexible solution with cloud-managed networking and built-in connectivity for DSL, Ethernet, and WiFi with dual-modem, multi-carrier cellular support — all at a competitive price.
Gary O’Connor, CTO, Doddle, said, “We are looking to grow our store estate tenfold in 2017. To be able to do this successfully we had to make sure our network was able to manage connectivity for a growing number of locations and be flexible enough to keep up with our rollout pace. Cradlepoint offered the best product for the best price. Its solution has enabled us to shrink the space taken up by hardware, giving us more square inches for parcel storage.”
O’Connor also stated, “The cloud management capability?is a big support to our team, allowing them to remotely provision hundreds of devices around the country and isolate and address any issues without having to go into field. If we have to validate and switch a connection from wired to mobile, it’s easily done.”
He concluded, “Cradlepoint has differentiated itself in terms of the level of on boarding support and on going customer service it offers. This level of service really does make a difference when implementing large-scale rollouts for relatively small, internal teams like ours.”
With one or more handheld computers, label printer, tablet and payment device alongside the Cradlepoint AER with Enterprise Cloud Manager (ECM), the network management service available in the Cradlepoint NetCloud platform, Doddle can now have a shop up and running within hours and operate from even the smallest places with a minimal footprint. It can run sites from a single in-store connection, bringing together routing, multi-WAN support, advanced security, private network support, and high-performance WiFi in a platform that it can deploy, manage, and optimise via the cloud.
“The right routing solution, coupled with cloud management and 4G LTE capabilities, can bring critical cost advantages and operational efficiencies,” stated Hubert Da Costa, Cradlepoint VP of EMEA. “If the Internet goes down, Doddle will be crippled and exposed to risks of lost revenue, productivity, and customer experience issues. The Cradlepoint range of primary and 4G LTE cloud-managed solutions can address these and other key business issues for keeping locations always connected and protected.”
