Brit fashion brand updates wireless comms

Global designer, marketer and distributor of branded fashion Ben Sherman has overhauled its wireless network infrastructure to support more efficient sale processes.

The company has replaced its Cisco installation that provides a wireless large area network (WLAN) within its London office and the offices and stores around the UK.

Cormac McCarthy, Ben Sherman Group's IT director, said the existing WLAN was not reliable enough to provide users with the stable and reliable wireless infrastructure they need.

He said: “Our sales staff need to roam between offices dealing with wholesale customers but the WLAN was thick client and so gave us no central management. So, for example if a laptop moved from one part of a building to another, it wouldn’t connect.”

Earlier this year, the company worked with UK network security specialist, Toranet to install 29 MP-422 Trapeze Mobility points and a Trapeze MX-200R Mobility Exchange for intelligent wireless LAN switching, support for the 802.11n standard and up to 192 access points, as well as applications including voice over WLAN. The Trapeze MP-422 Mobility Points also use power over Ethernet technology and feature a built-in Kensington lock system for added physical security.

By using the Trapeze Distributed Forwarding techniques, Ben Sherman has established a consistent wireless infrastructure, deploying wireless networks to a number of remote showrooms and offices, where local traffic is kept local to each site and one security policy is maintained throughout the business.

Trapeze Networks’ RingMaster management has also offered real-time monitoring and reporting at their fingertips, while Toranet conduct monthly security reports to ensure that the network is completely secure.

McCarthy said the WLAN can now accommodate sales staff and store auditors wherever they are in the Ben Sherman UK estate. “We also held back a showroom selling system for wholesale until the WLAN was complete,” he added. “Now the feedback from salespeople is great, where the system is improving accuracy and giving them flexibility. This wouldn’t have been possible without the underlying Trapeze infrastructure.”

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