Branch on Demand for Retail

Extending Access to Headquarters Resources from Every Store

Retailers have adopted wireless LANs (WLANs) for improving access to company information, enhancing customer service, and increasing distribution efficiency. Although many of these WLANs originally operated as standalone networks in stores, warehouses or distribution centers, today they are integral parts of company-wide networks that encompass locations from the largest headquarters to the smallest store.

Today’s WLANs carry inventory and transaction system traffic, enterprise resource planning (ERP) business applications, and a wide range of task management, marketing, merchandising, customer service, and website applications. Because this traffic is missioncritical, these WLANs require the same centralized management and enterprise-level security as their wired counterparts.

Branch Routers

Aerohive BR100 and BR200 branch routers can be secured in a wiring closet while still providing wireless access to the rest of the property. Aerohive makes it easy to extend wireless access by allowing an administrator to connect Aerohive APs through wireless mesh or wired Ethernet connections to branch routers. Administrators can configure APs to support multiple virtual LANS (VLANs) and user profiles, and can deploy a single policy to the entire location. This approach allows users to connect to any available AP and receive the correct permissions, based on their identity or device type.