Anthony Nicholas Group links up with Vodat International

International jewellery retailer, Anthony Nicholas Group

(ANG), is rolling out a secure, fully managed network from Vodat International, the leading communications solution provider to the retail industry, to improve communications between all stores and head offices in the UK and Ireland. The new WAN will enable integration of all IT and business systems on a single, secure, private network.

Dublin-based ANG operates Fields Jewellers with 13 stores across Ireland and Fraser Hart Jewellers with 38 stores throughout the UK. Significant expansion of the group necessitates real-time visibility of the entire estate across Ireland and the UK to meet the growing demands of omni-channel retailing. Vodat International was able to offer ANG a robust and secure solution to meet their needs.

Colin Hadden, Anthony Nicholas Group CIO, said, “The customers’ attitude to bricks and mortar stores is evolving rapidly and we must be able to provide much more than the traditional retail experience by offering added services such as click and collect, fast interest-free credit approval and secure Wi-Fi access for customers’ devices. This integrated network monitored 24/7 by Vodat International, facilitates these services alongside visibility of real-time stock levels and business intelligence, enabling us to meet the demands of our customers to a much higher degree.”

ANG is also deploying the cloud-managed Meraki Wi-Fi access point system, allowing them to securely connect mobile POS terminals to shop servers. Additional discrete channels carry encrypted chip and pin payment transactions, securely segregated from content managed customer Wi-Fi access to customer devices.

Hadden continued: “It is essential to provide our customers with a seamless, joined-up shopping experience. We plan to equip our sales teams with mobile POS tablets in all of our stores using secure platforms from technology leaders such as Vodat. Their wealth of experience of the challenges the retail industry face and close coupled customer service make Vodat International the natural choice for our network management.”

Paul Leybourne, Head of Sales at Vodat International, said, “We are partnering with Fields and Fraser Hart to give them the ability to view activity across the entire retail estate through a secure and reliable communication network. ANG is a hugely successful international company and we look forward in the next phase to assisting them with the installation of voice and video services over this managed network – a trend that is sweeping the retail industry, and one that we are extremely well equipped to supply.”

He continued, “We are delighted that ANG have chosen Vodat to supply a Private Managed MPLS network and Wi-Fi to its stores and head offices. The solution we have provided will give ANG greater resilience in their IT communications and the ability to have greater control over activities across their entire retail estate. The infrastructure we are implementing is designed not only to meet the need to have a more secure and reliable network, but to scale to meet the demands of the business as the group expands.”