The preparation for change
All retail based businesses today are facing the challenges imposed by the technical requirement driven by the high street needs of the business.

Existing ISDN data infrastructure and the business processes that surround and support this method of communication are by their very nature resource and time demanding. Limitations of use, high costs and expanding developments in online activities, further promote the end of a successful era for the ISDN data connection.

Broadband in the High Street
With over 600 sites in the UK, and growing, this high street business took on the challenge to refresh its technology and develop a strategy that utilises the advantages delivered by the broadband upgrade to widen their competitive advantage and increase their market share.

The capital costs of the refresh were part funded by the savings created by the removal of the ISDN services. Within the ISDN cost infrastructure lay 150 business ports, ISDN call costs, specialised software and an array of staff to support the daily function of retrieving and sending data to the store.

Over an eight week roll-out programme Europacom.net delivered a new analogue line, activated the broadband and physically installed the VPN router to all stores. The roll-out coincided with leased line delivery to 6 regional offices, and the re-configuration of the VPN topology.

The transparency of the deliverables were achieved by the use of Europacom.net’s ‘OPS’ portal. The portal is an online window to the future, current and past activities of the physical broadband roll-out, detailing customisable information including serial numbers of the routers, engineer names, National Broadband Reference and installation notes.