Retail Systems 2000
Cisco Booth #2253

CHICAGO, Il., Retail Systems 2000, April 17, 2000-Cisco Systems, Inc., today announced that large retailers across the country are investing in single end-to-end Cisco networks that integrate voice and data in order to reduce costs, increase competitive opportunities, and improve customer experience.

Among the retailers to deploy an integrated voice/data network are Burlington Coat Factory, one of the leading retail stores in the U.S., and Wilsons The Leather Experts, the largest specialty leather retailer in the world. GUESS?, the Los Angeles-based jeanswear firm, has launched a leading-edge Cisco-enabled network that will provide online shopping and an improved customer experience at 160 U.S. retail locations nationwide. GUESS? will be utilizing its data network to include voice with the simple addition of a Cisco voice module to the 160 Cisco 2600 modular multiservice access platforms installed.

"Retail customers such as GUESS?, Burlington, and Wilsons are among the first to adopt leading-edge voice/data/video networking products because it enables them to remain competitive by using New World services based on a converged infrastructure," said Sylvia Summers-Debrevil, group vice president of Cisco's Public Access Managed Network Services Group (PAMNSG). "We welcome these retailers to Cisco's rapidly expanding list of nationally acclaimed retailers, who have built their online and corporate infrastructure based upon Cisco products."

GUESS?

The GUESS? Cisco network enables the retailer to streamline its business processes, reduce expenses and enhance customer experience. With the addition of integrated data/voice/video capabilities by the end of this year, the network will provide faster and more efficient credit-card transactions; connectivity for self-service kiosks that connect to the company's web site; and streaming video to the store directly from the company's headquarters.

The GUESS? network employs a variety of Cisco products, including Cisco Catalyst 6500 and 5500 modular switches, the Cisco 7200 series multiservice router, and the industry-leading Cisco 2600 modular access multiservice platform at all retail sites. GUESS? is also planning to add the Cisco Digital T1/E1 Packet Voice Trunk Network Modules to its Cisco 2600 series platforms, creating an integrated data/voice/video network that will establish a leading-edge network infrastructure and cut costs.

"Today's online world demands that retailers have a virtual as well as a brick- and-mortar presence, and retailers will win only by executing well at both business models," said Craig DeMerit, chief technology officer at GUESS?. "At GUESS?, we recognized the need to develop a leading-edge network infrastructure early, to better serve our customers and to reduce operating expenses so that we could compete more effectively going forward. Cisco has been an ideal business partner for us, and its networking product quality and reliability have been outstanding."

Burlington Coat Factory

The entire chain of Burlington Coat Factory, 283 stores, is on a Cisco voice/data network, which supports applications such as credit card authorization and inventory management. Burlington turned to packet telephony as a cost-saving means to connect a rapidly growing number of retail outlets to company headquarters.

"We now have a network which is faster, more reliable, and offers the efficiency of a combined voice and data network," said Michael Prince, chief information office (CIO) at Burlington Coat Factory. "With Cisco we're saving US$65,000 per month, which more than covers the price of the equipment."

Burlington installed an end-to-end Cisco network with one MC3810 series access router at each of its store locations. The MC3810 enables Frame Relay and data and voice traffic to run between the stores and corporate headquarters in New Jersey. The Cisco IOS. handles the management of the entire network, configuring, prioritizing, and monitoring the voice and data traffic for each router.

Wilsons The Leather Experts

Wilsons turned to Cisco when the retailer decided it was time to install a reliable networking solution that would connect its stores and improve inventory position. At the same time, the retailer wanted to reduce costs and open up new application opportunities. With the new Cisco network, Wilsons has implemented new applications that will help achieve Wilsons' business goals. The new infrastructure manages credit card authorizations, order management, inventory controls, and general store communications. Going forward, the network will be used for computer-based training, store layout planning, human resource management, and customer orders and shipping.

Wilsons Cisco solution is a virtual private network (VPN) running Frame Relay with one Cisco MC3810 series router at each of the 525 retail stores around the U.S. The MC3810 series routers manage both voice and data in one streamlined network at the stores, and these routers connect voice and data traffic to headquarters in Minneapolis through Cisco 7200 series multiservice routers.

"With the Cisco MC3810, we reduced the number of lines going to the stores and implemented a coordinated dialing plan to get the best rates and save in telecommunications costs," said Terry Weyandt, director of technical and network services at Wilsons. "Our end-to-end Cisco solution has also allowed us to integrate all our voice and data technologies into a single network running multiple protocols and topologies, making it easier to maintain and more robust for the future. And, it has set us up for growing, changing, adapting in the future."