Top Retailers Using Cisco Video Technology to Improve Business Operations During Challenging Economy

NEW YORK (National Retail Federation Conference, Booth 2525), - January 12, 2009 - Cisco today announced it is working with top retailers including Staples, AT&T Business Solutions and Cabela's to help transform their business operations through video applications such as Cisco TelePresence^TM and video analytics. With increased pressure to reduce costs and bolster efficiencies in business operations, retailers are turning to collaborative technology to improve productivity, increase profitability and enhance the overall customer experience. By using the strength of the Cisco® network to connect brands and customers, Cisco's Connected Retail strategy is helping retailers collaborate better with suppliers, partners and internal staff while lowering operating costs.

Staples Uses Cisco TelePresence for Employee Collaboration and to Ease Acquisition

Cisco is deploying its immersive "in-person" meeting technology, TelePresence, within Staples to help the world's largest office products company streamline internal communications across its global business operations.

Staples is utilizing Cisco TelePresence technology to help ease the integration of associates and processes following the company's recent acquisition of Corporate Express and to inform associates about products and services provided by the expanded company.

Cisco TelePresence is purpose-built to be a completely different meeting experience, taking interaction and collaboration to a new level. Because it feels like everyone is in the same room, remote interactions are just as natural and effective as in-person communication. This simplifies and accelerates information sharing throughout an organization, and enables companies to scale teams and businesses in new ways.

AT&T Uses Cisco TelePresence to Communicate More Efficiently Across the Globe

AT&T companies are advancing both internal collaboration and communication with the use of Cisco TelePresence. The AT&T Telepresence product is the first fully managed multipoint business-to-business telepresence service with global availability in 24 countries.

Cisco TelePresence enables interactive video connectivity across companies and locations (multipoint capabilities), allowing retailers to meet with customers, suppliers and partners in multiple locations around the globe as if they were all in the same room. Retailers can streamline innovation, decision making and time-to-market while reducing the time, expense and inefficiencies of travel.

With a comprehensive managed solution powered by AT&T Business Solution's industry leading global Multiprotocol Label Switching Internet Protocol (IP)-based network, retailers do not have to dedicate capital or IT staff support to use the technology.

The AT&T Telepresence Solution features concierge service and a scheduling and administration portal, making it easy to schedule a multipoint intercompany call with just the push of a button.

Cabela's Enhances In-Store Customer Experience with Digital Video

Cabela's, the world's largest direct marketer and a leading specialty retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor merchandise, is working with Cisco and SCOPIX, an industry leader in store operations analytics, to outfit its store with innovative digital video technology designed to continuously improve its in-store customer experience.

Implementation of the technology from SCOPIX and Cisco at Cabela's includes the deployment of Cisco Video Surveillance Manager, Cisco IP Cameras and the SCOPIX Store Operations Analytics platform, which features Customer Flow, Queue Management and Sales Assistance modules.

SCOPIX's Web-based, dashboard-oriented technology is delivered as a hosted service and is designed to help managers monitor store traffic, assign appropriate staffing, and ensure customer service performance in critical areas. The dashboard information identifies areas for customer service enhancements, and provides a mechanism for ongoing improvement.

The SCOPIX platform can also trigger in-store alerts sent directly to store managers' mobile devices. This function provides a window into current store conditions and helps increase the conversion of sales opportunities by allocating staff to the areas where they are needed.

The combined video technology solution from SCOPIX and Cisco provides Cabela's with unprecedented insight into how customers are being served throughout the store, allowing managers to ensure the store is staffed in the most appropriate manner possible.

Cisco at NRF

To see demonstrations of Cisco's retail solutions at NRF including the Cabela's and AT&T demonstrations, please visit Cisco's booth 2525. Additionally, Cisco executives will be participating in a series of Big Ideas presentations and roundtable discussions around mobile, lean retail architecture, PCI best practices and TelePresence.

Supporting Quotes:

Lindsay Parker, director, Cisco Global Retail Solutions

"In a backdrop where retailers are being asked to do more with less, we believe that the adoption of video technology is going to help retailers improve remote communications, minimize travel expenditure and maximize operational efficiencies throughout the whole retail ecosystem. Video is transforming everyday business processes and unleashing a new wave of productivity gains for our retail customers."

Brian Light, CIO, Staples

"Cisco TelePresence helps us to easily bring people into the Staples fold. We've been able to have 'face-to-face' interactions across our business locations, helping advance our integration efforts while saving on travel time and expense."

Bill Archer, CMO, AT&T Business Solutions

"The AT&T Telepresence Solution enables businesses to interact and collaborate with others, using the power of Cisco TelePresence to deliver life-size images via high-definition video and spatial audio within a specially designed environment. The economic benefits to subscribers of the AT&T Telepresence Solution have never been stronger: more locations in a secure, reliable, high-quality meeting environment can further reduce costs, shorten cycle time and improve decision making."

Michael Copeland, director of retail operations, Cabela's

"Cabela's differentiates itself from its competitors by delivering exceptional customer service. The Cisco and SCOPIX video solution will allow us to continuously improve our customer service and react promptly to issues on the store floor. In these challenging times, we think this solution will improve same-store sales significantly."