CIO Challenges

Halloween City needed cost-effective service for its pop-up stores in time for the holiday season. It faced several challenges to finding broadband for the temporary pop-up stores and kiosks which are set up in malls and shopping centers across the U.S. Primarily, most broadband providers require stringent, annual contracts that prevent pop-up stores like Halloween City from obtaining cost-effective broadband for just three months. Additionally, extending wireline service through mall concourses is costlier and interferes with heavy customer traffic.

The IRG Solution

IRG answered Halloween City’s technical and contractual challenges, first by building a wireless, 3G WAN infrastructure using multiple wireless relationships. Second, IRG offered flexible, monthly contracts appropriate for the seasonal business.

IRG’s dedicated project manager worked closely with Halloween City’s Manager of Retail Information Systems, who manages the daily Retail Point of Sale operations. The purpose was to understand the customer challenges and present the most effective way to leverage the broadband. Halloween City utilizes the wireless WAN for a variety of applications such as POS transactions, inventory control, and VoIP. The entire project was slated for quick deployment due to the nature of pop-up stores.

Halloween City realized a strong year as they took full advantage of the wireless network, which allowed for faster credit card processing and an improved customer experience. The flexible contracts created an easier way for the company to open locations without concern of being locked into 12-month contracts or facing cancellation penalties.
As part of the plan, IRG also provided broadband to all of Halloween City’s retail seasonal locations. IRG manages all services, from sourcing carriers to overall management of the retaiLAN.

IRG Delivered

• Network Services – Provisioning, coordination, and installation of both primary wireline and failover 3G/4G Broadband.
• LOA switch for already installed, stable broadband services, eliminating the need for truck roll for new broadband services. Reduced CAPEX up-front costs and disruption to existing store services.
• RetaiLAN (Turn-Key Integration) - CPE Staging, logistics, in-store cabling, installation and testing of all services, including integration with client’s LAN.
• TruManage (Total Device Management) - Pro-Active Network Monitoring of all broadband circuits, full management of Fortinet VPN firewall via FortiManager/Analyzer, full management of wireless failover.
  
• Next Day Business Replacement of VPN Firewall and Broadband Modems.
• An Easy-to-Read, Customizable Electronic Invoice for all services.

Gartner Recognizes IRG in its publication recommending U.S. Telecom Service Providers. Read more...

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