OKLAHOMA CITY -- Aerohive Networks announced that 7-Eleven Stores LLC, a privately held operator of more than 100 convenience stores in central Oklahoma, has deployed an Aerohive wireless LAN in its Oklahoma City corporate office and convenience stores. The company chose the Aerohive solution over competing alternatives because of the solution's low cost, ease of network management, PCI security compliance, and exceptional resiliency.
The wireless LAN enables 7-Eleven Stores to deploy a sophisticated inventory control system, saving the company a substantial amount of money, according [image-nocss] to a press release.Click here to view a detailed case study of the 7-Eleven Stores' selection and deployment of an Aerohive wireless LAN.
The 7-Eleven Stores rejected controller-based wireless LAN architectures because purchasing a network controller to sit alongside the single access point deployed in each 7-Eleven store would be too expensive. Alternative controller-based architectures, including arrangements in which the stores would share one or more controllers, were also rejected as being too costly, complicated and vulnerable to failure.
"Aerohive treated us like a partner with a common interest," said Gayle Crouch, IT director for 7-Eleven Stores. "Combined with the cost, network management and security benefits the cooperative control architecture delivers, the outstanding service and professionalism of the Aerohive team sealed the deal for us."
The 7-Eleven Stores desired a network with the resiliency to maintain wireless connectivity in the stores even if a WAN link or a management server failed. Aerohive wireless LANs have no centralized controllers, eliminating a "single point of failure" that is present in many controller-based networks. In addition, Aerohive HiveManagers, while providing valuable administrative conveniences, are not essential to the operation of Aerohive networks.
In the future, 7-Eleven Stores may run applications on the Aerohive wireless LAN in addition to the inventory control system. For example, delivery-truck drivers may be equipped with handheld devices of their own, enabling them to log deliveries, print invoices and perform other useful tasks using the network. Their very own bakery and distribution drivers may be the next users.
Oklahoma City-based 7-Eleven Stores is not affiliated in any way with Dallas-based 7-Eleven Inc. and has been in business for more than 55 years. In addition to retail stores that sell food and unbranded fuel, 7-Eleven Stores owns and operates a bakery/commissary and small distribution center.
Santa Clara, Calif.-based Aerohive Networks' cooperative control enterprise wireless LAN architecture provides the management, mobility and security of controller-based architectures.Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.