1.16.18
Today at the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) annual show, VMware, Inc. (NYSE:VMW), a global leader in cloud infrastructure and business mobility, highlighted several customers who have deployed VMware technology to modernize data centers, integrate public cloud solutions, empower the digital workspace and transform networking and security.
Embracing a Multi-Cloud Strategy to Improve Customer Experience
The velocity of change in retail IT is making recognized brands rethink their IT strategies and consider cloud as a way to speed delivery. VMware helps create a foundation of shared technologies to serve both digital and in-store needs to create a connected retail environment.
DFS, the U.K.’s largest furniture producer, is focused on providing customers with the best shopping experience – whether in-store or online. With more than 50 percent of its website traffic now coming through a mobile device, the retailer said it wanted to have the infrastructure in place to help increase website uptime and improve the customer experience. In addition, DFS needed a solution that could flex during times of high customer demand – such as their ‘Guaranteed by Christmas’ ordering period and Boxing Day – rather than having to run an environment at full capacity year-round.
The customer chose to move to a scalable, cloud-first infrastructure through Rackspace Private Cloud powered by VMware. With this VMware Cloud Verified solution, the retailer said it can handle spikes in online traffic year-round by expanding its existing infrastructure when necessary, taking advantage of a multi-cloud approach from VMware.
“VMware is second to none in the hybrid cloud space, so we knew we could rely on its technology. We’ve used its virtualization solutions for several years, but the ability to build on what we’d created internally with an infinitely scalable infrastructure was a great prospect,” said Russell Harte, CIO, DFS. “VMware’s hybrid cloud technology was going exactly where we needed, with its multi-cloud solution allowing us to manage not just a VMware environment, but clouds across other providers as well. Moving to a multi-cloud environment based on VMware’s technology has transformed the way we run IT.”
Empowering the Digital Workspace to Enhance Customer Engagement
Today’s consumers want convenient, frictionless experiences – anytime, everywhere. At the same time, retail and consumer brands need to monitor and collect data and offer solutions that enable customers to make smarter buying decisions, in real-time as responses to behaviors. VMware’s digital workspace solutions help customers improve app and infrastructure delivery to mobile endpoints, which can help improve customer engagement and enhance experiences with mobile devices.
Royal Caribbean, one of the world’s leading global cruise lines, utilizes VMware AirWatch to manage mobile devices used by employees both on ships and shoreside. In addition to traditional device management, Royal Caribbean’s IT team uses AirWatch to deploy applications over-the-air to employee devices – regardless of where they are in the world.
“In order to provide the best experience to our on-board customers, our crew members require seamless, secure access to certain apps,” explained Jorge De La Cruz, Apple Architect, Information Technology, Royal Caribbean International. “With AirWatch, we can deploy apps based on an employee’s department, job title or location so they have access to the exact tools they need, whenever and wherever they need them.”
Transforming Networking and Security
In December 2017, VMware acquired VeloCloud, the industry leader in Cloud-Delivered SD-WAN. This solution helps retail enterprises deploy branch networks that are agile, flexible, scalable and secure. Retailers can also cross boundaries between digital and brick and mortar retail environments to deliver a complete, secure and high-quality customer experience. VeloCloud SD-WAN can help customers in their efforts to achieve PCI Certification, including Attestation of Compliance (AoC), which helps retail customers accelerate their PCI audit process. Centralized visibility and management via VeloCloud Orchestrator can help retailers centralize implementation of PCI-compliant architectures across retail locations globally.
Maintaining network-wide connectivity with continuous uptime to support in-store and online transactions is a high priority for Brooks Brothers, the United States’ oldest clothing retailer. When it came time to update its network to support future growth, the organization said it turned to VeloCloud SD-WAN.
‘With VeloCloud SD-WAN, we’re now able to extend the Brooks Brothers footprint to all geographies and allow all sites to have the same seamless network access regardless of location,” said Manny Stergakis, technical architect, Brooks Brothers. “VeloCloud Cloud-Delivered SD-WAN has enabled modernization of our global retail network with migration and secure, reliable access to cloud applications, simplified deployments and management of our WAN, and reduced cost of operations, to deliver our high quality, high end customers a world class shopping experience.”
