What Technology is Retail Prioritising in 2024?
We take a look at which technologies mid-market retail IT leaders are prioritising in 2024 and what they are focusing their investment on.
The Customer
10ZiG Technology provides Thin Client and Zero Client endpoint devices for Virtual Desktop Infrastructure environments. With corporate headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, they also have a self-sufficient EMEA headquarters in Leicester (UK), where sales, technical support and marketing teams are based.
10ZiG have worked with Node4 in the UK since 2012 and have developed a close relationship, as a partner providing endpoint devices for Node4 customers, and as a customer of Node4 too.
“To support their expanding UK operation, 10ZiG Technology needed to modernise their network and telephony platform, providing meshed wireless connectivity throughout their new premises – so they turned to trusted partner Node4.“
The Challenge
10ZiG’s UK operation was expanding and CTO Kevin Greenway wanted to support and drive this business growth.
When the UK office moved to larger premises, Kevin wanted staff to be able to work productively in the expanded facilities, including the larger offices, meeting spaces and training rooms.
“10ZiG use Citrix and VMware to help our mutual customers and partners, so it was essential that these modern workspaces were available throughout the building for 10ZiG staff,” Kevin says.
Kevin saw opportunities to improve communication between staff in different locations, as well as with partners and suppliers. “We’d recently moved to an Office 365 subscription and we were integrating Microsoft Teams, which staff use for instant messaging and collaboration. We wanted to improve communication between staff, partners and suppliers, using Teams Video Calls.”
Kevin was also behind modernising the UK office’s telephony platform. The existing platform was becoming more of a problem as 10ZiG expanded outside of the UK, to customers in Europe and the Middle East.
“We had a lower capacity link to the internet and wanted to find lower cost methods of calling Europe and the Middle East, while also providing a means for video calls, a VPN link to our main office in Phoenix, plus general internet usage,” he says.
The Solution
When 10ZiG moved offices to larger premises, they purchased Cisco Aironet wireless access points and relied on Node4 for support with their new Cisco equipment. This provided staff and visitors with complete access to networking services from anywhere in the building, including when roaming between desks and meeting rooms. Staff are also now able to use Microsoft Teams from a variety of different devices, including 10ZiG Thin and Zero Client devices, laptops, iPads and phones.
Node4 also replaced 10ZiG’s traditional telephone lines with a SIP trunking solution, connecting them to the PSTN via an internet connection. At the same time, Node4 expanded 10ZiG’s connection to the internet in order to supply additional services on top, such as Teams Video Calls, Citrix and VMware.
Feedback:
Kevin says:
“Node4’s support with implementing and maintaining Cisco Aironet in our new premises has been invaluable. Staff and visitors can now work productively and collaborate, wherever they are in the new premises, whatever device they are using.
“We also have IoT based devices in the building, such as air conditioning units linked to the WIFI, so everyday facilities are operating thanks to Cisco Aironet and Node4’s expert support.
“There have been no complaints from our teams and customers regarding the new telephone platform, which means its working, it’s doing what it’s supposed to do.
“We’re making more international calls, so moving to SIP has proved cost-effective and improved call quality.
“Thanks to the expanded internet connection, our internet service is excellent. Staff are able to use the tools they need – Teams Video Calls, Citrix and VMware – to provide great service to our customers and partners.”
“We’re making more international calls, so moving to SIP has proved cost-effective and improved call quality.”
Kevin Greenway, CTO
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