A Major Outdoor Goods Retailer Saves $900,000 During IP Communication Upgrade Using Modern Network Design Principles

A Major Outdoor Goods Retailer Demonstrates Its Commitment to Sustainability by Reducing E-Waste During Upgrade to Cisco IP Voice Solution

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Summary

• A major outdoor goods retailer wanted to modernize its communication capabilities by deploying 3,300 IP phones across more than 100 locations.
• The popular retailer faced high network readiness costs, potential business disruption, and extensive labor and time requirements to implement the new IP phone system due to traditional network thinking.
• The reseller partner, Continuant, Inc., recommended Modern LAN Principles and the NVT Phybridge PoLRE PoE innovation to leverage the existing single-pair UTP, rack space, cooling, and other supporting infrastructure to minimize downtime and ensure a seamless installation across all locations.
• The project was executed in 13 phases over three years, resulting in over $900,000 in infrastructure cost savings and project efficiencies, which was reallocated to devices and applications to improve the project’s return on investment.
• The outdoor goods retailer leveraged NVT Phybridge network innovations to modernize its communication system, providing enhanced communication quality, improved operational efficiency, and significant cost savings with minimal disruption to daily operations.

Challenge

A leading outdoor retailer in the US wanted to upgrade its digital communications systems across 100+ locations to deploy over 3,300 Cisco IP phones. Completing the project with minimal operational disruption was imperative to the customer, who faced several significant challenges with its existing end-of-life Toshiba phone system. The primary concern was the high cost of re-cabling 100+ locations, which would have required a substantial financial investment. The potential disruption to business operations during the transition posed a serious risk. The project also demanded considerable resources and time, making the logistics of implementing a new system across multiple locations daunting. These challenges necessitated a solution that could overcome the financial constraints and business disruption concerns.

Solution

To tackle these challenges, the customer partnered with Continuant, who recommended Modern LAN Principles by Frost & Sullivan and the NVT Phybridge PoLRE switch innovation. The PoLRE switch allowed the large retailer to leverage its existing voice infrastructure, eliminating the need for time-intensive and costly re-cabling and other IDF closet requirements such as rack space, cooling and backup power. The PoLRE switches facilitated a seamless installation process, minimizing network downtime and ensuring business continuity at each retail location. “The Phybridge PoLRE family of switches has been a fantastic solution for our customers.  For our Retail customer, this solution greatly reduces cost by avoiding running new cabling, which causes delay and disruption in the store. Because of the store’s ultra-high ceilings, all work requires a Man Lift which means moving store displays and product to maneuver throughout the store.  With the NVT Phybridge Chariot Configuration & Management Tool (CCMT), the configuration and ongoing management is simple and effective through a single administrative interface, saving the customer time performing updates and evaluating current system status,” said Dennis Tyler, Senior Technology Specialist at Continuant. The project was strategically executed in 13 phases over three years, providing an organized and smooth transition to the new IP system. This phased deployment approach, along with PoLRE’s repeatable, predictable, and scalable deployment methodology, ensured a minimal impact on daily operations.

The PoLRE switch innovation delivers Ethernet and PoE over Single-Pair UTP cabling with up to 1,200ft (365m) reach – four times the reach of standard Ethernet switches. Continuant used the NVT Phybridge PoLRE switch innovation to help the retailer avoid costly network infrastructure updates and reduce project risk, complexity, and disruption – creating better digital transformation outcomes for all stakeholders.

Result

The implementation of the NVT Phybridge PoLRE innovations yielded remarkable results for the major outdoor goods retailer. Financially, the company reduced network readiness costs by over $900,000, which helped improve the project’s ROI by reallocating more budget towards devices and applications. Operationally, leveraging the existing voice network infrastructure significantly reduced network downtime and business disruption, ensuring continuous store operations. Additionally, the NVT Phybridge CCMT switch configuration tool supports efficient deployments by automating switch configuration and enabling mass firmware updates. When asked about his experience in leveraging NVT Phybridge PoLRE innovations, Chris Decandia, Field Technical Manager at Continuant, remarked, “My team has installed over 100 of the PoLRE Phybridge switches and have found the configuration and installation process simple enough that anyone with a basic telephony understanding can install them. Using a single pair of wires to provide power and data to the endpoint makes the installer’s job easy. Having an option such as Phybridge to be able to install new technology using old infrastructure has been a game changer!”

The new Cisco IP phone system enhanced communication quality and reliability, benefiting the customer’s overall business operations. Additionally, the smooth deployment process, facilitated by the PoLRE switches, resulted in efficient project execution across all locations. The PoLRE PoE switch innovation enabled the major outdoor goods retailer to achieve its digital transformation goals efficiently and cost-effectively. By taking a modern approach to network design and avoiding the traditionally costly and disruptive rip-and-replace process, the customer avoided unnecessary expenses and operational disruptions, resulting in a better deployment experience across every location and improved customer satisfaction.

Sustainability

NVT Phybridge PoE innovations helped the large retailer align the digital transformation project with its overall sustainability goals. Using the existing network infrastructure, the customer avoided the negative environmental impact of installing new cabling and network equipment – avoiding 19,200 pounds of e-waste. This approach also significantly reduced resource consumption and e-waste as renovation work was minimal, supporting the customer’s commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices. The PoLRE solution provided financial and operational benefits and contributed to the customer’s ongoing efforts to minimize its environmental footprint and promote sustainability across its operations.