Flexicom case study

Background

An Ohio-based retailer of cellular phones and services, Flexicom operates stores under the Wireless name. The company has earned Verizon Wireless Premium Retailer status, expanded throughout Ohio, and established operations in states as far away as Florida and Nevada. Extensive plans for expansion into other states are currently under way. To prepare, they are standardizing store operations from a technology standpoint. That includes moving from an online to an in-house hosted POS system, and implementing a VoIP system to cut telephony costs and route customer calls among stores for more responsive service.

Flexicom's formula for success is built around supplying superior technology and ensuring customer satisfaction. They found the perfect partner in WatchGuard.

The Challenge

According to Scott Rank, Director of IT for Flexicom, "We're looking to double by the end of next year. We want to put all our ducks in a row now, while we're still just a little over 50 stores. Let's say an investor wants five stores - we want to develop a 'store in a box' from an IT perspective, where we can actually ship a whole store in one skid, ready to install."

Reliability for Retail Operations

"We had a hodgepodge of devices in the stores, mostly Linksys and other small-office, home-office type things," says Rank. "They were not really suited for a retail environment. When the stores were passing a lot of data through, they would just reset and wipe out all of the settings. Once or twice a month, one of those devices would drop off, causing us to drive out to the store to redo the config. In the meantime, the store was completely offline. It's really hard to measure the dollars that we lost from customers getting frustrated and going elsewhere."

Moreover, reliable, secure connectivity was a must for the internally hosted POS. It would require a secure, PCI-compliant, enterprise-class VPN for each store.

Capacity to Handle Voice Traffic

An even more important consideration was connectivity that could reliably handle voice calls. "Our plans are to put a PBX here in our corporate office and run voice-over-IP to all of the stores," explains Rank. "We want all the calls to all the stores to ring into the corporate office. Then the corporate office will route the call to the store - unless the store happens to be closed, so we route the call to our telemarketing team." The VoIP capability will not only cut telephony costs for traditional lines to each store, but also improve customer service by ensuring every call receives a live response.

The WatchGuard® Solution

Carl Mazzanti of eMazzanti Technologies recommended redundant Internet connections. "You can get large amounts of bandwidth for very little money from cable providers, FIOS, or some of the other vendors," he explains, "but the service-level agreement isn't high enough. With a WatchGuard appliance, we're able to take multiple vendors that individually don't have a high service-level agreement and manufacture a high SLA."

A WatchGuard Firebox® X CoreT™ 750e protects the 100 desktop PCs and servers at Essential Apparel headquarters, connects to multiple ISPs and handles automatic failover for the connections. In addition, two retail locations are secured by Firebox X Edge 10e units that protect the registers, and send transaction data to headquarters via branch-office VPNs. Now says Mayer, "With our WatchGuard device, when the connection goes down - which inevitably happens - we don't even know the difference. The Internet stays up, the box switches over to the other connection, and we stay in business. That's priceless."

Benefits

"Keeping that connection up on a day-to-day basis is how we run our business, improve our business, and keep people busy," declares Mayer. But, beyond maintaining the connections, WatchGuard also plays a vital role in securing those connections, using them efficiently, and protecting what lies behind them.

Comprehensive, PCI-Compliant Protection

"We have a big mail-order business as well as our online business, and that means handling credit card and other sensitive information," says Mayer. "The WatchGuard appliance protects all the data we keep in-house that's necessary to complete the sale." The device implements PCI-compliant protection and safeguards the order processing, fulfillment, and warehouse-management systems. For the desktops, the WatchGuard UTM Bundle guards against spyware infections, and also implements the WebBlocker service for protection against employees visiting malicious sites that could expose the PCs to security breaches.

Optimal Use of Every Connection: Small, Medium & Large

With the WatchGuard units in place, eMazzanti Technologies is not only able to configure failover via multiple ISP connections, but also to make efficient, simultaneous use of them. By writing inbound and outbound rules based on port numbers that direct each type of traffic to the appropriate interface, eMazzanti is able to distribute the load for optimum overall performance. FTP, Web, or SSL download traffic goes over low-cost asynchronous cable or DSL connections, while the upload traffic goes over synchronous fiber links. The interface also specifies the fail order, preserving the best possible performance if a link should fail.

Remote Access Made Simple & Secure

The SSL VPN capabilities of the WatchGuard devices have also been a boon, according to Mayer. "We have some people, including myself, who work remotely. No matter where we are, as long as we have our laptops, with the WatchGuard appliance we can VPN right in. It's very easy for us all to connect securely and have access to the company. Plus, it's more secure than using GoToMyPC. I'm comfortable with it because I can see who's using it, allow some people, not allow others, and manage who has access to certain parts of the network."

Partnering to Grow the Business

"Security is a big issue for us," declares Mayer. "With eMazzanti Technologies and WatchGuard, I know it will be very hard for someone on the inside or the outside to get to our customers' sensitive information. We run a complex operation, and they've helped us become more secure and more efficient."

That is because, as Carl Mazzanti says, "We've applied WatchGuard technologies and what we know about Essential Apparel to not only secure their data, but improve productivity and keep their minds on their storefront so they can focus on what they do best."

"Yes," concludes Mayer. "Grow our business."

About Essential Apparel

More than 30 years ago, Essential Apparel opened its retail store with one simple philosophy: To provide the highest quality service and apparel at exceptional values. That philosophy has never changed. The product selection has grown from fine hosiery and underwear to top quality outerwear and everything in-between - all from leading brands. EssentialApparel.com brings their core philosophy to the Internet with the same renowned service, delivered by knowledgeable employees who share their personal experience with the products and offer exceptional values.

About eMazzanti

eMazzanti Technologies provides computer network solutions for growing businesses, from initial setup to ongoing support and management. The firm's services include network design, security, disaster recovery, remote connectivity and beyond. In addition to network consulting services, eMazzanti offers a portfolio of managed services and an online store showcasing more than 500,000 hardware and software products from leading technology manufacturers. An innovative and comprehensive approach to network services has earned eMazzanti the trust of a rapidly growing client base and recognition by many of the industry's foremost publications

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