The FINANCIAL — One of the largest Brazilian retail groups, CSD (Companhia Sulamericana de Distribuição, or South American Distribution Company), has selected Cisco technology to unify its communications infrastructure. CSD has deployed Cisco Communications technology, including Wired networks, Wi-Fi and IP telephony, following its recent expansion across the Brazilian states of Parana, Sao Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul.
The infrastructure includes Cisco Catalyst Series Switches supporting 48 ports, over 40 Cisco Aironet 2602E Wireless Access Points and 5508 Wireless Controllers. For the IP telephony, more than 100 units of the Cisco Unified SIP Phone 3905 in addition to the collaboration Business Edition Solutions 6000 were supplied, enabling video, voice, messaging and conferencing capabilities integrated into a single server, serving up to 1,500 users. Built in the same infrastructure, all networks were implemented by the integrating company Exata TI, a Cisco partner, according to Cisco.
To James Mommensohn, Technology Manager at CSD, the unique integrating capabilities are the highlight of Cisco technology. “We were impressed by the vast possibility of features and functionalities to implement, integrate and converge with Cisco solutions, especially with the BE6000, providing a complete collaborative package,” he said.
“A unified platform such as Cisco’s communications offers countless benefits. I buy a platform today to offer IP telephone service, for example, to one of my internal clients. Tomorrow, with the same equipment, I can integrate a module and offer videoconference,” explains Alexandre Rogoski, Exata TI executive.
An example of successful integration is the CSD distribution center in Maringá, Paraná state, where networks play a critical operational role. In addition to the administrative building network that houses the company’s data center, the networks support all the merchandise internal logistics. The Wi-Fi network alone connects 100 portable collectors. As the unit receives an average of 40 trucks per day with approximately 50,000 boxes of goods, any fault in the system would considerably impact the smooth run of the distribution throughout the state.
“Investing in a robust and high-quality IT infrastructure is essential to support the entire retail industry operation, aimed at medium and long term growth,” says Ana Claudia Plihal, Commercial Director at Cisco in Brazil. “The project implemented at CSD also prepares the company to meet new technological demands, such as the Internet of Everything,“ she said.
The network expansion from the CSD distribution center to the administrative HQ building and one of the company stores, where boxes, price consulting terminals, and even scales are already connected to the Wi-Fi network, marks its first step to the IoE.
CSD plans to further the IT infrastructure expansion to other stores in 2015, and results for the initial investment are already showing. James Mommensohn, CSD executive, says that the project addresses not only the new distribution center needs but the technology standard to be adopted by the company for the coming years, hence the importance for them to make the right choice. “We are extremely pleased with the quality and performance of Cisco’s equipment,” said the executive.
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