Networking
Next boosts network capacity
Clothes retailer picks Cable & Wireless for five-year deal
By Leo King | Computerworld UK | Published 14:17, 17 August 10
Clothes retailer Next has signed a deal with Cable & Wireless to connect distribution sites and offices.
Under the five year deal, 32 sites in the UK and Hong Kong will be connected to a high speed, next generation network.
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Next - which has 500 stores in the UK and Ireland, as well as catalogue sales and an e-commerce site - said the network would be used to underpin all critical communications including taking orders, receiving goods and dispatching items to stores.
By significantly increasing its network capacity, the store chain expects to be able to handle more customer online and in-store orders, particularly during peak periods such as the run up to Christmas. The deal is worth “several million pounds”, according to the supplier, but the exact value was not disclosed.
As part of the deal, Next will use application performance management services from Cable & Wireless, giving it real-time visibility and control over the network. It will be able to prioritise network traffic as it needs.
