Aerohive AP350 access points are deployed in each retail location across the US and Canada, with over 660 APs currently implemented in the collision shops. Each collision facility has approximately three APs, with particular care to ensure for no blackout spots due to the magnitude of heavy metal machinery located in each shop.
When the Boyd Group began to evaluate its network needs, it considered various vendors including Meraki, Meru and Aruba. The company then turned to Gartner for a technology analysis. Gartner positioned Aerohive as a Visionary in the 2012 Magic Quadrant for the Wired and Wireless LAN Access Infrastructure report, in part for Aerohive’s innovative enterprise features and its differentiated approach to the market. Based on this insight, as well as a recommendation from a local school district in Manitoba running Aerohive successfully, the Boyd Group chose to implement Aerohive for its entire wireless architecture across all operations.
Although all operations were not yet wireless, the Boyd Group replaced what Cisco equipment it did have with Aerohive solutions. Without a need for controllers, it was much simpler for the company to roll out a wireless network across its entire operations, even deploying in less than four months from the start of the initial evaluation.
The wireless network connects back through an MPLS network to its main data center located in Youngstown, Ohio, that houses and manages firewall and content filtering, as well as managing its corporate intranet traffic. Aerohive APs are also deployed at its headquarters location in Canada, providing Wi-Fi for executives, the accounting team, and employees that operate mobile devices. Eventually the company wants to acquire additional mobile device management solutions in order to open up the network at headquarters to all employees.
HiveManager Online is used for all network management and control, giving flexibility to the IT teams based both in the US and Canada. As Michael Wenham, IT Administrator with the Boyd Group explains, “The HiveManager Online dashboard interface is very easy to use and customize, and we have especially benefitted from having a complete picture of our network at all times. Aerohive enables us to see which clients are connected across our network, what bandwidth concerns we might have, and troubleshoot any issues from an interference standpoint.”
The Boyd Group has set up a guest network at each retail location. The company is utilizing guest-specific SSIDs and the captive web portal to manage guest access, allowing the company greater control and security through Aerohive’s identity-based policy features.
After analyzing customer trends, the company determined the typical wait time is less than one hour, so the guest network connection is set to expire after one hour, which also ensures greater security for the company. The network access also terminates when shops are closed, and HIveManger Online makes it easy for the company to set a schedule for various time zones and locations.
The Boyd Group is also evaluating Aerohive BR100 and BR200 branch routers for use exclusively at new facilities. With its strong acquisition strategy and the increasing number of new repair centers opening each year, the company has a need for using Aerohive routers to quickly allow facilities to connect right away to the corporate network, especially when it can take a long time to install the necessary infrastructure at new retail locations.
via WiFiNovation | Scoop.it
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