BevMo! Relies on HughesON Managed Network Solutions to Leverage the Cloud

Suite of network solutions enhances customer experience and streamlines operations

Germantown, Md.―BevMo!, one of the nation’s largest and growing specialty beverage retailers, is leveraging the cloud to enhance the customer experience with HughesON™, a suite of managed network solutions from Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), the global leader in broadband satellite solutions and a leading provider of managed network services.

BevMo! recently renewed their contract with Hughes to provide a high-speed, wide area network (WAN) solution to securely connect all their stores, which are concentrated in the western U.S. The high-capacity WAN uses both landline and wireless broadband technologies in each store to provide faster speeds and guard against primary network failure. BevMo! also utilizes Hughes in-store Wi-Fi and Voice over IP (VoIP) services to better serve its customers and reduce costs.

HughesON managed network solutions ensures reliable, high-performance delivery of the many in-store enterprise cloud services BevMo! uses from point-of-sale (POS) to customer relationship management (CRM), price optimization, and in-store digital sign management. Unlike standard broadband or expensive MPLS solutions, HughesON employs Hughes ActiveQoS™ technology to deliver true end-to-end Quality of Services (QoS) over affordable, best-efforts broadband. Using ActiveQoS, BevMo!’s cloud applications are assigned the bandwidth and priority they need, resulting in faster credit card transactions and better in-store Wi-Fi performance.

“We have made a strategic commitment to utilize cloud applications and the Association for Retail Technology Standards (ARTS) to deliver a better customer experience and to streamline operations,” said Bob Graham, CIO of BevMo! “In order to do that, the network has to be rock solid. We continue to work with Hughes to deliver our cloud applications reliably, securely, and with great performance.”

Getting to the Cloud

With HughesON, customers can easily access cloud-based applications over their mobile devices using the Hughes-supplied and managed in-store Wi-Fi network. Cloud-managed Wi-Fi applications include loyalty programs, access to product information and reviews, and in-store specials. Employees are able to assist customers by having access to real-time inventory and other back-office applications on the store floor. And with in-store Wi-Fi, BevMo! can take advantage of advanced business intelligence analytics to better respond to customer needs.

Managed VoIP Service

Hughes managed VoIP saves BevMo! significant telecommunication costs through the consolidation of multiple legacy phone lines onto a single IP WAN. Hughes VoIP also provides advanced telephony features that improve call processing and allow BevMo! to obtain valuable business intelligence. The network enhances the reliability of voice since the Hughes network backs up both the VoIP and data services via a secondary broadband wireless connection.

“Bev Mo! is a retail leader in leveraging the cloud to deliver an unmatched customer experience in the specialty beverage industry,” said Mike Cook, senior vice president, North America, Hughes. “We are honored to be the network provider they rely on to make their vision a reality.”