"This strategically important part of our business requires the highest network reliability, performance and flexibility and the 3Com network solution is perfectly suited to the heavy demands of our PC configuration business," says Honorio Padrone, CIO for CompUSA. "The network`s ability to perform to our requirements has allowed us to increase both our productivity and customer satisfaction."
CompUSA`s newly built Configuration Centre, located in Grapevine, Texas and featuring hundreds of workspaces that are each equipped with Token Ring, Ethernet and Fast Ethernet connectivity links, was designed to allow CompUSA to custom assemble and configure each PC in accordance with individual customer orders.
By featuring the different technologies at each workstation CompUSA is able to utilise 3Com`s intelligent, auto-sensing technology to rapidly setup, configure and test each custom PC, regardless of its connectivity speed, without reconfiguring the workspace`s network connection, explains 3Com SA`s pre sales manager, Paul Ruinaard.
"This exclusive 3Com feature is enabled in 3Com network interface cards (NICs) and switches and allows CompUSA to maximise 3Com`s complete system solution architecture while eliminating network downtime resulting from workstation set up and configuration changes," he says.
To support the greatly expanded production capacity, the Configuration Centre`s network backbone is composed of four SuperStack II Switch 9300,s, providing wire speed Gigabit Ethernet links to 22 workgroups that are connected through SuperStack II Switch 3900`s.
He points out that while network performance and flexibility were important to CompUSA`s configuration productivity, the installation of 3Com`s Transcend Enterprise Manager and Traffix network management applications and InfoVista software also allowed the retailer to achieve more accurate job production accounting.
"These network management applications precisely track the time it takes to complete each job, resulting in more precise billing of customer configuration services," says Ruinaard. "These applications will also help CompUSA to plan future work production by employing Service-Level Agreement (SLA) models which will accurately predict the amount of time each job will require, enabling the Configuration Center to optimise job scheduling and maximise throughput of jobs in the queue."
"The ability of 3Com`s next-generation network solutions to support new customer-focused initiatives is critical to success in retailing," says Jeff Siegel, 3Com`s Group Director of retail, distribution, and lodging. "As a result, we are beginning to see a migration to higher bandwidth technologies like Gigabit Ethernet. But more than just the addition of greater bandwidth, the intelligence of today`s next-generation networks makes a significant contribution in meeting the evolving demands of major retailers."
A majority of the world`s largest retailers including Wal-Mart, Sears Roebuck, JCPenney, The Home Depot, American Stores, Boots plc, Carrefour, Hudson`s Bay, Eckerd Drug, Rite Aid, and OfficeMax depend on 3Com enabled networks for their point-of-sale and back-office in-store networks, enterprise intranets, call center, supply chain and headquarters campus networks. 3Com is the founder of the Retail Network Innovation Awards, a program designed to recognise retailer innovation in the use of networked applications. Additional information on 3Com`s solutions for retailers is available at http://www.3com.com/nsc/industry/rmenu.html.
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