To support the growing number of connected mobile and IoT devices in retail environments, and as reliance on wireless access increases in both front-line and back-office operations, retailers must remain focused on the capacity of their infrastructure and security capabilities to prevent security breaches, disruptions, and missed opportunities to build customer loyalty. Retailers operating in shopping malls, stores, and urban areas who are implementing digital initiatives understand that enterprise-grade connectivity is crucial for success in building customer loyalty and providing a positive experience, but RF environments often present challenges, and overloaded networks disrupt these efforts.
By implementing Wi-Fi Alliance Vantage features, combined with Aerohive's software-defined architecture and unique radio technologies, retailers can ensure higher levels of reliability, adaptability, and scalability to respond to ever-changing and challenging conditions.
• Aerohive's dual-band 5 GHz access points (APs), now with the ability to automatically switch bands, deliver the right level of 2.4 and 5 GHz coverage in any area by detecting ambient coverage and automatically adjusting the software-defined radio to broadcast on the most needed frequency in the environment – including the ability to disable themselves if coverage is already sufficient and re-enable themselves when needed.
• All Aerohive APs support 802.11r, k, and v, providing fast and secure roaming in highly mobile environments. These protocols, when combined with the Agile Multiband and 802.11ac features in Aerohive APs, enable retailers to implement Wi-Fi Alliance Vantage-compliant network access.
• Aerohive's software-defined Wi-Fi architecture, its decentralized network control for greater adaptability, resilience, and scalability for networks that have to respond to ever-changing connectivity needs, support Aerohive's radio technologies.
Connecting customer devices, terminals, and sensors, among other things, is only half the challenge; doing so securely is the other half. Retailers are witnessing a growing number of digital attacks and threats to their businesses and are experiencing increasing pressure to tighten network controls and privacy. HiveManager's PCI 3.2 generation is helping retailers gain greater visibility into their network security provisions, while Aerohive's security policies enforced at the access layer, including its upcoming A3 technology, help ensure that only authorized and compliant customer devices have access.
• Aerohive's HiveManager offers a comprehensive, scheduled report to detect and report on PCI DSS 3.2 compliance. The report provides environment information, including section-specific compatibility details and instructions on how to resolve issues once detected.
• A3, launching in the second quarter of 2018, will offer a comprehensive portfolio of access management features to enable onboarding and security for wired and wireless customers, visitors, as well as Internet of Things (IoT) and BYOD devices. Aerohive's A3 solution includes capabilities to deliver a complete and secure access solution, including automatic device provisioning, network access profiling and control, self-service onboarding, and even guest/visitor access, without the operational complexities currently offered by other vendors.
