Retailers held back by legacy network technology
New managed service adds flexibility and future-proofing
Fleet, Hampshire, May 4th 2005. A new portfolio of managed services from the Logic Group offers state-of-the-art networking to provide the last piece of the jigsaw needed to bring UK retailers IT systems into the 21st century.
While the majority have invested in state of the art EPoS systems as part of the UK's move to Chip & PIN, Logic Group research shows that over 80% of them still rely on expensive and inflexible communications for card transactions and authorisations - which in some cases have been in place for up to twenty years.
The new services offer a worry-free upgrade path to IP networking, freeing retailers from the cost of operating, administering and supporting legacy network systems such as X.25, while maintaining full connectivity with bank systems.
Combining the Logic Group's expertise in network infrastructure, transaction processing and managed services, the result is a secure, fast and reliable managed IP networking package that offers savings of up to 20% on communications costs alone and a clear upgrade path for the future.
"As multi-channel retailing becomes increasingly complex, retailers' existing communication networks simply can't respond fast enough to rapidly-changing business needs," says Mark McMurtrie, the company’s Marketing Director. "A choice of resilience levels and the ability to add capacity for peak trading periods are just two key features of our new offering. We believe that retailers are fed up with dealing with companies that don't really understand what makes a good transaction network. Some of them are still cheerfully supplying inflexible technology like X.25."
Key benefits are cost reduction and only include having a single supplier for managed network services and EFT transaction processing. Features include integrated SLA monitoring, a secure network service for all transaction data and a standards-based platform on which to build for the future.
IP networking allows different user traffic types to be consolidated on the network. While being aimed principally at credit and debit card processing, the same technology provides a platform for the enablement of a wide range of value added services such as Web hosting, email, voice calls and conferencing.
"Previously, connectivity to bank networks has been operated by using legacy connections such as X.25 or dial-up lines, neither of which have changed for twenty years and are the equivalent of using cash registers rather than EPoS systems," adds McMurtrie. "Modern IP networking offers increased flexibility, reliability and cost-effectiveness better geared to the demands of today's retailers."
About The Logic Group:
The Logic Group's raison d'être is the secure management and processing of business information. Since 1988, the company has provided card transaction processing, management information and communications infrastructure services to many of the world’s largest retailers.
The company continues to be central to the UK’s migration to Chip and PIN and has won a number of major awards including the 2005 Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation. The Group has achieved more than twelve years of successive growth.
