SageNet, partners to unveil new IT solution for stores

A Tulsa-based managed-services and cybersecurity solutions provider will use a national convention to showcase a new retail solution to help convenience stores consolidate and streamline in-store information technology.

At this week’s annual National Association of Convenience Stores Show in Chicago, officials from SageNet will highlight a partnership with Palo Alto, Calif.based Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Zynstra to develop and support a convenience store-focused solution based on HPE’s ProLiant Easy Connect.

Easy Connect is a hybrid server built for sophisticated retail IT environments with limited space and local support. Its automation capabilities centrally manage thousands of distributed sites and could enable convenience stores to launch new store services faster.

“Today, the way a lot of retail operations support their technology or their IT infrastructure and locations is they typically send out a lot of people to pre-configure, install it, manage it, maintain it, troubleshoot it,” SageNet Vice President Mark Hogan said by telephone. “What this technology does is that it eliminates the necessity to have a lot of localized talent stretched across the U.S. just basically calling on each location.

“This technology in essence virtualizes a lot of applications and services that are running the operations of the store.”

NACS, the association for convenience and fuel retailing, represents the U.S. convenience-store industry, which includes more than 150,000 stores across the country. Its annual meeting brings together nearly 25,000 members of the industry for four days of learning and networking.

SageNet manages communications at more than 160,000 locations and has regional offices in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Chicago and Philadelphia. The company’s customer base represents retail, health care, financial and energy companies, as well as public utilities, state lotteries and government agencies.

SageNet, which provides managed networks to many convenience store chains, will install and support the system. The company’s exhibit at the NACS Show will also include its full offering of cybersecurity solutions, Wi-Fi solutions and unified communications.