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May 18, 2012

Flexible, Dependable Mobile Connectivity Creates Innovative Merchandising

Over the years, the demand for mobile applications has increased the need for dependable mobile networks. Contrary to fixed Internet and a fixed phone service, the stability and availability of both mobile Internet and mobile networks can be unreliable, often resulting in difficulties when there is no connection with the network. 

These days, growth in mobile broadband technology is expanding the possibilities for an array of applications for mobile pop-up. The “?y-by-night” qualities that might have characterized early pop-ups have now been supplanted by dependable infrastructure solutions that put temporary retail locations on par with their permanent counterparts. Once considered experimental merchandising for adventurous retailers and entrepreneurs, pop-up stores have become an established phenomenon and a legitimate means of testing products, generating buzz, building brand awareness, and driving sales for retailers and ambitious upstarts.

Having discovered that consumers embrace the manifestations of pop-up spaces, retailers have come to view the strategy as a means of connecting with customers and extending their brands. The latest pop-ups have elaborate displays, high-end signage, more sophisticated POS, advanced mobile commerce capabilities and meaningful interactive experiences that enable useful conversations with customers. The novelty of the pop-up concept isn’t necessarily going to drive traffic on its own; consumer affection for mobile devices means that they are demanding enhanced experiences in the shopping environment.

Integrated with a 3G/4G modem, network router solutions provider CradlePoint has products that enable retailers to set up shop anywhere a cellular signal is available, providing connectivity options and bandwidth for a broad array of retail application needs. CradlePoint routers have an equipped mobile pop-up outlet that can tap into adequate bandwidth to be used for multiple purposes quickly.

Recently at Interop 2012, TMC CEO Rich Tehrani sat down with Cradlepoint President and CEO George Mulhern to discuss Cradlepoint’s focus in the technology space and what the router solutions provider’s brand new product has to offer. As a market leader in mobile connectivity, Cradlepoint is focused on delivering 3G/4G network connectivity to businesses with three primary solutions including Failover Connect, Primary Connect, and M2M.

Failover Connect is geared towards a branch office or a retail outlet where you’ve got an existing network infrastructure. Cradlepoint has an overlay solution that you can add to that right on top without taking anything else out and it provides 3G 4G Failover. If your primary network goes down, you automatically failover to the 3G 4G network which keeps business continuity. Also, the Primary Connect solution works well if you are implementing a new installation or trying to upgrade. Primary connect is a router that will do all of your wired networking as well as the failover to 3G 4G. And, Cradlepoint’s M2M solution connects kiosk connectivity, surveillance camera, digital signage, etc to the internet.

The company has also recently introduced a new product, IBR600LE, which is targeted at the M2M market and is ideally suited to kiosk applications and digital signage. This product is a ruggedized router with multi-WAN support so you can use wired, wireless, and WiFi hotspots. It has a connector for external antennas as well as a 4G LTE embedded modem. The IBR600LE is certified to work on Verizon’s LTE network as well as their 3G EVDO network and 2G 1xRTT network.

 “We are very carrier-centric,” said Mulhern. “We make sure our products work exceptionally well on the carrier networks. This combination of wired network experience and wireless experience makes us unique. We are able to put together a wireless experience that meets the expectations of what people have grown up with in the wired environment.”




Edited by Jamie Epstein


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