Pets at Home tunes up network with MSP Claranet

Pets at Home has brought in managed services provider Claranet to upgrade its wide area network (WAN) to underpin its growth plans.

Claranet is rolling out a brand new WAN to more than 400 Pets at Home retail locations and around 340 veterinary surgeries around the UK, to ensure the performance of the company’s business-critical applications.

With store connectivity being critical to the retailer’s operations, Claranet will also provide 3G MPLS connectivity as a back-up, meaning that the business can still process transactions securely in the event of a network outage.

Jamie Lowe, infrastructure manager at Pets at Home, said: “As a business we have undergone, and are still undergoing, a significant amount of change as we look to broaden the services we offer and improve our customers’ experience.

“Connectivity in our retail estate is an essential commodity, and customers have come to expect a seamless experience when transacting with us, be it on our website, in our retail outlets, or in combination through click and collect.”

Lowe added: “Having the right network in place to support us is critical. Moreover, we need the right support structures and mechanisms in place so that, as and when issues arise, they can be rectified straightaway.”

Simon Bearne (pictured), Claranet UK sales director, said: “We fully appreciate the importance of connectivity to Pets at Home’s business operations and growth ambitions so have designed a solution that meets their exact business needs.

“Shoppers can be extremely unforgiving of down time so we have placed an extra emphasis on reliability and uptime. With the new WAN and 3G MPLS, Pets at Home will be provided with an ultra-reliable network infrastructure that will support current and future internal and external communications, application and service delivery needs.”