Unipart installs wireless to cut network costs

Logistics firm goes mobile

Logistics and warehousing firm Unipart is installing wireless networks in its warehouses and at its headquarters, to reduce networking costs and improve working practices.

The company has installed 30 wireless access points in the Oxfordshire warehouse used by retailer Halfords, allowing warehouse staff to access and send information via wireless handheld computers and transmit truck data back to the firm’s planning databases.

Working with its technology partners Steria and React Technologies, the company has also installed wireless access points at its Magna Park logistics centre in Leicester, to enable easier access to corporate systems for visiting employees.

‘There are a lot of mobile workers in the business and this allows them to access systems from wireless laptops,’ said Glyn James, Unipart infrastructure architect at Steria, which manages the communications network for the firm.

Unipart is also conducting trials at its headquarters in Oxford to see if it is feasible to replace ageing network cabling with wireless connectivity.

Wireless access points have been installed on one floor of the building, allowing employees to access information after authenticating themselves using Microsoft Active Directory technology.

‘Unipart House was built in the 1960s and cabled in the 1980s,’ said James. ‘The cabling is now ageing and will be expensive to replace.

‘At the moment we are carrying out a proof-of-concept on one floor. We hope it will go live at the end of the year with 25 hotspots.’

Steria and React Technologies are also installing wireless networks at a new Unipart warehouse in Spain, so UK employees visiting the site can communicate with colleagues and supply chain partners.

Unipart is using technology from wireless networking firm Aruba. The Aruba 6000 controller product is also providing added security to Unipart employees and partners, with access via Aruba 512 access points.