Al-Safeer selects SonicWALL to consolidate its hypermarket network

Al-Safeer purchased 34 SonicWALL TZ 170 Wireless appliances and one SonicWALL PRO 3060 appliance.

Al-Safeer Group is a diversified conglomerate with interests in retail, furniture, real estate, manufacturing and trading across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The 34 appliances were deployed at Al-Safeer 'point of sale' (POS) locations across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the PRO 3060 appliance - deployed at the corporate headquarters - connects the Wide Area Network (WAN) and acts as a gateway managing security, traffic and content.

"To keep ahead of the curve in a highly competitive retail environment as is currently the in the UAE, we required a solution that provided for rapid and secure POS data transfer to our headquarters for sales analysis and inventory purposes," said P. Jayaraj, IT manager at Al-Safeer Group of Companies.

"SonicWALL's solution has enabled us to build a secure VPN tunnel to each of our hypermarket locations around the country, all controlled from a single appliance which acts as an integrated gateway for threat and content management."

The deployment of the solution was headed by Al-Safeer's internal technology team supported by the distributor, Haris Al-Afaq and Al-Wazeer the reseller. The complete installation was carried out in phases where each remote location (POS) was upgraded to DSL Internet connectivity to enhance performance. The solution can be readily scaled up as Al-Safeer increases its POS sites.

"Network administrators can create multiple zones of access - for wired and wireless workers as well as guest wireless users - offering an unprecedented level of control without compromising network security," commented Shahnawaz Sheikh, SonicWALL regional sales manager Middle East and Africa (MEA). "The TZ 170 Wireless appliances combined with the PRO 3060 appliance provide for an ideal solution for companies that need rock solid network protection and fast, secure VPN access for remote employees at a cost-effective price point."

As a part of the contract, Haris Al-Afaq provides phone support and trained Al Safeer's internal engineers to maintain their branch offices as a first line of support and Al-Wazeer technicians provide a second line of support.