Luxury fashion retailer Webster is rolling out the Expeto Nextworking platform in stores throughout the USA and Canada.

The aim is to harness the power of public mobile connectivity for a consistent shopping experience and streamlined operations, including pop-up retail sites at entertainment and sporting events, including sites already delivered at the Sundance Film Festival and the NBA All-Star game in 2023.

“Our boutiques cater to high-end shoppers seeking a unique, engaging experience where they feel comfortable taking time to explore our exclusive collaborations and highly curated luxury fashion selections,” said Dwaine Omyer, Webster vice president. “As we expand operations and eye next-gen retail tech, it is clear that we can’t be successful without ubiquitous connectivity and streamlined network control. Expeto’s enterprise-first promise means we can deliver this anywhere our business needs to be, including pop-up locations where first-time customers will have access to the same intimate, personalised experiences they would in one of our physical retail locations. Expeto’s platform also helps us deploy mission critical private 5G private networks as we advance our supply chain initiatives with the confidence and control from our own IT systems, unlike the complex and expensive bespoke cellular options available from telco-centric providers.”

Webster is eager to engage shoppers when they think about a purchase and streamline backend operations with plans to implement digital stylists, augmented reality experiences, real-time foot traffic analysis, enhanced security and improved logistics. However, it recognises it is challenged by traditional logistics tracking and unreliable connectivity across locations, some of which are housed in historic buildings with limited technology infrastructure.

Vancouver-based Expeto is helping Webster overcome these limitations quickly and cost-effectively by using public mobile networks to provide high-performing, reliable connectivity anywhere and streamline IT management of retail, warehouse, and pop-up locations for control and visibility.

“Our Nextworking enterprise mobility platform is proven to deliver exactly the functionality that can overcome Webster’s challenges, many of which are common hurdles throughout the retail industry,” said Michael Anderson, CEO of Expeto. “Webster can now tailor new shopping experiences to customers in support of its brand promise and future vision aspirations. It’s all about unlocking options and gaining control quickly using connectivity that is already everywhere the company wants to be.”

Retailers typically grapple with large warehouse presences poorly served by wifi, resulting in video surveillance blind spots and inconsistent equipment performance. Retail locations under lease are often restrictive when it comes to bringing in new connectivity and brands with nationwide or global operations face headaches attempting to unify visibility of all locations, devices and people. This limits management of truck fleets, thwarts remote troubleshooting, complicates device deployment, and creates IT inefficiencies resulting in endless screen views that never provide a complete picture.

With Expeto, retailers gain enterprise networking control, visibility and systems over public mobile networks globally, define secure SD-WAN paths in support of privacy and data sovereignty, and can take advantage of OT applications requiring quality that wifi can’t support.

Latency-sensitive warehouse robots, video analytics applications and physical security everywhere needed can be supported, with better coverage for barcode scanners, RFID readers, surveillance cameras and more.

Expeto supports real-time ability to diagnose and fix cellular connectivity issues impacting vehicle tracking and maintenance, and capability to add subnets for new vehicle fleet systems.

The company makes it simple for enterprises to extend private networks seamlessly via any type of cellular connectivity with single-SIM mobility between public and private instances of the network. Rather than struggle to manage mobile connectivity with legacy telco tools that require LTE 5G user expertise, enterprises get an IT-centric portal purpose-built for enterprise agility and speed.

Laure Heriard Dubreuil opened Webster’s flagship location in 2009 in Miami. Originally the Webster Hotel, the art deco building was built in 1939 by architect Henry Hohauser. More than a decade later, Webster expanded to eight additional flagship locations in Bal Harbour, Houston, Costa Mesa, New York, Los Angeles, Miramar Beach, Toronto and Palm Springs.

Expeto aims to make it easier for enterprises to extend private networks via any type of cellular connectivity and continue to operate just one enterprise mobile network that devices and people can move seamlessly across. The company goes to market directly and via system integrator, network vendor and MNO partners, powering mobile networking use cases for large, multi-site, mission-critical businesses in industries that include utilities, mining, automotive, agriculture, healthcare, logistics and manufacturing.

Expeto is based in Vancouver, Canada, with US headquarters in Portland, Oregon, and research and development offices in San Francisco and Luxembourg.