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Case Studies

Hendy Motor Group

The Hendy Motor Group has in excess of twenty premises across the south coast of the UK. The dealerships stretch over 190km from Exeter to Chichester, with the Head Office located in Chandlers Ford, Hampshire. Hendy has come a long way from the small bicycle repair shop it opened in Whitchurch in 1852. Today the Hendy Group manages over 700 staff and handles over £200m worth of business per annum.

The challenge

Hendy required a wireless solution to replace its MPLS network. The existing network, which had bandwidth limitations and expensive recurring costs, couldn’t deliver the service that was required across the dealerships. The Hendy Group needed a future proof, streamlined solution that was capable of meeting its growing demands for fast, reliable connectivity for VOIP and Data applications.

Vast physical distances and challenging terrain between the dealerships needed to be addressed along with the added challenges of man-made and natural obstructions along the radio path. These challenges resulted in near line of sight or in some cases, non-line of sight conditions. Careful consideration had to be given when planning for the correct solution and products for the job.

Each dealership required at least a 50Mbs connection for its centralised applications within its private network, with a high availability exceeding 99.99%.

Our solution

APC planned and designed a solution, which would deliver the required bandwidth between all of the required Hendy Group sites. APC created the solution using the Motorola portfolio of products. Advanced planning techniques and software where used to create a desktop model of the network prior to carrying out any physical site surveys.

APC’s next stage was to survey the Hendy Group’s sites and test the proposed wireless. Using the APC fleet of mobile masts and MeWPS (Mobile Elevating Working Platforms), APC was able to carry out a full physical site survey of all the proposed backhaul links within several weeks. The findings and captured results allowed amendments to be made before presenting a final design and presentation to John Hendy, Group Systems and Resources Director.

APC Superfast Broadband Bronze 30 Package

"It is quite simply 1000 times better. The difference is incredible. Upload & Download is so quick. I uploaded 240MB to my Dropbox folder today in less than 2 mins. Before, it would have taken possibly all day.
Thanks very much indeed – very pleased"
Toby Pache, Managing Director, Sharon Lee Limited, Braintree

“We’re delighted with the new Wi-Fi solution which addresses all of our requirements. We needed to be able to offer visitors to the Town Hall free Wi-Fi, but we also needed our own encrypted network for internal use. The Town Hall regularly hosts events, is used as a wedding venue and features conference facilities all of which require access to Wi-Fi. Being able to offer Wi-Fi in to the function rooms where guests can log on for free is now an expected requirement of our guests and we couldn’t offer the Town Hall as a business venue without it!”
Braintree District Council

“We’re delighted we can now offer our supporters free Wi-Fi. Our supporters are highly dedicated and with many followers on Twitter alone, we had to ensure they could stay connected during and after the games. Having guest access in our clubhouse and functions rooms also ensures our meetings can run efficiently. The ability to track the usage of the Wi-Fi and offer a password protected corporate network is further testament to the great service APC Solutions has provided us with.”
Braintree Town FC

“With the waterways in constant use we needed connectivity that wouldn’t dip, could connect a multitude of sites across difficult terrain and provide a consistent and adaptable service. APC provided this to us with a managed wireless network. The cost savings of a wireless network also proved appealing when looking for a solution. Our existing solution could only provide 2Mbs whereas the wireless network would provide in excess of 20Mbs. The existing leased line services also had re-occurring annual rental costs, however with the new solution, the initial CAPEX costs would be recovered in just under two years; making the ROI very attractive. We had worked with APC previously and found their service exceptional.”
British Waterways

“APC is the perfect partner to help us complete the installations across Carmarthenshire. Their wireless expertise is second to none and, coupled with our ISP and domestic knowledge, ensured the project was completed effectively, on budget and on time.”
Carmarthen Community Broadband Partnership

“APC has ensured C.E.M Days can deliver the highest level of customer service to its customers across the dealership network because it offers a consistent and adaptable network. Our staff can now connect easily throughout our dealership network, ensuring customer data can be transferred at a click of a button. The network has also offered an excellent TOC (total cost of ownership), and delivered an ROI (return on investment) in just a few years, compared with alternative cabled solutions from other providers. The wireless network APC has built and developed for us over the years has saved us in excess of £700k since being installed back in 2007.”
C.E.M. Days

“Even though our solution is now five years old we don’t need to upgrade the system. The technology has stayed ahead of its time and the service we have received from APC is second to none.”
Essex Auto Group

“Previously, our old network between the two dealerships could only deliver limited bandwidth and performance, therefore restricting our business operations. The alternative solution APC designed and delivered is exceptional. It delivers a high bandwidth reliable link with no downtime, no monthly re-occuring costs, no lengthy contract terms and a team constantly on hand should we need them. It is critical to our business development and general day to day operations going forward, we couldn’t recommend it enough”
Gordons Bolton Limited

“APC has ensured our company can progress at a rapid rate. The ease of connectivity between the sites allows our dealerships to be consistent. Communication with the dealerships is now simple and any information needed to be delivered can be done at a click of a button. We don’t have to worry about bandwidths or sending large files, they’re easily supported and delivered.

This ensures consistent marketing and communication to customers and staff. The VoIP network also ensures our customers receive the very best in customer service. The person they speak to will instantly know their history and can deal with their call effectively. From a management point of view the cost savings and ROI speak for themselves. Our ROI will be achieved in less than four years and after this time will demonstrate savings in excess of £150k per annum, potentially saving us in excess of £1million over ten years. A remarkable saving for the company.”
Hendy Group

“APC Solutions has provided Selex with a network which delivers exceptional reliability. We had already planned where the radar needed to be but connecting over such distances was proving difficult. APC ensured the result catered to our needs and delivered an exceptional result.”
Selex Systems

“The selection was based purely on available feedbacks of organisations who have used Ruckus Wireless, Ruckus’ Wireless capabilities and features in addition to a report of a ‘Competitive Evaluation of Three-stream 802.11n Access Points’ carried out by the School of Information Studies, Syracuse University.

“While the reason for such a decision wasn’t based on the overall features offered by the shortlisted solutions, it was based on our judgment of the throughput levels that will meet the needs of the Forum partners and visitors alike. It is our belief that Ruckus Wireless’ ZoneFlex 7982 is a cost effective option which offers the best overall performance of any of the other products we shortlisted. In addition, we believe that Ruckus’ performance will be sufficient to support the business requirements. The additional expertise that APC delivered throughout the investigation process brought us to the decision that the Ruckus/APC Partnership was the best fit for the proposed solution.”
Southend on Sea Borough Council

“The benefits to Wandle Housing Association were huge: the Motorola kit represented cost savings of approximately £200,000 over the leased line that the Association had intended to install. In addition, they have seen enhancements in the speed of traffic between the sites in Clapham, Tooting and Peckham. With staff in three locations communication is essential, as Brian Stoneman, Director, explains: “Until APC and Tora Networks were involved, we had been intending to install a leased line to give the connectivity we needed. The alternative point to point network is extremely affordable, giving us all the benefits of a leased line without all the associated cost. We’re delighted with the outcome.”
Wandle Housing Association

“As a business we take pride in supplying a high standard of work to social landlords, so it’s rewarding when we find another business that has an equally high service level. Our partnership with APC is intrinsic to meeting both our commercial goals and external targets.”
Mr Potter, Roalco Managing Director

A Few Questions To Help

Thank you for your enquiry, we look forward to speaking with you very soon.

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To help you provide your answers please read the following notes

If it is an Internet connection you require, the property where the service will be installed must have a UK postcode

If you require services for a residential property, please be aware that we only provide residential grade wireless Internet services in the Essex area.

We do however provide business-grade services in residential properties across the UK. Please be advised the cost to provide this service exceeds the standard monthly costs for domestic internet connection and a suitable business level budget is required.

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