Major discount retailer Home Bargains has partnered with leading managed network solutions provider Evolve Business Group to bring resilient, secure payments and connectivity to more than 650 stores across the UK, with 50 stores already rolled out.
Founded in Liverpool in 1976 by Tom Morris, Home Bargains is well known for its “Top Brands, Bottom Prices” business model and commitment to value. The new partnership with Evolve will simplify and strengthen the retailer’s network infrastructure to support its continued growth.
The partnership will consolidate multiple legacy networks, including those used for payments and CCTV, into a single point of contact. The new managed solution is proactively monitored by Evolve’s fully staffed 24/7/365 technical support desk. This means improved reliability, greater visibility of performance and reduced resolution times for any issues.
The new network has been designed to maximise uptime. For example, Evolve has implemented diverse connections into each store, with automatic failover to maintain connectivity if one line goes down.
To maintain rapid delivery and reduce administration, firewall rules and configuration changes will be updated automatically across all Home Bargains stores, enabling new features to be rolled out instantly.
Through its long-standing Platinum partnership with hardware provider Mako Networks, Evolve has also implemented several bespoke elements for Home Bargains, which will ensure the network remains fast, compliant, and future-proof with technologies such as fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) connectivity. Evolve have also established highly secure connections to payment data centres and gift card hosts, adhering to full PCI compliance.
Tony Mullen, head of IT Infrastructure and services at Home Bargains, said: “Having started more than 40 years ago in Liverpool, our customers continue to be at the heart of everything we do. We now serve more than seven million people each week and plan to grow our portfolio to 1,000 stores throughout the UK, opening around 50 new stores a year.
“The partnership with Evolve has simplified our infrastructure and improved resilience, offering value without compromising on service and quality. These upgrades will support us and our customers as we continue to expand.”
Alan Stephenson-Brown, CEO at Evolve Business Group, said: “Home Bargains is a much-loved British brand that has remained true to its roots while achieving incredible growth. As another fast-growing North West business, we’re proud to support that success with a secure, reliable and efficient network designed exactly to their needs.
“Whatever matters most to our customers, our team is dedicated to going the extra mile to deliver innovative technology and personalised support that enables them to grow with confidence.”
