Retailers failing to take connective security seriously

In one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind into the issue of retail connectivity, CSL commissioned Research Without Barriers (RWB) to question 301 IT managers, IT directors, chief information officers (CIOs) and chief technology officers (CTOs) in retail companies with over ten employees.

The results highlight the vital role connectivity plays in today’s retail environment. The survey found that 50 percent of respondents could not operate without connectivity and 71 percent of retailers are very or extremely reliant on connectivity for core functions including point of sales, stock management, administration, surveillance cameras, intruder alarms and tagging solutions

It also identified that 72 percent of retailers had experienced a loss of connectivity and 86 percent estimated that losing connectivity for a day would impact their sales by up to 50 percent. However, more than a quarter (27 percent) of retailers have no backup plan in the event of a loss of connectivity.

CSL Group managing director Simon Banks said: "The results of this study clearly highlight the importance of connectivity within the modern retail environment, both in terms of business continuity and impact on sales.

"Every retailer should have a contingency plan for connectivity downtime, and one of the most reliable and cost-effective ways of achieving this is via 4G based technology like our CSL Router."

You can see the full findings at www.csl-group.com/uk/getfile/8412/