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OUTLETCITY METZINGEN
Network solution with WLAN and location-based services for biggest outlet center in Europe
Aeroaccess GmbH is implementing a mobility solution from Mist Systems in Outletcity Metzingen, the largest outlet location in Europe¹. Careful planning, extensive experience from previous projects and first-class hardware and software services ensure comprehensive coverage with wireless Internet access and software-controlled location-based services (LBS). This enables outlet operators to offer their customers individual location-based services such as targeted advertising measures and to optimize their own sales areas and product range.
AI provides reliability
The cloud platform from manufacturer Mist Systems ensures high reliability in everyday operation. Any errors that occur can be quickly rectified thanks to the artificial intelligence (AI) of the integrated network monitoring and analysis software. The AI engine even understands input in natural language, providing even non-programmers with quick and easy-to-understand insights into the system's performance. As a partner with many years of experience, aeroaccess can carry out in-depth analyses remotely on request. In this way, it can quickly rectify any errors and detect and mitigate anomalies at an early stage before they have an impact on operations.
Even if the marketing machinery of online retailers is running at full speed and dominating the discourse in the media and society: Brick-and-mortar retail is still responsible for almost 90 percent of retail sales. Market researchers are convinced that brick-and-mortar stores will still be one of the most important pillars of customer loyalty in retail in 2025, provided they continue to develop and meet customer expectations.
WLAN enhances stationary retail
The IT industry association Bitkom knows what these expectations are: according to them, a functioning Wi-Fi network in stores is most frequently on consumers' wish lists. Because only 70 percent of stores offer customers Wi-Fi access, this wish remains unfulfilled all too often. So an upgrade is needed soon. All the more so as a functioning WLAN forms the basis for other services that, according to Bitkom, are also part of the perfect shopping experience for consumers: Navigation apps that guide them to the products they are looking for, product information via tablet, smartphone or QR code, individual special offers via app and real-time information about goods in stock in the store.
At least the customers of one of Europe's largest outlets1 will soon have all these wishes fulfilled. With almost 500 access points from the manufacturer Mist Systems, aeroaccess is implementing a completely new, comprehensive, modern mobility solution. It supplies around 110 stores, all catering outlets, park-like open spaces, connecting paths and parking garages as well as some buildings currently being planned at Outletcity Metzingen with Wi-Fi - naturally with seamless roaming transition between the indoor and outdoor areas.
CHALLENGE
Europe's largest outlet, Outletcity Metzingen, wants to equip its Wi-Fi so that customers and store owners have high-performance Internet access throughout the entire site. The Wi-Fi will not only cover the stores, but also the outdoor area, the catering outlets, all connecting routes and several large parking garages - with seamless roaming in all areas, of course. In addition, the wireless infrastructure will enable location-based services to address customers and store operators with smart services.
SOLUTION
Because the existing WLAN could not meet the requirements, aeroaccess installed a completely new cloud-based mobility solution from Mist Systems with associated access points for outdoor and indoor coverage
- total installation scope: 562 Mist Access Points
- 162 AP61 for outdoor areas and parking garages
- 183 WLAN AP21 + 62 WLAN AP41 + 155 Bluetooth APs BT11 for indoor supply
ADVANTAGES
- State-of-the-art WLAN access points with Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth LE for location-based services
- comprehensive Wi-Fi coverage with seamless roaming in all areas of the outlet center, including parking garages, stores, restaurants and outdoor areas
- Cloud-based Wi-Fi platform with integrated artificial intelligence (AI) for easy administration, proactive error analysis and wireless network optimization
- Location-based services provide visitors with useful information and a personalized approach; stores gain new customers and strengthen existing customer loyalty
Location-based services with Virtual Bluetooth LE
In addition, all installed access points are also capable of the Virtual Bluetooth LE technology patented by Mist Systems (see Virtual Bluetooth LE). This allows location-based services to be implemented under software control - without any additional battery-powered hardware. Because it also enables location-based services in nearby outdoor areas, for example, people strolling past a store can be sent push notifications with attractive offers and information - more precisely and reactively than is possible with previous hardware beacons. In addition, location-based services provide many starting points for optimizing stores: brands can, for example, analyse the routes taken by customers and adapt the furnishings accordingly on this basis
The outlet operator puts these and many more services together in a package from which the brand worlds can draw as if from a modular system. In order to offer Outletcity Metzingen's more than four million customers a year a holistic, smart shopping experience, Outletcity AG combines all the stores' mobility offerings in an app, which it makes available to visitors to download free of charge. Thanks to the central app, the operator can control interactions and prevent uncontrolled message bombardment from visitors
The app developers benefit from the cloud-based platform of Mist Systems' mobility solution. It not only ensures simple implementation of the location-based services and their provisioning, but also provides access to the data required for the app via an integrated API.
Thanks to their experience from previous underground parking projects, the aeroaccess engineers are well aware of the pitfalls of such a task. That's why they feed the planning software with elaborate models that depict the structural situation and the distribution of vehicles on the parking decks. This enables them to determine the optimal placement of the access points so that customers can enjoy uninterrupted Wi-Fi coverage on the walkways and driveways. The engineers also take the asymmetry of the wireless connections into account when planning: If an access point can transmit from A to B, this does not mean that the Wi-Fi signals of a smartphone antenna can also bridge the reverse route from B to A. Therefore, in addition to the characteristics of the access points, those of the users' end devices must also be taken into account in the planning. An effort that demonstrably pays off in the end.
WLAN in parking garage as a challenge
The parking garages posed a major challenge when setting up the mobility solution: in these garages, the implementation of comprehensive Wi-Fi coverage is anything but trivial. The reinforced concrete construction of the garages, the built-in ventilation and sprinkler systems, the low ceiling height and the parked vehicles with their increasingly higher and larger bodies have a high shielding potential for electromagnetic radio waves. Anyone planning solely with simple propagation models of radio waves in free space and the radiation characteristics of the access points has already lost.
Thanks to their experience from previous underground parking projects, the aeroaccess engineers are well aware of the pitfalls of such a task. That's why they feed the planning software with elaborate models that depict the structural situation and the distribution of vehicles on the parking decks. This enables them to determine the optimal placement of the access points so that customers can enjoy uninterrupted Wi-Fi coverage on the walkways and driveways. The engineers also take the asymmetry of the wireless connections into account when planning: If an access point can transmit from A to B, this does not mean that the Wi-Fi signals of a smartphone antenna can also bridge the reverse route from B to A. Therefore, in addition to the characteristics of the access points, those of the users' end devices must also be taken into account in the planning. An effort that demonstrably pays off in the end.
Individual planning of each store WLAN
The aeroaccess employees plan the Wi-Fi supply for the other areas of the outlet with the same meticulousness. They also take into account the respective structural conditions in the stores, including the interior design, and feed them into the planning software. This work pays off in two ways: thanks to the preparation, the on-site installation can be carried out very quickly and largely unnoticed by store visitors. Secondly, store operators receive the highest quality wireless coverage. It is no coincidence that the system is very popular with operators, commercial and private users.
Wherever possible, aeroaccess accommodates special requests during installation. As it is not always possible to conceal the access points behind ceiling coverings when optimizing WLAN coverage, aeroaccess can have the access points colour-matched on request so that they blend unobtrusively into the design of the respective brand world. A special foil is used to ensure that the radio properties are not negatively affected. Signalling LEDs on the access points are also reprogrammed so that they do not disturb the store ambience with their flashing and glowing.
VIRTUAL BLUETOOTH LE
Mist Systems integrates Bluetooth LE into its WLAN access points, eliminating the need for special physical beacons for location-based services. Each access point has a 16-antenna array on board. With the patented virtual Bluetooth LE technology (vBLE), it is possible to configure virtual beacons that cover an entire room with just a few mouse clicks under software control or via an API.
Machine learning, which anonymously processes the data continuously collected by Mist from all mobile devices in the catchment area, eliminates the need for manual configuration. The result is an optimally configured, scalable solution for the provision of location-based services with minimal investment costs. For locations where no access point is required, virtual Bluetooth LE technology can also be used with a low-cost, battery-free stand-alone beacon
AI provides reliability
The cloud platform from manufacturer Mist Systems ensures high reliability in everyday operation. Any errors that occur can be quickly rectified thanks to the artificial intelligence (AI) of the integrated network monitoring and analysis software. The AI engine even understands input in natural language, providing even non-programmers with quick and easy-to-understand insights into the system's performance. As a partner with many years of experience, aeroaccess can carry out in-depth analyses remotely on request. In this way, it can quickly rectify any errors and detect and mitigate anomalies at an early stage before they have an impact on operations.
Cloud platform provides flexibility
The current expansion plan for the Outletcity WLAN envisages the installation of almost 500 access points. However, this will most likely not be enough due to the expected growth of the outlet. Thanks to the flexible cloud approach, this is not a problem either. The system can be scaled easily. This guarantees that the mobility solution is future-proof - both in terms of the hardware equipment and the range of services for store operators and customers
ABOUT US
Aeroaccess GmbH was founded in 2008 with the clear objective of providing mobile indoor and outdoor communication solutions to users worldwide as a medium-sized system house. In our continuous development, we have specialized in new and future-oriented technologies, which increasingly requires full-service models from our customers.
Our comprehensive range of services extends from planning, global logistics, implementation and management to on-site maintenance and support. We act not only as a solution provider, but also as a leasing partner. We currently support more than 300,000 users in over 175 countries in the use of mobile solutions.
With our move to Munich/Unterföhring, we are ready to tackle the next generation of mobile solutions. We are focusing more on end-to-end applications to provide our customers with enhanced functionality at both user and operator level. The integration of artificial intelligence and open APIs enables us to minimize downtime and reduce staff deployment.
MIST SYSTEMS
Mist Systems, as part of Juniper Networks, is one of the leading companies enabling the transition to AI-driven IT. The Mist Learning Wireless LAN (WLAN) transforms Wi-Fi into a predictable, reliable and measurable technology. It provides unprecedented insight into the user experience and replaces time-consuming manual IT tasks with proactive automation.
In addition, Mist combines enterprise-class Wi-Fi, BLE and IoT to deliver personalized, location-based wireless services - without the need for battery-powered beacons. All processes are managed via Mist's modern cloud architecture to ensure maximum scalability, agility and performance.
¹By sales area or size - market report "Outlet Centers in Europe", p. 25 (September 2022) by ecostra GmbH, www.ecostra.de/studien_und_marktberichte/outlet-centres-europe_2022-09.pdf
