Aramtec Upgrades with HPE Aruba Networking for Modernization

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) has just unveiled an exciting development: Aramtec, a prominent and long-established food service company in the UAE, is embarking on a modernization journey. This transformation is made possible through the adoption of a cutting-edge, unified network and security infrastructure, courtesy of HPE Aruba Networking. Their solution encompasses the deployment of the HPE Aruba Networking Edge Service Platform (ESP), a state-of-the-art, cloud-native architectural marvel. Additionally, it includes wired and wireless connectivity across Aramtec’s warehouses and offices, facilitated by HPE Aruba Networking access points (APs) and switches.

Aramtec, a family-owned business founded in 1979, has grown to become one of the largest foodservice suppliers in the region, serving a wide array of clients, including premium hotels, restaurants, institutions, airlines, and foodservice outlets daily. With locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha (Qatar), they are at the forefront of the industry. As the new generation took the reins of the organization’s management, Aramtec committed to a comprehensive transformation endeavor, aimed at delivering enhanced services and support to their customers. Their primary objectives included optimizing business operations, boosting productivity and efficiency, streamlining access to critical systems, and enhancing communications with both customers and team members. After conducting a thorough assessment of their options, Aramtec made the strategic choice to embrace HPE Aruba Networking’s efficient access and switching solutions, as well as a cutting-edge management platform.

Edgard Chalhoub, Managing Director of Aramtec, articulated the importance of their endeavor, stating, “We supply over 4000 customers, including premium hotels, restaurants, institutions, airlines, and foodservice outlets each day, and they rely on us as they meet the standards and changing needs of their own customers. To ensure the continued high level of our services we provide for our customers, we needed to accelerate our digital transformation. With our upgraded HPE Aruba Networking infrastructure, we now have a high-performance solution that provides us with the connectivity, management, automation, and security capabilities that will enable us to develop new services and further innovate.”

Before opting for HPE Aruba Networking, Aramtec grappled with connectivity issues in their office space and faced challenges with the wireless network in their crucial warehouse operations, which form the epicenter of their food service business. Their inventory system heavily relies on long-range barcode scanners to track the movement of products throughout the warehouse, encompassing an inventory of more than 3500 stock keeping units (SKUs). However, in the demanding environment of their cold food storage, Wi-Fi availability was limited, resulting in a convoluted inventory management process.

Zeeshan Hadi, Country Manager UAE & Africa at HPE Aruba Networking, explained the situation, saying, “As we reviewed the status quo of the networking infrastructure of Aramtec’s facilities, it became clear that they required an infrastructure refresh. Based on their unique requirements, we designed a dedicated network solution for their warehouse, using access points with resistance to extreme temperatures, persistent moisture, and industrial-level power surges. These APs are ideal for the cold storage setting and will enable Aramtec to gain real-time insight into the warehouse inventory.”

The rugged warehouse access points, along with the APs and switches for the offices, as well as the core switches for the data center, are all centrally managed through the cloud-native HPE Aruba Networking ESP solution. This new system offers a unified, cloud-native network architecture, empowering Aramtec’s IT team to automate network management swiftly, ensure robust edge-to-cloud security, and harness AI-powered insights to enhance efficiency, predict evolving networking needs, and create new services. This, coupled with the ease of deployment and management of the switches, positions Aramtec to scale their networking infrastructure in tandem with their business expansion.