It’s NRF week in New York, which allows technology vendors to showcase innovation for the retail industry, and at the National Retail Federation show, HPE Aruba Networking rolled out several new products to help retailers tackle industry-specific challenges.

They included providing backup connectivity for mission-critical apps, supporting pop-up stores and simplifying information technology infrastructure deployment in retail environments.

Retail has been a core industry for the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. unit, which designed the new products to address the networking needs of large and small retail locations. The HPE Aruba Networking 100 Series Cellular Bridge is a key addition to the portfolio. It provides “always-on” connectivity if the primary network experiences a disruption, allowing retailers to stay up and running, even when setting up temporary pop-up locations and kiosks. The Cellular Bridge defaults to 5G but automatically switches to 4G LTE when needed.

“It’s about making sure that there is business continuity, especially for critical transactions like credit cards, and ensuring that it is always on whether anything else in the network fails,” Gayle Levin, senior product marketing manager for wireless at HPE Aruba, said in a briefing.

HPE Aruba is also expanding its retail offerings by combining networking and compute capabilities with the launch of the CX 8325H switch. The energy-efficient 18-port switch integrates with HPE ProLiant DL145 Gen 11, a compact, quiet server for edge computing. Together, these devices provide efficient computing and storage, while their space-saving design makes them ideal for small retail environments.

What I like about this product is that it combines technology from HPE’s computing side with networking from Aruba to create a solution for retail challenges. Most brick-and-mortar stores are space-constrained and do not have room for separate devices.

Moreover, HPE Aruba is expanding its Wi-Fi 7 lineup with 750 Series access points (APs). Like the 730 Series, the new APs can securely process internet of things data and handle a larger number of IoT devices. One of the compelling features of the 50 Series is its ability to run containerized IoT applications directly on the device without sending data to the cloud. Instead, it processes data at the edge, right where it’s collected.

IoT has exploded in retail and organizations in this industry, creating massive amounts of data, which means they also face extra security risks. IoT devices are easy targets for hackers because many still use default or weak passwords and outdated software, and connect to larger networks. In addition, they collect sensitive data like location or usage patterns. With so many devices in use, the number of potential attack points increases.

“In retail, brand reputation is critical,” Levin said. “We’re ensuring that the door lock is not being hacked to avoid exposure or added risk. IoT is supposed to help, but it’s doing the opposite.”

HPE Aruba addresses IoT security by integrating zero-trust into its products. For example, its access points prioritize securing IoT devices like cameras, sensors, and radio frequency identification or RFID labels, which are common entry points for hackers. The vendor also provides AI-powered tools like client insights and micro-segmentation to detect potential breaches proactively.

Central AI Insights is a new product created for retail curbside operations. It uses AI to automatically adjust Wi-Fi settings, reducing interference from things like people passing by outside, so customers and staff always have a reliable connection. If something goes wrong — whether it’s a network issue, an internet problem or a glitch in an app — Central AI Insights helps diagnose the issue. It also monitors IoT devices and can spot suspicious activity.

“It’s not just about using the network to support AI but also making the network work better using AI,” Levin said. “We’ve created specific insights that help retail. The idea is to make supporting these very large, distributed store ecosystems easier with a centralized IT department. So, they’re getting everything they need and use AI insights to understand where the problem is.”

HPE Aruba has a broad ecosystem of retail partners like Hanshow and SOLUM, which offer electronic shelf labels, or ESLs, and digital signage. Another partner, Simbe, has developed an autonomous item-scanning robot that tracks products, stock levels and pricing. VusionGroup uses computer vision AI and IoT asset management with ESLs and digital displays to help retailers track their inventory. Zebra Technologies provides RFID scanners, wearable devices and intelligent cabinets for omnichannel retailing.

HPE Aruba has upgraded its Central IoT Operations dashboard to simplify retailers’ management of IoT devices. The improved dashboard has a single interface, connects Wi-Fi APs to devices such as cameras and sensors, and integrates with third-party applications. I stopped by the HPE booth at NRF, where attendees could check out the hardware, see it in action with some retail demos, and experience the new software.

AI, digitization, omnichannel communications and IoT are creating massive changes in retail. Though these technologies may seem distinct, they share one commonality: They are network-centric. These new products from HPE Aruba enable retailers to deploy a modernized network that can act as a platform to enable companies to adapt to whatever trend is next.

Zeus Kerravala is a principal analyst at ZK Research, a division of Kerravala Consulting. He wrote this article for SiliconANGLE.

Image: HPE Aruba