OREANDA-NEWS.  January 26, 2012. Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), the leading operator of restaurants and pubs in the UK, has continued the transformation of its core IT infrastructure with the roll-out of a hosted cloud network solution across its 1,600 UK businesses. The network transition, implemented and managed by Fujitsu, enables M&B to provide its guests and employees with enhanced services and supports the group’s growth plans by improving operational agility and end-user experience overall.

The end-to-end managed network offering connects M&B offices, restaurants and pubs to applications and services delivered from the cloud; this includes DSL based Wide Area Network (WAN) services as well as Ethernet for offices. The consumption-based solution also includes wired and wireless Local Area Network (LAN) services to support individual outlet needs, from access to central applications and services to connectivity of the Point of Sale terminals to take payments.

Robin Young, operations director at Mitchells & Butlers, said: “We have worked closely with Fujitsu to implement an agile IT infrastructure that underpins our expansion and growth plans. The hosted network solution provided enables our growing UK network of restaurants and pubs with an enhanced experience both in how and what they access through the network.”

Roll-out to the 1,600 outlets took just four months and was achieved with minimum disruption and zero downtime. The hosted network solution lays the foundation for initiatives such as guest wi-fi and the deployment of advanced ordering and payment systems using both in-house and guests’ own mobile technology.

Jon Wolfe, business unit director at Fujitsu UK & Ireland, commented: “The objective here for M&B is enablement – the power to provide outlets, offices and ultimately customers with fast and efficient access to network-based services and applications. The ability to deliver agility across such a disparate network of outlets in addition to provide advanced solutions lies entirely in the network. This is a company that has recognised that and is now deriving true value from their network.”