Avocent Deploys Equinox Serial Hubs to Simplify Serial Connectivity for 5,300 7-Eleven Stores

Avocent  have announced that 7-Eleven, Inc., the largest chain in the convenience retailing industry, has deployed its Equinox serial hubs at 5,300 stores across the United States to simplify serial device connectivity over the network. 

Equinox serial hubs provide centralized access over IP to business critical serial devices   -- gas pump controllers, ICR, fuel-tank gauge, inventory-management system and Money Order at 5,300 7-Eleven stores in the United States.  Providing true Serial over IP connectivity, the external Equinox serial hubs simplify structured wiring, using a single cost-effective CAT5 cable from the server to the Equinox serial hub for all serial communication.  The Equinox serial hub provides unsurpassed surge protection and high-availability.  And, most importantly, it makes management easier by facilitating network access to serial devices from a centralized location.

Equinox EquiView Plus management software allows technicians to remotely diagnose common connection failures and restore business-critical devices to proper operation quickly via an easy-to-use graphical interface. The softwares valuable tools include port status monitors, loop-back tests, custom port labels and the ability to view serial and signaling using a real-time datascope.

7-Eleven requires connectivity products to meet stringent requirements for functionality and reliability, as uptime is essential, especially in 24-hour locations, said Lu Cananza, 7-Elevens director of retail information systems.  Equinox serial hubs provide an ideal solution in terms of performance and manageability.   EquiView Plus management software provides our technicians with tools they need to efficiently manage devices from our centralized help-desk location.

This project represents a big win for Equinox and illustrates the benefits that are causing major organizations to turn to Equinox for reliable serial connectivity, said Mitch Friend, vice president of sales for Equinox. The convenience store environment is very demanding, and has a very low threshold for downtimeproducts must be reliable. We are very pleased that 7-Eleven has selected us as their partner. 

Equinox provides high-speed serial connectivity products that integrate seamlessly into a variety of industry applications, where companies need a reliable and cost-effective serial connectivity solution to manage devices and data.  The Equinox network-based appliance family is comprised of serial hubs and console managers. The flexible bus-based family includes a range of multiport serial adapters supplemented with connector panel and cabling convenience options for servers and workstations.