In right this moment’s fast-moving hospitality sector, the fitting know-how partnership is extra essential than ever. At Cisco, we’ve witnessed first-hand how highly effective collaboration between skilled companions and visionary prospects can unlock new alternatives. Our latest mission with Focus Group and Mitchells & Butlers (MAB) stands as a chief instance – a narrative of belief, innovation, and shared ambition throughout greater than 1,700 venues all through the UK.
Focus Group: A Trusted Cisco Accomplice with a Imaginative and prescient
Focus Group has constructed a popularity as certainly one of Cisco’s most forward-thinking companions within the UK and EMEA area. Their dedication to an automation-first method, deep funding in technical experience, and dedication to operational excellence have set them aside. Over the course of 18 months, Focus Group invested considerably in presales and technical assets to put the groundwork for the MAB mission. Their imaginative and prescient extends effectively past deployment, with specialised groups in place to handle operations, governance, and safety for the long run.
What distinguishes Focus Group is their capacity to see the larger image. They don’t simply ship Cisco options; they combine complementary applied sciences – equivalent to Microsoft Azure, M365, and managed backup and restoration providers – making them a real strategic companion for patrons in search of a holistic digital transformation.
““This collaboration with Mitchells & Butlers represents precisely what we attempt for at Focus Group, combining innovation with real-world affect. By bringing collectively the perfect of Cisco know-how with our experience in automation, cloud, and safety, we’re not simply delivering a community — we’re constructing a digital basis that may empower MAB’s manufacturers, groups, and prospects for years to come back.”– Neil Corridor, CEO, Focus Group
Mitchells & Butlers: A Hospitality Chief with Ambition
Mitchells & Butlers is likely one of the UK’s largest and most recognizable operators of pubs, eating places, and accommodations, representing 18 well-known manufacturers and supporting round 6,000 customers throughout the nation. As a enterprise, MAB is not any stranger to innovation. With a big and numerous property, MAB wanted a know-how refresh that might not solely modernise its infrastructure but in addition create a basis for progress, safety, and distinctive visitor experiences in a quickly evolving market.
When it got here time to pick out a know-how companion, MAB sought an answer that would transcend connectivity. The aim was a seamless, safe, and future-ready digital surroundings that might empower their groups and delight their company for years to come back.
“Partnering with Cisco and Focus Group marks a significant milestone in our journey to rework the digital infrastructure throughout 1,700 Mitchells & Butlers places. By embracing next-generation Cisco applied sciences (Wi-Fi 7, SD-WAN, and Safe Join), and main with Focus Group’s automation-first method, we’re constructing a community that won’t solely be safe and resilient, however able to develop with us. The unified, cloud-first method is simplifying how we function, unlocking price efficiencies, and most significantly, empowering our groups to ship constant and excellent experiences to our company. It’s a daring step towards future proofing our enterprise and staying forward in a fast-moving digital world.” — Andrew Benson, Mitchells & Butlers
Coming Collectively: How Cisco, Focus Group, and MAB Constructed the Future
The collaboration between Focus Group, MAB, and Cisco started with a easy ambition: to ship a next-generation digital platform at scale, with flexibility and safety at its core. What adopted was certainly one of Cisco UK’s largest-ever industrial offers – a $17 million settlement that grew far past its authentic scope due to the shared imaginative and prescient and exhausting work of all three organisations.
A cornerstone of the mission was Focus Group’s automation-led method, which delivered important price efficiencies. As a substitute of pocketing these financial savings, Focus Group labored with MAB and Cisco to reinvest them into increasing the mission scope – including extra websites, customers, and superior options than initially deliberate. This spirit of partnership and transparency enabled everybody to purpose increased and obtain extra.
Over the course of the engagement, the answer developed from an preliminary give attention to Meraki SD-WAN and Wi-Fi to a complete digital platform, together with upgraded LAN infrastructure, Safe Service Edge (SSE), Endpoint Detection and Administration (EDM), and the transition to Benefit licensing throughout all Cisco product suites. Crucially, the answer additionally paved the best way for a whole safety transformation, with plans to deploy Safe Entry and Entry Supervisor to strengthen MAB’s zero-trust posture.
All through, collaboration between groups has been key. Common communication, information sharing, and the involvement of Cisco’s technical and account specialists—equivalent to Ben Bodinham and Ben Jones—helped make sure the mission stayed aligned with MAB’s enterprise goals and delivered most worth.
“We’re thrilled to companion with Mitchells & Butlers on this transformative journey to futureproof their enterprise with next-generation Cisco applied sciences. This important funding marks an thrilling subsequent stage in our relationship, the place along with Focus Group, we are going to ship a safe, resilient, and scalable community that empowers their groups and enhances visitor experiences throughout 1,700 places. We’re grateful to Focus Group for his or her invaluable partnership in bringing this joint imaginative and prescient to life and look ahead to driving continued innovation and success alongside Mitchells & Butlers.” – Ben Jones, Cisco Industrial Director UKI
Trying Ahead: Lasting Impression
Because the rollout continues, a whole lot of MAB websites are set to profit from a contemporary, safe, and versatile community. With Wi-Fi 7, multi-gigabit switches, and cloud-managed providers, MAB will be capable of adapt rapidly to trade adjustments, help new digital initiatives, and ship even higher experiences for company and employees.
The success of this collaboration is already being acknowledged past the mission itself. Plans are in place for a fireplace chat at Cisco Dwell 2026, a long-form case research, and inner enablement supplies to encourage different Cisco groups and prospects.
The partnership between Focus Group, Mitchells & Butlers, and Cisco is a testomony to what could be achieved when experience, innovation, and a shared dedication to success come collectively. As MAB’s transformation progresses, we look ahead to sharing extra tales of how know-how helps to redefine hospitality for the long run.
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