Retailer Uses Barix’s Exstreamer to Make the In-Store Audio Connection

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French Connection is a London-based retailer operating around the world, with stores in Europe, North America, Australia, the Middle East, and Asia. Its well-known FCUK (French Connection UK) brand extends beyond contemporary fashion to toiletries, fragrances, eyewear, watches, shoes, and even sporting goods.

To reinforce its brand, French Connection launched an in-store radio station—FCUK FM—broadcasting "none of the hits, none of the time." Discarding global satellite transmission, with its associated installation issues of receivers and dishes, the company sought to implement an alternative, more cost-effective method of distributing audio. And the new solution had to be low-maintenance for every store broadcasting FCUK FM.

Streaming media fit the bill perfectly. U.K.-based streaming specialists Makeni were called in to help French Connection design and implement the right solution. Makeni suggested utilizing French Connection’s existing virtual private network (VPN), and, after some industry research, identified the ideal standalone audio streaming client: Exstreamer from Zurich, Switzerland-based Barix AG.

Exstreamer is part of Barix’s network-based audio distribution system, which enables users to stream high-quality audio from PCs or digital audio servers via existing Ethernet or wireless networks. The device, which outputs audio to headphones or RCA cables, is easily controlled from anywhere on the network via any standard Web browser using a PC, PDA, Web pad, or IR remote.

Since each French Connection store was connected to a DSL circuit, primarily for exchanging point-of-sale information, Makeni suggested streaming audio from a central server, delivering the audio via unused bandwidth on the DSL connection, and receiving the audio with Exstreamers, which were installed in every store.

Makeni’s solution was based around its ProMotion retail scheduling system and additional monitoring and control modules, which now automatically poll each in-store Exstreamer unit, querying its status and displaying the results on a single Web page. This allows French Connection IT staff to identify any network problems within individual shops. The Makeni monitor automatically restarts receivers, when necessary, if DSL connections become congested.

"Streaming FCUK FM over our VPN meant that we could get live radio into our stores, without the need for installing satellite dishes and running cables throughout," says Doug Gardner, French Connection’s IT director. "It also allowed us to extend the ‘radio’ coverage to some of our shops in America, where a traditional satellite feed wouldn’t have reached. The in-store receivers [Barix Exstreamers] didn’t require any user configuration. We shipped them, they were plugged in, and they worked, with no user intervention. We are very happy with the Makeni solution."

Makeni also provides all streaming output of the radio station via the client’s Web site at www.frenchconnection.com.