Convenience store franchise 7-Eleven will use IBM systems and storage infrastructure to help the rapid transformation of the business.
The expansion follows 7-Eleven’s acquisition of the Mobil fuels retail business in October 2010. The company is now the largest independent fuel retailer and number one convenience retailer in the market.
It means extensive IT upgrades were needed to service the new outlets and cope with a higher number of customer transactions, which total more than 160 million a year. The partnership with IBM involves the installation of the computer giant’s new Power7 systems to support technology production and disaster recovery environments.
“The acquisition greatly increased our business very quickly,” says 7-Eleven CIO Dennis Lewis. “Our network now includes more than 610 stores serving in excess of 130 million customers a year. The main focus for our IT department has been on supporting the integration of the Mobil stores.
“We have already started implementation of the new Power7 system and are benefiting from improved performance and streamlined technology. The new technology is handling all fuel ordering and managing fuel price changes for the 7-Eleven stores.
“Our store conversion program is well advanced with more than 70 stores converted and re-opened as 7-Eleven stores. The solution provided by IBM helps us to meet the needs of our business as we continue to grow,” he adds.
The IBM solution provides upgrades to 7-Eleven’s existing Power environment delivering new IBM Power7 servers including an IBM Power 770 and IBM Power 750, storage area network solution with two IBM system storage DS8700 units to enhance replication and backup capabilities, IBM system x servers and IBM education and installation services for components.