AVSystem Blog on Information and Communication Technology

How a Leading European Retailer Simplified Device Management Across Borders

Written by AVSystem | 28/01/2026

When a retail brand scales across borders, its IT environment often becomes increasingly fragmented. What starts as a simple local network quickly evolves into a complex ecosystem of access rules, security requirements, and device configurations — all of which must work reliably in every store.

This was exactly the challenge facing one of Europe’s largest retail chains. With thousands of stores in multiple countries, each operating under different internal policies, the company struggled to manage a vast fleet of FRITZ!Box routers, the sole CPE model used across all locations.

They needed to standardize configuration, automate firmware management, enforce security, and improve visibility — all without disrupting daily operations.

That’s when they turned to AVSystem’s Cloud ACS, a cloud-native platform purpose-built for managing large, distributed device fleets. Cloud ACS integrates seamlessly with FRITZ!Box devices, delivering secure remote management, uniform configuration, and streamlined operations across every country.

The Challenge: One Network, Many Countries

Although the retailer used only FRITZ!Box routers, managing thousands of them across different markets proved difficult.

Each regional IT team maintained its own processes, which led to:

  • Fragmented access control and inconsistent administration
  • Manual firmware updates across multiple countries
  • Limited visibility into device health and connectivity
  • Security policies that varied from region to region
  • Slow troubleshooting due to lack of centralized monitoring

The retailer needed a single, automated platform to unify the entire device fleet — without adding operational overhead.

The Solution: Cloud ACS as the Central Management Hub

AVSystem’s Cloud ACS provided exactly that.

As a carrier-grade SaaS platform supporting both TR-069 and TR-369, Cloud ACS gave the company a unified environment for configuration, monitoring, and firmware automation — fully compatible with their FRITZ!Box routers.

With Cloud ACS, the retailer gained:

  • Centralized management for all routers through one platform
  • Country-specific access control, using subdomains for each IT team
  • Automated firmware upgrades, ensuring consistent security
  • Continuous device monitoring, enabling faster resolution
  • REST API integration for smooth coordination with internal systems

This turned a previously fragmented device landscape into a standardized, automated, and secure operational model.

 

Implementation: A Smooth Transition — No Hardware Changes Needed

The rollout was fast and required no on-site work.

Over several weeks, thousands of FRITZ!Box devices were onboarded into Cloud ACS remotely, grouped by country and organizational structure. All monitoring, configuration, and firmware tasks were moved into a single cloud-managed workflow.

Store operations continued uninterrupted — no downtime, no replacements, no manual reconfiguration.

Results: Simpler, Safer, and More Scalable Operations

After deployment, the retailer experienced improvements at every operational layer:

  • Firmware management is now fully automated
  • Troubleshooting is faster, thanks to consistent monitoring
  • Access control is secure and uniform across regions
  • Operational costs dropped, driven by remote management
  • Scaling became effortless, with new stores added instantly

Cloud ACS provided a single source of truth for device management across all countries.

Why This Matters for Retail IT Leaders

Retail networks must remain reliable, secure, and easy to scale — supporting POS systems, store connectivity, logistics, and customer Wi-Fi.

Managing this manually is no longer feasible.

A cloud-native platform like Cloud ACS brings carrier-grade automation to the retail sector, enabling:

  • Consistent configurations across thousands of locations
  • Uniform security policies
  • Reduced operational workloads
  • Faster rollout of new stores and services

With proven, seamless compatibility for FRITZ!Box routers, Cloud ACS empowers retailers to simplify their entire connectivity layer with minimal effort.

Conclusion: One Platform, Thousands of Routers, Zero Complexity

By adopting Cloud ACS, this major European retailer unified router management across every country of operation. The result: automated updates, improved security, and centralized control — all delivered through a modern, cloud-based platform built for scale.