REWE International Leverages Cisco Catalyst App Hosting to Streamline IoT Deployments

After exploring App Hosting on Cisco Catalyst 9100 access points last week, this article turns the spotlight onto REWE International, which is deploying the same technology across its European retail network.

I recently spoke with Hans Vasters, Senior Network Architect at REWE International AG, about how the retailer is using application hosting to simplify its IoT strategy. REWE International AG is Austria’s largest supermarket chain, operating brands such as BILLA, BIPA, PENNY and MERKUR in ten European countries. The chain uses SES‑imagotag’s electronic shelf‑label (ESL) system to digitize pricing at its storefronts.

Prior to ESL, price changes during promotions were handled manually, leading to frequent errors and a tedious “change and revert” workflow. With SES‑imagotag, REWE has moved pricing into the digital realm, but the solution traditionally required a separate IoT overlay network with dedicated physical access points. That added hardware costs, installation complexity, and ongoing management overhead.

Today, REWE is rolling out a containerized version of the SES‑Imagotag ESL solution using the application hosting feature on Cisco Catalyst 9120 access points. By running the ESL stack directly on the Wi‑Fi access points, the retailer eliminates the need for an overlay network, simplifying deployment, streamlining management, and saving time and money.

The converged path is the easiest path

Hans notes that “App hosting on Cisco access points reduces deployment times by nearly 90 percent, because we no longer need to install additional hardware or bring in IT and electrical staff.”

He added, “With App Hosting, everything runs through a single system, and Cisco DNA Center lets us push, update, and manage the application across all our stores from a central console. Technicians can perform maintenance remotely, eliminating on‑site visits.”

When asked about the installation process, Hans said, “It’s as simple as a few clicks. DNA Center shows the app’s status on each access point, confirms successful distribution, and verifies that the container is running—making software rollout across stores a breeze.”

On performance, he confirmed, “There’s no difference compared to the legacy overlay method, which is exactly what we want.”

The beginning of the transformation

The latest generation of Cisco’s Catalyst 9100 series Wi‑Fi 6‑compatible access points offers diverse radio capabilities that support a wide range of IoT protocols. With App Hosting, Cisco is delivering a true convergence of Wi‑Fi and IoT on a single network, while partnering with leading IoT manufacturers to meet the demand for simplicity at scale.

Learn more about Application Hosting.

Check out additional articles about Cisco and REWE’s collaboration:

• REWE retail group discusses business value of AI/ML in enterprise networking
• REWE International innovates with Cisco AI Network Analytics

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