Wi-Fi coming to MCLB Albany Commissary May 21

MCLB-ALBANY — Access to Wi-Fi for commissary patrons is coming to stateside stores as the Defense Commissary Agency begins its scheduled roll out of the online service. Among those is the Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany location, which is expected to come online May 21.

Officials with the store on MCLB-Albany say they are “past ready” to come onboard.

“This is a good thing for us,” said James Kirchner, the store’s commissary officer. “We have this reward card, and people can download them for discounts. If we have WiFi, we can show them how to do it. It will help us out.

“It will keep them (customers) in the store longer … We’re hoping it will bring in more traffic. When we get them here, we can keep them here longer.”

Officials with the Defense Commissary Agency said that, through the Commissary Patron Internet Mobile System, or CPIMS, the agency will gradually open customer Wi-Fi access initially at all stateside commissaries.

“Many of our patrons come to the commissary with their smart phones and tablets. Store Wi-Fi will help them maximize their commissary benefit,” said Duane Woodfin, information technology specialist and wireless expert associated with the rollout. “There’s a lot of valuable shopping information on commissaries.com. Customers can find digital coupons for the Commissary Rewards Card, our sales flyer, the savings aisle for access to promotional prices and much, much more.”

In Georgia, Robins Air Force Base and Moody Air Force Base are set to go online on April 20. Hunter Army Air Field and Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay will roll out their service on May 20, and Fort Stewart will follow MCLB with an online date of May 22.

This rollout is coming off a dark period for the defense budget. As commissary traffic fluctuates and consumer feedback comes in that is sometimes negative, initiatives such as this one can improve things for everybody.

“I think this will have a positive effect on the whole agency,” Kirchner said. “Anything we can do to enhance customer services … (This move) adds customer support to help keep it (the store) open. I’ll do whatever I can to keep it going. Wi-Fi is only the beginning.”

Kirchner added that the Albany store remains among the top performers in its zone, and based on how the onboarding of Wi-Fi has taken place in other stores, he expects a smooth process on May 21.

“We will have a smooth transition,” he said. “They’ve rolled out in Virginia, and it was a smooth transition.

“We are looking for a positive impact. They will be looking for a positive impact … The last couple of years have been rough. A lot of folks think we are shutting down, but we are not.”

Anyone can access the store’s Wi-Fi from the sales floor area, as long as users accept the Defense Commissary Agency’s “terms of service” agreement. Some websites are blocked, and patrons with questions about access will be expected to contact the store’s customer service representative.

The CPIMS is being rolled out in two phases. The first involves commissaries with existing network infrastructure to support patron wireless traffic. The second will coincide with the agency’s technical refresh of commissaries that don’t have the system requirements to support patron Wi-Fi.

The Wi-Fi deployment schedule has not yet been finalized for the second phase. Woodfin said no decision has been made yet regarding expansion of CPIMS to overseas stores. An announcement on the Wi-Fi deployment for stores needing a technical refresh will come when that schedule is finalized, officials said.