Unifree's Digital Transformation

Unifree's Istanbul Airport Vision: A Digital Transformation Success Story from Zero to Top

Digitizing the World's Largest Duty Free Area

Unifree's digital transformation project, launched from scratch at Istanbul Airport, is a striking example of what can be achieved when technology and vision combine in the retail sector. This success story explores not only the construction of the world's largest duty-free zone but also the transformation of it into an end-to-end digital, secure, and customer-centric experience center. Led by Unifree IT Director Osman Ayhan , this journey from a vacant lot to a global operations center is the story of an ambitious initiative that combines both technological audacity and operational excellence.

Unifree, combining its 35 years of deep-rooted experience in Turkish travel retail with its partner Gebr. Heinemann's 135 years of international experience, won the right to lease Istanbul Airport's duty-free areas for 25 years in January 2015. This strategic move demonstrates the company's extensive experience in the sector and its vision for the future.

The company's operational strength isn't limited to Istanbul Airport. Unifree, through its joint venture with TAV, ATU, operates 134 duty-free shops at 24 airports in nine different countries, making a name for itself globally. This extensive network demonstrates the corporate strength and operational competence behind this major project in Istanbul.

Vision and Challenge: From a Wasteland to a Global Hub

Unifree's vision was far more radical than simply modernizing an existing structure: designing the future retail experience from scratch—in a greenfield setting. This offered uninhibited design freedom, yet also presented the immense operational challenge of single-handedly undertaking the entire infrastructural complexity of a critical ecosystem like an airport.

Unifree IT Director Osman Ayhan highlights the project's initial conditions: the spaces were delivered completely empty. This meant Unifree had to design and implement not only the store concept but also all the underlying infrastructure, including construction, mechanics, and electrical. The entire digital backbone of this massive 100,000-square-meter space was built from scratch, taking 1.5 years of meticulous planning and a year of challenging site conditions.

The figures clearly reveal the scale of the project and the extent of Unifree's area of responsibility:

Total Investment: 1.2 billion TL, half of which is covered by equity
Employment: Approximately 3,000 people
Operational Area: Total 100,000 square meters (45,000 square meters main store, 17,000 square meters leased store, 33,000 square meters warehouse, 5,000 square meters office)

The strategy with which the digital infrastructure that will sustain this massive physical operation and carry it into the future is designed constitutes one of the most critical success factors of the project.

Fundamentals of the Project: Strategic and Scalable Infrastructure Design

The success of such a large-scale operation, which requires continuous operation, depends on the robustness of the physical and digital infrastructure—invisible yet vital. Unifree's infrastructure design philosophy was to establish a flexible and scalable structure that not only meets today's needs but also adapts to future technological changes and operational growth, with a 25-year vision. The goal was to eliminate the need for further large infrastructure investments to meet new needs that may arise in the future.

Osman Ayhan expresses this long-term vision as follows:

Let's design an IT system infrastructure that will allow us to keep pace with growth when a new need arises, without the need for a new infrastructure installation such as servers, storage, or networks.

The basic components of the massive infrastructure established in line with this vision reveal the scale of the project:

Physical Network: A total of 1 million meters of copper and fiber optic cabling, equivalent to the round-trip distance between Istanbul and Ankara.
Data Centers and System Rooms: 2 main data centers operating with full redundancy (active-active) and 49 interconnected IT system rooms.
Network Capacity: More than 10,000 network ports.
Data Storage: Total 2 Petabytes of storage.
Operational Endpoints: 163 POS cash register systems.

A proactive management approach has been adopted to ensure the uninterrupted operation of the infrastructure. SOC (System Operation Center) and NOC (Network Operation Center) units established for this purpose monitor all systems 24/7, identifying potential issues before they impact business units and quickly resolving them. This proactive monitoring mechanism serves as a critical insurance measure to prevent potential system failures from leading to millions of dollars in lost sales or customer dissatisfaction.

However, such a robust infrastructure also requires sophisticated security measures. The project's security philosophy aims to build a multi-layered protective shield on this solid foundation.

Security Philosophy: A Proactive and Multi-Layered Protection Shield

At a high-profile, publicly accessible operations center like Istanbul Airport, where millions of people pass through, IT security cannot be addressed with a reactive approach. Unifree's security philosophy is based on a proactive, if somewhat offensive, mindset that anticipates potential threats, rather than seeking solutions after problems arise. Physical and cybersecurity are not treated as two separate disciplines, but rather as a single, complementary entity, and no compromises are made in this regard.

Osman Ayhan clearly demonstrates this proactive security approach:

We can't be on the side of thinking, "What if something happens to our systems one day?" We have to proactively check our systems every day.

The multi-layered security approach implemented with this philosophy provides protection in both the physical and digital worlds.

Physical Security Measures:

Entrances to IT rooms, which are the heart of the systems, are protected by double-layered authentication systems such as fingerprint recognition and card access .
Store, office, and warehouse areas are monitored by a 24/7 CCTV system installed by the Unifree team . This system, powered by artificial intelligence , instantly triggers pop-up alerts for security personnel when it detects unauthorized movement in designated areas and focuses the nearest camera on the scene.

Cyber and Network Security Measures:

All hardware in Unifree's inventory (POS devices, cameras, computers, etc.) has predefined network zones it can access. If a device attempts to access an unauthorized area, it is automatically blocked by the system.
To prevent unauthorized external devices from connecting to the system in public areas, a highly sophisticated NAC (Network Access Control) application has been implemented. This is not only a cybersecurity measure, but also a strategic investment that protects the integrity of the Unifree brand and customer data, while also strengthening its reputation with the airport authority and passengers.

This robust and secure infrastructure not only protects operations but also provides a reliable basis for the implementation of innovative applications that enrich the customer experience.

Transforming Technology into Experience: Innovation and Customer Satisfaction

In modern airport retail, competition isn't won solely by product variety, but by how effectively passengers transform their limited time into a productive and enjoyable experience. Unifree's strategy is to transform its robust technology infrastructure from a cost center into an innovation engine that directly drives customer satisfaction and revenue growth.

Digital and innovative applications that differentiate the passenger experience are concrete reflections of this vision:

Augmented Reality (AR): Passengers have the opportunity to try on products, especially make-up and cosmetics, both physically and virtually on themselves through augmented reality applications before purchasing them.
'Retail Solutions' Project: A smart system that monitors the number of customers in the store, temperature maps and checkout queues in real time, enabling the opening of new checkouts or staff planning when necessary.
Pre-Order Systems: A facility that allows passengers to order and receive their products quickly via tablets in the lounge areas.
Digital Signage: The visual impact created by LED screens with dynamic content on a total of 800 square meters located on store facades and interior areas.
Interactive Areas and Robot Assistants: Interactive areas and robot assistants where passengers can get information about products.
Technology Stores: Special concept stores where the latest products of the world's leading brands are exhibited.

Behind all these technological innovations lies the human factor and the right strategic partnerships, which are the most important elements that make the success of the project possible.

Architects of Success: Team Spirit and Strategic Partnership

The success of such a large and complex project depends not only on acquiring the latest technology, but also on building the right team to implement it and selecting the right business partners who share the vision. Unifree IT Director Osman Ayhan's leadership approach, his belief in the power of teamwork, and his meticulous selection of business partners formed the cornerstones of the project.

Osman Ayhan emphasizes that "Individual performance helps teams achieve small goals, while team performance is the best way to tackle big tasks," underlining the importance of a team that is innovative and supportive, knowing how to unite under challenging construction site conditions.

This approach is also reflected in the partner selection process. Unifree used a much more comprehensive and objective scoring system to determine the most suitable technology partner for its projects, rather than focusing solely on price. The key criteria evaluated in this process are:

Experience and references of the integrator company
Mastery of project management methodology
Technical qualifications and number of certified employees
Compliance of the proposed product with cyber security criteria

At the end of this rigorous evaluation process, Bilgi Birikim Sistemleri (BBS) won the Server & Storage tender, one of the most critical components of the project. BBS stood out by offering the optimal solution for Unifree's virtualization-focused topology. This solution was awarded the contract thanks to its compatibility with DELL EMC hardware , the VMware virtualization layer (including NSX for security and Horizon for application virtualization) , and hyper-converged systems.

For Osman Ayhan and his team, this project was much more than just a job. The excitement and pride of building a technology empire from scratch, amidst cranes and tractors at an airport still under construction, was the project's greatest motivation.

The Result: A Legacy for the Future

Unifree's digital transformation project at Istanbul Airport has not only resulted in the world's largest duty-free zone, but has also set new industry standards in technology integration, proactive security, and customer experience design. Built from the ground up with a 25-year vision, this structure is built on a flexible and scalable foundation that can meet both today's and tomorrow's needs.

This project is far more significant than simply installing an IT infrastructure. At the heart of one of Türkiye's largest investments, it's a monument to success, born from a combination of a bold vision, a dedicated team, and the right strategic partnerships. As Osman Ayhan emphasized, the project's greatest legacy lies in designing the infrastructure to seamlessly adapt to future technological advancements and operational needs. Therefore, this work at Istanbul Airport is just the beginning of a journey of innovation for Unifree that will last for the next quarter-century.