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Restaurant Group Consolidates Dispersed Networks
Earls, Joeys and the Saltlik comprise a group of restaurants founded and managed by the Fuller family. Together the three brands are nearing 100 locations across Canada and the U.S. They share a commitment to delivering consistent, seamless service in modern environments that demonstrate market leadership in their class.
Background
It’s typical in the restaurant industry to install independent, duplicated networks and Internet service for each location. This increases costs. It also reduces compliance control and performance visibility per location – there can be over 20 different network systems in a single location. The latest regulations from the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard require centralized control of all network access to support Personal Identity Number (PIN) and CHIP (security circuitry on card) payment transactions at the table.
Challenge
Delivering the best guest experience is a key priority for Joey’s, Earls and the Saltlik. All three restaurant brands were looking for a way to improve the efficiency of their IT systems, while maintaining compliancy with PCI regulations. They also wanted to give guests, vendors and suppliers a secure Wi-Fi IP network that supported mobile devices and other guest amenities.
Solution
Earls, Joeys and the Saltlik turned to Colony for its expertise in secure, PCI-compliant managed network services. Colony’s Network as a Service platform allows the three brands to consolidate dispersed network systems into one centrally managed environment that supports multiple users, multiple zones (wired and wireless) and multiple applications.
The centralized IT department now has a predictable cost model that allows cost apportioning to each brand/each location based on unique IDs, use and demand. New applications are deployed rapidly and upgrades to meet industry standards and government regulations are instantly available across the network.
Results
Colony’s Network as a Service platform centralizes management and compliant application upgrades.
- Saved costs and resources by reusing same equipment and infrastructure
- PCI-compliant internal and external networks
- Employee Wi-Fi with simple move/add/change functionality with existing ActiveDirectory
- Simple monitoring for vendor SLAs