EarthLink targets franchise restaurant chains with bundled IP/VPN, PCI compliance tools

EarthLink has taken advantage of this week's 2015 Multi-Unit Restaurant Technology Conference (MURTEC) to introduce a new bundled franchise offering targeting multilocation businesses that span hundreds of restaurants.

Focused on providing what it says is an all-inclusive offer that is easy to implement for their franchises, the bundle of services includes Payment Card Industry (PCI)-compliant IP/VPN service with managed router and firewall, PCI assessment tools and assistance, and $100,000 of financial breach protection per location.

Additional features include secure Wi-Fi with rogue-device detection and quarantine, a social media platform to connect guests to loyalty programs and create a consistent customer experience, and an optional offer engine to generate increasing guest returns.

Since restaurant owners, even those that operate franchises of larger chains, are focused on delivering a good customer experience, they often lack the in-house staff to protect their data properly.

EarthLink says that its offering can address the lack of IT resources that exist in restaurants while enabling them to "secure their data, protect their brand assets and provide a consistent customer experience across all of their locations."

"Franchisors know that consistent execution and experience leads to higher customer loyalty and repeat business, but often lack the financial resources and technical savvy to tackle data security and brand protection across all locations," said Greg Griffiths, VP of product marketing for EarthLink, in a release. "Our new franchise solution cost-effectively alleviates that burden so that operators can easily access the technology, applications and security they need."

For more:
- see the release

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