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News Releases
New Edge Networks: Retail Broadband Alliance Membership Tops 200 Companies
VANCOUVER, Wash. – (Sept.13, 2006) – New Edge Networks says membership in the Retail Broadband Alliance now tops 200 member companies whose products and services for retailers rely on broadband networks. New Edge Networks made the announcement Wednesday at the 3rd Annual Global POS & Store Operations Summit in Las Vegas, Nev.
New Edge Networks formed the Retail Broadband Alliance as an industry consortium in November 2004. The goal of the Retail Broadband Alliance is to make it simple for retailers to migrate to broadband networks.
Through the Retail Broadband Alliance, merchants have access to more than 200 independent suppliers whose products and services run over private wide area networks. Member companies work together ensuring their products and services integrate well and enable a smooth migration to a broadband network. This saves businesses time from investigating sources for new technology solutions, comparing features, testing, and coordinating installations.
“Membership in the Retail Broadband Alliance has surged because of the tangible benefits to both merchants and partners,” said Greg Griffiths, vice president of marketing for New Edge Networks. “Using the Retail Broadband Alliance as a platform for collaboration, members work together to coordinate their specific applications into complete solutions for the retailers, saving merchants time to manage this on their own.
“We strive to make networking simple for our collective customers,” Griffiths said.
Member companies include most major card payment processors, point of sale solutions providers, hardware and software companies, kiosk producers, security monitoring services, independent sales organizations, among others. More information about the Retail Broadband Alliance and membership is available at http://www.newedgenetworks.com/solutions/rba/.
In one recent network implementation, five member companies teamed up on helping a retailer switch to a broadband network, powered by New Edge Networks. Often, member companies can bolster their relationships with their existing customers by introducing them to new products and services that they can integrate over a single broadband network. Merchants identify and select the suppliers they prefer.
Suppliers and other service providers benefit from the Retail Broadband Alliance because they get access to a large sales distribution channel for referring prospective business to each other. The Retail Broadband Alliance develops joint marketing and educational programs to help increase awareness of viable solutions and new offerings that enable better use of a broadband network
By using high-speed, private networks, for example, retail merchants can reduce card payment transaction times by 80 to 90 percent, down to two or three seconds each. This means shorter waiting lines at the registers, which attracts more customers. In addition, companies are able to use the same network for other business applications, such as inventory management, sales polling, video surveillance, digital signage, and e-mail.
Membership in the Retail Broadband Alliance is open to companies whose core products and services target the retail industry and rely on broadband connections in the retail locations. Member companies must have a minimum of one year of operating history and proven expertise in retail markets. Membership participation also requires execution of a Retail Broadband Alliance membership agreement and pre-defined joint marketing activities.
About New Edge Networks
New Edge Networks builds and manages networks for businesses and communications providers. Through its nationwide backbone network with about 900 switches and Internet routers, New Edge Networks uses various access technologies (xDSL, frame relay, ATM, cable, wireless, and satellite) for providing broadband connectivity at any business address in the United States. Network options include any combination of access and network management functions. Based in Vancouver, Wash., New Edge Networks is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EarthLink Inc. (NASDQ: ELNK). The company’s Web site is www.newedgenetworks.com. Telephone: 1-360-693-9009.
Contact:
Sal Cinquegrani
(360) 906-9723
ATTN: New Edge Networks news releases contain information that is accurate as of the date they are issued. Information contained in past news releases may become out of date and the company does not assume responsibility for updating information contained in past news releases.