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News Releases
National Restaurant Chain Awards New Edge Networks $1.8 million Network Deal
Retail Broadband Alliance to find, evaluate new applications
VANCOUVER, Wash. – (Jan. 18, 2005) – Metromedia Restaurant Group, one of the world's leading multi-concept table-service restaurant groups, has awarded New Edge Networks a $1.8 million contract for building a private nationwide network linking 315 company-owned Bennigan’s, Steak and Ale, and Ponderosa Steakhouse restaurants.
Plano, Texas-based MRG plans on using its high-speed managed VPN, short for virtual private network, to poll restaurants for sales information and issuing, validating, and processing gift cards before expanding into new applications. MRG also plans to make the broadband network available to franchise partners that are part of more than 800 restaurants worldwide.
MRG selected New Edge Networks over several other proposed solutions, including a satellite-based network, because of its nationwide reach, network flexibility, and value-for-price performance. It replaces a slow 56K dial-up system the restaurants have been using. Installation work is underway.
Broadband National Inc., a nationwide aggregator of broadband services and equipment to businesses, advised MRG on the selection of a broadband supplier.
“Our VPN from New Edge Networks gives MRG optimum flexibility for growth and expansion as well as the fastest return on our investment,” said Steve Ellis, senior manager of IT for MRG. “Beginning immediately, we will migrate our polling, e-mail, and gift card processing to IP (Internet Protocol). Later this month, we will test a new point-of-sale device that may allow us to migrate credit card processing to IP without requiring changes to our existing POS system. Moving forward, we plan to evaluate overlaying various other applications such as online inventory management, Internet-based telephone service, and wireless hot-spots for customers.”
Using a broadband network, MRG can poll more of its restaurants simultaneously and about three times faster than using dial up lines. Restaurants will also reduce the amount of time to issue, validate or process a typical gift card transaction from about 35 seconds to three seconds.
“The new VPN will help our restaurants reduce guest waiting time and improve overall guest experience,” Ellis said.
MRG’s private network uses a blend of 90 percent DSL and 10 percent Frame Relay access. New Edge Networks will manage the network and provide MRG utilization reports, network monitoring as well as trouble reporting and ticketing.
“Although our total blended cost for broadband is slightly higher than we were paying for dedicated dial-up lines, the time savings and opportunity for expanded applications in the future make it an invaluable investment,” Ellis said.
Greg Griffiths, vice president of marketing for New Edge Networks said, “New Edge Networks has the largest DSL footprint from a single provider. This minimizes the number of more expensive Frame Relay sites and reduces the average cost per site on the wide area networks. What’s more, customers eliminate the cost and complexity of managing multiple carriers around the country.”
New Edge Networks, through the Retail Broadband Alliance, will help MRG identify and evaluate new uses and applications for deployment over the network, including an IP converter kit that will defer the change out of costly point-of-sale terminals in the restaurants. The Retail Broadband Alliance, formed by New Edge Networks in November 2004, is a forum that makes it easy for merchants to migrate to broadband networks.
About Broadband National
Broadband National (www.broadbandnational.com) is a full-service, nationwide provider of broadband services and equipment to businesses and consumers. The Company’s service, powered by its proprietary IBIS system, enables end users to compare broadband solutions offered by more than 40 different suppliers. More than 30,000 customers utilize Broadband National as a convenient, one-stop resource for broadband contract negotiation, order processing and provision management. Broadband National is based in Vero Beach, Fla. and has sales offices in Orlando, Denver and Dallas.
About New Edge Networks
New Edge Networks is a single-source national provider of private multi-location broadband networks for business and carrier customers. Through its own network facilities, New Edge Networks uses a wide variety of last-mile broadband access technologies (frame relay, ATM, DSL, cable and satellite) for building blended networks that reach 100 percent of all U. S. business locations. New Edge Networks’ product suite of managed WAN and VPN services received Frost & Sullivan’s Telecommunications Services 2005 Product of the Year Award. New Edge Networks is listed No. 28 on the 2004 Inc. 500 list of fastest growing companies in America. The company’s Web site is www.newedgenetworks.com. Telephone: 1-360-693-9009.1-360-693-9009.
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.