Del Taco Selects EarthLink's New Turnkey Franchise Program

ATLANTA, July 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- EarthLink Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: ELNK), a leading managed network, security and cloud solutions provider for multi-location businesses, announced that Del Taco, a thriving Mexican quick-service restaurant chain with 306 corporate and 241 franchise locations in 16 states, selected EarthLink's new Franchise Program to protect its brand and deliver a consistent customer experience across its entire franchisee footprint. Ideal for franchisees with limited IT resources, the easy-to-implement, turnkey solution delivers stable network connectivity via IPsec VPN technology to power vital applications, Secure WiFi™ for customers at selected locations, PCI-compliant firewalls to protect data, financial breach protection, and online tools to help the franchisee attain PCI compliance.

Secure WiFi is a key program component, not only because customers increasingly demand the convenience, but for how it enhances business intelligence with valuable presence and usage data analytics and supports customer loyalty applications for a better onsite experience.

"We became an EarthLink customer in 2014 to tap into their hospitality expertise, future-proof our network architecture and add stable bandwidth for our new in-store e-hiring and e-learning platform," said David Snyder, Vice President of IT, Del Taco. "We then added EarthLink Secure WiFi, which enabled us to engage with customers via social media, connect them to our loyalty program and access valuable analytics. We stress security to our franchisees and have mandated full PCI compliance. The EarthLink Franchise Solution is the most efficient way for our franchisees to achieve compliance and to protect their businesses, their customers, and our brand."

The Franchise Program offers a selection of a low-priced bundles that includes a PCI-compliant, high-bandwidth managed Wide Area Network (WAN) with managed router and firewall, PCI assessment tools and assistance, and $100,000 of financial breach protection per location. Secure WiFi can be added at select locations to not only provide guest access, but also connect them to rewards programs that generate more return visits. Clients receive PCI reporting, analytics, mobile application management and the option for a custom splash page. Franchisees simply sign up via a customized website, alleviating the burden of managing implementation across multiple locations.

"We built what customers like Del Taco told us they needed – a comprehensive security and PCI compliance solution for their franchisees that is cost-effective and easy to roll out," said Greg Griffiths, Vice President of Product Marketing, EarthLink. "The modern customer expects mobile applications, ubiquitous WiFi and other services that enhance their experience, but at the same time, security is top of mind. We provide a stable foundation for the applications that create loyalty, and reduce risk by detecting and shutting down threats. Franchisees also benefit from valuable data intelligence, so all locations can adopt best practices."

About EarthLink

EarthLink (EarthLink Holdings Corp., NASDAQ: ELNK) provides managed network, security and cloud solutions for multi-location businesses. We help thousands of specialty retailers, restaurants, financial institutions, healthcare providers, professional service firms and local governments deliver a reliable and engaging customer experience in their stores and branch offices. We do so by building and managing MPLS WAN networks, by providing virtualized infrastructure, security, hosted voice, secure WiFi and compliance solutions, and by offering exceptional customer care. We operate a nationwide network spanning more than 28,000 fiber route miles, with 90 metro fiber rings and secure data centers that provide ubiquitous data and voice IP service coverage. Our EarthLink Carrier™ division sells facilities-based wholesale telecommunications to other providers and our award-winning Internet services connect hundreds of thousands of residential customers across the U.S. For more, visit www.earthlink.com and follow @earthlink, LinkedIn and Google+.

SOURCE EarthLink Holdings Corp.

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