Growing Wendy's Franchisee LDF Food Group, Inc. Selects EarthLink Secure Private Network to Enhance Customer Experience in Quick Service Restaurants

Direct Connection to Payment Processor Enhances Security, Lowers Card Processing Costs

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Sep 25, 2014, 08:00 ET

ATLANTA, Sept. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- EarthLink Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: ELNK), a leading managed network and cloud solutions provider for multi-location businesses, today announced that Wichita-based LDF Food Group, Inc., a Midwest Wendy's franchisee operating more than 40 restaurants in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, selected a secure, private EarthLink network to support their expected growth and increasing operational needs for reporting, training, and secure WiFi. LDF relies on their managed, private EarthLink network to run all in-store Point of Sale (POS), inventory management and employee communications and training in their Wendy's quick-service restaurants, with plans to use the network to further enhance their customers' experience.

LDF's consultant Flex Communications facilitated a comprehensive evaluation and search to secure a partner capable of providing responsive service and project management to enable a smooth transition to their upgraded IT infrastructure. LDF selected EarthLink based on satisfaction of multiple factors including network reliability, security, and the opportunity to reduce credit card processing costs with EarthLink MPLS Direct Connect service to their payment processor.

"LDF's successful growth made their former network obsolete," said Jennifer Orr, Director of Client Development, Flex Communications. "Shifting to EarthLink's MPLS is a natural step as it provides the reliability and security of a private network, and the footprint to support LDF's distributed locations at the right price point."

LDF uses EarthLink's MPLS Direct Connect services to route credit card transactions directly from the POS over the MPLS network to payment processors. As a result, the company reduces transaction times to as little as two seconds and cuts transaction fees – especially as more customers chose to pay with a credit card.

Wendy's corporate marketing and loyalty programs, coupled with web-based online training and free customer WiFi as part of the quick-service experience, also fueled the need for increased bandwidth while keeping an eye on bottom-line costs.

"Fast service and a consistent experience is what our customers expect, and our EarthLink MPLS network makes that a reliable and secure reality," shared Rick Albrecht, LDF Vice President and Controller. "Our network connectivity is the backbone of our entire operation, and consolidating with EarthLink also makes a big difference to my internal IT team. With EarthLink optimizing the network, my team can focus on implementing innovative applications and projects from Wendy's corporate. All of those applications are dependent upon our IT infrastructure and we believe that's only going to grow in the future."

Commenting on LDF's expansion and the overall growth of the quick-service restaurant sector, Rick Froehlich, EarthLink Executive Vice President, Products and Consumer said, "Everything from innovative loyalty programs to the capture of valuable data relies on a secure, reliable network. Our role is to lay the infrastructure and connectivity foundation that allows them to stay one step ahead and drive continued customer engagement and business growth."

Read the full LDF case study here.

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+.

About LDF Food Group, Inc.
Larry D. Fleming founded LDF Food Group, Inc. in 1975 and opened the company's first Wendy's restaurant in Wichita, approximately the 100th Wendy's to open in the nation. Today there are over 6,500 Wendy's worldwide, and the LDF Food Group has grown to include 42 Wendy's restaurants in the Kansas and Oklahoma areas with continued commitment to success by consistently exceeding customers' expectations with fresh, quality food in a clean and relaxed dining experience and by being the Employer of "Choice" people. Visit www.ldfcompanies.com for more information.

SOURCE EarthLink