Finding anaffordable, scalableand secure solutionthat would reliablytie their disparatelocations togetherwas the challenge,and EarthLinkBusiness deliveredan ideal solution.

“ “EarthLink Business® really helps us with our growth, particularly with our seasonal Express locations. In the past, we struggled to get new locations installed in a timely manner. The EVDO access we’re using on our MPLS network really is the driving factor in allowing us so much leeway to expand the seasonal stores.

Angelo Lanni Director of Information Technology HoneyBaked Ham

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CASE STUDY

getinfo@earthlinkbusiness.com | www.earthlinkbusiness.com

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Business Challenges

Solution

Before making the switch to EarthLink Business, Angelo Lanni, Director of Information Technology for HoneyBaked Ham, personally managed each site location, a task that he was keen to delegate. “It was clear that I needed to step away from the day-to-day maintenance and management of each network site to focus on developing the bigger picture,” Lanni said.

Due to the transactional nature of their retail business, security of the data was tantamount. Also, the seasonal spike in traffic that HoneyBaked Ham experienced around holidays in the winter and spring meant they needed an agile provider able to add locations quickly. Finding an affordable, scalable and secure solution that would reliably tie their disparate locations together was the challenge, and EarthLink Business delivered an ideal solution.

EarthLink Business proposed a blended, completely private Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network with a hub and spoke configuration where the satellite store locations route via their corporate office for Internet access. With a blend of permanent storefronts and seasonal “pop up” or kiosk stores, EarthLink installed ADSL via MPLS in the bulk of the locations, a DS-1 at five locations, frame relay at ten and Evolution Data Optimized (EVDO) at the seasonal locations. EVDO is the standard for wireless transmission of data through radio signals.

“EarthLink Business had the most attractive offer, both from a price and technology standpoint,” said Lanni. “It was the natural choice for us.”

HoneyBaked Ham

HoneyBaked Ham Case Study 2012

getinfo@earthlinkbusiness.com | www.earthlinkbusiness.com

ResultsIn addition to the convenience of consolidating all of their locations with EarthLink Business and handing over the monitoring and maintenance of the locations, Lanni experienced immediate benefits that enabled HoneyBaked to be more agile in the marketplace. “EarthLink Business really helps us with our growth, particularly with our seasonal Express locations,” said Lanni. “In the past, we struggled to get new locations installed in a timely manner. The EVDO access we’re using on our MPLS network really is the driving factor in allowing us so much leeway to expand the seasonal stores.”

Not only have the EVDO locations proven extremely reliable, they can rapidly be turned up or down. In most of those locations, HoneyBaked’s only other option would be dial-up, which is not appropriate for retail transactions. “Because these locations are so cost-effective, often we just decide to leave the location ‘on’ even though we are not operating it at the present,” Lanni remarked. “When you lease retail space on a temporary basis, you never really know from month to month how long you may be there,” explains Lanni. “If a Mall finds another tenant, we may need to disappear quickly. With EarthLink Business, we are ready.”

Key issues for HoneyBaked Ham are optimizing the company’s steady growth, and the importance of tightening security. “Credit card data is extremely sensitive, and with our EarthLink MPLS network, I’m confident that it is safeguarded,” he said. But to Lanni, probably the biggest benefit they receive is the comprehensive network management. “The EarthLink team manages each circuit centrally, as well as handling any trouble tickets or service issues. Although I use the EarthLink customer portal to monitor our network performance, in addition to other monitoring applications, the turnkey aspect of the managed solution is a big factor in our satisfaction.”

HoneyBaked Ham Case Study 2012

“I have absolutely

recommended EarthLink

Business to my business

colleagues, as we are

extremely satisfied with

the wonderful customer

care we receive,”

said Lanni. “We look

forward to partnering

with EarthLink Business

as we continue to

grow the HoneyBaked

Ham business.”

CASE STUDY HoneyBaked Hams

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