Hancock Fabrics taps EarthLink for comprehensive IT network solutions

ATLANTA - EarthLink Holdings Corp., a managed network and cloud solutions provider, announced that Mississippi-based Hancock Fabrics recently selected EarthLink to simplify infrastructure operations via a comprehensive, secure managed network solution.



Once implemented throughout all locations, Hancock Fabrics will rely on its private EarthLink MPLS network to run in-store applications including point-of-sale, inventory management and employee communications and training.



EarthLink’s Hosted Voice solution will handle voice traffic, delivering a fully-featured hosted PBX system without the cost to purchase and maintain on-premise equipment, while their network-based firewall will protect the network and deliver reporting and analytics. In addition, Hancock Fabrics will deploy EarthLink Secure WiFi to all locations to further enhance their customer shopping experience with a more secure wireless network for social media engagement and valuable business intelligence analytics.



Hancock Fabrics selected EarthLink based on satisfaction of multiple factors including network reliability, security, and the opportunity to reduce credit card processing costs with EarthLink’s MPLS Direct Connect service to their payment processor. As a result, the company will reduce transaction times to as little as two seconds and cut transaction fees using MPLS Direct Connect services to route credit card transactions directly from the point-of-sale over the MPLS network to payment processors.



Hancock Fabrics also will use EarthLink’s PCI Compliance Solutions to provide additional financial protection from potential data breaches, and to help them achieve and maintain PCI compliance including employee training, security policies, record-keeping, and quarterly vulnerability scans.



“When Hancock Fabrics assessed providers, EarthLink won the business on several fronts, but primarily due to the outstanding relationship and confidence we built with the local account team,” said James Hayes, divisional VP of IT, Hancock Fabrics. “While the cost-savings with EarthLink is important to our bottom line, it’s their keen understanding of retail dynamics that won our business. This is a true partnership and I consider them a part of my IT staff.”



Hayes estimates that EarthLink’s multi-faceted solution will save Hancock Fabrics approximately 20% over their previous plan even though it delivers more robust functionality.