CROFTON Md. Following last year's rollout of a new point-of-sale system, 160-plus-unit Wendy's franchisee DavCo Restaurants Inc., based here, has replaced dial-up and individual Internet connections with a managed, high-speed data network from New Edge Networks.
"The need for improved security and use of new technology in our stores prompted DavCo to switch to a private managed network," said Stacy A. Duncan, DavCo's director of information technology. "With our new network, restaurants are processing credit card transactions in 3 to 5 seconds, versus 21 to 30 seconds on dial-up," she added.
Sources at Vancouver, Wash.-based New Edge Networks said DavCo's new network gives that company the ability to poll store-level data at 15-minute intervals. They said the network, which permitted DavCo to eliminate up to three phone lines in some stores, also enables store managers to submit food orders online and use a Wendy's Web portal for food-cost management.
