Interface Security Systems provided RMH Franchise, the world’s second-largest Applebee’s franchisee, with secure SD-WAN over broadband, 4G/LTE wireless WAN backup and VoIP solutions. A significant update for RMH’s aging network environment, the solutions are boosting RMH’s application performance, wireless failover capabilities, and providing a seamless voice solution that has proved to be particularly useful during times of lockdown and social distancing.

Founded in 2012, RMH Franchise today operates more than 131 restaurants across 14 states. While it traditionally has offered in-house dining, additional Applebee’s options such as Carside To Go, online ordering and delivery are operating throughout the current health crisis.

“I had been mainly keeping our IT in-house and managed our own Internet connections, routers, security, etc.,” explained Roger Somers, executive director of IT, RMH Franchise. “As our footprint was growing, the requirements for a secure network were also increasing, and it made sense for us to outsource. PCI (Payment Card Industry) requirements also became more stringent and businesses were required to adhere to stricter compliance rules.”

Somers was looking for a managed services provider who could quickly deliver a cost-effective solution for managing and securing their IT network and voice communications across all locations. Interface, a preferred provider for CSCS, the purchasing agent for Applebee’s, fit the bill and customized a scalable solution bundle.

Interface implemented a next-generation Secure SD-WAN network architecture with broadband upgrades. Additionally, Interface combined managed 4G/LTE wireless capability with terrestrial circuits in areas with low-speed broadband to deliver an improved restaurant and guest experience.  The 4G/LTE service automatically takes over should the primary network connection fail.  It offers fail-over for POS transactions, credit card processing, inventory management and other key processes to continue to perform without interruption or store personnel involvement. Interface also implemented its VoIP phone service and consolidated several vendors, migrating all RMH’s locations from legacy phone systems to a fully hosted cloud model, saving long-distance costs and standardizing all locations. As the worldwide health crisis became an ever-increasing concern and more restaurant guests were staying home, RMH leveraged these solutions for Carside To Go, and online delivery.

Apart from the significant cost savings realized through Interface’s managed VoIP services, another benefit Somers sees is the cloud auto attendant feature. “The remote recording plays our business hours, curbside delivery or take out specials and can dynamically route calls. This reduces a lot of the call volume directly into the restaurants, has increased our efficiencies, and saved us time and money,” he explained.

Somers added that Interface has made spinning up secure networking and voice services “simple, fast and scalable” with a fully configured proprietary cabinet that includes all of the franchises’ managed services.

He continued that the wireless backup has become “increasingly important as we continue to layer more critical services on our Internet connection like tabletop devices.  The Interface Cloud-Powered Remote Reboot feature power cycles equipment without any onsite intervention, before employees or guests realize there may be an issue. If an Internet provider is down or there is any sort of network failure, rolling over to 4G/LTE is automatic and provides for business continuity. That has become critical for us.”

Since implementing the Interface solutions, RMH has increased agility, gained operational efficiencies, and augmented security, all while realizing cost savings.

RMH is planning on further strengthening the partnership with Interface by adding alarm monitoring services to Interface’s powerful bundle of managed services for networking, voice and security.

“RMH Franchise has been at the forefront of implementing technology that delivers a superior experience to their clients. We are proud to be their managed services provider and look forward to our continued partnership,” said Brent Duncan, chief revenue officer at Interface Security Systems.