Hancock Fabrics Selects MegaPath's Site-to-Site MPLS VPN for Secure Data Communications To More Than 230 Locations

MegaPath Delivers Secure, Reliable Communications to Support Business Applications and Meet Strict PCI Compliance Requirements

COSTA MESA, CA, October 13, 2008 – MegaPath Inc., the leading provider of managed IP data, voice and security services in North America, today announced that Hancock Fabrics is deploying MegaPath’s Site-to-Site MPLS VPN service to deliver reliable, high-speed PCI compliant data communications to 239 retail locations. MegaPath provides businesses with the most comprehensive national broadband footprint, enabling Hancock Fabrics to deploy critical in-store systems, including point-of-sale (POS) and transaction processing.

“MegaPath has a reputation for delivering the highest quality communications that not only help companies conduct business, but also secure customer data and adhere to industry standards,” said Chris Elledge, CTO at Hancock Fabrics. “To support 239 locations around the country, we needed a service that could support even the most remote locations with superior quality and reliability, and MegaPath was the only vendor we found that could address all of our requirements. The company’s fully managed Site-to-Site MPLS VPN service removes much of our management overhead, while also ensuring that our locations are connected and PCI compliant.”

Previously, Hancock Fabrics used satellite communications to support all of its locations. MegaPath now provides the retailer with support for all of its locations via its extensive Site-to-Site MPLS VPN offering. Because MegaPath delivers leading reliability and performance, combined with leading security capabilities, it is improving the throughput and stability of Hancock Fabrics’ applications and communications. 

“Many companies, especially retailers with remote locations, believe that satellite may be the only solution that can reliably connect all of their locations, but in reality, MegaPath delivers a comprehensive footprint that offers superior performance and reliability to the majority of companies,” said Dan Foster, Senior Vice President of Sales at MegaPath. “Our fully managed Site-to-Site MPLS VPN service enables retailers to conduct business and implement leading applications with the highest quality possible, so that they can increase productivity and customer satisfaction.”

As part of the company’s fully managed service offerings, MegaPath is providing Hancock Fabrics with professional installation to ensure connectivity for its POS systems and other enterprise applications. The company is also leveraging MegaPath’s dial back-up service, which ensures maximum uptime for broadband lines by diverting all traffic to a back-up dial analog line should the primary broadband line fail. In addition, MegaPath’s award-winning Web-based Customer Portal for online order and network management provides Hancock Fabrics with access to a suite of tools and online reports that provide complete visibility over its MegaPath Managed Broadband services. MegaPath also delivers 24x7x365 proactive monitoring and support from its redundant network operation centers.  
Contact:

Kristine Gager
Welz & Weisel Communications
(703) 218-3555
kristine@w2comm.com

About Hancock Fabrics
Through careful piecing and pinning, Hancock Fabrics has become a leading nationwide fabric chain.  The company caters to customers who sew by offering fabrics, crafts, sewing notions as well as sewing machines and accessories through some 265 stores in some 35 states. Hancock Fabrics also operates an online store.

About MegaPath Inc.
MegaPath is the leading provider of managed IP communications services in North America.  MegaPath leverages its wide selection of broadband connectivity, Virtual Private Networks, Voice over IP (VoIP) and security technologies to enable businesses to lower costs, increase security and enhance productivity.  Businesses of all sizes can easily and securely communicate between their headquarters, branch offices, retail locations, mobile workers, and business partners.
To learn more about why over 22,000 companies have chosen MegaPath’s managed IP data, voice and security services to improve their business communications, visit www.megapath.com or call 1-877-MegaPath (634-2728).