Interface Security Systems announces Family Dollar customer win

March 6, 2015
Discount retailer selects Interface as Internet Protocol Managed Service Provider across entire retail platform

Interface Security Systems Holdings, Inc. ("Interface"), a leading North American provider of Internet Protocol ("IP") Bundled Managed physical security and secured managed network services, announced today that it has been selected by Family Dollar, Inc. ("Family Dollar") as its IP Managed Service Provider across its entire retail platform. Family Dollar, a Fortune 300 company, recently completed a major initiative to modernize and refresh critical technology in each of its retail stores. The technology makeover, or Flat Rate Managed Service Project, as it is referred to, was launched in collaboration with Interface in July 2014 and is scheduled for completion by May 2015.

Interface will provide each Family Dollar store with a bundle of IP-based managed services, including secure Internet connections, cellular network backup, Voice over Internet Protocol ("VoIP") phone services, in-store wireless ("WiFi"), PCI security services, physical alarm systems with failover and video verification integrated with existing video surveillance systems. Interface is actively installing a prefabricated and pretested cabinet that houses key hardware components at each Family Dollar store, simplifying deployment and ongoing maintenance. All IP-based managed services will be continuously monitored from Interface's secure operations centers to achieve optimum performance and ensure service level commitments.

Family Dollar envisions the consolidation of network, voice and security services onto Interface's market leading secure managed IP platform as an innovative and cost effective way to consolidate technologies with one provider, or as Interface would say, 'Simplify to the Power of One.'

"Ultimately, every store will be equipped with a security system enhanced with video verification where there is a DVR system. On the data side we've quintupled the guaranteed network download speed. For redundancy each of our stores will now have a 4G cellular backup (Internet connection), and we will also have WiFi to support iPhones and iPads which is a boon to our store and district managers," said Josh Jewett, CIO of Family Dollar. "Finding the right managed service provider was key to the success of the Flat Rate Managed Services Project."

On top of these major system improvements, Mr. Jewett credits Interface with lowering costs. "We wanted to go VoIP over the data connection and save money by eliminating POTS lines because we were paying for voice and data separately. This also enables automated attendant features that none of the stores had previously," said Mr. Jewett.

Interface's CEO, Michael Shaw, sees a growing trend among retailers like Family Dollar who are seeking cost effective ways to improve their in-store technology to meet the growing data and security demands of store operations and improve the customer shopping experience. "Our unmatched ability to 'Simplify to the Power of One' allows retailers and other multi-location verticals to introduce fully managed and standardized store communications, data, voice, video and security systems on an improved and extremely reliable platform," said Mr. Shaw, "We streamline management and maintenance overhead at a very competitive fixed rate monthly charge to deliver industry leading value and service from one provider."