Check/credit card processing

IPMS's switches are layer 2 cross connected with numerous credit card, loyalty and gift processors.  Our relationships with First Data Merchant Solutions, Paymentech, Merchant Link, ADS, Concord, Vital Processing, Global Payments, Certegy, Stored Value Systems (SVS), Telecheck, American Express, Fifth-Third and others give us a processing footprint of over 95% of the countries financial institutions in order that our clients do not have to change their merchant processing relationship and can implement our service immediately upon a quick certification.    

With each of our check/credit card processing partners we have complete circuit/equipment redundancy in separate carrier-class, hardened facilities to provide 100% transport and processing guarantees.

By moving your check/credit card processing and authorization infrastructure from the typical dial access to broadband access you reduce your per-transaction cost by over $.01 per transaction and will receive sub-4 second authorization speeds.  You are also likely to be able to eliminate at least 1 or 2 phone lines from each location.

System Integration and Planning

Each engagement begins with a discovery process that identifies the merchant network infrastructure, remote location connectivity/processing requirements, IP addressing scheme and typically moves to a pilot stage to validate the connectivity and processing solution.  Our implementation guide has been developed utilizing the popular Six Sigma DMADV quality methodology and consists of over 70 pages of documentation to ensure our processing and connectivity projects are well documented and deliver results beyond our clients expectations.

Connectivity access

IPMS is redundantly network cross-connected with numerous connectivity partners to provide a typical national merchant store population with over 70% access to inexpensive broadband/cable connectivity.  The balance of the store population is provisioned with frame relay, T1, satellite or ISDN to complete the connectivity solution.  All ordering/provisioning, installation and access testing is included in the connectivity solution.  Analog dial backup is included should the primary broadband or alternative access fail insuring 99.999% connectivity uptime.

Connectivity management

Unlike typical broadband access, the IPMS solution consists of managed broadband circuits.  Even the dynamic addressing scheme of aDSL and cable connectivity is monitored 7/24/365.

Connectivity helpdesk

As described above, the connectivity is monitored and should a problem arise with the primary access, the helpdesk notifies the merchant location or corporate IT department and begins steps to restore the primary circuits.  The help desk is also available for merchant personnel to call for connectivity questions.

Hot Spots

Hot spots are becoming increasingly more interesting to all retail organizations.  Retailers can team with access providers to drive revenue from Internet-browsing patrons.  Offering Internet access at no charge over the existing broadband network provided at the store location can be a method to attract additional patrons that a merchant would not normally attract.  For example, a restaurant can offer hot spot access at different times - such as a happy hour where table turn is not an issue.  Access can be turned off automatically during lunch and dinner hours when table-turn is an issue.  IPMS hot spots maintain the quality of service for merchant critical functions (LAN/WAN-based applications) and provide Internet surfers with the lowest priority of QoS.  Security is maintained by segmenting the hot spot traffic on its own network or VLAN prohibiting any cross-pollination of surfer vs. corporate IP traffic.

IP Audio

IPMS Audio is a unique offering that downloads your pre-selected music genre during the night with a full days listening.  Each store may have individual selections or an entire organization can have the same music controlled by a corporate headquarters for consistency.  Storecasting and interjection of advertising or promotional content can be automatically intermixed in the song selections.  IPMS Audio is typically 1/3 to 1/2 less expensive than traditional satellite-based offerings.

Security

IPMS's solution uses a managed, business-quality 4/8 port router with 3DES virtual private network (VPN) and firewall to insure rock-solid security.  For those that require wireless access, a wireless router is also available.  Multiple VPN tunnels are created based upon the merchant connectivity requirements such as check/credit processing, headquarters connectivity, controlled Internet access, etc.  The circuits provisioned from IPMS to our credit card partners as well as merchant locations are security certified by Visa's Cardholder Information Security Program (CISP).

POS integration

Regardless of your current POS or card-swipe equipment, IPMS can provide inexpensive equipment to convert the dial environment to IP.  IPMS is currently certified by Squirrel Systems, DataVantage, POSITouch and MICROS and is certifying additional POS vendors daily and can certify your particular point of sales system quickly.