Champps Chooses Inflow to Manage Network for 36 Restaurants Across U.S

HostReview.com
Monday, November 18, 2002; 12:00 AM

DENVER, Nov 18, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- InFlow, Inc., a leading provider of managed web hosting and IT services, announced today a high confidence rating from Englewood, Colo.-based Champps Entertainment, Inc.

Champps Entertainment, Inc., parent company of 36 Champps Americana restaurants and franchises throughout the United States, chose Inflow, Inc. to manage the network for the entire restaurant chain.

"Essentially, our previous provider was actually engineering services that would not meet our needs," said Fred Dreibholz, chief financial officer for Champps. "We didn't have data flow, and we knew the provider wasn't going to be around for much longer. We needed a quality replacement in short order."

In reviewing several IT providers for their next three-year contract, Champps' main decision criteria for a new provider were proven technical expertise and long-term stability. Champps learned of Inflow through an existing Inflow customer. Liking what they heard, Champps began researching Inflow seriously.

"It seemed as if many of the providers didn't have the financial wherewithal that Inflow had," said Dreibholz. "When we signed, Inflow had just received an additional round of funding for $35 million. We looked at the burn rates of each of the providers, and if they looked like they were going to be in business in three years, we put them on the short list. In the end, Inflow was the only one that survived our criteria."

"We were very excited about Champps coming to Inflow," said Leigh Wilbanks, general manager for Inflow in Denver. "They had needs that aligned perfectly with what we offer. Our priority was to first relieve the pressure they had experienced with their former provider, and then set a strategy in motion for growth."

Champps receives colocation, managed frame relay connection services and VPN connection services from Inflow. As part of the agreement, Inflow helped engineer Champps' entire telecommunications network and led a three-month migration from Champps' existing network to the new, more efficient architecture. Inflow also remotely configured routers at each of the Champps facilities and physically moved Champps' centralized equipment out of the former provider's facility, into Inflow.

"The transition was performed quickly and efficiently," Dreibholz said. "If a glitch did surface, it was handled immediately."

Since the implementation of the first site in early 2002, Champps has launched six new restaurants. "We are growing 20 to 25 percent each year," said Dreibholz. "Scalability is very important to us. It wouldn't matter now if we had 36 restaurants or 300 - with Inflow, we know we can grow as fast as we need to."

Dreibholz especially appreciates Inflow's uptime, response time, problem resolution capability and technical skill. "With Inflow, operations are consistent," said Dreibholz. "We don't have network issues with Inflow -- if we did, I would know about them. But none ever escalate to my level."

Dreibholz attributes the consistent operations to Inflow's proactive communication on a daily basis. "Inflow holds the main part of the equation," he said. "There are several things that could go wrong with communication, that do not go wrong, with Inflow."

With substantial funds involved when switching to a new provider, for things like paying start-up costs and purchasing capital investments, Dreibholz said it is "nice" to not have any network problems to worry about, post-transition. The consistency in service allows Dreibholz to focus on his job as a chief financial officer of a public company.

"When it comes to Inflow, I let the experts do what the experts do," he added.

About Champps

Champps Entertainment, Inc. offers an upscale casual dining experience with its Champps Americana restaurants, each offering a broad menu consisting of freshly prepared food coupled with exceptional service. The first Champps restaurant opened in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1987.

About Inflow

Inflow provides facilities-based IT solutions to companies with critical business and network applications. Founded in 1997, Inflow opened its first Internet Data Center (IDC) in June 1998 and currently serves more than 680 customers from its IDCs in 12 markets throughout the U.S. The Company offers customers a cost-effective outsourced alternative that is secure, redundant and fully managed. Core services include colocation, network management, managed security services, application management, data storage and InflowNet(TM) -- a proprietary Internet access service that guarantees 100% availability. Additional services include business continuity, Intelligent Routing for Internet access, content distribution, load balancing and remote enterprise data center management.

In June 2002, Inflow completed an equity financing of $35 million, bringing total capital raised to more than $300 million. Investors include Meritage Private Equity Funds, Centennial Ventures, Telecom Partners, Spire Capital Partners, The Halyard Capital Fund, GE Capital and PNC Equity.

For additional information and IDC locations please visit www.inflow.com or call 877-321-2464. To call the Denver IDC or to speak with Leigh Wilbanks, please call 720-932-5800.

InFlow, Inc. Company Contact: Leigh Wilbanks, 720/932-5830 cell: 303/884-9166 lwilbanks@inflow.com Corporate Contact: Whitney Fogt, 303/942-2936 cell: 303/885-1826 wfogt@inflow.com