March 02, 2004

By: Taylor Kent
Website: http://www.1st-in-steaks.com

Spacenet's Connexstar service powers critical applications for leading restaurant chain

Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. today announced its U.S. subsidiary, Spacenet Inc., has been selected by The Steak 'n Shake Company to deploy a broadband satellite-based IP network at a minimum of 350 Steak 'n Shake restaurant locations nationwide.

Spacenet's Connexstar broadband satellite service will provide Steak 'n Shake with commercial grade, high-speed, always-on connectivity for critical point-of-sale applications.

The installation of the Connexstar service is part of Steak 'n Shake's continuing effort to improve performance through technology in its restaurants. The Company will use the service to provide management with timely information and new management tools.

"Steak 'n Shake is committed to providing the best possible guest service through hospitality," said Vic Yeandel, Steak 'n Shake's Vice President of Marketing and Investor Relations. "Improved data connectivity will improve the flow of information and give management access to web-based tools for improving performance. We expect this improvement to result in a better experience for our guests. After looking at a variety of connectivity solutions, we found that Spacenet's Connexstar service offered the most cost-effective solution for our needs."

The Steak 'n Shake Company will utilize Spacenet's Connexstar 150 service offering. This service is specifically designed to meet the requirements of retail enterprises where connectivity needs are primarily driven by IP-based point-of-sale applications. In contrast to many competing broadband offerings, Connexstar eliminates the need for remote router devices, is available everywhere throughout the US and offers very favorable economics. It is also scaleable, allowing customers to expand their bandwidth over time as new applications are brought on line, without changing or upgrading the remote site hardware.

Nick Supron, Spacenet's President and CEO, said, "As more and more restaurants move to adopt new applications and automation, affordable on-line connectivity has become critical. Steak 'n Shake joins the growing list of restaurants that have adopted Connexstar to serve their POS and back-office redundancy needs. We're extremely pleased to add Steak n Shake to our list of customers and we feel their decision to deploy our Connexstar service is a clear indication of how well suited this service is to the needs of this market."

About The Author:

Taylor Kent is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-steaks.com.  Great tips on buying top quality meats, steaks and seafood from the finest ranchers and butchers.