SPG, the Secure Payment Gateway division of EchoSat Communications Group, has launched its SpiderCell network technology. SPG's SpiderCell network uses cellular technology to deliver point-of-sale (POS) and other electronic funds transfer (EFT) transactions with no DSL, cable or satellite Internet required.

C. L. "Spencer" Rutherford, president of EchoSat, said, "SPG SpiderCell is a complete wireless EFT transaction transport solution, fully PCI compliant, that is 'plug and play' and ready to install very quickly. No longer does a remotely located convenience store have to bear the heavy capital expense of satellite equipment, with large monthly recurring fees, just to be competitive with fast transactions for their customers. For sites that have DSL or cable, SPG SpiderCell can be utilized for backup in the event of a DSL or cable outage. SpiderCell backup is completely transparent and totally automatic with no human intervention required."

Duncan Oil, Beaver Creek, Ohio, a multi-branded petroleum marketer, was one of the first convenience stores to use SPG's SpiderCell network. Don Gose, vice president, said, "No longer do we have to worry about a disruption or slowdown of our credit card transactions. Unlike satellite, as a primary route SpiderCell requires very little capital outlay and yields extremely fast transactions. In our stores where DSL or cable is used and there is an outage, the failover to a different transaction route on SpiderCell is not even recognizable. It's totally automatic."

Gulf Oil, Framingham, Mass., was also an early adopter of SPG's SpiderCell technology. Marg McDonnell, director of credit card operations, said, "SpiderCell was just what Gulf needed when we ran into situations where a site couldn't get DSL or cable and didn't want to shoulder the high cost of satellite."

A division of The Tower Group, Lexington, Ky., EchoSat Communications is a leading independent supplier of secure data communications services for c-store, petroleum, retail, utility and grocery markets. SPG (Secure Payment Gateway) services provide a fully managed PCI-compliant POS, ATM, EFT and electronic benefits transfer (EBT) transaction transport network for multipleapplications to multiple-end-points over standard broadband Internet and similar connections. It also provides SPG-Wireless cellular payments connectivity and broadband IP internet satellite services for remote areas and for business continuity by delivering out-of-band connectivity for critical backup operations and emergency purposes. EchoSat delivers modular SPG service packages, as well as economical and flexible value-added custom communication solutions, in the United States and other countries.
Satellite Internet Servicesource: www.cspnet.com