EarthLink Cloud Hosting Solution Keeps Ciao Bella Gelato Operational During Storm

ATLANTA, Dec. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- EarthLink, Inc. (NASDAQ: ELNK), a leading IT and communications provider, today announced that the recent virtualization solution implemented for customer Ciao Bella Gelato enabled the frozen dessert wholesaler and retailer to stay open for business despite the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy at its Florham Park, NJ headquarters. In September, Ciao Bella successfully converted its onsite servers to an EarthLink Cloud Hosting solution with its applications and data now hosted, maintained and monitored virtually at an EarthLink data center. With EarthLink Cloud Hosting, Ciao Bella employees throughout the country were able to submit orders and access critical applications via the cloud even though power remained off at its New Jersey facility for almost two weeks.

An EarthLink voice and data customer since 2011, Ciao Bella IT Director and Controller Robert Serchuk sought EarthLink's advice about its aging server infrastructure. With employees nationwide at corporate, retail stores, a warehouse and customer service center, Serchuk needed a reliable hosted infrastructure that would provide the company with operational efficiencies, disaster recovery and scalability for future growth.

EarthLink compiled a profile of Ciao Bella's applications, creating a solution that included three virtual servers, Secure Hosted Email  and Platinum-level Managed Services, providing a high level of managed support and an important safety net given the company's lack of IT staff. Ciao Bella's IT servers now reside in the cloud, enabling its dispersed sales force and production facility in Oregon to remain operational even though the company's Florham Park location was shut down due to Superstorm Sandy. Even its New Jersey-based employees were able to work remotely, accessing their applications via the cloud.

"While disaster recovery was not the primary reason we virtualized with EarthLink, it probably should have been as it was a significant benefit after this storm," shared Serchuk. "The beauty of moving to the cloud is that we saved money by eliminating the capital expense of buying new servers and replaced our IT consultant with EarthLink. Plus, my time used to be split evenly between IT duties and finances. Now I can dedicate myself fully to our financials, which is a huge benefit. My CEO and Board are all very pleased with our EarthLink solution."

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