WAUSAU, Wis. -- RIISER Energy has signed on with Heartland Payment Systems, one of the nation's largest payment processors and a leading provider of merchant business solutions, as a SmartLink customer. A Wausau, Wis.-based convenience store and gasoline retailer, RIISER is implementing Heartland's managed network technology solution in its 28 stores in Wisconsin.
Heartland's SmartLink solution is a cloud-based, secure managed network service, with PCI-compliant network security, that supports transaction data flow and the monitoring of in-store clients. SmartLink's cloud-based Managed Network Tools provide operators with monitored VPN communications for automatic tank gauges, in-store environmental and refrigeration control systems, backoffice systems, digital signs, email and Internet access. They also provide a distributed and segmented SSL network to support transactions generated by point-of-sale (POS), money order, check cashing, ATM and fleet card terminals.
SmartLink also allows gasoline and c-store retailers to receive a single network-related invoice and can rely on one customer service resource for their troubleshooting and network monitoring needs, thus reducing in-house support costs and need for additional IT staff.
"We chose Heartland's SmartLink as our PCI partner due to the ease of site-setup, their excellent customer service and technical support team, and SmartLink's overall program capabilities," said Dave Simonis, director of information technology for RIISER Energy. "With a small IT department, we didn't have the resources to fully develop and implement all aspects of PCI internally. Heartland's SmartLink program makes PCI much more manageable."
Michael Youngkin, Heartland's senior director of network solutions, added, "SmartLink will definitely help RIISER Energy with all of its locations in Wisconsin, and we look forward to a strong partnership. We know convenience store and gasoline retailers struggle with multiple telecom providers, high overhead costs and most importantly, meeting PCI compliance guidelines. SmartLink resolves those critical challenges for RIISER, allowing management to spend more time running their business."
Alan Levine, Heartland's director of petroleum and c-store national accounts, said, "RIISER Energy's IT department needed a solution for its managed network requirements, and from its cloud-based platform to monitored VPN communications to much more, SmartLink is the ideal match to meet the company's needs."
SmartLink is a managed network solution run by a PCI-certified payments processor on the Visa global registry.
Princeton, N.J.-based Heartland is a leading payment processors in the c-store and petroleum industry, with nearly 50,000 sites using its suite of products and services, including credit-card processing, marketing solutions, payroll services and SmartLink, which has more than 16,000 installations nationwide. Heartland delivers credit, debit and prepaid card processing, mobile commerce, eCommerce, marketing solutions, security technology, payroll solutions and related business solutions and services to more than 250,000 business and educational locations nationwide.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.