"Restaurants are notorious for having power problems," says BR, executive vice president of Hospitality Systems Incorporated (HSI). "And these power problems can wreak havoc on computer networks."
HSI is an up-and-coming developer of Windows-based point-of-sale (POS) software for table service restaurants. HSI's Profit Series system allows restaurant servers to clock in, get their table assignments, send orders to any number of food preparation centers in the kitchen, split checks, and verify credit cards at user-friendly touchscreen terminals.
A typical HSI system consists of 4 or 5 workstations plus 2 to 3 remote printers in the kitchen and a file server for the network. HSI systems are unique in that they operate on generic hardware, rather than proprietary hardware. This gives the restaurant owner total flexibility in expanding or upgrading the system as needs change. To operate reliably, however, computer networks demand "clean power" -- that is, power that's stable and free of interference. And clean power is a tall order in most restaurants.
"In any restaurant, electrical equipment is scattered all over the place. There are refrigerators, fryers, and microwaves in the kitchen. Coffeemakers at busing stations. Blenders and icemakers in the bar," BR points out. "Even when a restaurant starts out with dedicated lines for high-demand equipment, equipment often gets moved around. `Dirty' power is the result."
BR offers Sunday brunch as an example. "Think about it. One day a week, a restaurant sets up a buffet table with heat lamps, waffle irons, extra coffeemakers, you name it. This equipment has to get plugged in somewhere. If it happens to get plugged into the same circuit as a computer terminal, that terminal -- or maybe even the whole network -- can lock up because of power fluctuations."
BR adds that sometimes the buzz of a blender is all it takes to contaminate the power supply. "The right-handed bartender likes the blender at one end of the counter. The left-handed bartender arrives for his shift and moves it to another location. Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, the computer system goes funky and nobody makes the connection."
"Power problems are relatively easy to diagnose," says BR. "The hard part is convincing restaurant owners."
Every building has its own unique electrical environment influenced by power lines coming into the building, internal wiring that distributes power inside the building, and the equipment that ultimately draws on the power. Electrical disturbances can occur anywhere in the environment. Brownouts and blackouts are obvious examples of electrical disturbances from outside sources. Much less obvious but infinitely more common are spikes, surges, and noise caused by internal factors -- the on-off cycling of a refrigerator compressor, for example.
A power blip that a human wouldn't notice can have the effect of a prize fighter's punch on a computer network. Even dedicated lines can't completely protect delicate computer circuitry from these types of internal power fluctuations.
With POS systems, power-related problems can manifest themselves in a variety of ways. A touchscreen doesn't respond. A terminal loses contact with a remote printer. Data becomes garbled. Communication between different parts of the network slows down.
"We've always used a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) to protect file servers against brownouts and power fluctuations from incoming lines," BR explains. "A UPS can keep the system running, but you can still have one terminal that acts up because of interference from other equipment inside the restaurant. So we went looking for a better way."
HSI found a better way with the help of ONEAC Corporation, a developer of power protection systems based in Libertyville, Illinois.
HSI contacted ONEAC for help with a major new installation that had been plagued with problems. Despite extra user training, on-site service, and hardware replacement, one touchscreen continued to freeze up three or four times a week. It was clearly a power-related problem. When an ONEAC power conditioner was added to the workstation, the problems instantly and completely disappeared. This solution cost less than $100.
One success led to another. Over the next few months, HSI sent customers an ONEAC power conditioner each time a power-related problem was suspected. Customers were told that if the ONEAC equipment didn't solve the problem in 30 days, they could return it and there would be no charge. When asked how often the equipment came back, BR replied, "Never!"
ONEAC power protection is now a standard part of every system HSI installs. Each file server is equipped with an ONEAC UPS/power conditioner. This maintains power to keep the system running during brownouts and protects the entire network against power fluctuations from incoming lines. In addition, each terminal on the network is equipped with an ONEAC power conditioner which filters out electrical noise within the system.
The ONEAC equipment requires no special wiring or installation expertise. The customer simply plugs the power conditioner into an existing outlet and then plugs the computer equipment into the ONEAC box.
Adding ONEAC power protection increases HSI's installation costs by roughly 4%. According to BR, the investment more than pays for itself. "Just one problem can cost us hundreds of dollars in help-line time, on-site warranty service, shipping of parts and replacement equipment, bookkeeping -- not to mention customer aggravation. It pays to head off problems from the start."
From the restaurant owner's point of view, the investment in ONEAC power protection often reduces POS network installation costs by eliminating the need for costly rewiring and by avoiding the revenue hit that comes with closing the restaurant while the work is being done.
Restaurant owners save on down the road as well. When remodeling is done, network components can be relocated to any AC outlet where the circuit is adequate for the load. No need to install new dedicated lines.
Most importantly, ONEAC power protection gives restaurant owners peace of mind that they will get the processing speed, accuracy, and reliability they expect from their point-of-sale system -- in spite of waffle irons, refrigerators, and left-handed bartenders.
HSI serves over 1,000 customers in 48 states, Canada, and the Caribbean. It maintains sales/service offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Dallas with Boca Raton, Florida, as its home base.
© 1995 ONEAC Corp.
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