Hydes Brewery
Hydes is an award- winning independent family pub, retailer and brewer. Founded in 1863, it has remained an independent brewery in the Northwest of England and North Wales ever since.
Like Evolve, the brewery is based in the North of England, and we have worked with Hydes for almost a decade, supporting all its connectivity needs from point-of-sale and printers to CCTV and Guest Wi-Fi.
Evolve’s SD-WAN solution has been instrumental in helping the business meet PCI compliance requirements, so when those requirements stepped up a gear, we were on hand to help.
The Problem
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) exists to help keep sensitive financial information safe from theft, hacking, and other security threats. All merchants that process, transmit, or store card holder data must be compliant.
As a Mako platinum partner, we provide Hydes with our customised SD-WAN solution that boasts PCI Level 1 certification for payment security, and until recently, the business was able to complete a PCI self-assessment form to remain compliant. However, recent increases in payment card turnover meant an external audit was required, with a PCI assessor visiting sites to gather evidence that both Hydes and its third-party suppliers are PCI compliant.
It would require not only additional resources but valuable hours for Hydes to gain external certification.
The Solution
Early in 2024, Evolve stepped in to oversee the entire external certification process. From working directly with Hydes POS provider and ensuring they have the right certification, to supporting site visits in-person, Evolve was able to complete the assessment on behalf of Hydes.
Although the process required extensive up-front work to prepare for the assessment questions and documentation requirements, this has ultimately proved a time-saving exercise for Hydes. Not only did it negate the need for in-house resource to be tied up by the process, but thanks to Evolves long-standing relationship with Hydes, extensive knowledge of the PCI process and customisable boilerplates, Evolve was able to reduce the length of the process significantly.
Thanks to the expertise of the Evolve team, all the required documents and evidence of policies was gathered with minimal input from Hydes, and the business has now achieved external PCI certification.
The Benefits
Evolve’s help in ensuring Hydes is fully PCI compliant has ensured the protection of card holder data, reduced the risk of data breaches, and safeguarded the business’s reputation. But working with the Evolve team has also brought a range of additional benefits.
Our 24/7/365 fully-manned network operations centre makes us the number one choice for the hospitality sector, which often operates outside core hours and needs round-the-clock trouble-shooting support. And because we work with a number of big-name hospitality brands, we understand the needs and challenges of the sector and its wider eco-system.
Our managed network solution provides a complete and end-to-end network infrastructure, including hardware, software, as well as ongoing support. It gives all our hospitality clients a consistent and secure internet connection, regardless of the size and complexity of their property.
For merchants to thrive in what are very challenging times, it’s vital they remain PCI compliant. We provide customised solutions with PCI Level 1 certification for payment security as a Mako Network platinum partner – the only network management company in the world to qualify as a PCI-certified Level 1 service provider.
Thanks to the success of Hyde’s external PCI certification, we are now ideally positioned to help more businesses who are moving to external assessment.