Pret a Manger is overhauling its storage systems to handle increasing levels of sales data and protect its shops from potential downtime.

The sandwich retailer is rolling out the InfoStage online storage product from EVault to back up sales data, email and other business information at its 125 UK stores, as well as outlets in New York and Hong Kong.

System integrator TriSys is working with the company to protect 500GB of information held on 25 Microsoft 2000 servers at its headquarters in London.

The online storage system will replace manual tape backup with an automated process, cutting IT administration time.

Data will also be co-located at a secure data storage facility so that systems can be quickly restored should a disaster occur.

'We are refurbishing many of our shops and introducing PC-based touch-screen tills, which record more sales data that we can analyse,' said Mike Hicks, head of IT at Pret a Manger. 'So it was also a case of pre-empting the increase in transactional information.'

The system will run on Pret's existing infrastructure, using a wide area network to back up data from stores to head office, and a 100Mbit/s connection between head office and the co-location site to ensure continuity.

'Although we have centralised most of our applications, such as HR and sales analysis, we are still storing back-office systems to run stores at a local level, so they can continue to trade if we have a business continuity problem across the network,' said Hicks.

New touch-screen electronic point-of-sale systems from Toshiba are also being installed in UK stores will provide better sales information, which Pret can use to identify trends and tailor stock and marketing programmes.

'We can work out the combinations of food and drink that people are buying,' said Hicks.

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