SAN JOSE, Calif., April 29, 2002 - Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO), the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, and Gaylord Entertainment, announced today the deployment of an end-to-end Cisco network across the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center, making the property the first convention center in North America to be a Cisco Mobile Office venue. The network will provide high-speed, wired and wireless access to employees and guests across the company's 1,400 hotel rooms and 400,000 square feet of convention and meeting space.
Driven by its convention center and corporate meetings focus, Gaylord is offering a level of security and connectivity beyond basic high-speed access. Using Cisco technology, a virtual local area network (VLAN) can be established between rooms and the convention center upon request, creating a safe Intranet for specific conferences, focus groups, or other subsets of hotel guests. These groups of connected guests can then choose to activate their company sponsored virtual private network (VPN) service to safely connect the VLAN from their rooms or meeting space back to their company's network, wherever it may be located. This tremendous benefit enables enterprises to feel confident about their employees accessing the network with optimized safety while staying at a Gaylord property.
"Business travelers and event planners require the highest level of high-speed network access," said Karen Spacek, senior vice president of technology at Gaylord. "By networking the Gaylord properties with the Cisco Mobile Office solution, we provide our guests with the secure, reliable network connection that they have come to expect from Cisco. This greatly contributes to a positive meeting experience and drives return visits to our world-class properties."
The high-speed network is delivered through the Cisco Building Broadband Services Manager software platform and Cisco AironetR 350 Series of Wi-Fi compliant wireless local area network (WLAN) products. The Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center, based in Kissimmee-St. Cloud, Fla., offers high-speed wired meeting room and on-request public area WLAN access, as well as guest room Ethernet access, which provides speeds of up to 100 times faster than dialup connections.
Gaylord is also implementing WLAN technology as a way to enhance its operations. In the Gaylord Hotels' restaurants, for example, the staff is using wireless handheld devices to take orders and deliver them back to the kitchen, decreasing wait time for diners. Restaurant managers are also using handheld devices to check e-mail and complete other tasks, allowing them to stay on the restaurant floor where they are most needed. Future WLAN implementation is planned for check-in and housekeeping. A similar network deployment is under way at Gaylord's newest property, Gaylord Opryland Texas, which is set to open in 2004.
"Conventions and corporate events are a key market for the Gaylord properties and the Cisco Mobile Office brand allows them to ensure the highest quality network access to the business travelers that the venues attract," said Ron Willis, vice-president, Worldwide Commercial Marketing, Cisco Systems. "The bottom line is that the high-level of access available at the Gaylord resorts improves customer loyalty and offers an opportunity to drive revenue. It is a strong example of Cisco's vision for global mobility for the business traveler."
Cisco Mobile Office: On the Road, a subset of the Cisco Mobile Office solution, is a global program focused on promoting secure, high-speed access in public spaces for mobile professionals. The program connects venues, service providers, application providers and enterprises to enable mobility across the globe, optimizing security while connecting people back to the network regardless of their individual location. Today, the Cisco Mobile Office: On the Road program is enabling thousands of locations, called hotspots, to offer high-speed access to their clientele.
