MELBOURNE, Australia – Dec. 1, 2009 - Cisco and professional services partner, The Frame Group, announced today that Melbourne Airport, at the official opening of its expanded International Terminal (T2), took a major step forward in modernizing and digitizing its operations with Cisco business video and mobility technology. The airport aims to make travelling as seamless and efficient as possible for airlines and their passengers while supporting future growth in passenger capacity and creating new revenue streams for airport tenants.

Distinguished by its passenger growth, having surpassed 5 million international passengers in a 12-month period, the airport envisions a state-of-the-art airport that will ensure the long-term growth of airline services in Melbourne.

Designed and rolled out by The Frame Group, innovative business solutions from Cisco support Melbourne Airport's plans to streamline operations and transform the experience of travellers as follows:

• More Timely Departures:  With Cisco Digital Media Signage on more than 400 flight information displays (FIDs), Melbourne Airport can share up-to-date flight and gate information, news, directional guidance and emergency messaging in arrival and departure areas and other locations where passengers need it most in the new international terminal and, in the future, the entire airport.  In alignment with Melbourne Airport's commitment to "green" practices and carbon neutrality, Cisco Digital Media Manager enables information technology staff to create customised policies that will automatically power down FIDs when flights have departed and areas are clear of passengers.  With the Cisco digital media solution, the airport will consume 80 percent less power than its previous PC-based solution. 
• Faster Turn-Around of Flights to Support Increased Passenger Capacity:  The Frame Group-designed high-performance Cisco Unified Wireless Network with 802.11n technology provides outdoor wireless access points at each of the gates in the new international terminal, enabling airline pilots to transfer critical flight information to flight control with industry-leading security as the airplane approaches the gate.  Completing this information transfer before the airplane even arrives at the gate speeds the turn-around of flights.
• Increasing Airline Personnel Access to Information for Enhanced Customer Service: With a Cisco Unified Communications solution, airline flight personnel can log in to any of the more than 800 Cisco Unified IP Phones located at each gate and around the airport to access their personalised profile (including one-touch numbers, an employee directory, weather, news and airport information) and remain connected throughout the airport.  The Frame Group implemented Cisco Digital Media Manager to enable airline gate personnel to "push" instructions alerting passengers of boarding times and the check-in process over digital media signage in the gate area.  This greatly enhances the management of passenger traffic and streamlines the boarding process for on-time flight departures. 
• Creating New Revenue Streams: With a highly secure, reliable and scalable Cisco network designed and built by The Frame Group, Melbourne Airport can provide its more than 150 commercial tenants and airline partners with a rich set of data, voice and video services.  For example, retail tenants can purchase wireless connectivity for kiosk registers, advertising space on the airport's digital media signage, and IP phone service.  These services provide new revenue streams for the airport and help it more rapidly achieve a return on its technology investment. 

Mark Funston, information technology manager of Melbourne Airport, said: "By working together with Cisco and the Frame Group, Melbourne Airport aims to deliver to Victoria a modern, high-quality and innovative airport that will give passengers the most efficient travel experience.  We aim to achieve significant productivity gains and operational efficiencies from the Cisco business solution we have deployed while retaining our track record as one of the country's busiest transport hubs and a world-class airport."

Les Williamson, vice president of Cisco Australia and New Zealand, said: "Cisco is pleased to support Melbourne Airport as it continues to grow, extends new services to more effectively interact with airlines, and transforms the passenger experience.  Melbourne Airport is at the forefront of streamlining operations and capitalising on emerging customer service opportunities through an open IT architecture that integrates existing systems as well as new technologies such as video."

The Frame Group provided the overall technology business strategy as well as the end-to-end systems integration for these services. Frame will provide ongoing support for the network infrastructure. "It's tremendous to see the culmination of over a year's work and see Melbourne Airport's new terminal expansion come to life," said Brad Ferguson, managing director at the Frame Group. "Frame has worked with the airport to refine its vision and then provided the architecture, processes, systems and tools to allow all stakeholders to benefit, not only now, but also for many years to come."

The IP-based Cisco Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network includes Cisco Catalyst® 6500 Series Virtual Switching System 1400 for innovative network system virtualization and the Cisco Catalyst 4500 and 3560 Series Switches to connect the areas for outbound international passenger security, customs processing zones, international baggage, aircraft parking bays and airport terminals.  The unified communications solution includes more than 800 desktop Cisco Unified IP Phones and Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Cisco's call-processing solution.  The Cisco Unified Wireless network is also used by airport ground staff for maintenance of aircraft and facilities.

Technorati Tags:

Cisco, Melbourne Airport, Airport, Transportation, Australia, Digital Media Signage, Catalyst, Switches, Wireless, Wi-Fi, WLAN, 802.11n and IP Phones.

About Melbourne Airport

Melbourne Airport is owned and operated by Australia Pacific Airports Melbourne PTY Limited (APAM).

About Cisco Systems

Cisco, (NASDAQ: CSCO), is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to News@Cisco in Australia and New Zealand at http://newsroom.cisco.com/anz.