1. Info-Tech Research Group1 1 Info-Tech Research Group, Inc. Is a global leader in providing IT research and advice. Info-Tech’s products and services combine actionable insight and relevant advice with ready-to-use tools and templates that cover the full spectrum of IT concerns. © 1997-2015 Info-Tech Research Group Inc. Build or Refresh the WLAN Don’t gamble with your wireless network; enhance the guest experience with an efficient and reliable WLAN Info-Tech's products and services combine actionable insight and relevant advice with ready-to-use tools and templates that cover the full spectrum of IT concerns.© 1997 - 2015 Info-Tech Research Group

2. Info-Tech Research Group2 2 This Research is Designed For:This Research Will Help You: This Research Will Assist:This Research Will Help You: This Research Is Designed For:This Research Will Help You: This Research Will Also Assist:This Research Will Help Them: This research will guide you through the process of building or refreshing your WLAN Network Managers Infrastructure VPs Decide whether to refresh or build your WLAN. Understand your business and technical requirements. Develop a business case. Develop a RFP and select a vendor. Design and deploy your WLAN. Continuously monitor and improve your WLAN. CIOs/IT Directors Hotel General Managers Casino Operations Hotel Operations Food and Beverage Operations Ensure their organization’s IT capabilities support the evolving business needs. Understand and articulate the benefits of implementing or refreshing a WLAN to the business.

3. Info-Tech Research Group3 3 Resolution Situation ! Complication ? Info-Tech Insight Executive Summary Your guests and employees are embracing wireless and you can’t afford to live in the past. They’re demanding faster and more reliable wireless networks as they push the limits of your network’s capacity with a growing number of devices per person. Building or refreshing your WLAN can be an expensive project and getting business buy-in may be tough. Poorly defined technical requirements can result in failure to meet business needs and low guest satisfaction scores. A poorly designed network and implementation timeline can result in re- work and costly additional headaches. Make a solid business case for your WLAN build or refresh project by understanding the value it provides to the business and be prepared to support it. Define the business context for your WLAN and make sure your technical requirements can satisfy your business requirements. Develop a comprehensive request for proposal based on your requirements, and score your responses using a standard methodology. Carefully plan your network design and action plan prior to implementation. 1.Historical network usage and capacity data can support your business case for your WLAN build or refresh. 2.Define your technical WLAN requirements based on your context, physical environment, and requirements. 3.If you design for capacity, density and coverage will follow.

4. Info-Tech Research Group4 4 Best-Practice Toolkit Document your challenges and project drivers. Assess your current context and environment. Decide whether to proceed with the project. Determine your technical requirements. Assess project financials. Develop your success metrics. Complete the business case. Examine the vendor marketplace. Conduct a site survey if necessary. Develop a RFP. Score RFP responses. Review your contract. Design the network. Plan and initiate staffing role changes. Secure your network. Build your WLAN implementation timeline. Deploy the network. Validate and adapt your network. Plan regular network service reviews. Measure project success. Guided Implementations Scoping call Understand your business context Determine your technical requirements Scoping call Review your project financials Review your business case Scoping call Review the RFP Review the RFP responses and contract Scoping call Develop the implementation plan Finalize the plan Scoping call Review the initial project implementation Monitor the WLAN Onsite Workshop Module 1: Define your WLAN state and requirements Module 2: Build the business case Module 3: Select your WLAN solution Module 4: Design the network and deployment plan Module 5: Deploy the network and measure success Phase 1 Results: Go/no go decision Defined requirements Phase 2 Results: Business case Project approval Phase 3 Results: Selected vendor and equipment Phase 4 Results: Network design Task monitoring tool Phase 5 Results: Continuous improvement Measured success Define your WLAN state Build or refresh your WLAN – Project Overview Build the business case Select your WLAN solution Design the network and deployment plan Implement and monitor success

5. Info-Tech Research Group5 5 Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5 PreparationWorkshop Day Working Session Workshop Preparation Scope the state of the organization’s WLAN and workshop objectives. Identify and invite project stakeholders to attend the workshop. Send workshop agenda to all participants. Morning Itinerary Discuss and document the current challenges, project drivers, and goals. Assess the business context. Afternoon Itinerary Determine the optimal timing for the WLAN build/refresh implementation. Evaluate and document your technical requirements. Morning Itinerary Recap of Day 2. Assess project financials. Develop success metrics. Begin developing the business case. Afternoon Itinerary Complete the business case. Morning Itinerary Recap of Day 3. Determine whether you’ll need to conduct a site survey. Develop a RFP. Afternoon Itinerary Develop your RFP scoring methodology. Develop a high-level network design. Build your WLAN deployment plan. Workshop Debrief Review the final deliverables: business case, RFP, RFP Scoring Tool, and the implementation plan. Discuss concerns and questions. Next Steps Engage with Info-Tech when evaluating RFP responses and to review your final contract. Workshop overview This workshop can be deployed as either a four- or five-day engagement depending on the level of preparation completed by the client prior to the facilitator arriving onsite. The light blue slides at the end of each section highlight the key activities and exercises that will be completed during the engagement with our analyst team. Contact your account representative or email Workshops@InfoTech.com for more informationWorkshops@InfoTech.com

6. Info-Tech Research Group6 6 Phase 1: Define your WLAN state and requirements Build the business case Select your WLAN solution Phase 2: Phase 3: Define your WLAN state Phase 1: Design the network and deployment plan Phase 4: Deploy the network and monitor success Phase 5:

7. Info-Tech Research Group7 7 Phase 1 outline Complete these steps on your own, or call us to complete a guided implementation. A guided implementation is a series of 2- 3 advisory calls that help you execute each phase of a project. They are included in most advisory memberships. Guided Implementation: Understand your requirements and project scope Proposed Time to Completion (in weeks): 3 Call 1.1: Scoping callCall 1.2: Decide whether to proceedCall 1.3: Define your requirements Start with an analyst kick off call: Discuss your current network challenges and the drivers for your WLAN build or refresh project. Discuss and document your goals. Review findings with analyst: Review your business context inputs in the WLAN Requirements Gathering Tool. Review project constraints. Decide whether or not to proceed with the project. Finalize phase deliverable: Discuss and review your technical requirements. Relate your technical requirements to your business context. Then complete these activities… Assess your business context. Assess the characteristics and constraints of your current environment. Then complete these activities… Determine your technical requirements. With these tools & templates: WLAN Requirements Gathering Tool With these tools & templates: WLAN Requirements Gathering Tool Phase 1 Results & Insights: Decision whether to proceed with the project. Alignment between business context and technical requirements. Call 1-888-670-8889 or email WorkshopBooking@InfoTech.com for more informationWorkshopBooking@InfoTech.com

8. Info-Tech Research Group8 8 Rising guest expectations, device proliferation, and bandwidth intensive content are driving WLAN build and refresh projects Bring your own everything Hotel guests are increasing the number of personal electronic devices they bring with them during overnight stays. As a result, the gaming and hospitality industry needs to build networks that support higher capacity levels for guests. Demand for capacity There is an increased demand for capacity due to the following: 1.Growth of number of devices per user. Cisco estimates there will be three networked devices per capita by 2018, up from two networked devices per capita in 2013. 2.Users are accessing more bandwidth intensive content. Increased guest expectations Wi-Fi has become widespread in homes and guests have come to expect the same kind of accessibility and speed they have at home – fast Wi-Fi when they want it, where they want it. New standards (802.11ac) Devices are made for the new standards and the old standards are slowly getting phased out. Drivers Internet of things The “internet of things” is driving increased demand for capacity and reliability. Enhancement of the guest experience Wi-Fi enables increased use of productivity and business efficiency apps for the hotel staff, that as a result, will contribute to an enhanced guest experience.

9. Info-Tech Research Group9 9 Assess your current network challenges and project drivers 1.1 Why are you considering building or refreshing your WLAN? Sticky Note Exercise Participants: IT Director/CIO Infrastructure manager/VP Network manager Network team Steps: Pass a stack of sticky notes to each participant. Within three minutes, come up with as many current network challenges as possible. Have each participant post their sticky notes on a whiteboard and group related challenges Which of these challenges are drivers to doing this project? o Include discussions around current number of users and devices, the growth of users and devices, user expectations, capacity constraints, etc. Record your current challenges and project drivers into your business case. Look for this icon at the bottom right of slides where recording data into a tool or template is required. Transfer your current challenges and drivers to your business case.

10. Info-Tech Research Group10Info-Tech Research Group10 The 3 Tower Resort Las Vegas increased EBITDA by 2.1% by upgrading their WLAN The 3 Tower Resort Las Vegas (3 Tower) was using a third-party provider for guest room internet equipment, support, and connectivity and paying in excess of $28,000/month. Guest service scores were in the low 50s. The lack of Wi-Fi at various low-rise venues (movie theatre, concert hall, casino floor, pool, food and beverage, and nightlife venues) hampered the resort’s ability to meet group event and convention needs and hence lost revenue. The resort wanted to roll out various business productivity and guest experience tools. Situation The two guest room towers were 12 and 7 years old with different low voltage cable and IDF plans. The low-rise areas required new low- voltage cable runs to be installed. The hospitality and gaming sector faces density & compliance challenges that are generally unmatched by other industries. Every four guest rooms is equivalent to a 4,000 sq.ft. house, but holds 8 guests and 24 devices surrounded in close proximity above, below, and around by other rooms. Hospitality is a 24/7 business and coordinating the installation of network equipment in guest rooms and public spaces was a challenge. Challenge The resort partnered with key convention groups and partners to offset the capital costs of insourcing and building the wireless network. The resort strategically used cloud and managed services for the guest portal and guest technical support, making IT a service provider directly to the guest. Over 10 months, the resort upgraded the WLAN for the two towers and low-rise areas, providing a pervasive wireless network from guest room, to casino, to venue. Increased EBITDA by 2.1%. Action and Result The 3 Tower Resort Las Vegas Sector: Source: Hospitality Info-Tech Interview

11. Info-Tech Research Group11Info-Tech Research Group11 Free Wi-Fi is no longer considered an “amenity”, but expected as a standard offering at hotels. Hotels offering downloadable apps for their guests are able to differentiate on service by having features such as maps of the property and dining and spa reservation capabilities. Wi-Fi enables apps that can improve guest experience by increasing efficiency and staff response times. A WLAN can do more than just provide Wi-Fi to guests – it can help you differentiate on service and improve profitability The gaming and hospitality industry is leading the way in monetizing Wi-Fi. The traditional approach has been to charge users for Wi-Fi, and often the level of connectivity they need. Free basic Wi-Fi has become an expectation for most guests staying at hotels in this day and age. Rather than charging for Wi-Fi, hoteliers are offering free Wi-Fi, but collecting guests’ usage information for advertising purposes, revenue generation, or service differentiation. Wi-Fi can provide more accurate user location than mobile cellular networks can and allows for better, more targeted advertising. 1. More satisfied guests Building or refreshing your WLAN can result in: 2. Streamlined operations and cut costs Wireless point of sale systems can allow staff to check-in guests, take orders, and process purchases anywhere on the property. o For example, guests can be checked-in at the valet to reduce lines and guest waiting at the front desk. 3. Increased revenue Certain solutions can provide insights into your customer demographics and behaviors, and help you deliver targeted promotions to your guests.

12. Info-Tech Research Group12Info-Tech Research Group12 Info-Tech Research Group Helps IT Professionals To: Sign up for free trial membership to get practical solutions for your IT challenges www.infotech.com Quickly get up to speed with new technologies Make the right technology purchasing decisions – fast Deliver critical IT projects, on time and within budget Manage business expectations Justify IT spending and prove the value of IT Train IT staff and effectively manage an IT department “Info-Tech helps me to be proactive instead of reactive – a cardinal rule in a stable and leading edge IT environment. - ARCS Commercial Mortgage Co., LP Toll Free: 1-888-670-8889