MGM Resorts International’s New Wi-Fi
Unparalleled in Hospitality Industry
Cisco Wi-Fi Deployment Provides MGM Resorts with Competitive Advantage
Admit it. We’ve all become completely reliant on mobile devices, including cell phones, laptops, tablets and smartphones. When traveling, whether for business or pleasure, the mobile devices are in hand and we expect to connect, regardless of where we are.
Understanding the needs of the mobile user, MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) collaborated with Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) to create a high-density Wi-Fi system designed to enhance the guest experience. The two companies have developed the highest-performing wireless LAN in the industry, allowing travelers with multiple wireless devices to enjoy quality Wi-Fi. The new high-tech capabilities put MGM Resorts ahead of the curve with the ability to meet guests’ ever-evolving expectations.
An industry leader, MGM Resorts is the only hospitality company in the country to develop this next-generation, dependable system, which provides superior services including better engagement with MGM Resorts’ world-class destinations. Advantages of the program include 30 percent faster connectivity resulting in longer battery life used by mobile devices, automatic Wi-Fi connection that eliminates user hassle, and delivery of customized, relevant and timely offers and information delivered directly to guests’ mobile devices.
The Wi-Fi rollout at MGM Resorts’ destinations in Las Vegas began with Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage, all completed at the end of 2012. Additional Las Vegas resorts, Monte Carlo, New York-New York, Luxor and Excalibur, will install Wi-Fi in 2013. The installations cover the low-rise public spaces – including pools, casinos, lobbies and restaurants – any place a visitor may wish to have mobile service. The Wi-Fi rollout for guest rooms has begun at MGM Grand, with completion expected in March 2013; installation for Mandalay Bay is scheduled next, and other resorts will follow.
While visiting one of these resorts, guests receive complimentary Wi-Fi in the public spaces with the option to upgrade to higher bandwidth, ensuring that everyone has the mobile experience they want. Hotel guests and meeting attendees enjoy upgraded Wi-Fi.
MGM Resorts’ other new Wi-Fi programs include a state-of the-art interactive wayfinding resort map, on-site promotional offers and restaurant wine, cocktail, beer and dessert menu apps. Currently available at Bellagio with other resorts to follow, the location-based map provides users with point-by-point directions to nearby restaurants, the nearest coffee shop, retail stores, restrooms and much more. While on property, Wi-Fi users also may receive offer notifications sent to mobile devices for members-only promotions and services for M life, the Company’s premier rewards program. And to complement an amazing dining experience, wine lovers can engage with the new wine menu app, available at several MGM Resorts’ restaurants. Guests can discover new wines, read reviews, rate the wine themselves, and even email wine labels so they won’t forget a special bottle.
Convention Groups
MGM Resorts’ new Wi-Fi delivers a superior customer service experience for convention attendees as well. Regardless of the size, meeting organizers want connectivity for their attendees, who use two devices per person on average. Now meeting groups have the support they need, even for large conventions, with the option to upgrade to a premium-level, guaranteed service. Previously able to offer support for up to 4,000 concurrent users, MGM Resorts, with its new Wi-Fi deployment, has the capability to support up to 120,000 concurrent users in Las Vegas.
Another key feature for groups is the ability to customize Wi-Fi networks. Within a specially created, private Wi-Fi network, a meeting organizer can design targeted information, provide notes and reminders, update agendas and communicate last-minute changes and much more, based on the group’s individual needs. Sub-groups can even be set up with unique passcodes to limit access to certain information. MGM Reorts new user-friendly capabilities for convention groups provide greater control and timely dissemination of information and offers. Sponsor and advertising placements within the custom network are an option for those wanting to offset event costs or provide clients with marketing opportunities.
Additional Wi-Fi features include location-based services, so attendees can understand where they are and how to get to their next session or booth. With higher bandwidth available to groups, presentations can be quickly downloaded and streaming video presentations can be uploaded. All these new capabilities allow groups the flexibility they need to create the event they want.
“With our experience building CityCenter in Las Vegas, we learned best practices that we applied in building this new guest network that is the finest in the industry,” said John Bollen, vice president of Technology Strategy for MGM Resorts International. “Our resorts are open 24/7, and we needed a company that could deliver guaranteed, high-level service to enhance our premier resorts’ offerings. We found that in Cisco. No one else in Las Vegas, and even the U.S., can offer the scale, quantity and quality of wireless services we now have available.”
Sujai Hajela, vice president and general manager, Wireless Networking Group, Cisco, said, “Cisco is on the front line when it comes to helping customers address their enterprise wireless and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) challenges, providing businesses with a complete unified access solution that fits their needs today and in the future. By working with MGM Resorts, Cisco is taking the customer from basic connectivity to an uncompromised user experience that allows them to utilize the rich guest services offered by MGM Resorts.”
MGM Resorts International’s new Wi-Fi system is poised to define the future of wireless Internet experiences at resort destinations by addressing rapidly changing business demands through unique Wi-Fi services.