DUBAI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aruba Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARUN) today announced that the Sheraton Dubai, Mall of the Emirates Hotel, one of the newer additions to the Sheraton portfolio which belongs to Starwood Hotels and Resorts, has successfully upgraded the Wi-Fi network in its Mall of the Emirates (MoE) property using Aruba’s high performance Wi-Fi access points (APs) and mobility controllers to provide uninterrupted wireless connectivity to its guests.
Through the hotel’s wireless network, guests can connect and browse the Internet, access social media and email applications and stream video. With Aruba Networks, the Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates Hotel is able to offer a variety of connection speeds ranging from complimentary basic access to chargeable premium levels. The upgrade has helped maintain the high standards set by the Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates property, which regularly sees spikes in the number of devices connecting to the wireless network.
Vises Kith, Director of IT, Sheraton Dubai, Mall of the Emirates Hotel, said, “Aruba is a leading provider of next-generation network access solutions for mobile enterprises. Our guests utilize their mobile devices from the minute they enter the hotel to connect to social media platforms, access email and stream video. We feel that Aruba's range of products delivers the quality and consistency necessary to transfer the associated large volumes of data at the high speeds required. Furthermore, the mobility controller has completely eliminated the challenges of configuring, managing and troubleshooting the wireless network which has dramatically improved our guests' experience while reducing the efforts of the IT team.”
After consulting with a third party systems integrator, MDS PACC, and assessing a range of competitive solutions, Kith and his team decided to update their existing wireless solution with Aruba’s latest offerings. Aruba is already an approved vendor for the Starwood Group, which, in addition to the Sheraton Brand, owns eight other internationally renowned hotel brands.
“The Sheraton Group is known for its hospitality and service. The philosophy of the Sheraton Brand is all about connecting people to work, family and friends at home. Therefore it is crucial for the hotel to provide seamless services required by the modern social traveler. When we met them, they were looking to upgrade their solution to enhance the guest experience throughout the property. By working closely together to understand their requirements, we were able to deliver a wireless network capable of providing excellent performance with a low capital investment,” said Zeeshan Hadi, Territory Manager, United Arab Emirates, Aruba Networks.
A total of 350 Aruba APs were deployed across the business center, 481 guest rooms, and the public areas of the hotel covering 24 floors, 10 meeting rooms, the restaurants and two lobby areas. Aruba is also providing wireless coverage in all back office areas. The 350 APs are all remotely configured and managed by an Aruba 7200 series mobility controller.
“The Aruba APs we selected are so powerful that on many occasions, we could use a single device to provide Internet access across multiple rooms. This helped curtail costs while maximizing the utilization of each device,” said Kith.
The wireless system installation took two months and was seamlessly executed by MDS PACC so as to not cause any inconvenience to the guests. On completion of the installation, the hotel’s IT department carried out a series of tests which revealed that the level of service and wireless performance met the stringent international standards laid down by the Sheraton Group Brand Standards.
“It is not easy to find a wireless network that meets our requirements. With Aruba, we found a reliable partner to meet the expectations of our guests and make sure that our brand standards are delivered. The simplicity of the system, combined with the reliable service provided by the team behind the deployment, has left us completely satisfied with our decision. Since the upgrade, we have received no negative feedback which is extremely encouraging to our team,” concluded Kith.
About Aruba Networks, Inc.
Aruba Networks is a leading provider of next-generation network access solutions for the mobile enterprise. The company designs and delivers Mobility-Defined Networks that empower IT departments and #GenMobile, a new generation of tech-savvy users who rely on their mobile devices for every aspect of work and personal communication. To create a mobility experience that #GenMobile and IT can rely upon, Aruba Mobility-Defined Networks™ automate infrastructure-wide performance optimization and trigger security actions that used to require manual IT intervention. The results are dramatically improved productivity and lower operational costs.
Listed on the NASDAQ and Russell 2000® Index, Aruba is based in Sunnyvale, California, and has operations throughout the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific regions. To learn more, visit Aruba at http://www.arubanetworks.com. For real-time news updates follow Aruba on Twitter and Facebook, and for the latest technical discussions on mobility and Aruba products visit Airheads Social at http://community.arubanetworks.com.
© 2014 Aruba Networks, Inc. Aruba Networks’ trademarks include Aruba Networks®, Aruba The Mobile Edge Company® (stylized), Aruba Mobility-Defined Networks™, Aruba Mobility Management System®, People Move Networks Must Follow®, Mobile Edge Architecture®, RFProtect®, Green Island®, ETips®, ClientMatch™, Virtual Intranet Access™, ClearPass Access Management Systems™, Aruba Instant™, ArubaOS™, xSec™, ServiceEdge™, Aruba ClearPass Access Management System™, Airmesh™, AirWave™, Aruba Central™, and “ARUBA@WORK™. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
