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By Mona R. Litt What keeps the slot machines ringing, cash flowing and hotel operations running at Las Vegas' New York-New York Hotel and Casino? A network powerful enough to link all ca sino and hotel operations, as well as more than 20 restaurants, tourist attractions and retail shops. "Our computer system links many smaller systems spread throughout our site," says Steve Vollmer, New York-New York's director of IS. "We need to keep it as simple as possible so that the system is available 99 percent of the ti me. We want an IS department that doesn't hold our users hostage." The hotel and casino network consists of three segments: The LAN uses LanOptics 5250 multiplexer and demultiplexer to carry information from the IBM AS/400 to dumb terminals; a flat network includes four Hewlett-Packard Co. AdvanceStack 2000 switches as the backbone of the main network; and remote data closets (for retail shops, restaurants and amusement rides) house HP 100VG 14-port hubs. All room reservations, front-desk, casino and pit applications run on the AS/400, accessed by employees via the 5250 to their terminals, according to Vollmer. Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 servers and workstations running Microsoft Exchange for e-mail and scheduling keep all employees connected and informed. Other applications for the AS/400 include software from Lodging Management Systems, which runs reservations, check-ins and checkouts, and Logical Solutions' Casino System, which keeps track of cage and pit functions and accounting. Bally's Slot Machine Data System software monitors all casino transactions, Vollmer says. A point-of-sale (POS) application from Infogenesis links retail shops and restaurants to the operation's computer system. Every transaction, number of patrons and other pertinent details get recorded through this system, Vollmer says. Sales and catering departments tally the number of people coming in as groups or for special events with Interamerican Data's Hotel System software. Staffers also schedule upcoming events through this system. And with the Hospitality Network of Las Vegas' ON-Command in-room video system, guests can review their bills and check out of their rooms over the televi sion, merely by following the instructions on the screen. "One of our greatest challenges lies in keeping up to date with security measures," Vollmer says. Staff members "come and go and have access to the network. We get a termination list daily and remove those listed from the system immediately." The hotel and casino uses dedicated file serve rs (from Compaq Computer Corp., IBM and HP) and Cisco Systems routers to provide that security and grant only certain users access the Internet. Tourists and business travelers can find out more about New York-New York at its Web site (www.nynyhotelcasino.com). They can view photographs of rooms and the casinos and find lists of performances and restaurant menus. |
Updated June 27, 1997 |
