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 Marriott International's Accommodating Network | ||||
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By Mona R. Litt In today's fast-paced environment, business travelers have enough to be concerned about, without worrying about hotel accommodations. And, it takes more than just hotel rooms to win in the highly competitive lodging business. Professionals want the latest technology at their fingertips, from fax machines to Internet services--and they want it now. Marriott International has heard their cries and is making sure its network is up round the clock to keep its worldwide operations running smoothly. "Our company is dependent on reservation data and our locations are geographically spread out," explains Jim Rinaldi, Marriott's vice president, information resources operations and services. "Our network provides the glue that holds our properties together." What type of network can provide the adhesive to link all 1,200 worldwide Marriott properties reliably and safely? Rinaldi reports that all locations connect to its frame relay network via T1 and 56-Kbps links. Larger properties use the T1 connections for voice as well as data. A 100-Mbps Ethernet backbone network serves 4,000 people locally at Marriott's Washington headquarters, according to Rinaldi. By using the company's intranet, employees can download important documents, once only available in hard copy, to their hard drives. Internet and intranet access is enhanced by Microsoft Corp.'s Site Server and Proxy Server and protected by Cisco Systems PIX firewall. One of his greatest professional challenges, Rinaldi says, is keeping the high-speed international links running. "Pakistan doesn't have an infrastructure in place that we're used to here," he explains. "We have to get the same kind of consistency throughout less developed countries to provide the same quality of service internationally." Staffers also can access custom applications, including MARSHA (Marriott's Automated Reservation System for Hotel Accommodations), according to Rinaldi. "MARSHA allows guests to call in at any property and have a reservation agent allocate and book reservations," he explains. "The Marriott Rewards System [a point-accumulation program to earn special savings] is also kept on this system so that guests can tabulate their points." All major airlines and travel agencies link into MARSHA by T1 and 56-Kbps connections as well. Marriott Distribution Services, with 15 warehouses countrywide, utilizes its own system to process customer orders for food supplies and distribute them to clients. This system keeps track of food shipments to the many Marriott properties, and its largest clients--Boston Market and Steak and Ale restaurants. Since Marriott relies on the most advanced communication possible, Rinaldi's staff has started to convert more than 18,000 users from Lotus Development Corp.'s cc:Mail to Microsoft Exchange. Rinaldi reports that Lotus Notes also provides e-mail communication and database storage for about 3,000 users worldwide. For more information on Marriott International, see its Web site at www.marriott.com. |
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