Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates Hotel Provides Guests Five-Star Wi-Fi Connectivity Using Aruba Networks

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 30th April, 2014 - 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 both for work and 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 at 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 not to 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 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.