It appears that the show will indeed go on, at least so far as the $8.5 billion Las Vegas casino complex known as CityCenter. Faced with financial challenges, the project was in danger of screeching to a halt until partners MGM Mirage and Dubai World came to an agreement to get on with the business of completing the project.

 

According to a recent announcement, MGM Mirage said Dubai World, the investment arm of the Dubai government, would drop a lawsuit it filed against the Las Vegas-based MGM Mirage.

 

The renewed agreement puts CityCenter back on track to open by December 2009, with the Harmon Hotel & Spa opening in 2010.

 

This is good news not only for investors and developers, but for the vendors who have won contracts and are eager to begin providing services once the project is complete. For example, Verizon Business won the voice and network services bid for the project, and the company is looking forward to showcasing its highly intelligent building management solution that is being made possible by the integration of network and wireless technologies into the fabric of the building design.

 

The highly anticipated experience will most certainly be high tech, showcasing a state-of-the-art solution designed to give guests an opportunity to enjoy the latest gadgetry. The CityCenter buildings will feature RFID radio frequency technology allowing guests to simply pass their key over a sensor to open doors. Guests entering a room for the first time will be greeted by the parting of curtains, music on the stereo and welcoming lighting. All rooms will have Gigabit Ethernet and use the TV combined with a touch-sensitive screen by the bed as the main control centers for guests to select everything from different lighting moods to wake-up calls. Guests will even be able to configure a special “hangover-mode” alarm that will wake them gently with a small amount of daylight, a gradual increase in audio level from their favorite TV channel and a precise room temperature setting.

 

But not all the technological advances are about opening curtains and doors or setting the appropriate mood.

 

Key components of the winning Verizon Business (News - Alert) bid are next-generation E911 solutions provided by RedSky Technologies. RedSky (News - Alert) is providing the E911 software that protects guests, residents and businesses by automatically delivering the precise location of a 911 caller from anywhere within the complex and instantly notifying one or more of the five on-site security response centers who will dispatch emergency services.

 

RedSky’s E911 Manager accomplishes this through real-time tracking and location determination of IP phones without administrator intervention. Phones can move anywhere within the complex and their location will be automatically discovered and the call server updated to provide the correct outbound emergency number to dispatchers. In the event of a 911 call, E911 Manager’s Emergency On-site Notification (EON) feature sends an immediate alert to CityCenter security personnel that includes the location of the caller to speed on-site response.

CityCenter is one of the most ambitious and technologically advanced development projects ever undertaken. And the project makes for a great showcase, highlighting how solutions from companies like Verizon and RedSky will help usher in the next generation of network services.