7-year extension to include telecommunications upgrades
Mark Haley, president of Smart City Networks, the nation’s largest provider of event telecommunications and technology services for the conventions industry, announced today that the George R. Brown Convention Center (GRBCC) in Houston has extended its partnership with the company for an additional seven years plus three one-year renewals. The new contract will allow Smart City to provide additional upgrades for the venue. Smart City has served as the organization’s telecommunications provider since 1987.
At the end of 2015 Smart City announced that GRBCC renewed its contract for technology services for an additional five years. Under this new and separate telecommunications contract, Smart City will continue to provide telephone services, network cabling, which includes 12 strands of single mode fiber to be installed in each intermediate distribution frame, and high speed Internet access using Ethernet protocols.
“We have worked with Smart City for the past 29 years and are pleased to continue this relationship with them,” said Luther Villagomez, chief operating officer, convention center district. “It is with the support of partner vendors like Smart City that we at the GRBCC are able to provide the quality and continuity of service our clients deserve and expect.”
The contract also includes a number of telecommunications upgrades, which will provide additional support for upcoming events at the venue. Those upgrades include a full building WiFi access upgrade to the latest Cisco 3702 WiFi AP and a threefold access point increase covering the venue. Smart City will also be providing a new Nexus 7009 Core Switch, Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series Edge Switches, and new WiFi Cisco 8510 Controllers.
Spanning more than five blocks, the GRBCC hosts a wide range of large events each year, including the annual NAPE Summit, International Quilts Festival, the Houston Marathon, and the Turbomachinery and Pump Users Symposium. GRBCC’s decision to renew its contract with Smart City ensures that these events will go off without a hitch.
