Outsourcing a High Speed Internet Access Project: An Information Technology Class Case Study in Three Parts

In early 2004, the Hilton Hotels Corporation (HHC) required that all of its hotels (both owned and franchised) install highspeed Internet access (HSIA) in all of their rooms by June 2004. This case focuses on how one of its franchise properties located on the northern gulf coast of Florida (the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa—hereinafter referred to as the HSB) responded to this mandate. The (A) part of the HSB case includes the industry situation for the HSB in 2004 plus the details surrounding the initial phase of the HSIA project. Also presented in this part are descriptions of how and why the HSB management made the decision to use a wireless (versus wired) solution as well as to outsource both the installation of the HSIA wireless hardware and the customer support aspects of the HSIA project to what turned out to be a less than experienced vendor. The (B) part of this case describes the situation at HSB after the high speed internet system was installed and made operational, as well as the various problems that the system and its lack of customer support created for the hotel. Part (C) details the actions of the new HSB General Manager who arrived in late 2004 after the initial HSIA implementation and how he resolved the issues that had been created by his predecessor