High-tech hub

It's not big news when people come to Las Vegas to gamble. But it is big news when a group of companies gambles on Las Vegas and chooses Summerlin for its base of operations.

More than a dozen high-tech companies are taking a team approach to be headquartered under one roof. The 8,500-square-foot building is at 9555 Hillwood Drive, just off Summerlin Parkway at Town Center Drive.

"Our 15 members are very excited to bring these companies to Las Vegas and bring jobs to Las Vegas," said Scott Garrison, president of LINQ360.

The LINQ360 Innovation Center houses various technology companies that address the needs of the hotel industry. They operate under the Microsoft Hospitality Ecosystem Partners banner.

Somer Hollingsworth, president and CEO of the Nevada Development Authority, said, "With as many companies as they've been able to bring together, it's never been done ... this is cutting-edge ... and it's all in Summerlin."

Just the way the building is used is different -- it has an open-display, convention center-like feel with booths for each vendor. Some displays are set up with computers and screens for a hands-on approach. The companies all deal with the hotel industry in one manner or another, making the partnership a one-stop shop for hotel firms to be current with technology.

One of the cutting-edge companies is SuiteLinq. It s floor space was set up to look like a hotel room, complete with a bed. Placed against an interior wall, the space had curtains on the wall with a flat-screen TV peeking through as though it were a window. It ran a loop of the ocean waves lapping at the shore. The other flat screen touted the com pany's advancements.

"What you see here is the hotel of the future," said Nader Nemati, chief information officer for SuiteLinq.

SuiteLinq's technology platform can interface various systems so the television can operate specifically to hotel guests' needs. International travelers, for example, will turn on the TV to find everything is broadcast in their language of choice. The TV also is interactive, acting as an in-house promotion tool by offering printable coupons and taking on concierge tasks such as finding a seafood restaurant for dinner.

Why Summerlin?

"A lot of technical companies are starting to come out here," said Nemati. "You avoid all the hustle and bustle of the Strip."

Shift4 already has a presence in Summerlin. It operates software that safeguards credit card use at the point-of-purchase level. Bob Lowe, director of strategy relationships, said the company wanted very much to be a part of LINQ360.

"A lot of our customers are in the hotel business," he said, "so it makes sense to be a part of it, to have a showroom and a meeting place. It gives us more exposure."

Among the companies at the site are Hewlett-Packard, iBOXfilms, Video River Networks, RiteWire, RedRock Software and Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise.

The Nevada Development Authority also has a space under the LINQ360 umbrella.

"A lot of the stuff you see here? It'll be in your home in about another year," Hollingsworth said.

Contact Summerlin and South Summerlin View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.