PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 
COMMISSION AGENDA               Item No.      4e 
ACTION ITEM 
Date of Meeting     March 22, 2016 
DATE:    March 14, 2016 
TO:      Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:   Mike Ehl, Director Airport Operations 
Peter Garlock, Chief Information Officer 
SUBJECT:  Airport Voice Paging System Upgrade (CIP #C800709) 
Amount of This Request:       $1,600,000   Source of      Airport Development
Funds:                 Fund 
Est. Total Project Cost:         $1,600,000 
Est. State and Local Taxes:        $62,000 
ACTION REQUESTED 
Request Commission authorization for the Chief Executive Officer to (1) proceed with the 
Airport Voice Paging upgrade project at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; (2) procure
required hardware, software, vendor services, and maintenance; and (3) use Port staff for
implementation, for a total project cost not to exceed $1,600,000. 
SYNOPSIS 
This project will upgrade the current common-use Voice Paging system that is used throughout
the airport by Airport Operations and Airline Personnel for passenger announcements. The
Voice Paging system hardware cannot support growth, and is well beyond manufacturer
published service life. As a result, the current system is driving up maintenance costs, and is
vulnerable to extended outages. 
The project will replace the equipment and software components that impede expansion and
increase the risk of system failure. Information & Communication Technology (ICT), Aviation
Maintenance, and Port Construction Services (PCS) resources will complete the project.  Total
project costs are estimated to be $1,600,000. Funding for this project was included in the 2016-
2020 capital budget and plan of finance. Recurring hardware license and maintenance costs will
be budgeted within the Aviation Maintenance department's operating budget. 
BACKGROUND 
The AVPS system, a product of Innovative Electronic Design (IED), was first installed as part of
the South Terminal Expansion Project in 2004. A subsequent project added the communication
system to the rest of the Airport in 2007.  The Airport Voice Paging System (AVPS) is an
essential passenger communication tool used throughout Seattle-Tacoma International Airport 
(Sea-Tac) by Airline and Airport Operations to provide travelers with flight, gate, baggage, and
Template revised May 30, 2013.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
March 14, 2016 
Page 2 of 5 
emergency information, as well as provide voice paging messages and background music 
throughout the terminal. The current system cannot meet the increased capacity requirements of 
the International Arrivals Facility (IAF) and North Satellite expansion programs. In addition,
replacement parts, software updates, and security patches are no longer available. As an
example, the current system's computers still use the MS-DOS operating system because of their
age. Application development and support ceased on this operating system 16 years ago. 

PROJECT JUSTIFICATION AND DETAILS 
Requirements for new speaker zones to accommodate the North Satellite and IAF expansion
projects, and other Port projects, cannot be supported because of limitations of the current
system's aging hardware and software. In addition, replacement hardware, software updates, and
security patches are no longer available for the existing system. 
Project Objectives 
Increase system capacity to meet needs driven by IAF, North Satellite expansion, and
other requests as required 
Ensure system availability and reliability. 
Scope of Work 
Upgrade the existing AVPS by replacing software and equipment components that restrict
expansion and are at risk of failure. These components include amplifiers, network switches,
mainframe controllers, servers, and announcement control software. 
Schedule 
Commission Approval                                  March 2016 
Procurement Complete                                    May 2016 
Installation Complete                                         May 2017 
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 
Budget/Authorization Summary              Capital     Expense   Total Project 
Original Budget                      $1,600,000          $0    $1,600,000 
Previous Authorizations                       $0          $0          $0 
Current request for authorization            $1,600,000          $0    $1,600,000 
Total Authorizations, including this request     $1,600,000          $0    $1,600,000 
Remaining budget to be authorized               $0          $0          $0 
Total Estimated Project Cost              $1,600,000          $0    $1,600,000 
Project Cost Breakdown                     This Request       Total Project 
Hardware and Software                       $650,000          $650,000 
Vendor Services                            $500,000          $500,000

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
March 14, 2016 
Page 3 of 5 
ICT Labor                               $308,000         $308,000 
PCS                               $80,000         $80,000 
State & Local Taxes (estimated)                    $62,000           $62,000 
Total                                     $1,600,000         $1,600,000 
Budget Status and Source of Funds 
This project was included in the 2016-2020 capital budget and plan of finance as a $1,600,000
business plan prospective project within CIP #C800709, Airport Voice Paging System Upgrade.
The source of funds is the Airport Development Fund. 
Financial Analysis and Summary 
CIP Category             Renewal/Enhancement 
Project Type              Technology 
Risk adjusted discount rate     N/A 
Key risk factors             N/A 
Project cost for analysis        $1,600,000 
Business Unit (BU)          Terminal Building 
Effect on business performance  N/A 
IRR/NPV             N/A 
CPE Impact             $.01 
Lifecycle Cost and Savings 
An estimated $24,000 increase in annual hardware maintenance costs are expected as a result of
this project. This additional $24,000 will be budgeted in the Aviation Maintenance Annual 
Operating Budget, and is not included as part of the $1,600,000 project cost. 
STRATEGIES AND OBJECTIVES 
This project will support the following Century Agenda and Aviation Strategic Goals. 
Advance this region as a leading tourism destination and business gateway 
Meet the region's air transportation needs at Sea-Tac Airport for the next 25 years 
Position the Puget Sound region as a premier international logistics hub 
Successful airport and airline operations depend on a reliable  voice paging system to
communicate information to travelers and for Department of Homeland Security compliance.
This project will add the capacity required by the IAF and North Satellite expansion projects, and
ensure continued system availability and long-term reliable performance. 
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED 
Alternative 1)  Fully replace the existing AVPS with a different vendor selected via a
competitive procurement.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
March 14, 2016 
Page 4 of 5 
Cost: $5,000,000 - $10,000,000 
Pros: 
Other systems that meet system requirements may be available that could marginally 
lower costs. 
Cons: 
The cost of a full system replacement is estimated between $5,000,000 and
$10,000,000 because these systems utilize proprietary hardware, and it cannot be
determined before a competitive procurement if any of the existing infrastructure
could be re-used by another vendor. The cost of this alternative is significantly
higher than the cost to only replace the aging components. 
If selected, other leading vendor solutions would likely require a full cabling
replacement, causing significant disruption to terminal operations. In addition to
significantly higher cost, this alternative would add 12-24 months to the project
schedule for construction, 
All airlines and airport operations personnel would need to be trained on the new
system. 
This is not the recommended alternative. 
Alternative 2)  Use existing vendor (IED) and upgrade all key equipment regardless of age.
Cost: $2,200,000 
Pros: 
The existing system uses equipment that will likely need to be replaced in five years.
Replacing them at this time will eliminate future project costs for construction and
implementation. 
Cons: 
The replacement of this equipment would require an additional $600,000 in project
capital costs, and is unnecessary at this time. 
This is not the recommended alternative. 

Alternative 3)  Use the existing equipment vendor (IED), and replace only the software and
equipment that are past service life, and required to add capacity.
Cost: $1,600,000 
Pros: 
Less costly than a full system replacement 
Provides the reliability and capacity needed for critical airport and airline operations. 
IED, our current voice paging product vendor, is a leader in Voice Paging systems
with hundreds of airport installations 
Cons:

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
March 14, 2016 
Page 5 of 5 
Equipment not replaced now will likely need to be upgraded in the next five years. 
This is the recommended alternative. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST 
None 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
None