PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 
COMMISSION AGENDA               Item No.      4c 
ACTION ITEM 
Date of Meeting    February 23, 2016 
DATE:    February 17, 2016 
TO:      Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:   Dave Soike, Director, AV Facilities and Capital Programs 
Peter Garlock, Chief Information Officer 
SUBJECT:  Airport Data Network Switch Upgrade (CIP #C800788) 
Amount of This Request:        $2,982,000   Source of Funds:   Airport Development
Fund 
Est. Total Project Cost:          $2,982,000 
Est. State and Local Taxes:        $186,000 
ACTION REQUESTED 
Request Commission authorization for the Chief Executive Officer to (1) proceed with the Data
Network Switch 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 $2,982,000. 
SYNOPSIS 
The Sea-Tac airport data network provides data connectivity for systems critical to operations at
Seattle-Tacoma International airport. This includes hundreds of security cameras throughout the
airport, flight information systems, common-use check-in kiosks, boarding pass printers and
readers at airline gates, the baggage messaging system, and the free WiFi system that provides
Internet access to the traveling public. 
The existing data network switching infrastructure at Sea-Tac was installed over 12 years ago.
These older components no longer have sufficient processing power and capacity  to 
accommodate the dramatic increase in data network traffic from the airlines and passengers
served by the airport, and the greatly increased use of rich media devices (smartphones, tablets,
etc.) to access a wide variety of applications and data. This growing demand for high capacity
network service will continue to increase as airlines and travelers take advantage of new
technology and applications. 
The purpose of this project is to upgrade the airport data network by replacing the existing
switching equipment with high capacity, faster processor switching equipment needed to support
current and future network requirements. Information & Communication Technology (ICT) and
Port Construction Services (PCS) resources will complete the project. Total project costs are

Template revised May 30, 2013.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
February 17, 2016 
Page 2 of 5 
estimated to be $2,982,000. 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 ICT department's operating budget. 
BACKGROUND 
A network switch interconnects data devices such as computers, servers, and printers. Port of
Seattle network switches are configured, managed, and monitored remotely by ICT to optimize
performance and meet security requirements. The current switching infrastructure consists of 6
core switches, 8 distribution switches, and 197 access layer switches that are dispersed
throughout the airport. They were installed over 12 years ago, and are long past their vendor
supported lifespan. The data systems that rely upon this aging network are critical to airport and
airline operations. 
In the last ten years, technology has changed dramatically. At the same time, data growth has
increased exponentially, and internet access has become critical to the business. This has resulted
in an ever increasing reliance on the fast transmission of large amounts of information and data.
For these reasons, our current switches can no longer support the data communication
requirements that our critical applications demand. 
PROJECT JUSTIFICATION AND DETAILS 
There is significant stress on our current aging network infrastructure, because it can't support
the data transmission increases from airline data feeds, security cameras, and the traveling
public. Airport WiFi use is growing dramatically every year, and the data transmission
requirements for this system will soon be unsustainable with our older equipment. 
In addition, the age, under capacity, and inadequate processing power of our current airport
network switching infrastructure increases our vulnerability in the event of a switch failure. The
impact of such a failure ranges from an outage of the Airport free WiFi, which would
inconvenience travelers, to an inability to support systems such as those used to board passengers
at a gate, resulting in delayed flights. 
Project Objectives 
Ensure the airport data network will support critical Airport and airline systems by
replacing aging network switches with new technology that meets current and future data
transmission requirements. 
Deploy new components with no disruption to critical operational systems. 
Scope of Work 
Replacement of approximately 211 Cisco access network switches in communication
rooms and data centers with devices that meet ICT's technology Standards.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
February 17, 2016 
Page 3 of 5 
Schedule 
Commission Approval                                February 2016 
Procurement Complete                                   May 2016 
Installation Complete                                        April 2017 
The deployment of equipment will be over a 15 month period to minimize operational impacts. 
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 
Budget/Authorization Summary              Capital     Expense   Total Project 
Original Budget                      $2,982,000          $0    $2,982,000 
Previous Authorizations                       $0          $0          $0 
Current request for authorization            $2,982,000          $0    $2,982,000 
Total Authorizations, including this request     $2,982,000          $0    $2,982,000 
Remaining budget to be authorized               $0          $0          $0 
Total Estimated Project Cost              $2,982,000          $0    $2,982,000 
Project Cost Breakdown                     This Request       Total Project 
Equipment                             $2,145,000        $2,145,000 
Vendor Services                            $210,000          $210,000 
ICT Labor                               $347,000         $347,000 
PCS                               $75,000         $75,000 
State & Local Taxes (estimated)                   $205,000          $205,000 
Total                                      $2,982,000         $2,982,000 
Budget Status and Source of Funds 
This project was included in the 2016-2020 capital budget and plan of finance as a $3,000,000
business plan prospective project within CIP #C800788, Airport Data Network Switch 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        $2,982,000 
Business Unit (BU)          Terminal Building 
Effect on business performance  N/A 
IRR/NPV             N/A 
CPE Impact             $.02

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
February 17, 2016 
Page 4 of 5 
Lifecycle Cost and Savings 
An estimated $90,000 increase in annual hardware maintenance costs are expected as a result of
this project. This will be budgeted in the ICT Operating Budget. 
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 getaway 
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 
Systems critical to Airport and airline communications and operations, depend on the airport data
network for data transmission. This project ensures the high performance, security and network
availability required to support these systems. 
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED 
Alternative 1)  Only replace network switching components as they fail.
Pros: 
Costs would be distributed over multiple years 
Cons: 
Total cost is estimated to 20-30% higher if replaced over this longer period. 
There will be serious operational impacts for any outage of equipment due to the
criticality of the systems supported by the airport data network. 
This approach precludes our ability to implement new network functionality and
support rapidly increasing computing and data transmission requirements. 
Because the existing equipment is at end of life, bug fixes and security updates will
no longer be provided by the vendor. 
This is not the recommended alternative. 
Alternative 2)  Replace all aging network switch components on the airport data network.
Pros: 
This solution will provide a tenfold increase in current capacity, plus the flexibility 
and scalability of the airport data network to meet rapidly growing demands and
security requirements. 
Improves our ability to monitor and manage a highly complex network. 
Substantially reduces the risk of critical system outages caused by equipment failure. 
Cons: 
This solution has a higher short term cost. 
This is the recommended alternative.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
February 17, 2016 
Page 5 of 5 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST 
None 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
None