The NCR-designed data warehousing system will give Harrah's employees a better grasp of how much business a particular customer spends at any and all of Harrah's locations. And, it will let Harrah's instantly determine what level of rewards to offer that customer, regardless of the location of the Harrah's casino where they may be trying their luck.

"Our targeted customers at any one of our Harrah's properties should be recognized and rewarded appropriately at every Harrah's property," said John Boushy, senior vice president, Information Technology and Marketing Services, at Memphis, Tenn., based Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. "NCR's powerful Teradata database allows us to keep track of millions of customers' activities and provides Harrah's with the means to analyze and predict the true value of each customer. With this knowledge, we can market more effectively, increasing the attraction and retention of our targeted customers."

Capable of handling data from as little as 10 Gigabytes to more than 100 Terabytes, NCR's Teradata database will run Harrah's Marketing Workbench application on an NCR-based WorldMark(TM) 4700 dual-node MPP (massively parallel processing) server with Symbios NSC disk arrays. Harrah's has also purchased an additional WorldMark 4700 dual-node server for use in a test/development environment. The Teradata-based data warehouse replaces Harrah's existing Informix system. NCR is also providing Professional Services for the design, implementation, migration and maintenance of the new Harrah's data warehouse.

Rewards Here, There and Everywhere at Harrah's

The Total Gold program entitles a guest to free entertainment, vouchers for food and accommodations -- or even a cash payout.  Those rewards, in turn, encourage customers to remain loyal to the Harrah's casino name across the country, and boost the amount of repeat business from these regular customers.

Using the information collected, Harrah's is better able to identify and meet the unique needs of its guests. "NCR's data warehouse provides Harrah's with the means to analyze and predict what their customers need and want -- thereby giving them a more enjoyable experience each time they visit a Harrah's casino," said Darryl McDonald, NCR's vice president for Retail Enterprise Solutions in the Americas. "Harrah's Total Gold system is a winning example of how NCR's high performance marketing solutions provide companies with a competitive edge that helps them grow more profitably and ensure customers are well-satisfied."

Harrah's data warehouse not only lets the casino entertainment giant instantly track customers registered in its system, but allows it to better target and execute marketing campaigns aimed at those customers. For example, Harrah's might award hotel vouchers to an out-of-state guest, while free show tickets would be better for someone who takes day trips to the casino.

"Knowing our customers better allows us to determine what adds value to each customer, individually, and then provide that value at the right time. This capability, enabled through NCR's Teradata database, significantly differentiates us from our competitors," said Harrah's Boushy. "Harrah's has the only system in the industry for recognizing and rewarding its customers on a national basis. Our data warehouse allows us to combine this customer knowledge across all of our properties."

Customer Recognition

Harrah's Total Gold system tracks customers no matter what casino they're visiting.  For example, a Total Gold player in Harrah's Atlantic City, N.J., casino is immediately recognized upon presenting his or her card in the company's Las Vegas casino -- and is duly rewarded with vouchers and coupons. Harrah's tracks customers' activities each time they use their magnetic identification card to play a slot machine, or when they present it to the dealer at a gaming table.

Harrah's data warehouse tracks and encourages "cross-market play" by customers -- that is, guests who visit more than one of Harrah's properties. Cross market-play has become a focus for Harrah's since it introduced the Total Gold program in the fall of 1997. And, the effort is paying off. Cross-market play is now 12 percent of gaming revenue up from 8 percent just a year ago.

Patent-Winning System

Harrah's has received U.S. patents on its "National Customer Recognition System and Method" and its "Bet Tracking System for Gaming Tables."  Harrah's also has patents pending for other innovations in systems and methodologies that use information technology to improve service for Harrah's customers.

About Harrah's

Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is the most recognized and respected brand name in the casino entertainment industry.  Founded more than 60 years ago, Harrah's is focused on building loyalty and brand value with its targeted customers through a unique combination of excellent products and services, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership.

About NCR

NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is a recognized world leader in data warehousing solutions, ATMs, point-of-service systems, high performance scanners, and support services for retail, financial and national accounts markets.  NCR's business solutions are built on the foundation of the company's long-established industry knowledge and consulting expertise, value- adding software, global customer support services, a complete line of consumable and media products, and world-leading hardware technology.  More information on NCR and its products can be found on the World Wide Web at http:/www.ncr.com

NCR WorldMark is a trademark and NCR Teradata and NCR are registered trademarks of NCR Corporation. All other brand and product names mentioned in this document are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of their respective holders.