NATIONAL REPORT—Companies are introducing new technology and partnering with hotels—all with the goal of improving the guest experience and operations. Here’s a look:
Sprint Helps Improve Hospitality Wireless Data Performance
A new product, designed and manufactured by Airspan Networks, was created to help hotels and hospitality venues continue to look for ways to deliver better wireless experiences for their guests.
The Sprint Magic Box – Hospitality Edition, is the first all-wireless small cell produced specifically for hotels, according to the company. It connects to a nearby cell site and dramatically increases download and upload speeds by 200% on average for Sprint customers, and it extends in-building coverage up to 30,000 sq. ft. This allows guests to have a better streaming, app and download experience on their Sprint devices while on site without even connecting to the venue’s WiFi.
The product was designed with feedback from the hotel industry in mind, with a small footprint and simple, neutral design to fit with various hotel decor, the company reports. Each unit features a white faux-weave design on the sides and either a woodgrain or grass-like top for a more natural look.
Langham Hotel Adds Spectralink Smartphone Technology
Langham Hotels and Resorts’ flagship hotel in London has selected Spectralink’s Pivot series of smartphones increase staff communication and connectivity.
Pivot is an enterprise-grade voice-over-WiFi smartphone that offers an intuitive touchscreen interface as well as seamless integration with Google Mobile Services, according to the company.
“With Pivot smartphones, staff can reliably communicate from anywhere within the hotel, while providing auditable reports to support training and the continuous improvement of guest services,” said Perry Lai, VP of information technology with the Langham Hospitality Group.
The Langham Hotel was unhappy with its incumbent solution, which failed to deliver seamless voice connectivity, resulting in dropped calls and miscommunications between staff, impacting guest experiences. It sought a solution that would work with its existing WiFi infrastructure to reduce cost and utilize its current network, while also offering a platform for the FCS hospitality application to instantly allocate housekeeping resources and measures team performance.
The Langham Hotel currently has 90 Pivot smartphones helping its front desk, support staff and housekeeping teams communicate and connect efficiently. Ramon Rizk, information systems manager of The Langham, commented, “Since adopting Pivot smartphones, we’ve seen an increase in staff productivity and responsiveness. Plus, the additional audit reports help management proactively train employees to anticipate and avoid service disruptions.”
Arcules Launches Intelligent Video Cloud Platform
Arcules, provider of video cloud Internet of Things (IoT) as a service technology, has launched the Arcules Intelligent Video Cloud platform.
The platform aggregates and analyzes previously untapped video surveillance and IoT sensor data, identifies trends in that data and applies predictive analytics to help businesses optimize operations and improve safety, according to the company. Using the Arcules solution, businesses can access these insights anywhere and from any device in a streamlined, centralized platform, and quickly scale the solution without the burden of additional maintenance or hardware.
Arcules, a Canon Group company, is one of the first to combine enterprise video and IoT sensor data using advanced cloud technologies and artificial intelligence to turn data into actionable insights for businesses, the company reports. For example, footpath and sentiment analysis for retail and hospitality become exponentially more valuable when video is correlated with sales data. Security practices move from reactive to proactive and predictive, increasing safety and well-being.
“As the first provider of video cloud IoT as a service technology, we are aiming to set the standard for agility, security and analytics for video data in the cloud,” said Andreas Pettersson, CEO of Arcules. “After years of rudimentary surveillance, businesses are learning to leverage cloud solutions to unleash the full potential of enterprise video and IoT data. From rapid deployment to AI-powered decision-making, the cloud revolutionizes video service offerings for the businesses of tomorrow. Our team is ready to turn video and IoT data into intelligence for smarter businesses and a safer world.”