Hotel Technology Evolution Continues to Gather Speed
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Commercial Content
Monday 22nd November 2010
Hotel Technology Evolution Continues to Gather SpeedHeightened Guest Expectations and New Hotel Opportunities and Requirements Drive Technology Change
Hotels are requiring increasingly more complex solutions and are looking at converged technologies, as an example, to help provide viable and cost- effective services. We speak to Marc Budie, technology director at Quadriga who explains the driving force behind these changes and how the company is working with hotels to meet these needs.
How have the technology needs of your hotel customers changed since we spoke to you last?
Technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, despite the challenging conditions faced by hoteliers in the recent economic climate. Hotels are demanding technology which solves business problems and delivers real business value. To achieve this, hotels are increasingly looking to their suppliers for support through the complex integration and merging of associated technologies.
The convergence of networks is a growing trend, with hotels wishing to manage more of their services and applications over a single network. There is an increasing requirement for integration with other hotel systems to allow data transfer and the use of guest information to provide a more personalised experience.
The need for hotels to provide a robust and reliable internet connection for both guests and walk-in customers continues
to be critical. This is particularly true for WiFi – which we see now as increasingly more preferred than a wired connection – and also for those guests using their own mobile devices. With guests having different internet needs within the hotel, the need to plan an internet service offer which may vary throughout the hotel is also a growing trend.
As Digital TV gains momentum, our customers look to us to guide them through the myriad of channel choice and encryption requirements - driven by the need to provide the optimum viewing experience. We are also the first port of call for advice on current trends in the
blurring TV/internet space, good examples being the introduction of Google TV and TV widgets. Although in their infancy, these new developments will play a big part in influencing guest perceptions and expectations in the near future.
What is driving these requirements?
Hotels are primarily looking to drive business efficiencies. The move towards managing multiple services across a single network and the centralisation of technology to reduce costs and manage complexity is also a key topic of conversation when I speak to customers. Hotels are also looking at ways to optimise guest loyalty and retention, by
increasing guest satisfaction and making each guest feel even more valued. In turn, what guests can experience via technology at home alters their perception of what they expect in a hotel and this influences hotel requirements. Guests expect the same level of content and connectivity in a hotel environment as they do at home – a plethora of TV channels, high definition quality and substantial bandwidth, among others.
How is Quadriga evolving to meet these needs? It’s clear from our conversations with hoteliers that rather than working with multiple suppliers, they are looking for a single, long term partner to help them navigate increasingly complex technology and convergence challenges, ensuring that they can realise optimal return from their investment.
We work in partnership with our customers providing a single source for a complete solution from network design and convergence, to internet and connectivity, to the provision of a fully customised guest communications solution via the TV and laptop. Our solutions deliver real business value, providing new ways to generate revenues, reduce costs, promote brand values and drive guest satisfaction.
We provide hotels with enabling technology and infrastructure support to help optimise technology solutions, building on over 25 years of experience and in-house expertise. Key competencies include:
Layered on top of this, our guest communications portal, Sensiq, opens up valuable commercial opportunities for hotels, where the TV can be used to promote and drive sales of hotel facilities and services, drive additional business value through increased brand awareness and loyalty as well as drive down costs. Customers have access to a whole host of tools, such as dedicated prime spot menu options, promotional tickers, advertising pages and multimedia opportunities, to personalise the solution to reflect their individual needs.
What makes Quadriga well-placed to address and respond to all of these hotel needs?
In the past, Quadriga was perceived as a company that specialised in TVs and entertainment for hotels. Today, we build on this heritage and experience in our provision of a complete solution to customers, from their network infrastructure to the design of a guest communications solution truly customised to their business needs. This draws on our skills in software development, network design, internet connectivity, user interface design, content management, customisation, content security and
knowledge of delivering proven revenue streams. Our 25 years’ experience working with the world’s leading hotel brands has helped to earn us the position of ‘Trusted Partner’ today, providing the single answer to helping hotels to improve their communications with their guests.
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