Getting the technological edge

Following his firm's relocation to the Middle East, Roomwithnet managing director Andrew Prince talks to Tech Talk how smart technology can help you get ahead of the competition.

Some would say that the smart man is he who keeps things simple, putting in as little effort as possible yet reaping the biggest reward.

Since most hotel guests spend the majority if their lives with their noses to the grindstone, when they get to their hotel room they want things to be as simple as possible - that's where smart technology comes in.

There are in fact two definitions of smart technology, according to Roomwithnet managing director Andrew Prince.

"Smart technology for the guest, or the user, is there to maximise their comfort and enhance their experience of staying in a hotel. They're not too bothered about what happens behind the switches, they just want to have nice things going on around them," he says.

"Smart technology from a technical point of view is the convergence of independent control items into one solution."

A basic example of this is a single wireless touch control that allows the guest to turn the television on and off, dim the lighting or open the door when the doorbell is rung, all from the comfort of their bed.

This type of technology appeals to the tired or busy corporate guests, either allowing them to relax or to save work time, as they never have to leave their bed or desk.

"Guests like it; they don't actually demand it yet, but it is definitely a tool that can be utilised to retain business, particularly corporate business," explains Prince.

"Hotels can also use it to target a niche market. They introduce a one-touch button to order a taxi, or if 100 of their rooms were being used by visitors at a corporate conference then they could send a message to all of those guest's TVs."

And whilst the practical aspects of smart technology can be used to entice business guests to your property, then the novelty value of it can be used to woo leisure guests.

"As far as leisure guests are concerned, we all like gadgets. We all have numerous gadgets in our own homes and have done for some time," says Prince.

He adds that hotels have taken their time to match the kind of technology that people have in their own homes but now, with smart technology is more readily available, they're realising the power that it has to attract new guests.

"Smart technology has been around in its general operational form for a number of years, but with the advent of newer technologies within the IT field it's now a much simpler, much more cost-effective and reliable system to use," says Prince.

"It certainly creates a big interest with hotel developers or with hotel owners, because of the balance of the capital investment over what they see as their return."

Some may expect the hotel industry in the Middle East to be slightly behind Europe and North America when it comes to cutting edge technology, but according to Prince the situation is much the same in this region as it is in Europe, if not slightly better.

"In the Middle East they're faster to enquire about this technology and they're more willing to invest in it" he says.

The prime drivers are the number of five-star properties saturating the market and forcing hotels to go that one step further than their competitors.Gadgets and smart technology are certainly one way to do that, and Prince says that it's not a huge expense to the investor or the owner of the hotel building to install such technology at the construction stage.

"Certain markets are obviously more willing to embrace the technology, in particular Dubai, Abu Dhabi - the UAE generally - Qatar, Kuwait. They're much more open to looking at something new," he adds.

Roomwithnet (RWN Trading LLC) started operating in London in 1991 but, whilst the firm still has a satellite office in the UK, its head office is now situated in the Fairmont Dubai and the Middle East is its prime target market.

"Our target, which we have almost achieved, is to set up a complete network of systems integrators across the region to sell all of our solutions to hotels and we're already doing business in Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE in the Middle East, as well as Sri Lanka, Maldives and India. The Middle East is an emerging market for this [smart] technology." explains Prince.

The company's core smart product at present is the Virtual Concierge, which Prince describes as a hotel digital interactive TV system that incorporates all of the entertainment information and business services that a hotel guest would require.

"Apart from digital television - as opposed to analogue, so the quality is very good - you've got video on demand, play back TV, internet access on all LCD TVs, digital games, hotel information, business information and religious information - quite important in the Middle East," he says.

"And on top of that it has a multi-language facility."

The Virtual Concierge runs using Roomwithnet software but, as Prince explains, it is the hotel's system for it to brand and use to deliver information to its guests.

"Whether it be a special offer for a stay the following week, an offer of dinner for two with a free glass of champagne or a tour they're promoting, the Virtual Concierge provides hotels with a big opportunity to up-sell their products and services," he says.

"It's a marketing tool, and we always recommend that the sales and marketing department is heavily involved in the configuration of the system."

The technology does not present too much of a challenge on the technical side either, and is quick and easy to install.

"It's not highly technical because of today's technology. The converged network that we have with our systems integrators means that we're basically just using one network cable into the room to deliver all of the services from TV to internet and telephones as required," explains Prince.

Roomwithnet is constantly on the lookout for new products that will compliment its smart software, and has recently introduced a new LCD display with a built-in PC to the Middle East market.

"The benefit of this is that you don't need a separate set top box in the room, and you're providing the guest with full PC functionality on their TV," Prince says.

"They can walk in, press a button, and get onto programmes like Word or Excel. It also comes with an infra red or remote keyboard."

As well as the Virtual Concierge and LCD PC, Roomwithnet offers the i-Pod radio alarm clock, "a big thing in Dubai as most guests travel with their own music and the ability to play it is important", and the VC-BTN Remote which means "lights, curtains, the door lock, all of those services hooked into the one remote control that's completely wireless".

"There are many benefits. It's a very easy install and can be retro-fitted to existing hotels," says Prince.

The range of smart technology continues to grow at a rapid pace, driven by customer demand, hotels' desire to stand out above their competitors and most importantly the need to make technology operation more convenient for the guest.

"The next big step will be the use of individual cell phones and PDAs to control all aspects of the room, from curtains to door locks and the TV, using wireless or Bluetooth," concludes Prince.