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EDITORIAL

Changing Face of Hotels

S A N J AY M O H A PAT R A S A N J AY @ A C C E N T I N F O M E D I A . C O M

Compared to the experience of guests in a hotel ten years back and now has a lot of changes. Yesteryears, the guests were only able to see the advantage of electronic integrations in the hotel rooms for example they were controling the lighting, A/V, screens using a single electronic console –that too it was not available in every hotel. Those which were good hotel used to provide these privileges of the guests. But their experience with the front desk was not as smooth as it is happening now. It used to take more time and the queue becomes longer. But today once you arrive on the front desk for check in, the executive takes your ID proof and hands over a document to sign and by the time you sign after reading the form, the executive hands over the access card of the room along with your identity proof which you had given initially. In a flash the executive tucks your ID card in the scanner and zoom…the information gets captured and goes to the centralised server. And you are, in a few seconds, checked in and in your room. This change in the services is because of the allignment of the information technology for the hotel industry. Today, many of the hotels globally, take booking though apps. They have their own apps and the frequent flyers or the guests download those apps and book, cancel or extend using the app. Even the hotels run various schemes for the guest and push the information through the apps which automatically pops out when the user opens the smart phone. Starting from the front desk to the back end, everything has been influenced by the ICT. The check in is done through the front desk terminal or a PC or tablet. Various information about the hotels are flashed on digital signage, which has replaced the hard wood boards. The rooms have become keyless entry and exit. Even the hotels are using social media to create awareness. Most of the hotels today have online presence, which is connected with a secure payment gateway. It means a guest without vising the hotel can take a tour of the hotel and see what the amenities the hotel provides, its location, how to reach, plus some essential information about the city clients and hot spots. The guest now has the option of booking the rooms, convention halls, conference room; even table in the restaurant is booked without meeting or talking the executives. Everything happens online including payment. Every hotel today is offering wireless internet in the guest rooms or even outside, which enhances the experience of the guests, though the guests feel happy if it is free or bundled with the room tariff. On the other side, many hotels have replaced paper based activities including menu, work order, job order, assignments, HR, etc. to digital platforms. Many hotels have adopted mobility. Starting from the front desk application, the executives are coming to the guests with a tablet to login the details of the guest eliminating the timing whatsoever standing in the queue. The room service workforce use their smart phones to access the list of activities they need to take care of before the guest arrives, which earlier used to be paper based. So early morning every member used to converge at a place and take down their works but not anymore. This is not enough, there are further scope for the hotels to improve in the quality of services by becoming smart. ë

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CASE STUDY

Alcatel Lucent Enabled Radisson Blu Hotel, Doha

ABOUT RADISSON BLU, DOHA Radisson Blu Hotel in Doha boasts a central location and offers standard rooms, business rooms, suites, and a wealth of dining and recreational facilities.The Radisson Blu Hotel in Doha is an accommodation befitting the world’s richest city. It is convenient to the guests and has close proximity to commerce, shopping and the airport. The hotel rooms include themed suites and free high-speed, wireless Internet. With an appealing central location, striking design and expert hospitality, the Radisson Blu Hotel in Doha makes an obvious choice among hotels in the area. Its 583 guest rooms and suites showcase intriguing styles from clean-lined contemporary to classic Arabic.

CHALLENGES Guest accommodation on the 36 m2,11 floor X2 buildings includes 583 guest rooms and suites, making it the largest hotel in Qatar. The hotel also includes several restaurants, recreational facilities, as well as conference facilities. With the limited number of IT resources, Radisson Blu Hotel in Doha was looking for a converged solution to meet the expectations of guests by upgradinginternet services in all rooms and public

areas. They were looking for a reliable system that is trouble free and most importantly, provides future scalability. As a solution, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise looked at creating a flexible and reliable IP communications infrastructure capable of supporting guest requirements.

SOLUTIONS “We realized that not only would we be integrating and deploying something that needed to fit today’s requirements, but also those coming few years,” says N.K.Wahi,Director of Finance, Radisson Blu Hotel, Doha. “The great thing with an IP infrastructure is that you can enhance it with new features and applications that are relevant to the business. There will always be ad hoc requirements and it is good to know we have a solid platform in which we can always add applications to.” Huzefa Husain, IT Manager, Radisson Blu Hotel, Doha says it is now commonplace for guests to arrive carrying laptops, smartphones or iPads. Wireless access is not a luxury option anymore, but a standard requirement: “At this level of the market, guests expect to have wireless access with good upload and download speeds and without getting charged for it. It only makes sense to go ahead and facilitate guests with such offerings.”

NajehKhalil, Regional Director, Upper Gulf, Alcatel-lucent enterprise commented saying that the company was happy to be part of this project and were able to demonstrate to the hotel the features they are looking for, which include stability, ease of use, reliability, future scalability and affordability in terms of total cost of ownership. Free Internet: As part of the E@syConnect Service concept, the hotels offers free high-speed and/or wireless internet access for all guests throughout the hotel. One Touch Service:Whether it is room service, questions for the concierge or a special request. Guests can press the One Touch Service button on their room telephone to have their requests handled. Alcatel-Lucent and its partner Intercol Dyarco were among the few companies to develop a realistic proposal based on the given budget and requirements. The competition was hard and against other global players such as Cisco and Avaya. While many proposals were competitive,

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CASE STUDY

HUZEFA HUSAIN

IT MANAGER, RADISSON BLU HOTEL, DOHA

“AT THIS LEVEL OF THE MARKET, GUESTS EXPECT TO HAVE WIRELESS ACCESS WITH GOOD UPLOAD

the direct 8780 OmniVista management system for configuration and managing the entire voice network with billing system. Finally, each room in the hotel enjoys two Alcatel-Lucent phones 4028 and 4018.

AND DOWNLOAD SPEEDS AND WITHOUT GETTING

BENEFITS

CHARGED FOR IT.”

Radisson Blu Hotel in Doha is one of the first hotels in Qatar using complete converged solutions of voice data and Wi-Fi. The hotel is satisfied with the solution and the value for money and the platform that enables them to add applications when needed. “The hotel offers free internet access and Wi-Fi access throughout the hotel. This meets guest expectations but is only the beginning of Radisson Blu’s plans for making the most of its new IP infrastructure.” “In management terms, with a centralized solution through the IP network access voice data and wireless access internet, Mr. Huzefa. Husain has a clear view of IT operations.” ë

Alcatel-Lucent was the only supplier that had a full end-to-end converged solutions portfolio that is specific to the hospitality industry. In addition to that, Intercol also offered complete turnkey solutions for active and passive components. The implemented solutions included IP Telephony, Networking and OXE, which is a platform for a variety of applications that are designed to enhance the business communication processes of the organization. The OmniSwitch 9700E was used which features the highest port density and performance, a no single point failure,

smart continuous switching operation and low power consumption levels. Additionally there were two blocks connected on a 10GB backbone network, a 1GB infrastructure on the IDF level, 512 access points and 6000 series controller, and 55 mobile wireless IP phones (Model no. 8118. 4028 and 4018, 4068) for housekeeping so that staff can be connected on the move. Moreover, the implementation solutions included 2200 voice ports, 250 pieces of AP93H, which takes one hard port and connecting their customer data behind our access points for wired internet, and

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MY OPINION

JAWAD SQUALLI,

REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT, EPICOR MIDDLE EAST

“Epicor Delivers business applications are tailored to meet the requirements of the hotels” ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS ARE EQUALLY THE DEMANDING SOLUTION FOR THE HOTEL INDUSTRY AS IT ENHANCES THE PRODUCTIVITY OF THE FRONT OFFICE AND BACK OFFICE TO MAKE THE PROCESS SMART. ENTERPRISE CHANNELS MEA SPOKE TO JAWAD SQUALLI TO KNOW EPICOR’S CAPABILITY. EXCERPTS...

What is the potential of hotel industry in entire MEA region from the enterprise solutions perspective? The hotel industry is growing rapidly within the region and so is their reliance on enterprise

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software solutions. With the allotment of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar and EXPO 2020 to the UAE, we have seen an upsurge in the investment in the hospitality sector. The biggest challenges in the hospitality industry include the

integration and automation of business processes, and the ability to increase operational efficiency and improve customer service. There is a competitive advantage to be gained to those hotels that offer a superior

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MY OPINION

customer experience and those who can respond to market demands quickly, who are agile enough to adapt to the changes around them, who can leverage the knowledge, experience and skills within their own organisation and of their supply chain partners are the ones who gain this advantage. Those who leverage ERP to drive efficiency and customer service will compete effectively, and those who adopt a more mature approach to customer experience that goes beyond price and builds collaborative relationships are the ones who become market leaders. This creates business opportunities for enterprise solution vendors like Epicor Software who offers next-generation solutions that combine quality and reliability, with visionary technology that can help them meet ever changing business requirements. A solid ERP platform can help a hotel not only reduce costs and streamline processes, but also increase the flexibility and agility that’s needed to succeed in a competitive marketplace. How have enterprise solutions technologies evolved to adapt to the requirement of the hotel industry? Just like any other industry, the hotel industry has some very unique requirements and most of the enterprise solution vendors have successfully evolved to provide suitable functionality. A classic example would be the consumerization of IT, which changed the hotel booking trends and forced vendors to adapt to the change quickly. Most of the enterprise solution vendors like Epicor now provide a solution that is technology-, platform- and device- independent and can be accessed from PCs, laptops, mobiles and tablets. What is the breadth of your solutions for the hotel industry and why do you think your solutions are apt for this vertical? Epicor for Hospitality delivers a suite of integrated business applications tailored to meet the requirements of the hotel industry. It brings together your front- and back-office, OH&S, logistics, finance and accounting, sales, marketing, operational management and HR departments under a centralized solution It open up communication between departments and removes excess paperwork and unnecessary day-to-day onsite management, to help your managers concentrate on what is important — customer service and service delivery. At Epicor, we’ve helped many global hotel chains create a competitive advantage and

meet their business objectives more efficiently. Epicor for Hospitality can provide the tools hotels need to manage growth, refine operations, and increase profitability. Our hospitality software solutions are designed to bring the power of modern technology to hospitality providers

THE PARTNERSHIP Most of the hospitality projects in the Middle East are implemented directly by the Epicor Professional Services team. Some of our channel partners who have experience in hospitality industry include: l ATG Solution, UAE http://www.atgcs.net l United Systems & Solutions, Morocco http://www.united.ma/ l Global Business Solutions, Egypt http://www.gbs-eg.com l Vertical Solutions, Jordan http://www.ver-solutions.com

What is your customer base in the hotel industry? Our customers include some of the world’s leading hotel chains, including Hyatt, Radisson, Four Seasons, Kerzner International, Emirates Palace and Zabeel Hospitality. What are the key drivers that make hotel companies consider adopting new technologies? Some of the major key drivers that we have seen recently include: l Focus on lowering cost and increasing revenue - Lowering operational cost and increasing the bottom line is a major challenge in the hospitality business. In order to overcome this challenge hotels need a robust enterprise application solution in place that integrates and automates

ogy platform that can support them as they conduct business today and in the future – on any device, anytime, anywhere in the world. It is an enterprise solutions that support growth and expansion into new markets – regardless of whether that is within a country, a region such as the Middle East, or worldwide. With over 40 years of experience serving small, midmarket

“A SOLID ERP PLATFORM CAN HELP A HOTEL NOT ONLY REDUCE COSTS AND STREAMLINE PROCESSES, BUT ALSO INCREASE THE FLEXIBILITY AND AGILITY.”

business process, while at the same time boosts operational efficiency and increases revenue. l Business intelligence and guest profiling Enterprise solutions give hotel managers better access to guest data so they can improve the customer experience and react faster to guest needs, even anticipating needs from returning guests before they arise. What key industry trends will be the most impactful for the next 3 years? Today company managers and CIOs are looking for ERP solutions thatcombine quality and reliability, with visionary technology that can help them meet ever changing business requirements. A solid ERP platform can help an organization not only reduce costs and streamline processes, but also increase the flexibility and agility that’s needed to succeed in a competitive marketplace. With Epicor ERP companies gain a technol-

and larger enterprises, we have more than 20,000 customers in over 150 countries. With a history of innovation, industry expertise and passion for excellence, Epicor ERP provides the single point of accountability that local, regional and global businesses demand. We understand what’s needed to grow a business globally. The key industry trends that we anticipate will impact the hospitality business during the next three years include: l The consumerization of IT, a shift from conventional usage from PC/laptop to mobile/ tablets. l Adoption of software solutions that are based on next generation technologies such as True SOA, Web 2.0 and Cloud Computing. l Major events that are driving investments in hospitality sector such as FIFA 2022 at Qatar, and EXPO 2020 at the UAE. ë

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MY OPINION

GRAEME KANE,

REGIONAL HOSPITALITY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER FOR GCC, EGYPT & TURKEY AT ARUBA NETWORKS

“We Leverage Network Context to Deliver Smarter Solutions” WIRELESS AND MOBILITY ARE TWO COOL THINGS WHICH HAVE CHANGED THE HOTEL BUSINESS FOR THE BETTER. GUESTS FEEL THAT IT IS CONVENIENT TO EXECUTE THEIR WORKS IN THEIR ROOMS AND THE EMPLOYS FEEL THAT IT SAVES TIME TO HAVE EVERY INSTRUCTION IN THEIR PHONES THAN IN A PIECE OF PAPER. GRAEME KANE, REGIONAL HOSPITALITY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER FOR GCC, EGYPT & TURKEY AT ARUBA NETWORKS, SPOKE TO ENTERPRISE CHANNELS MEA ABOUT ARUBA SOLUTIONS FOR THE HOTEL INDUSTRY. EXCERPTS…

What is the potential of hotel industry in entire MEA region from the enterprise mobility perspective? Hoteliers have an opportunity to create additional value for its guests and lower operational costs by implementing mobile technology solutions. Given the relatively early days and rapid advancement of the mobility domain, however, it is not astonishing that most hoteliers’ plans to implement solutions are rambling. Hotels, conference/convention facilities and other hospitality venues host an increasingly “connected” customer base. From the business traveler who requires the ability to establish VPN connections to headquarters to leisure travelers updating their online photo albums, guests demand broadband connectivity. Hotels are revamping how they interact too with these travelers. The hotels want to engage with the guests prior to their arrival. They want a closer personal relationship with the guests so they can enhance their interaction and experience. Legacy technology infrastructure are been replaced and upgraded to interact with these #GenMobile travellers. A recently conducted survey by Aruba Networks states that #GenMobile, a group of people for whom smartphones have gone beyond personal entertainment. In fact, they’re now shaping their lives, especially their working lives, around mobile devices. With reference to hospitality itself, the characteristics of #GenMobile can be noted below: l 65% of Travellers have 3 or more devices l 77% reference views before choosing a hotel l 94% cite Wi-Fi as the most important amenity l 36% will hesitate to rebook after a poor Wi-Fi experience How have mobility technologies evolved to adapt to the requirement of the hotel industry? A revolution has taken place, from the days when we had one Ethernet port in the room with the hotels offering the guests a wired connection, or a dedicated hotel business center often found in the lobby. With the mass adoption of smart phones and tablets in the last 3 years the #GenMobile travelers now use their devices anytime, anywhere and are always turned on. A couple of years ago any traveller would have carried only a laptop and a phone. Nowadays, the tech-savvy members of #GenMobile always travel with three or more mobile devices. In addition, every family member carries his/her mobile devices for personal entertainment as well. And when they arrive at a hospitality venue,

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they demand to connect to everything all the time, making it essential to provide for the hotel a memorable guest Wi-Fi experience. Guests expect always-on Wi-Fi to find in-venue activities, access self-service apps and stream content without delay. This mobility has created a need for Hotels to engage guests through smartphone apps and untether their front-desk staff so they can assist guests anywhere on the property. Wi-Fi standards and hardware/hardware placement: There are now indoor and outdoor 802.11ac APs that allow for high-bandwidth streaming from guests’ mobile devices throughout the property (for both .n and .ac supported devices), as opposed to containing wired/wireless connections to individual hotel rooms. For example, for guests this might enable streaming high-bandwidth movies and music applications in outdoor pool areas and for hotels this could mean running high-resolution IP cameras and digital signage over Wi-Fi as well. Context-Based Engagement: The increased amount of data that is available on the Wi-Fi network has opened the door to adding more context-aware communications. Advances in location technologies now also allow venues to customize the guest experience based on who and where they are, for example, turn-by-turn navigation within a mobile app or location-based notifications to a guest on the property. What is the breadth of your solutions for the hotel industry? Aruba provides hospitality venues with a smarter, adaptive infrastructure that delivers, stable, simple, smart, secure Wi-Fi access to thousands of devices at a time, supports mobile collaboration for staff, and enables personalized and location-based mobile engagement for guests. l Aruba Wi-Fi AP Portfolio provides inroom AP options as well as high-capacity indoor and outdoor APs to cater to all types of hotel needs. Aruba patented Clientmatch technology ensures that as guests roam the property they are automatically steered to the best performing AP. l Flexible Network Architecture for controller-based or controller-less deployment, Cloud Management l Airwave Network Management lets IT see and troubleshoot network behavior across all properties and access data and reporting in one intuitive dashboard l ClearPass Guest for intuitive and branded self-service guest Wi-Fi onboarding of devices l ClearPass Policy Manager for role-based network policy automation for both guests and hotel staff

Meridian Mobile App Platform for building location aware mobile apps with features such as indoor way finding and location-based push notifications, For guests, it means less time spent navigating and more time having fun. Aruba AP’ s provide secure wireless connectivity to devices and connect over existing LAN/ WAN systems to tunnel all wireless LAN traffic to a controller installed in the data center or at a large resort property. The controller is the central point of configuration, management, application continuity services and security. With security modules for controllers, Aruba offers the necessary security to protect network assets and sensitive information. Why do you think your solutions are apt for this vertical? Provide a detailed description of your strategy on ground? Aruba portfolio is singularly focused on mobility. We provide hotels and tech-savvy #Genmobile guests with a comprehensive hospitality solution that starts with high-speed Wi-Fi, provides Wi-Fi access and management tools for IT, and also delivers a consumer-facing mobile app platform for hotels to engage their guests. Across all of our products, we leverage network context (role, device, location) to deliver smarter solutions to

existing property management system and lets you create custom-branded registration portals and browser pages that display venue ads and special promotions. Static promotional signage doesn’t always reach your guests and often doesn’t relate to them. Meridian-powered apps use location-aware technology to deliver indoor directions and push out relevant and timely offers to guest mobile devices based on where they are on your venue’s property. Hotels, resorts and casinos can now reward loyal guests by sending them personalized push-notifications that contain exclusive offers on in-house services or events. Aruba Network’s robust partner ecosystem also allows us to team up with leading hospitality vendors to deliver compatible and complimentary technology solutions for hoteliers. What is your customer base in the hotel industry? Aruba has a customer base that consists of global & local hotels and resort chains in Saudi, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Egypt and other Middle East countries. Our customers range from Business hotels in KSA to luxury resorts in UAE, Egypt and Turkey. To name a few, Kempinski Mall of Emirates, Sheraton Mall of Emirates, Dusit Thani Dubai, Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi are

“OUR CUSTOMERS RANGE FROM BUSINESS HOTELS IN KSA TO LUXURY RESORTS IN UAE, EGYPT AND TURKEY. TO NAME A FEW, KEMPINSKI MALL OF EMIRATES, SHERATON MALL OF EMIRATES, DUSITTHANI DUBAI”

hotel staff and guests alike. Unpredictable peaks in traffic shouldn’t slow down the Wi-Fi network for guests and staff. PCI-compliant Aruba 802.11ac Wi-Fi with ClientMatch™ technology ensures that every device connects to the best-performing AP on the network – no matter how crowded it gets and no matter where a guest is within the venue (indoors or outdoors). Aruba also integrates a next-generation mobility firewall that prioritizes your most important work apps, as well as delaysensitive voice and video surveillance traffic. Before checking out the pool or entertainment, the first thing your guests want to access is your Wi-Fi network. Aruba ClearPass Guest makes it easy for them to self-register for secure Wi-Fi access without IT assistance or dealing with multiple login screens. It integrates with your

some of our customers who have successfully deployed our solutions in their properties. What are the key drivers that make hotel companies consider adopting new technologies? l Guest satisfaction: Every guest is a public reviewer (whether it is through travel review sites or personal social media channels), so ensuring that they have a good experience is paramount to increasing loyalty and rebooking. While personal interactions with staff can certainly make an experience memorable, improving technologyrelated offerings and amenities (Wi-Fi, mobile apps, etc.) is a surefire way to reach and meet the expectations of all guests. l Mobile Engagement Opportunities: Increasingly, hotels are looking for additional

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THE PARTNERSHIP In the hospitality vertical we always believe in partnering with Industry specialized partners with dedication to quality and service excellence. Our partner base includes system integrators who are ‘technology experts’ in the field of hospitality across Middle East and Turkey. They sell solutions that comprise of inroom devices that integrate perfectly on with WiFi portfolio. Professional services, Project Management and 24 x hour support is a vital critical key to success in hospitality as these operations run 24x7x365.

ways to engage their tech-savvy guests during their stay. By providing guests in-app tools – such as indoor maps and wayfinding features –hotels let guests easily find what their looking for and self-service from their mobile devices without delay. l New Revenue Channels: Mobile engagement solutions can also be used to alert guests to in-house restaurants or other location-based services to increase share of wallet and reduce guest abandonment during their stay. Further, hotel Wi-Fi portals can provide an additional revenue channel via browser-based advertising that reaches guests connecting to the network as opposed to relying on static physical signage. l Improved Operations: Hotels that upgrade their Wi-Fi to handle high-bandwidth applications can run mobile point of sale and property management system applications that decrease guest response times and enable hotel staff to service guests anywhere on the property. l Onsite Physical Security: Hotels that upgrade their Wi-Fi to handle newer, highresolution IP surveillance cameras can further protect guests, proprietary goods and associates as hundreds of individuals enter and exit the venue daily. l Network Security: Hotels that invest in network security technologies will ensure that both hotel and guest data is protected from internal and external security breeches. l BYOD and increasing device types brought into the venue: With guests and staff members

each bringing 2-3 devices each, hotels are looking for scalable, device and role-based-based solutions to help them securely provision and manage these devices on the network, as opposed to segmenting the network for different users/ devices. l New Content Channel Trends: Guests now bring their own content and stream movies over Netflix, music over Spotify, and participate in gaming apps online. Hotels that are used to providing pay-per-view entertainment services are now instead looking to accommodate these guests with Wi-Fi that can handle high-bandwidth traffic as well as in-room options that let guests intuitively stream from their devices to the hotel room TV. l DIY Traveler Trends: Increasingly, travelers prefer to find answers themselves and self-service from their mobile devices during hotel visits. As a result, hotels are looking to provide guests with mobile apps and related technology that helps them find answers from the comfort of their smartphone. What key industry trends will be the most impactful for the next 3 years? l Increased need for secure networks, as more and more data and users flow through the network. l Increased demand for high-speed Wi-Fi for high-bandwidth streaming, as guests bring their own devices and content. l The connected, DIY Traveler who expects

to have hotel tools and access to content and resources from their mobile smartphones, and bypass the front desk. l The Silent Traveler who voices positive and negative feedback via social channels. l The need for employees to work anywhere is driving the need for remote access networks, increasingly over untrusted networks with the use of VPNs, or solutions that extend the enterprise network (e.g. Aruba’s Remote Access Point solution). l Connectivity across a variety of networks – wired, remote access, 3G/4G and Wi-Fi – mean a redefining of application and how to secure corporate information going across these networks. The enterprise is being forced to extend information into untrusted environments and is often times unsure how to do that in a secure way. l A hotel room need to provide consistent services to what is found in the HQ or main campus sites – employees moving between these locations expect the same experience. Therefore, enterprises need to invest in more robust WAN solutions – not necessarily private WANs – but increasingly public WANs (DSL, MPLS) to ensure consistent experience across any corporate location. l The current cloud trend is also bringing mobility to the forefront. Cloud enables the user to access information whether they are on-premise or off premise through their mobile device and as such cloud and mobility go hand in hand. The network infrastructure needs to be able to support cloud and mobility demands. ë

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CASE STUDY

Aruba Enhances Guests’ Experience at Emirates Palace The need for an overhaul of the network was apparent and Emirates Palace, guided by local Aruba Networks partner MDS UAE, made a decision to conduct the simultaneous upgrade of its wired and wireless infrastructure.

REQUIREMENTS l

Centralize administration of wireless network and eliminate manual configuration of each individual access point l Overhaul wired and wireless infrastructure to upgrade from 54Mbps capacity to 1.3 Gigabit speeds l Enable advanced security features and ability to customize network configuration based on requirements of each individual meeting or event l Build a platform for innovation to support ambitious future plans such as IPTV, online gaming, music streaming and smart device control of room facilities

SOLUTION l

Centralized Aruba 6000 Mobility Controller

l 1000+ (we need to get the exact figure for this) Aruba AP-225 wireless access points l ArubaOS Mobility Software l Aruba Airwave Network Management Platform

BENEFITS l

Centralized configuration and management of all access points from single intuitive GUI l 1.3 Gigabit wireless connectivity across the entire property including the 1.3 km private beach l Trouble-free integration with newly deployed wired infrastructure l Vastly improved security and ability to customize the network according to individual needs of guests and business customers

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW Located in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Emirates Palace is an iconic hotel that combines traditional Arabian opulence with the finest in hospitality. A venue that regularly hosts royalty, heads of state, celebrities and VIPs from across the globe, the hotel boasts 394 meticulously designed rooms and suites, 40 meeting rooms, a 1200 seating capacity auditorium, a spa and fitness club, tennis courts, 1.3 km of private beach and a state of the art marina capable of accommodating up to 167 yachts. Emirates Palace, an iconic hotel in the capital

MEHMET AKDENIZ

DIRECTOR OF IT AND AV AT EMIRATES PALACE

“WE WERE DETERMINED TO GET OUR NETWORK UP TO THE EXTREMELY HIGH STANDARDS THAT IS THE HALLMARK OF THE HOTEL,”

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of the United Arab Emirates, offers world class accommodation to VIP guests, celebrities, heads of state, and royal families from all over the world. Opened in 2005, this expansive modern day marvel boasts 302 grand rooms and 92 suites that are lavishly designed and furnished, 15 restaurants, 40 meeting rooms, a 1200 seating capacity auditorium, an Anantara spa, tennis courts, a state of the art fitness center, a pristine 1.3km stretch of private beach and a marina capable of accommodating up to 167 yachts of various sizes. A testament to the warmth and generosity of Arabian hospitality, Emirates Palace combines exquisite Arabian themed architecture and design, with world class facilities and the most advanced technologies to give its guests a truly unforgettable world class experience. In keeping with its commitment to excellence, the hotel continuously analyses and assesses the needs and preferences of its valued customers. Of these, the growing demand for high-speed wireless internet connectivity has been a significant market trend. While Emirates Palace was quick to cater to this requirement, the system being used was not centralized and therefore required manual configuration of the over 1000 wireless

access points (APs) around the property. This proved to be a daunting challenge that was only exacerbated during the multitude of high-profile conferences and events that were regularly held at the iconic venue. With 600-700 guests utilizing the network in an average day and peak usage rising to anywhere between 1200 and 1400 daily users, the strain on the network began to cause noticeable performance issues. As guests increasingly utilized bandwidth-hungry video and multimedia rich applications, both the speed and security of the network were brought into question. Furthermore, the IT team at Emirates Palace observed that between 100 to 150 users were connecting to the access points using 802.11ac devices. 802.11ac is the latest wireless LAN (WLAN) specification from the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) that delivers Gigabit wireless data transfer rates. The need for an overhaul of the network was apparent and Emirates Palace, guided by local Aruba Networks partner MDS UAE, made a decision to conduct the simultaneous upgrade of its wired and wireless infrastructure. “We were determined to get our network up to the

extremely high standards that is the hallmark of the hotel,” said Mehmet Akdeniz, Director of IT and AV at Emirates Palace. “Any upgrade to the network however requires on-the-fly changes to the implementation process so as not to cause any inconvenience to the guests. This can be challenging and time consuming so we decided to opt for a solution that would meet our requirements for at least the next 4-5 years.” This forward thinking approach led Mr.Akdeniz and his IT team to consider an 802.11ac-based wireless network, a decision that would make Emirates Palace the first hotel in the Middle East to deploy this cutting-edge standard.

A STANDOUT SOLUTION Through a 6 month selection period, Mr.Akdeniz and his team evaluated solutions from Aruba Networks along with two other market leading vendors. Aruba stood out as the only vendor offering 802.11ac technology. With a rising number of guests already utilizing devices that supported this standard, this would prove to be a distinct advantage to the hotel. Combined with the capabilities and functionalities of the Aruba Networks’ controller, it’s remarkably high

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degree of security and the entire system’s effortless integration with the newly deployed wired infrastructure, the decision for Mr.Akdeniz and his team was simple and straightforward. The deployment of an Aruba 6000 Mobility Controller and over 1000 Aruba AP-225 wireless access points was rolled out across the sprawling property over an 8 month period to avoid inconvenience to guests. MDS UAE also implemented Aruba’s AirWave Network Management platform which delivers visibility into all devices and connections on the wireless network thus allowing administrators to proactively plan for capacity, visualize client performance and troubleshoot application issues. Seamless integration with the wired network and minimal effort for configuration meant that installation was trouble free. Emirates Palace also availed of a one week training program offered by Aruba. “We believe that our in-house IT team should have excellent technical capabilities. Aruba helped our network engineers not only learn about their solution but also gave them a detailed understanding of the broader market technologies. This has ensured that we are capable of utilizing the solution to its utmost potential and managing even complex tasks in-house,” said Mr.Akdeniz. The entire deployment was expertly executed by MDS UAE who managed to seamlessly integrate the Aruba solution with the wired network. Mr.Akdeniz said, “Having a competent Aruba Platinum Partner carry out the implementation

was a huge benefit to us. Even industry leading technology is only as good as its implementation and MDS UAE ensured that the entire system was configured for optimal performance.”

ARUBA – PROVIDING A PLATFORM FOR FUTURE INNOVATION While the most instantly noticeable advantage of the new system was the monumental increase in capacity from 54Mbps to 1.3Gbps, the centralized nature of the solution proved to be one of the most appealing features for the IT team. The Aruba 6000 Mobility Controller has completely eliminated manual configuration of individual access points and even automated software updates of all the Aruba-225 APs. Furthermore, with solution features such as white list coordination, valid AP lists, control plane security (CPsec) certificates and wireless intrusion detection and coordination, Emirates Palace has now achieved the highest level of security for its wireless network. Through the controller’s intuitive Graphical User Interface (GUI) administrators are capable of making rapid changes to network and its security settings. This has been a key enabler of the high degree of customization of the network that is required to meet the specific needs of each high-profile meeting and conference that is held at the prestigious venue. Mr.Akdeniz said, “We no longer waste precious manpower tending to labour intensive processes. Everything is easily

managed from one location and our new-found visibility into every element of the network has enabled proactive troubleshooting and thus drastically reduced our reaction time. Complaints about poor network performance have virtually disappeared and our business customers are often amazed to find how quickly we can accommodate their connectivity requirements.” Mr.Akdeniz believes that the Aruba solution will now stand as a platform for further innovation. While currently the wireless infrastructure is used to support internet services, point of sales and digital signage, the new network capabilities have opened up the possibility of offering a complete range of cutting-edge guest services. Emirates Palace already has plans under way that will enable it to offer IPTV, online gaming, internet music streaming and smart device controlled operation of in-room electronics. All of these services will rely heavily on the abundant availability of bandwidth - something that the solution from Aruba Networks will guarantee for the foreseeable future. “In the hospitality sector today, it is no longer about providing wireless. That is practically a given. But not all wireless is equal and this is something that our guests will be able to recognize instantly. We now have a solution that enables us to improve their experience in ways that they have not even considered as of yet. This is the kind of service excellence that Emirates Palace is synonymous with and we are happy to say that Aruba has been an enabler of our success,” concluded Mr.Akdeniz. ë

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MY OPINION

RANJAN TAYALS

VP & SBU HEAD – HCM SOLUTION, RAMCO SYSTEMS LIMITED

“Analytics is no longer a need of Managers and CxO’s, only” THE NEED TO BUILD A COLLABORATIVE AND AGILE HR ENVIRONMENT IS DRIVING ORGANIZATIONS TO RELOOK AT THEIR EXISTING TECHNOLOGY CAPABILITIES. ENTERPRISE CHANNELS MEA SPOKE TO RANJAN TAYAL SVP & SBU HEAD – HCM SOLUTION, RAMCO SYSTEMS LIMITEDABOUT

What is the potential of hotel industry in entire MEA region from the enterprise solutions perspective? Middle East is one of the fastest growing hospitality hubs of the world. The hospitality segment has been one of the few segments to widely adopt technology to streamline and integrate their business operations in order to enhance the service quality, improve operational efficiency and obtain real-time business view, on the move. With the increasing potential in the industry, the enterprise application space is expected to witness tremendous growth in the years to come.

THE TRANSITION IN THE HOSPITALITY SPACE TOWARDS CLOUD PAYROLL SOLUTIONS, ANALYTICS FOR ALL AND PERVASIVE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS.EXCERPTS

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How have enterprise technologies evolved to adapt to the

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requirement of the hotel industry? Service-centric businesses such as hospitality place a lot of importance in building an energized and empowered workforce as ‘employee satisfaction’ directly impacts ‘service quality’. Service-centric organizations need to continuously innovate and address the challenges by improving the way they manage clients, deliver services, provide operational excellence and access/manage talent. Attracting the right human assets is at the heart of any Service-centric organization and retaining the revenue-generating employees is perhaps the biggest priority. Further, to achieve operational excellence, it’s important to have a streamlined HR system that integrates with the operational and financial systems. This has led to a surge in demand to automate workforce, resource planning & allocation. With the latest technologies, enterprise applications have evolved in bringing in new practices. The ability of a solution to standardize the entire HR process and provide a single view of talent with 360-degree control over multi-country operations is leading to hospitality businesses looking at a comprehensive talent management offering. Whatis the breadth of your solutions for the hotel industry and why do you think your solutions are apt for this vertical? The need to build a collaborative and agile HR environment is driving organizations to relook at their existing technology capabilities. It is this market opportunity that is being addressed with Ramco HCM on Cloud, coupled with features like Mobility, ease of Use, built-in Analytics and Payroll on Cloud. Ramco HCM on Cloud offers a host of modules to manage the entire spectrum of HR life cycle, including – Workforce Management l Ramco Time Management System tailored for all employment grades l Ability to handle multiple employee types, including permanent, contract, site appointees l Employee Relations processes such as Grievances and Disciplinary action enable the automation of employee conduct l Tracking of absence Recruitment l Planning process allows planners to specify manpower by the opportunity and skill type l Hassle free on-boarding of talent including facility to upload information for contract and

contingent staff Talent Management l Use Competency Models to define talent pools/demands by the domain l Set up KPI at annual and project level for value-added jobs l Set up a behavior model for process jobs that deal directly or indirectly with clients Employee Development l Offers training administration that allow users to set up the training calendar and program, enroll for certification programs, monitor their attendance, and capture their performance and feedback l Payroll and Benefits l Country-specific statutory compliances made available as required l Highly configurable and flexible to take care of Payroll elements Employee and Manager Self-Service l Comprehensive in scope and accessible from a mobile device l Extremely easy-to-use Workspaces,

includes all hotels and resorts of Kerzner Group under the brands – Atlantis, The Palm, One&Only and Mazagan resorts, spread across 9 countries. We also serve Radisson Blu - UK, Park Hotels – India among others. What are the key drivers that make hotel companies consider adopting new technologies? While there are many a point solutions which address specific areas like Workforce planning or Recruitment, the need to get a single view of the HR operations on the move and to transact on mobile are driving HR Managers to consider full-suite HCM software or for that matter financial operations as well. It is this need that has been driving the adoption of newer technologies. With well-managed hotel operations, the industry also requires an integrated talent management system, with the availability of centralized data, for analysis. With the advent of Cloud, organizations can experience anytime, anywhere access, for administrators, as well as employees. Technologies today offer end-to-end solutions with in-built HR Analytic capabili-

“WE COUNT SOME OF THE MARQUEE NAMES IN THE HOSPITALITY BUSINESS AS OUR CLIENTS, WHICH INCLUDES ALL HOTELS AND RESORTS OF KERZNER GROUP UNDER THE BRANDS – ATLANTIS, THE PALM, ONE&ONLY AND MAZAGAN RESORTS, SPREAD ACROSS 9 COUNTRIES.” specific to common user roles with all the data required for decision-making presented as a chart for quick analysis and action l Context aware—the software ‘recognizes’ and knows the user from their erstwhile usage patterns l Employee Survey feature allows vital “employee speak” to reach the ears of Talent Managers With Ramco’s HR software, organizations have been able to improve efficiency in processes related to employee deployment and compensation, ensuring automated payroll processes with better documentation of all HR functionalities and employee events. What is your customer base in the hotel industry? We count some of the marquee names in the hospitality business as our clients, which

ties and also the possibility of integrating with existing legacy systems is a preferred option among the adopters. What is your outlook for the market in this region? UAE is ahead in the GCC region. Dubai is at the technology pinnacle of GCC and we have got 45-50 customers here now with big deployments. And you will see good deployments coming up towards the end of this year. Post Gitex show 2014, we will see reinvigorated display of technology deployment in this region. I think 2015 is going to be very good mobility year in UAE. We are working very closely with the government agencies here to provide smart bit of technology. A lot of BYOD projects coming up in UAE. We are going to every month here in the first quarter making sure that work happen property. ë

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Atlantis, The Palm Enhances Five Star Travel Experience with Mobile Devices Managed by AirWatch Mobility was considerate to a technology for most of the industry verticals except the hotels as they do not have scope to work remotely. But looking at the capability of mobility, hotel industry is enabling the works for their daily chores an replacing paper documents and delay - whatsoever - in time from the instruction to the action. n W O R D S : S A N J AY M A H A PAT R A < S A N J AY @ E N T E R P R I S E C H A N N E L S . C O M >

THE CLIENT Atlantis, The Palm is the first entertainment resort located at the centre of The Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. The unique ocean-themed resort opened in September 2008 and features a variety of marine and entertainment attractions, as well as 17 hectares of waterscape amusement at Aquaventure Waterpark, all within a 46 hectare site. Atlantis, The Palm is known as the culinary destination in the region with a collection of world-renowned restaurants, including Nobu and Ronda

Locatelli. The resort boasts an impressive collection of luxury boutiques and shops as well as extensive meeting and convention facilities. From the hotel architecture to the award-winning restaurants and must-visit aquatic attractions, this is one of Dubai’s luxury resorts that never ceases to amaze the senses.

THE CHALLENGE Atlantis, The Palm has earned a reputation for being a luxury hotel that provides guests with excellent service,

largely due to the contributions of the housekeeping staff. Prior to using mobile devices, each housekeeping staff member was given a printed sheet listing the rooms they needed to clean. Unfortunately, this method did not account for all housekeeping changes, including late guest checkout times and guests not wanting to be disturbed. “These delays accounted for a considerable amount of wasted man-hours during peak seasons,” said Joe Tesfai, senior vice president of information technology, Atlantis, The Palm.

SOLUTION OVERVIEW CLIENT ATLANTIS, THE PALM INDUSTRY HOSPITALITY GEOGRAPHY DUBAI SOLUTIONS BYOD, MDM, MAM DEVICES 1,000-5,000

JOE TESFAI

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, ATLANTIS, THE PALM

“THE CONSUMERISATION OF TECHNOLOGY IS PUSHING THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY TO QUICKLY ADOPT NEW TRENDS. AIRWATCH ENABLES US TO KEEP PACE AND IMPLEMENT A MOBILITY PROGRAM TO ENSURE WE ARE A STEP AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION.”

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Through market research, Mr. Tesfai and his team identified a software-based solution that promised to dramatically change the way the housekeeping tasks were managed and assigned. It integrated with front-of-house computer systems, keeping room information up-to-date for housekeeping staff. This solution required each staff member to use a network-connected iPod within the hotel. To support and deploy more than 150 iPods, Atlantis, The Palm needed a mobility management platform to enable comprehensive mobile device administration. Bring your own device (BYOD) was also an important option for Atlantis, The Palm. “In the past, our executive team used BlackBerry devices for company email access,” Mr.Tesfai noted. “Other employees expressed a desire to use their personal smartphone to access company email and resources, so finding an enterprise mobility management (EMM) platform that could support BYOD functionality was essential for enabling greater employee productivity and satisfaction.”

THE SOLUTION Mr. Tesfai and his team researched a number

of EMM providers in the marketplace. Guided byEMW, a leading Middle East-based supplier of ICT products and services, Atlantis, The Palm selectedAirWatch as its provider of choice. The roll-out was managed by EMW in collaboration with the hotel’s IT team. EMW also provided detailed technical trainings to streamline day-today operations at the hotel. With AirWatch, Atlantis’s IT administrators can now track and monitor managed devices wherever they are and can push critical profile and security updates to the devices without requiring staff interaction. “We were impressed by the AirWatch content delivery capabilities,” said Mr. Tesfai. “The ability to containerise content and deploy it directly to multiple devices is something we now see as essential to hotel operations. It helps us ensure that every device is up-to-date and maintains a high level of security while limiting data leakage.” Atlantis, The Palm also plans to use iPads to streamline the guest check-in process and to create digital menus for its signature restaurants. “We are striving to reduce check-in lines for guests by providing booking details on iPads to

hotel staff,” explained Mr. Tesfai. “Adopting the tablet alternative to hard copy menus allows us to dynamically update food pricing and availability and share special offers with our guests. Mobile devices impress our guests and enhance the world-class customer service that we provide,” he said. AirWatchenables the hotel to embrace BYOD, which allows more than800 devices to access corporate information and email. The cloud-based nature of the solution means device management is possible from any computer with a Web connection, allowing Atlantis, The Palm to keep track of hotel-owned and BYOD devices from any location. This has contributed to a return on investment for the hotel within a few months of initial implementation. While improving employee satisfaction, BYOD has also meant that employees approach IT to fix broken devices or retrieve lost devices less frequently. “The consumerisation of technology is pushing the hospitality industry to quickly adopt new trends. AirWatch enables us to keep pace and implement a mobility programmeto ensure we are a step ahead of the competition,” said Mr. Tesfai. ë

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productivity. We can also help hotels automate paper-based processes with the goal of further enhancing productivity through reduced printing. And we’ll develop smart workflows to capture, route, store and retrieve documents by leveraging Content Management software and solutions. Using our Managed Print Services, Intercontinental Hotels Group spent less time on document production and more time making guests feel comfortable.From a channel partner perspective, Xeratek support the hotel industry with a combination of leading Xerox technology, integrated with software solutions for enterprise capture and content management which automate document intensive back office processes. Onsite Managed Services enable a greater level of control for high volume print through centralised services, and a closer control on costs, wastage. Aside from finance, the big winner within the hotel management group is IT, the burden of responsibility for print and document management being lifted from them enables them to focus on more widereaching IT projects.

SIMON HOWELLS

MPS MANAGER, GLOBAL DOCUMENT OUTSOURCING - XEROX MEA

“The Hotel industry can benefit from all aspects of the Xerox Next- Gen Print strategy” PRINTING SOLUTIONS ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE HOTEL INDUSTRY AS IT ENHANCES THE PRODUCTIVITY OF THE FRONT OFFICE EXECUTIVE TO MAKE THE PROCESS SMARTER. ENTERPRISE CHANNELS MEA SPOKE TO SIMON HOWELLS, MPS MANAGER, GLOBAL DOCUMENT OUTSOURCING - XEROX MEA’S CAPABILITY. EXCERPTS...

How has Imaging evolved to adapt to the requirement of the hotel industry? Imaging has evolved to support all challenges within the industry, from high speed laser printers for folio printing, to work group multi function devices that support intensive back office processes. Increasingly imaging is concentrating on centralized production facilities that fulfill all of the marketing and F&B collaterals, employee business cards and outdoor signage. Some brands within the industry are also taking advantage of the power of 1:1 variable data communications which increase response rates and enable hotels to drive guests to particular offers.

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What is the breadth of your solution for the hotel industry? The hotel industry can benefit from all aspects of the Xerox Next Generation Print strategy. Initially, assessing the current print environment will enable hotels to re-design an optimised environment to generate efficiencies and cost savings. Xerox can also help connect everything to the IT environment in a secure and compliant way. This is when we’ll turn on solutions for secure printing from mobile devices and manage print servers and print queues. Through ongoing data collection, review and analysis, we’ll continue to improve

Why do you think your solutions are apt for this vertical? From a technology stand point, Xerox portfolio breadth enables the correct device to be identified for any environment following the assess phase of the Managed Print Service. A key differentiator for Xerox is also the Solid ink range of products that enable colour document to be produced at the same cost as B&W whilst reducing wastage by up to 90% when compared to traditional laser devices. This is a big draw for the hotel industry as it helps them achieve their environmental sustainability goals, something which has grown in importance over the last few years in particular. Workflow Automation focuses on reducing paper to automate and simplify everyday tasks and processes. Content Management lets clients easily organize, store and retrieve massive amounts of information. Whether they require a cloud-based or on-premise solution, we’ll help the management of paper and digital content from creation, collaboration and processing to retention and archiving. Document Analytics looks at employee printing behaviors and paper within business processes to determine opportunities for automation. Digitizing Paper Documents captures critical paper documents, intelligently extracts their information, and routes this information to enable faster approvals and more accurate exception handling. ë

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EXPERT ARTICLE

R&M

Structured Cabling Opening New Possibilities In a world of increasingly tech-savvy consumers, high speed internet connectivity becomes the link to information that is demanded at a moment’s notice. The technology that supports this is now as much a part of the service equation as a well-trained housekeeping staff.

ew sectors must lay as much emphasis on customer satisfaction and service excellence as the hospitality industry. In today’s age, customer loyalty is hard to come by and being the hotel of choice may well boil down to a good review on a travel website. In a world of increasingly tech-savvy consumers, high speed internet connectivity becomes the link to information that is demanded at a moment’s notice. The technology that supports this is now as much a part of the service equation as a well-trained housekeeping staff. Building the backbone that will not only support the current demands but also generate new opportunities to deliver differentiating services is therefore a must. Once this is understood, the role of structured cabling in the hospitality sector becomes evident. A quality cabling infrastructure is the technological foundation of excellent service in a hospitality property. Furthermore, the benefits of a solid structured cabling backbone extend well beyond providing just fast and reliable internet access. It opens up the possibility to incorporate new bandwidth hungry technologies such as IP based phones, digital entertainment and on-demand services and even backend facility management and building management systems. These applications require large amounts of bandwidth to be made available at all locations of the hotel over a very reliable connection. With confidence in the system’s ability to scale and

accommodate rapid changes and requirements, the hotel can quickly differentiate itself as an early adopter of world-class technologies.

OPENING UP NEW POSSIBILITIES A sturdy cabling backbone can facilitate the uptake of a number of user friendly applications. It can pave the way for media rich entertainment services such as IPTV. Property owners can create entirely new ways to engage with customers through social media channels.Meeting rooms can be revamped with state-of-the-art global conferencing facilities and digital signage. Today, guests are well versed with interactive interfaces having utilized mobile applications to meet a number of their daily requirements. Structured cabling can help extend upon this behaviour, allowing property owners to install self-service kiosks which not only appeal to guests but also reduce the strain on staff during peak operating periods. The latest security and surveillance technologies incumbent on high speed networks can also be easily integrated to reduce the risk of both theft and loss.

WHY INVEST IN THE BEST? Up until high-speed internet services became so widely demanded, cabling in hotels was installed to meet the needs of each individual facility with seldom a thought given to the ‘bigger picture’.

SHIBU VAHID

HEAD OF TECHNICAL OPERATIONS, R&M MIDDLE EAST, TURKEY & AFRICA

“Meeting rooms can be revamped with state-of-the-art global conferencing facilities and digital signage.” These cabling components were often selected solely on price with little consideration for the long term utility of the network. The result has been crisscrossing cabling, retrofit technology and layouts which give network planners sleepless nights. Fortunately, this mentality is changing and structured cabling is now considered as vital to a building as any other utility system such as electrical or water supply. In a typical hotel, there are multiple facilities such as restaurants, spas, sports facilities, meeting rooms and suites, all of which require different systems to serve the requirements of both guests and staff. Each one of these needs to be taken into account during the building and pre-opening phases. The cabling infrastructure for a hotel, if properly installed, can stand as a valued investment for 15 to 20 years. Identifying the right cabling vendor and implementation partner who have specialist experience in hospitality projects is vital to ensuring this network longevity. Not only this, a well implemented cabling infrastructure will eliminate the hassles of maintenance and upgrade in the future. ë

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SAKKEER HUSSAIN,

SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR AT D-LINK MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA.

“We Cater to Infrastructure Requirements of All-Star Hotels” NETWORKING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF ANY HOTEL TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT BECAUSE IT IS LIKE THE TISSUE IN THE BODY ALLOWS ANY SHORT OF COMMUNICATION TO TRAVEL FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER – BE IT M2M OR H2M, ETC. ENTERPRISE CHANNELS MEA SPOKE TO SAKKEERHUSSAIN, SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR AT D-LINK MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA TO KNOW ABOUT THEIR STRATEGY IN THE MARKET. EXCERPTS…

What is the breadth of your solution for the hotel industry? We offer an extensive range of products and solutions to the hotel industry, including switching, surveillance, unified wireless, security, IP telephony products, which are in line with the latest technology standards. Keeping up to date with the latest standards has helped us improving our presence in the hospitality segment. Why do you think your solutions are apt for this vertical? Provide a detailed description of the models and their features. In general, D-Link is one of the few vendors who can truly offer end-to-end networking solutions,

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in the sense that the company carries networking products catering to any networking need, starting from “Wireless Routers” to “Structured Cabling Solutions” for consumers, SMB and Enterprise. The below lines give a more in-depth understanding of the D-Link’s networking portfolio. l Switching: D-Link is offering an extensive range of cost-effective switching solutions. This includes modular chassis-based 10G/40G switching solutions and non-modular Fast Ethernet/Gigabit network switches available with various variants such as “fanless”, “stackable”, “PoE/PoE+”, etc. to cater different and challenging environments. l Unified Wireless: D-Link carries Unified

Management Solutions, both software and hardware based and caters to any networking need, from smaller to larger-sized projects. Management software like “AP Array” and “AP Manager” are bundled with standalone AP solutions - this provides an easy management on the AP’s, saving many hours spent on AP’s configuration. Simultaneously, we carry hardware controllers for wireless network management. Hardware controller-based solutions offer features like Fast Roaming, Rouge AP Detection, Security Concerns and Bandwidth Management. l IP Cameras: D-Link is one of the first vendors to introduce cloud-based mydlink IP cameras, which help end-customers to deploy networking solutions with zero configurations while being able to access mydlink cameras on-the-go anywhere around the world. D-Link carries a wide variety of cameras under cloud based mydlink series, available in different variants- fixed, dome, pan/tilt/zoom, wired, wireless and with higher megapixels. Simultaneously, D-Link addresses to needs of larger organizations and verticals with a wide assortment of business-range IP cameras, available as per their requirements in wired/wireless, with features like color night vision, as Dome, BOX, Fast Dome, Bullet series featuring vari focal, WDR, and DI/ DO supported interfaces. l Management software: Video management software is a key utility to monitor and manage the IP Surveillance network. Additionally, D-Link also offers network management software to manage and monitor network devices. l Storage: D-Link also offers a wide array of NAS/SAN/NVR solutions as centralized storage solutions for IP camera recording and data backup. Storage box solutions are available with multiple bay options, which are expandable up to 80 bays. All D-Link SAN devices comply with universal standards and technology. l Passive: Rounding out their networking products, D-Link offers Structured Cabling Solutions, such as copper and fiber products for various network infrastructure requirements. What is your customer base in the hotel industry, what exactly are they buying from you? We cater to infrastructure requirements of all-star hotels, and, as mentioned earlier, the fact that we are carrying complete end-to-end networking solutionshelps us in implementing the right solutions for our customers depending upon their needs. Their requirement is usually anything ranging from Switching, Unified Wireless, IP Cameras, Management Software, Storage or Passive. ë

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production volume scanners in the back office. Together with partners we can provide solutions for any business in the hospitality industry ranging from a small hotel to a giant casino-resort complex.

KLAUS SCHULZ,

MANAGER PRODUCT MARKETING EMEA AT PFU IMAGING SOLUTIONS EUROPE LTD

“Two special products for the hotel industry complement our product range” SCANNERS CONSTITUTES AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE FRONT OFFICE BECAUSE IT HELPS THE EXECUTIVES TO SCAN THE IDENTITY DOCUMENTS ON A FLASH AND SAVES THE TIME OF GUESTS FOR THEIR SATISFACTION. ENTERPRISE CHANNELS MEA SPOKE TO KLAUS SCHULZ, MANAGER PRODUCT MARKETING EMEA AT PFU IMAGING SOLUTIONS EUROPE LTD. TO KNOW ABOUT THEIR SOLUTIONS. EXCERPTS.

How has Imaging evolved to adapt to the requirement of the hotel industry? Imaging equipment manufacturers are listening to what their customers need. Fujitsu scanners are partnering with the leading software vendors and system integrators in the region, because only local expertise combined with integrated solutions can offer the automated workflow required

for smooth operations. What is the breadth of your solution for the hotel industry? We have one of the biggest document scanner portfolios in the industry, ranging from an A6 size high speed flatbed scanner for ID card and passport capture, including space-saving desktop scanners for the counter to workgroup and

Why do you think your solutions are apt for this vertical? Provide a detailed description of the models and their features. Our fi Series scanners are ideal for capturing all inbound documents and integrating them in an automated electronic workflow. Our document scanners are perfect for decentralised document image capture and applications that require high-quality scans. High scanning speeds make these scanners the perfect products for a dynamic service environment. All Fujitsu scanners are complemented by software to help scan, manage and retrieve content efficiently. We have recently released PaperStream IP driver enhancement that allows for automated scanning profile use as well as PaperStream Capture, an application suitable for batch scanning routines that feed documents into the hotel preferred information management system. In addition close collaboration with leading local solution and sales partners ensure the best possible solutions for the hospitality industry in the Middle East. We provide comprehensive software development kits (SDKs) for this purpose upon request and free of charge. Two special products for the hotel industry complement our product range: The fi-65F is a high-speed A6 format scanner, which is the ideal counter top scanner in customer-facing applications that have the need to instantly capture small format material such as passports or identification cards. Our ScanSnap SV600 overhead scanner uses a unique overhead scanning unit to capture anything from documents in A3 size to scanning up to 10 business cards at the same time and of course also passports and ID cards. A very versatile solution for a wide range of documents, this scanner also includes the intuitive filing software Rack2-Filer, Adobe Acrobat, OCR software ABBYY FineReader and CardMinder for digitising business cards. What is your customer base in the hotel industry, what exactly are they buying from you? Especially the fi-65F type scanner is being used by many hotels throughout EMEA. Especially hotels in the Middle East have embraced the concept of streamlining and designing their customer interaction routines more efficiently based on the Fujitsu document scanners. ë

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My Opinion_Fujitsu.indd 23

23/09/14 9:14 pm

MY OPINION

SHADI BAKHOUR

GENERAL MANAGER, CANON EMIRATES - UAE

“We Have Developed Solutions That Have Become Iconic In The Hospitality Segment” PREVIOUSLY, HOTELS USED TO RELY ON PRE-PRINTED BROCHURES TO SHARE INFORMATION. TODAY, WITH HIGH QUALITY DIGITAL PRINTING, HOTELS ARE ABLE TO PRINT THE QUANTITY THEY WANT WHEN THEY WANT IT AND EVEN CUSTOMIZE THEIR MESSAGES. ENTERPRISE CHANNELS MEA SPOKE TO SHADIBAKHOUR - GENERAL MANAGER, CANON EMIRATES - UAE TO KNOW ABOUT THEIR SOLUTIONS. EXCERPTS

What is the potential of hotel industry in entire MEA region from the Imaging products andsolutions perspective? Hotels areconstantly searching for ways to upgrade their IT security, reduce costs, improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of their office infrastructure. They are looking to create a model for document management services that could be replicated at other hotels within their chains and facilities. Considering that the hospitality industry carries the widest range of information after the banking industry, hoteliers need to reconsider the exposure and vulnerabilities that can affect their systems. For example, Hotels maintain a vast database of private data from their customers as well as suppliers which are accessed on a daily basis. Though printers have become more advanced and encompass

S E P T E M B E R 2014

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My Opinion_Canon Emirates.indd 24

23/09/14 9:13 pm

MY OPINION

more technology such as an operating system, hard disk, CPU and network, many still do not associate them with security threats. However, the advanced technology can be vulnerable to document theft, unauthorized access, saved copies on internal storage, hacking, network sniffing and more. Managing the security of this information from every access point can be simplified if a Managed Print System (MPS) is in place to facilitate all activities and security procedures. The world is distributing approximately 10 times more information today than it was 8 years ago. Modes of translating and transforming this information grew exponentially and most of our communication happens through paper or emails which we eventually print! 95% of information (not data) is on paper and this result in2-3 times more paper output.This information must not only be managed efficiently but also safeguarded vigorously. Hence, to maintain leadership in the hotel industry and accelerate growth, hotels constantly look for ways to sharpen their focus on their core business— taking great care of millions of guests — by outsourcing non-core business processes and back office operations to experts like Canon. How hasImaging evolved to adapt to the requirement of the hotel industry? The hotel industry grew exponentially in the last 20 years and the projections show double digit growth in the years to come. More rooms, more outlets, more locations, and bigger halls are being developed to meet the demands of international conferences.These demands from investors and owners create pressure on the sales and marketing plans of the hotels to meet demands while fighting competition. At the same time, the imaging industry has progressed drastically to meet the ever-changing requirements and demands of the hotel industry. Previously, hotels used to rely on pre-printed brochures to share information. These brochures were printed in huge quantities to be cost effective and often carried generic messaging to cater to all audiences. The brochures were often placed in store rooms until needed and hotels faced the challenge of content becoming outdated and wastage. Today, with high quality digital printing, hotels are able to print the quantity they want when they want it and customize their messages in accordance to the audience they are target. Many hotels are even going the extra mile to personalize their messages to create a stronger and more memorable impact on their audience.

What is the breadth of your solution for the hotel industry? Canon is an innovative company and ranks in the top five for the highest number of technology patents registered worldwide. We have a straightforward business model that drives efficiency and innovation. We provide a very wide range of products that can print anything from a document the size of a business card to banners the height of BurjKhalifa. Canon also offers solutions that link departments within the UAE to branches around the world with the ability to provide solutions to a hotel’s headquarters in any country. As that the concept of fulfilling “What Customers Want” drives our innovation, we have developed solutions that have become iconic in the hospitality segment. We have expanded these solutions to connect our clients not only in the UAE, but within the whole of the MEA region. These solutions balance the quality of Canon’s offerings with the pricing scheme. We want to ensure that hotels have access to affordable options that improve their business models. As we expand our range, we plan to showcase our diverse product offerings and price points to

targeted options best suited to the hotel’s daily operations and highlight the solutions that would facilitate not only the current demand, but the potential increase in demand down the line. Once a client has been selected the solution that best fits their requirements, Canon steps in with the skilled members who will drive the design, implementation and follow-ups to ensure the system is running smoothly. What is your customer base in the hotel industry, what exactly are they buying from you? Application, application, application is what a hotel is buying from Canon. We help our hospitality clients by personalizing and customizing their printouts while reducing the cost of outside printing significantly. Applications such as event brochures, restaurant menus, customer confirmation letters, wrappers, labels, etc. must be eye-catching in this competitive industry. Having printing solutions on-site allows for a quick turnaround on customized documents. For example, if an organization is holding a dinner gala in the hall of a hotel, the hotel can design and produce within the same day a customized menu with company

“WE PROVIDE A VERY WIDE RANGE OF PRODUCTS THAT CAN PRINT ANYTHING FROM A DOCUMENT THE SIZE OF A BUSINESS CARD TO BANNERS THE HEIGHT OF BURJKHALIFA.”

more members of the hospitality industry. Why do you think your solutions are apt for this vertical? Provide a detailed description of the models and their features. Canon’s solutions are apt for the hotel industry because we have made the effort to ensure that we speak the language of its investors. We recruit people team members who have experience in the hospitality field and are able to communicate the requirements and processes of a hotel. Our team members are able to gather high quality data and develop it intoastructured program that allows us anticipate customer needs. In some cases, we may present all options to a hospitality client to help narrow down their needs and immediate concerns. With other clients, we have been able to propose several

branding and colors for guests to receive. This additional touch point is a gesture appreciated by the organization and also a memorable souvenir for guests who will note the attention to detail by the hotel. The idea is that this sort of flexibility is critical when planning an event and digital imaging solutions can provide a competitive edge for hotels. When the imaging solution is outsourced to an expert such as Canon, clients will benefit by having the latest technology expertly executed while seeing improvements in capabilities and costs. Who are your channel partners aggressive in this vertical market and have a track record. We don’t work through partners but rather sell directly to the hospitality sector. ë

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My Opinion_Canon Emirates.indd 25

23/09/14 9:13 pm

GUEST TALK

WIRELESS SERVICES

Sheraton Dubai Uses Aruba Networks Sheraton Dubai, Mall of the Emirates Hotel Provides Best-in-Class Wireless Connectivity to Guests Powered by Aruba Networks

n W O R D S : : V I S E S K I T H , D I R E C T O R O F I T, S H E R AT O N D U B A I M A L L O F T H E E M I R AT E S H O T E L , . n PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Sheraton Dubai, Mall of the Emirates Hotel, one of the newer additions to the Sheraton portfolio which belongs to Starwood Hotels and Resorts, has successfully upgraded the Wi-Fi network in its Mall of the Emirates (MoE) property using Aruba’s high performance Wi-Fi access points (APs) and mobility controllers to provide uninterrupted wireless connectivity to its guests. Through the hotel’s wireless network, guests can connect and browse the Internet, access social media and email applications and stream video. With Aruba Networks, the Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates Hotel is able to offer a variety of connection speeds ranging from complimentary basic access to chargeable premium levels. The upgrade has helped maintain the high standards set by the Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates property, which regularly sees spikes in the number of devices connecting to the wireless network. Vises Kith, Director of IT, Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates Hotel, said, “Aruba is a leading provider

of next-generation network access solutions for mobile enterprises. Our guests utilize their mobile devices from the minute they enter the hotel to connect to social media platforms, access email and stream video. We feel that Aruba’s range of products delivers the quality and consistency necessary to transfer the associated large volumes of data at the high speeds required. Furthermore, the mobility controller has completely eliminated the challenges of configuring, managing and troubleshooting the wireless network which has dramatically improved our guests’ experience while reducing the efforts of the IT team.” After consulting with a third party systems integrator, MDS PACC, and assessing a range of competitive solutions, Kith and his team decided to update their existing wireless solution with Aruba’s latest offerings. Aruba is already an approved vendor for the Starwood Group, which, in addition to the Sheraton Brand, owns eight other internationally renowned hotel brands. “The Sheraton Group is known

for its hospitality and service. The philosophy of the Sheraton Brand is all about connecting people both for work and family and friends at home. Therefore it is crucial for the hotel to provide seamless services required by the modern social traveler. When we met them, they were looking to upgrade their solution to enhance the guest experience throughout the property. By working closely together to understand their requirements, we were able to deliver a wireless network capable of providing excellent performance with a low capital investment,” said Zeeshan Hadi, Territory Manager, United Arab Emirates, Aruba Networks. A total of 350 Aruba APs were deployed across the business center, 481 guest rooms, and the public areas of the hotel covering 24 floors, 10 meeting rooms, the restaurants and two lobby areas. Aruba is also providing wireless coverage in all back office areas. The 350 APs are all remotely configured and managed by an Aruba 7200 series mobility controller. “The Aruba APs we selected are so powerful that on many occasions, we

could use a single device to provide Internet access across multiple rooms. This helped curtail costs while maximizing the utilization of each device,” said Kith. The wireless system installation took two months and was seamlessly executed by MDS PACC so as to not cause any inconvenience to the guests. On completion of the installation, the hotel’s IT department carried out a series of tests which revealed that the level of service and wireless performance met the stringent international standards laid down by the Sheraton Brand Standards. “It is not easy to find a wireless network that meets our requirements. With Aruba, we found a reliable partner to meet the expectations of our guests and make sure that our brand standards are delivered. The simplicity of the system, combined with the reliable service provided by the team behind the deployment, has left us completely satisfied with our decision. Since the upgrade, we have received no negative feedback which is extremely encouraging to our team,” concluded Kith. ë

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Guest Talk-Aruba Networks.indd 26

23/09/14 9:11 pm

Connect. Share. Give. Take. Solve. Save. Smile. Unify. Introducing Unify. Unifying business communications for the new way to work. unify.com

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