Bandwidth – Editor’s Note
I hope your year is off to a grand start. We are 15 years into the new millennia. That’s quite an accomplishment given the current state of worldly affairs. One of the reasons I like the hospitality industry so much is that places emphasis on the future and prides itself on excellent service. This industry is very future oriented, investing in its properties and staff. It may not be all rosy economics and other social problems but the hospitality industry is there to serve – a very worthy purpose.
That said, Hotel Internet Services is looking forward to working with you. 2015 projects to be the best in our history. We have new products (more about that soon) and very importantly according to survey we continue to deliver the highest level of service and care that we have built our company upon.
As stated, we are rolling out a breakthrough new product – the BeyondTV Wireless Streaming Player. With it your guests will be able to stream content such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO and more directly, from their hotel-room TV. They will also be able to stream content from their mobile devices directly to the TV in your room, and have access to hotel amenities like reservations, checkout, spa, restaurants, transportation, etc. Our first installation was in the illustrious Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. Check out the product and installation in the Spotlight below. If You Want To Know More About Beyond TV Click Here >
This month in our Inside Story sector find out what goes into being a professional HIS Field Installer. Some of our standards and qualifications may surprise you.
Our Scoop section roams the universe, searching for relevant articles to help your establishment run better and close with some fun vids we have curated just for you.
We would love to hear from you – feel free to write and let us know what we can do to help you. We live in a connected world and our job is to keep you and your guests reliably connected.
Larry Jaffe
editor@hotelwifi.com
Installation Spotlight
Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino
Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino The Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino contracted Hotel Internet Services for the installation of the state-of-the-art Ruckus 802.11ac Wi-Fi system and the BeyondTV Wireless Streaming Player in its 3000 rooms of this historic location. Guests can view their own subscribed content like Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, etc. directly on the in-room TV. Tying right into the hotel property management system, BTV delivers all hotel amenities right to guests including housekeeping, in-room dining, spa, valet, transportation, express check-out and other concierge services. BeyondTV also enables wireless streaming from an iPad and iPhone, Android tablets and smart phones or laptops to the TV in the room. Users can view their own videos, movies and photos or listen to their own music on BeyondTV. These systems were installed on time to be up and running in time for the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show.
The Installation
It was a hot day in October even by Las Vegas standards when the elite Hotel Internet Services installation team arrived with their mission in hand. The assignment was formidable with limited time and a definitive schedule – install it before CES 2015! The HIS team knew what it had to do. Team leader, Installations Manager, Trevor Dowswell had come prepared for the effort. He had assembled his crew especially primed for the occasion. This historic location was about to get the most cutting-edge WIFI and in-room entertainment system in the world.
The installation required thousands and thousands of man-hours. Wherever possible the existing coax was utilized. However, one of the towers required a full rewiring due to cable problems.
The HIS deployment included 55” LED televisions; the latest Ruckus 802.11ac Access Points; BeyondTV Wireless Streaming Players; iConnect (allows guests to stream their own content to the room TV and the newly created Westgate App, enabling guests to access Westgate amenities, make reservations in hotel restaurants, order in-room dining and access local attractions (available on iTunes and Google Play). The latest Cisco 3850 distribution switches were used throughout the installation. A Ruckus ZD5000 Wireless Controller was the heart of network. The Fusion Gateways V Series was used to handle routing and authentication at the property.
HIS President Gary Patrick helped put BeyondTV into perspective:
“The BeyondTV Wireless Streaming Player is a revolutionary product that enables hotel guests to have the same entertainment experience that they can have at home. It answers the overwhelming guest request to be able to view and listen to their own and subscribed content from Netflix to Pandora to personal photos and videos. We have created a very secure way for guests to watch and listen to their own personal content while traveling.”
If You Want To Know More About Beyond TV Click Here >
Inside Story:
Profile of an HIS Field Installer
It sometimes amazes me how much it takes to deliver and install a world-class Wi-Fi network for our clients. Just as the hospitality industry prides itself on customer service, HIS knows that delivering reliable Wi-Fi is more than just the hardware. Our installation team not only has years and years of technical experience they also undergo rigorous customer relations training. We treat each client the way we want to be treated with courtesy and care. HIS Wi-Fi installers literally bring the sold product to life in the field. Your job goes through several layers of planning and implementation.
The first step of the journey beings with one of our qualified sales consultants, who will get your job into the system. From there, the technical team takes over.
- Company Representative
- Your primary contact with client during installation. They set work plan, get access to work areas and act as a liaison between you and HIS.
Sales Engineer
- Depending on the situation, our sales engineer “walks” site, performs an active survey of the property and develops a proposal for the project. This positon requires knowledge of building construction, selection of correct Wi-Fi system and ability to estimate how long the project will take.
- Foreman
- Assembles equipment and begins the work plan.
- Provides solutions to unexpected problems that result on the project.
- Manages all phases and personnel of the installation.
- Cable Installer
- HIS is one of the few companies that run CAT6 cable in-house. Installers have a working knowledge of building construction and know how to develop cable paths.
- Phone/Coax technician
- The most common medium to run data to an access point (AP) is CAT6 cable. But sometimes this is not possible and other mediums must be used like VDSL (phone lines), MOCA (Coax) or p2p (point-to-point Wi-Fi bridge). Our installers are trained to work with any of these mediums.
Network Engineer
- Our installations are built from the ground up. The entire system must be configured. Unlike a home system that is pretty much plug and play, a commercial Wi-Fi network requires a lot more expertise from design to install. Switches, gateway, routers, Access Points, Wi-Fi controllers, etc. all must be systematically configured for optimum performance.
- RF Engineer
- The installation and configuration of the Wi-Fi equipment is only one segment of the project. Next comes the testing of the Wi-Fi signal and throughput to optimize the network.
Obviously, installing a quality Wi-Fi network requires more expertise than running some cables and plugging them in. That is why we have put together a technical team with the highest standards of technology and service. We have accumulated an enormous amount of experience and knowledge since our beginnings. Now we can put that expertise to work for you.
Scoop
10 Tips for Secure Business Travel
Internet security is of utmost importance especially to your guests. Here are some tips that you might want to pass on to them. Business travelers are an attractive target for hackers. Here’s how to protect them when they are on the road Read More>
Amazon Ready to Turn Travel Industry Upside Down
I always enjoy reading Skift. Their funky viewpoint and on-top-of-it attitude is most appealing. It seems that Amazon.com is poised to launch its own travel service, featuring booking at independent hotels and resorts near major cities.
Read More>
17 Apps That Are Revolutionizing the Hospitality Industry
Apps are taking over the world, no matter what industry or location. The hospitality industry is no exception, and whether you’re a hotel owner, café manager, barista, wait staff member or patron, there is an app out there that makes your life easier. Here are a few apps that are examples of innovation in the hospitality industry. Read More>
5 Hotels Opening in 2015 That Embody Latest Travel Trends
Hotel industry experts say use of bold colors, a focus on health — in building and room design and in service offerings — will also be major themes in the coming year. Read More>
Captain Video
Each issue we will provide you with a short break from the work-a-day crazies with some videos we curated. Some of them will be industry related. Take a moment and enjoy. Some of the strangest things seem to happen in hotels let alone the entire hospitality industry.
Okay here’s some fun we have curated just for our friends in the hospitality biz. Enjoy!
– Wildest Car Commercial Ever: This is one thrill ride from beginning to end and it is totally interactive. You get to choose the scenario and watch, watch, watch. I am not going to give it away. Just enjoy!
Meet Mat (A Yoga Love Story):I admit this one is a bit strange, but I kind of got a kick out of it. Klimpton sure has produced some rather peculiar yet enjoyable ads. This one is a short film about a 24-hour romance with an ummm… yoga mat?
The Key to… This key has a way of getting around.
The Infamous Axe Hotel Commercial: Just a fun piece that just so happens to take place in a hotel.
