Networking
Network infrastructure is of strategic importance for any hotel. It must support tremendous growth of traffic while offering guests a reliable and predictable experience. Network architecture needs to be planned so that even with new applications on the network, IT departments should be able to implement and manage this increasingly complex network infrastructure at a reasonable cost. AGC addresses all layers of network infrastructure, including
AGC provides traditional copper / fFiber cable as a transmission medium for various applications. AGC also offers several designs, which include a variety of loose tube cables, from all dielectric to heavy duty double armored, triple jacketed cables, including:-
- Double armored: a smaller, lighter weight cable used when space is at a minimum,
- Central tube for point to point installations
- Stranded loose tube.
The following are the important points of the solution
- Ring / star design
- No single point of failure, both on active as well as passive components
- SMF, which can be laid over longer distances
- Backbone with the ability to support 10G b/w
- Color coded UTP and accessories for different applications
Guest Services: The technology services that need to be provided to guests in a hotel room include:
- Television (cable TV, IP TV)
- Internet (wired Internet)
- Wi-Fi (laptops, tablets, mobile, iPod)
- Telephone (analog, IP, digital)
Multiple cables are laid in each room to provide these services. Each room can be provided with one RG6 cable for TV and multiple Cat6 cables for Internet, telephone and a Wi-Fi access point connection. CCTV cameras will require separate cables in common areas. AGC can help design the entire layout for all these applications.
To reduce costs and improve operational efficiency, hotels have started buying a converged hardware in which all the technology services are provided on a single copper or fiber cable. There are faceplate solutions from OEM's such as Aruba, HP and Ruckus as well as GPON solutions from OEM's such as Alphion.
A single faceplate can be put in each room from a Cat6 cable andp; PoE wwitch port. The faceplate will provide Wi-Fi, 4 managed FE ports, one analog pass through port.
Internet services are either complimentarily provided by the hotel to the guests or are billed separately. Sometimes this service is outsourced to a third party service provider such as DoCoMo. Many hotels also provide this as an in-house service. For Internet as an in-house service, AGC can provide solutions from FCS (NetxcessPro) or TigerTMS (IPConnect Live). Some of the features of these solutions are
- Bandwidth management to provide flexibility of guest charges (hourly, daily, megabytes of data)
- Number of payment options (prepaid, postpaid, chargeable, complimentary)
- Automatic guest account creation on check-in; account deletion after checkout and automatic updation. Internet usage to guest folio
- Additional revenue with ads on login page
- Real time online report indicating guests online activities
- Ability of guests to create their own user names and passwords for public areas and wireless usage
Unified Communication - Audio Visual and Board Room Integration
AGC provides AV Solutions for Hotels in the following areas
1. Centralized Background Music Systems
This central system takes care of multiple zone music in different areas of the hotel, including restaurants, lobby area, pre-function, lifts, car calling, swimming pool (inside and outside), landscape areas and more. It works on the latest audio backbone with audio networking using Cobranet, Digital Audio bus or Ethersound. Multiple audio sources including multi-channel music servers, CD changers, network audio players and local audio inputs in independent zones can be a part of this solution. Each individual zone can have source selection and volume control. The solution supports announcement facility in case of emergency using zone paging microphones compatible with the central DSP system, integrating with the fire alarm system and automatic tain control using ambient noise sensing microphones at designated areas.
2. Banquet Hall AV Solution (MICE)
Many hotels have large banquet halls for setting up conferences and seminars. It is possible to set up multiple screens for various possible stage locations based on individual and combined Banquet hall sizes, interior limitation, viewing distances and other factors. AGC's solution provides the following features:
- Multiple LCD/DLP projectors of various brightness and resolutions based on screen size and locations as well as the ambient light condition in which projection system is used.
- Motorized pProjector lifts based on projector size, screen locations, interior requirements, service requirements at suitable location in banquet halls.
- Sound re-enforcement system using ceiling speakers and / or front of the house speakers along with high energy portable sound system based on specific uses like DJ and live shows.
- Multiple wireless and wired microphones for individual use in banquet halls and same microphones can be used for any combination of banquet halls.
- Individual and combined AV controls for banquet halls with wireless or wired touch panels. Complete AV control can be IP addressable and can be accesses from within or outside the hotel. Apart from AV, lighting and HVAC controls are also possible using same controller.
- MATV can be planned out on AV interfaces provided in banquet hall or central stack location.
- HD cameras (wall or ceiling mounted / motorized hidden and exposed) can be planned out at strategic locations to cover the banquet function and use that feed for multiple uses like display on large screens, feed to hotel MATV system, streaming video, OB van's output.
3. Guest Room AV Solution
- Suitable LCD / LED TV
- In room DVD players, home theatre systems 5.1 or 7.1 for suites
- In room entertainment, in room controls for AV, HVAC, drapes lighting
- Ceiling mounted / portable visualizers
- Media hub connectivity for guests
- Bathroom music with volume control
- Bathroom TV
4. Hotel Digital Signage's and Way Finders
Typical locations
- Hotel Lobby
- Pre-function
- Meeting Spaces
- Business Center
- Spa
- Elevator and Lift Lobbies
- Back office house employee communication
- Digital paintings in guest corridors and Other Locations
Possibilities for Signages
- Integration with mobile devices such as iPhone, android phones, Blackberry, Windows
- Extending signage to desktops
- Integration with Micros Opera and Delphi for automatic update of signage display devices
- Interactive way finder applications and live TV integration along with other signage content.
Unified Communication - IP-PBX
A telephone system is still an important application used in hotels as the telephone is still the primary means by which a guest in a room can seek services. Each guest room can have anywhere from1 to 4 phones in various parts such as bedside (single side or both sides), Desk or next to the toilet. The handsets can be a combination of analog, digital or IP. A typical schematic of a phone layout is shown below.
Guest room analog phones are special phones with multiple 1 touch keys (5,10) and option of placing the hotel brand logo on the same. Some of the handsets are shown below
Many hotels have also opted for IP handset which has a large display and support for multiple WML applications. These applications can include various features such as
- Guest name sisplay
- Room service options
- Camera integration
- Promote in-house restaurants
- Happy hours
- Shopping and nearby tourist attractions
- Room automation
Other related voice applications are the guest voice mail, call billing and PMS interface. In most cases all the 3 applications are provided by the same vendor. Check-in and check-out of guests is done from the PMS.
When a guest is checked in, the name is automatically posted to the PBX along with dialing privileges; the voice mail is automatically created. Upon check-out, the name, dialing privileges and Vvoice mail is removed.
1. Guest Relationship Management
Traditional guest request flow
Three steps for a simple guest request
With FCS eConnect or an equivalent guest relationship management software
With this application the butler receives the service requests on a mobile device such as a GSM phone, DECT phone, wireless IP phone. He completes the request and close the ticket from the mobile device itself. The centralized helpdesk or AYS desk receives all calls for the service request. Guest information is displayed on the screen along with the history. Agents can assign the service request to any butler from a list of butlers. Upon assigning, a message is immediately sent on his handheld device. The advantages of such a system are multiple:
- Guest SLAs can be tracked
- Equal distribution of work to all butlers
- Timely escalations in case requests are not completed in time
- Less manpower required for completion of the tasks
Calls are also recorded for the centralized help desk, operator and; reservation agents.
In times of crisis the duty manager has to notify many people including the security, GM and others. In times like these, it may also be necessary to notify all the guests and carrying out this work manually may not be possible. The smart alert solution from AGC can take an input manually or from a software application and initiate a blast dial. In this either a pre-recorded announcement or a new announcement can be recorded on the fly. The system will dial out to all users in matter of minutes and play the particular announcement required. This can also be triggered by an SMS.
3. IP Surveillance Solutions
Security in hotels has gained a lot of prominence especially after a number of recent terror attacks. Apart from 5 star hotels, budget and business hotels are also taking lot of precautions and implementing surveillance and access control solutions in various parts of the hotel. These are clubbed with intelligent video analytics and recorders. Some of the areas where cameras are deployed are:
- Perimeter surveillance
- Cameras in common areas
- Cameras outside every room
Some of the video analytics applications used are
- Video smoke detector
- Counter flow detection
- Congestion Detection
- Camera hooding
- Tamper detection (cutting wires)
- Integration with access control
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AGC Networks Ltd. is a global Solutions Integrator in Unified Communications, Network Integration, Data Center & Virtualization and Enterprise Applications domain.
Our BFSI solutions are always focused on customer's customer. Not surprisingly these solutions help you boost profit, reduce cost & win your customer's lifetime loyalty
We deliver business value to customers through a combination of process excellence, quality framework and service delivery innovations
AGC delivers customized business solutions that help organizations accelerate revenue growth, increase market penetration, optimize operating costs and improve employee productivity by embedding communication in their business processes.
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