HOCHIHMINH, Vietnam - May 2, 2002 - Guests in Omni Hotel Saigon will soon experience the power of broadband Internet access right to their rooms thanks to a tie-up with Cisco Systems, the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. The hotel, the first international hotel chain to be established in Hochiminh City have added yet another value-added service for business travelers to add to the five-star rating which it earned recently from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.
The broadband service is delivered through Cisco's Long-Reach Ethernet (LRE) technology, providing hotel guests with high-speed Ethernet access at speeds of between 5 and 15 Mbps. LRE technology extends Ethernet capability to multi-tenanted buildings, such as hotels and offices, not wired up with Category 5 cable, which is high-grade wiring that allows native Ethernet connections throughout a building. Thus, saving costs on expensive rewiring, LRE technology encapsulates Ethernet packets for robust, high-frequency transmission over existing telephone wiring, and extends the distance reach from 100 meters for traditional Ethernet over copper to up to 5,000 feet (1,524 meters).
"Cisco's LRE technology has certainly provided a quantum leap for hotel services. The solution is timely and deals with one of the most critical problem areas for traveling businessmen en route to Vietnam, reliable access to the Internet. Our collaboration with Cisco now offers corporate guests of the Omni Saigon a magnificent broadband solution, which many of them take for granted when traveling from Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore or Bangkok," said Anthony O'Neill, General Manager of Omni Hotel Saigon.
Omni Hotel will be delivering the service to its Superb Club floor rooms at no extra cost to the guest, increasing value of its Corporate Plus package even more.
In addition to LRE technology and solutions, Omni Hotel has also deployed Cisco Secure PIX Firewalls to provide security to users and Cisco Cache Engines to accelerate Internet access.
"In order for Vietnam to become more attractive to foreign companies, there needs to be a major upgrade in the infrastructure and services in line with international standards. Providing high-speed Internet access is certainly a pre-requisite today and Omni Hotel has made a major step forward to delivering the sorts of services that international travelers are used to. Cisco is honored to be able to help Omni and other organizations in Vietnam to develop the Internet infrastructure," said Ha Huy Hao, Chief Representative, Cisco Systems Vietnam.
About Omni Hotel Saigon
Omni Saigon Hotel, the first international hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, opened in 1994 and since then became a name synonymous to service commitment and high quality standards. The hotel recently received a five-star rating from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT). Omni Saigon Hotel is managed by the Marco Polo Hotel Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Wharf (Holding) Limited. Marco Polo Hotels has a portfolio of seven properties in Asia - The Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel, The Marco Polo Gateway and The Marco Polo Prince in Hong Kong; The Marco Polo in Xiamen, The Marco Polo in Beijing, China; and the Marco Polo in Davao, Philippines including Omni Saigon Hotel.
About Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Cisco news and information are available at www.cisco.com.
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