LJUBLJANA, Slovenia, November 29, 2004 - Cisco Systems® announced today that its Cisco® Connected Hotels framework, based on IP technology, was being used to help provide guest services such as wireless Internet access and voice-over-IP-enabled phone calls at the new 218-room Domina Grand Media Hotel in Ljubljana which opened on June 8 2004.
An end-to-end converged Cisco IP network throughout the building helps the Domina Grand Media realise significant savings on its telecommunications infrastructure costs. In addition, thanks to Grand Media's innovative business model, the hotel is able to offer guests free Internet access and free telephone call, connection services to fixed- line numbers in 43 countries. Guests can also browse information on about local services from the comfort of their owns room and connect with vendors directly online, via a videophone link, to make a booking or purchases. The hotel's developer, Grand Media Holding AG (a division of Alpha Baumanagement GmbH of Austria), believes that the provision of these services, along with a number of others enabled by IP, will attract high-value customers who are interested in receiving better value for the same room rates.
"We are able to have a higher-than-average room rate and occupancy thanks to our technology," said Gerhard Kaspar of Grand Media Holding. "We intend to use our experience here not just to equip other hotels, but also to target other business and residential premises. We have selected Cisco as a core supplier because it is one of the most advanced companies in the sector and is one which we can rely on to be with us into the foreseeable future."
The Cisco Connected Hotels solution, is a framework based on the Intelligent Information Network vision which in its first phase will focus on the convergence of voice, data and video based on Cisco AVVID (Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data) This infrastructure has been integrated with a suite of voice-over-IP applications from Cisco and third-party developers to offer high-speed Ethernet connections to the Internet as well as other services through Cisco IP phone terminals. These solutions complement each other to allow guests greater control to manage their stay through a number of self-service functions powered by interactive voice response (IVR) services and menus.
"The Domina Grand Media joins a growing list of hotels that are discovering the advantages of converged IP networks for the cost-effective provision of advanced guest services," commented Jasmina Stritar, Regional Sales Manager, Cisco Systems. "This technology is giving hospitality businesses worldwide an opportunity to reappraise their service offerings, cost structures and business models, reinvigorating the entire industry and leading to lasting changes that outstrip anything the sector has seen for some time."
The Domina Grand Media is equipped with a wide range of Cisco hardware platforms, from Cisco PIX® 525 firewalls and Cisco 3000 Series VPN Concentrators, Cisco Aironet® 1200 Series wireless access points, Cisco 7940G and 7960G, 7920 IP phones and Cisco 7935 IP conference stations, to Cisco Catalyst® 6500 Series switches. In addition, the hotel uses Cisco CallManager call processing and Cisco Unity® unified communications software. Each room has a fiber optic Gigabit connection, which allows High Definition TV (over IP) today and is ready for future applications.
