Mr. Guest

Mobile Technology

Mobile Devices – What’s Next?

By Jason Guest, Account Manager, Americas, Aptilo Networks

Smartphone use is growing by leaps and bounds, presenting opportunities as well as challenges for the hotel industry. Many are embracing these new technologies and finding ways to monetize them, as well as leverage them to encourage repeat business.

The Growth of Mobile Devices

Thanks to increased focus on creating an exceptional user experience, mobile device use has grown significantly in 2011, and 2012 promises to continue this trend: more than 90 percent of mobile phones going out on the market today have mobile web capabilities. Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets were the highest-selling consumer electronic device category in 2011.

In addition, cloud computing is becoming a key topic that’s going beyond enterprises and gaining mindshare – and use – from the consumer market. PC World magazine notes that analyst firm Forrester believes that “a new internet is evolving – dominated by applications and now placing a strain on the technology supporting it.” As cloud computing grows, so will your need to provide the widest pipes of bandwidth possible to accommodate guests who are relying on their mobile devices for not just leisure use, but business applications as well.

Solving the Bandwidth Problem

How can hotels manage the bandwidth problem? If you’re building out a new network infrastructure, it is critical to implement a service management solution right from the start. Service management is where services are defined and personalized, and policies are enforced to control which users access the Internet, their service level and billing.

Making the choice of service management system a priority at the outset can save a great deal of time and money. The expense of deploying several back-end subsystems from different vendors and getting them ready for launch can be substantial. It is a complex and costly road, especially if something does not work as intended. Here is where it is critical to choose a proven service management solution, one with a track record of successful deployments.

Service management systems can be owned in-house, or can themselves be hosted. An outsourcing partner can responsible for ongoing operation of the service management system, for instances when a deployment needs to happen quickly and there is limited of time to train your own personnel.

If you already have wireless infrastructure in place, there are ways to maximize your bandwidth to give guests the service they have come to expect. One solution is to create different packages of buckets of data – for instance, 5MG of data -- to be shared by everyone in one room. Larger buckets of data can be purchased at premium prices. Another option is to allow different bandwidth options for different prices. Tiered pricing structures can also maximize existing resources and help monetize your initial investment.

Another solution is to monitor bandwidth closely, then allocate it to where it’s needed most – for instance, opening up bandwidth to the conference center in the day, then shifting that availability to in-room guests at night. Here it’s important to monitor use closely to anticipate changing demand.

Bandwidth throttling, or slowing download speeds when a certain MB or GB threshold is reached, is also an option. Bandwidth throttling can also “weed out” high-bandwidth applications such as video streaming services, while still allowing for email and Web surfing.

The Small-Screen Challenge

A long time ago (or what seems like it), when businesses realized the Internet was a new platform and they needed a presence on it, they built Websites that seemed as though they were digital reproductions of their marketing brochures. It took a while for everyone to grasp that the Internet was designed to be viewed on computer screens, not 8.5x11” sheets of paper, and Web pages had to be laid out graphically to accommodate not only that new format, but all sorts of bandwidth availability (remember dial-up?), and to incorporate clickable fields.

The mobile Internet is also a new medium that needs to be viewed from the user’s point of view. Does your property have a Website? What does it look like on an iPhone? Or a smaller screen smartphone? How about a tablet device? Can a guest navigate your Website on a mobile device that doesn’t have a touchscreen? Make sure your online content is designed to be viewed and used in these formats. Many companies even have a separate site specifically for mobile devices.

If you’ve been relying on Flash as the gateway for your mobile booking capabilities, or Flash-based videos to show-off your beautiful pool, views and amenities, a good share of the mobile device market is currently unable to view them. That’s because Apple is not supporting Flash on any of its mobile devices. Additionally, in late 2011 Adobe announced they will no longer be focusing on Flash and will instead start developing for HTML5. That’s a whole new change that your mobile designers need to take into account for future design.

Smartphones for Check-In, Billing and More

Guests will want to use their smartphones for new tasks such as check-in and billing, simply because it is an easier way for them to do business and to get things done quickly. Many hotels have advance check-in, whereby guests check in to their rooms prior to arrival: their hotel key is waiting for them in an envelope at the front desk. It's crucial to make these amenities possible, and adapted to the small screen.

Billing by phone is another up-and-coming service. Get ahead of the trend by offering SMS-based charging capabilities. It can be to actually charge via the mobile phone bill with a so-called premium SMS or just use the mobile to identify the guest. The guest’s identity is secured via their mobile phone number and tied to their specific guest Internet account and/or credit card you have on file.

The New Mobile Office

The biggest trend we see with mobile in the hospitality market is a shift toward the new mobile office. It used to be that laptops were the mobile “home base” for business travelers. Today, guests are increasingly switching out their laptops for even more portable devices such as tablets and even high-end, very powerful smartphones. Guests are managing, even creating, documents on these devices. They pull them “from the cloud” from their corporate network, share with colleagues, videochat, conduct group collaboration and more. All of this happens over the Internet, which means an increased need for bandwidth. And while it is true that these devices are replacing the laptop, the need for bandwidth increases because – based on feedback from our many customers’ experiences – these guests bring more than one Internet-capable device (tablet, smartphone, etc.) in favor of the single laptop and they use them more frequently compared to laptops. We believe this trend will only continue.

Great User Experience = Loyal Guests

Many guests, especially business travelers, have developed strong loyalty to one particular chain over another simply because they know they will have a fantastic Internet experience while at the property. Some hotels have become savvy to this and have tied their own loyalty programs to Wi-Fi, providing free service in exchange for signing up. As guests become more reliant on the Internet (for business and recreational use), the more crucial it will become for hotels to provide that wide bandwidth pipe – and that can be for free, or at a cost to the guest to help generate new revenue streams.

Leverage Usage Information to Get Ahead of Trends

Be sure to capture usage data, to know exactly who is using your bandwidth, where it is being used (in the lobby or in the room, for example) and what amount of bandwidth is needed. This kind of information helps the sales team identify times and locations where the Internet use is at its peak. For instance, if bandwidth demand starts to grow for guest rooms that’s a significant indicator to start planning for more capacity down the road.

This data will also help you shift available bandwidth around to the places that need it most. For instance, if more bandwidth is being used in a hotel lounge than was previously expected, the on-site team can alter the service to accommodate so the bandwidth will be greater where it is needed and at the right times. They can also shift it to the conference center, for example, in the day and switch it back to guest rooms at night. A flexible wireless management system makes this all possible, and easy.

The Future is Bright

As technology evolves so, too are opportunities to monetize these new trends. Be prepared by making the wireless network a priority. Be sure to understand its current use: who is using the network now? Are you reaching maximum bandwidth capacity at this point? What are your competitors doing with their mobile sites? Remember, with careful planning and by keeping an eye on changing technologies, these shifts are opportunities for loyalty, for generating revenue, and for catapulting you far ahead of competitors.

Jason Guest is an Account Manager for Aptilo Networks, the global leader in pre-integrated management solutions for control of billing, user services and access in Wi-Fi, WiMAX™ and LTE networks. Mr. Guest is responsible for sales in North America, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Prior to joining Aptilo, Mr. Guest was responsible for information technology sales at Regus plc., the world’s largest provider of workplace solutions. While there he helped to introduce and implement the sales strategy for a new information technology products and services division. Mr. Guest can be contacted at 917-414-9262 or jason.guest@aptilo.com Extended Bio...

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