Meet REX - Housekeeping's New Best Friend
Operating on the Apple iPhone/iPod touch platform, MTech's new Room Expeditor tool helps housekeepin
MIAMI, FL, June 24, 2008. MTech once again proved itself to be the innovator for the hospitality industry. At the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference (HITEC), held last week at the Austin (Texas) Convention Center, MTech unveiled a new technology in development for many years that outfits room attendants with a PDA. While this may not seem new, it absolutely is. Meet REX, sure to be called housekeeping's new best friend.
"The notion of providing a PDA to room attendant has been around for some time, but the notion of using it to communicate real-time information that will turn rooms faster in a simple-to-use device is entirely new," said Luis Segredo, MTech President. "For example, hotel guests will often wish to stay as late as possible on their date of departures. Arriving guests, especially in resort environments, wish to arrive as early as possible, thereby putting the squeeze on housekeeping. This dilemma creates a manually intensive communication process between the Front Office and Housekeeping to get arriving guests into their rooms.
"With REX, a room attendant refers to a wireless device to be instructed on 'what is the next most important room' for him or her to clean," he said. "In selecting the next room, the software will look at a collection of variables from multiple systems like the property-management and in-room energy-management systems. These variables include whether a guest is waiting, physical occupancy, VIP level of the incoming guest and several others. Because the room attendant just sees the next room, it's simpler than any paper process."
The room attendant also is exposed to real-time guest information that allows for addressing the guest by name and setting up the room with all preferences, he explained, noting that the handheld application will initially be available in English and Spanish -- but will be subsequently translated as needed.
Also assisting in the simplicity for the room attendant is the form factor. MTech has selected the Apple iPhone/iPod touch platform.
"When Apple announced the developer program for the iPod touch in March, our search for the right form factor was over," Segredo said. "This is an incredibly intuitive, yet versatile, device. Because it can employ the hotel's WIFI network, there are no recurring network fees. Beyond REX, it also has a host of other applications that are possible."
REX will be going to beta in July 2008. A handful of properties have been accepted into the beta program, but additional properties may be considered. REX will be released in October/November.
For a complete list of innovations brought to market by MTech, go to www.m-tech.com.
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