VingCard to Secure Plaza Hotel in New York

Contactless Signature RFID Electronic Locks Installed at Legendary Central Park Property

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. October 14, 2008

DALLAS, TX, November 12, 2007. VingCard, part of the ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Group, announced today it has installed Signature RFID by VingCard(R) electronic locks at the newly renovated Plaza Hotel in New York, which is scheduled to reopen by the end of 2007. VingCard's Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) electronic locks allow for contactless guest room entry and are compatible with next-generation Near Field Communication (NFC) cell phones.

"As part of its extensive renovation, the Plaza Hotel needed design-centric, operations-friendly electronic locks that would offer unmatched convenience and the ultimate in security for its upscale clientele," said Marc Freundlich, president and CEO of ASSA ABLOY Hospitality North America. "Signature RFID by VingCard promises unprecedented ease-of-use and increased guest satisfaction for hotels like the Plaza. We are very pleased to be a part of this legendary hotel's grand reopening."

Through its agreement with the Plaza, VingCard has installed Signature RFID contactless electronic locks in the hotel's 282 distinctive guestrooms. With more than 25 years of proven performance securing thousands of hotels worldwide, hotel locks from VingCard offer highly reliable security features and provide ease of operation and maintenance. Signature RFID is a secure open-platform system compatible with the three leading RFID ISO standards (ISO 14443A/MiFare, ISO 14443B, ISO 15693), eliminating the guess-work in choosing the right technology standard, and also the new NFC transaction platform for cell phones.

By installing Signature RFID locks, and through a joint collaboration with NXP (formerly Philips semiconductors), the Plaza will be ready to offer remote check-in to guests with NFC-compatible cell phones. After making a reservation but prior to arrival at the hotel, guests will receive a booking confirmation number, room number and encrypted room key access code through an encrypted Short Message System (SMS) to their NFC-enabled cell phone, allowing them to bypass the check-in line upon arrival and go straight to the room, where their NFC-enabled cell phone would unlock the door.

"We are confident that Signature RFID's compatibility with NFC devices will increase guest satisfaction at the Plaza," Freundlich said. "The unique lock design featuring the latest in electronic locking technology will also facilitate more intuitive guest interaction."

Signature RFID provides unsurpassed security to hotels through anti-cloning technology for all guest and staff cards, making it virtually impossible for keycards to be cloned and used. In addition to the Plaza Hotel, VingCard has installed Signature RFID at top properties including Okanagan Resort in Okanagan, British Columbia; Grotto Bay Resort in Bermuda; Veranda Beach Resort in Osoyoos, British Columbia; Edenh Real Arena Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic; Hilton Homewood Suites in London, Ontario; and the Windsong Turks and Caicos.

Newly available in four optional reader colors, blue, green, red and orange, Signature RFID now gives hoteliers the option to match their guestroom door locks to the individual style and d'ecor of their hotel. VingCard will showcase Signature RFID, including its NFC compatibility, at the 2007 International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show in New York, Nov. 11-13 at the ASSA ABLOY Hospitality booth, number 3138.