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Broadband Hospitality\'s New Internet Concierge Support Program Provides Peace of Mind to Hoteliers, Groups Before Meetings Take Place
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YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO—February 14, 2005—Broadband Hospitality, one of the hospitality industry\'s fastest growing high-speed Internet providers, has added Internet Concierge Support to its wide range of high-speed Internet solutions. Internet Concierge Support is geared toward those hotels that host high volumes of groups that use high-speed Internet services in meeting rooms.
Through its Internet Concierge Support program, Broadband Hospitality will consult with hotel staff and representatives of the incoming group to ensure that the hotel is able to deliver a seamless and user-friendly high-speed Internet experience. Broadband also will work with a hotel’s sales staff prior to a meeting to identify any needs unique to the incoming group. One goal of Internet Concierge Support is to ensure that the hotel has the proper wired and wireless Internet and networking infrastructure to meet the needs of each group. Another important goal is to help hotel sales representatives sell more meetings.
“Oftentimes, hotels are not equipped with the connections, bandwidth and speed to support a large group,” says Vince Lucci, President of Youngstown, Ohio-based Broadband Hospitality. “Many hotels also don’t have staff onsite with the expertise to know how to meet a group’s specific Internet-related needs. What we are offering hoteliers and groups through our Internet Concierge Support program is the peace of mind that their high-speed Internet experience will be glitch-free.”
Pre-meeting preparations emphasized
As part of Internet Concierge Support, Broadband Hospitality will work proactively with a hotel’s sales staff, IT department and the incoming group to address Internet and access needs.
“Unlike the fairly simple needs of an individual traveler, corporate groups need things such as enough static IP addresses built into the T1 line,” says Ed Santor, National Sales Manager for Broadband Hospitality. “Our working with the group and hotel staff prior to the event will enable us to determine the needs of both parties and take corrective action. We will make sure that enough IP addresses are provided.”
Santor says that having enough bandwidth available is critical. As part of Broadband’s Internet Concierge Support program, the needed bandwidth would be determined.
“That is especially important for those high-speed Internet users who need to access their corporate virtual private networks,” Santor says. “The ultimate goal is to make sure that the proper pre-planning is done to ensure a smooth and seamless meeting. Hotels have been doing this for years with audio-visual planning. It is essential that hoteliers focus the same amount of attention on Internet needs.”
Another area that can be identified and addressed by Broadband Hospitality is the need for additional hardware to support a large group. If additional hardware is required, Broadband Hospitality can provide that on a rental basis. Oftentimes, hotels do not have enough hubs or switches to provide a sufficient number of Internet connections.
Santor says that even though many travelers now connect to the Internet via wireless technology, some groups such as government employees are not permitted to use wireless. This is another area that can be addressed and rectified as part of the pre-planning effort.
“We have heard many stories from hoteliers who were caught off guard and were not able to provide the proper connections, hardware and support for large groups,” Santor says. “We deal with these types of issues on a daily basis and can provide hoteliers with the expertise and support they need far in advance of an important meeting.”
Important sales support provided
As part of Broadband Hospitality’s new, proactive service, it will provide support to the hotel’s sale staff. This support will include training on how to present Broadband Hospitality’s support service to the prospective conference group. A Broadband representative will be made available to join the sales representative on a sales call, and Broadband also will contact the meeting group’s representative as part of the pre-event preparation.
On the day or days of the event, Broadband will provide a hotline number to call in the event of any technical difficulties. If requested, a Broadband technician also will be provided onsite. Lucci says he intends Internet Concierge Support to be an adjunct to a hotel’s own IT department.
“There is a strong demand for this type of support service because most IT departments are primarily dedicated to computers and do not get involved with high-speed Internet hardware and service setup,” he says.
Some hotels that already have implemented Broadband Hospitality’s Internet Concierge Support include: the Cleveland Airport Marriott; Columbus Marriott North; Buffalo Marriott Hotel; Holiday Inn North Raleigh (N.C.); and Hotel 71, Chicago.
About Broadband Hospitality:
 Founded in 1993, Broadband Hospitality’s mission is to help hotels and restaurants leverage the full power of the Internet by providing complete, high-quality, high-performance Internet solutions. In addition to traditional wired solutions, Broadband also installs wireless "hot spots." These hot spots typically include areas such as lobbies, breakfast areas and meeting rooms. Broadband has partnered with some of the leading wireless hardware companies to implement Wi-Fi technology and can offer the best solution for each property.
In addition to providing high-speed Internet access solutions for restaurants, guestrooms, business centers, kiosks and conference rooms, Broadband Hospitality offers print services (printing guest documents via the in-room Internet connection), e-commerce platforms for hotel chains, video on demand, videoconferencing and voice over IP.
Broadband Hospitality offers a wide range of voice solutions, including local service. The company also is an authorized Mitel dealer that installs and services hotel phone systems. Because of its strategic partnerships with companies such as AT&T, Paradyne Corp., Qwest Mitel and Tut Systems, Broadband Hospitality can offer its customers the best possible telecommunications and network solutions at the best possible price. Broadband Hospitality separates itself from its competitors by providing around-the-clock tech support 24 hours a day every day of the year.
Broadband, which has provided high-speed Internet systems to more than 180 hotels in 28 states, is the preferred high-speed Internet access vendor of the Ohio Hotel & Lodging Assn. Broadband is also a member of the Pennsylvania Tourism and Lodging Assn. and meets the brand standards for high-speed Internet access for Hilton Garden Inn hotels and most standards set by leading franchisors. For more information about Broadband Hospitality, go to www.broadbandhospitality.com or call Vince Lucci, president, at (330) 629-8848.
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Date Listed: 2005-02-14
More news about:
 Industry: Hotel
Category: Technology
Broadband Hospitality
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