Glendale, CA-based InnTechnology, a leading provider of technology products and services for the hospitality industry and the trend-setting Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino, have teamed up with industry leaders to provide live presentations of soon-to-be-available wireless guest amenities.
Actual hands-on demonstrations, featuring wireless guest check-in and wireless printing utilizing Bluetooth(TM) technology, will be staged on-site at The Venetian during Fall Comdex 2000, November 13-17. Members of the press are invited for a demonstration on Monday, November 13. Please call (973) 376-9300 to reserve a space.
The Bluetooth (www.bluetooth.com) specification is a rapidly emerging cable replacement technology that provides low-cost, short-range (approximately 10 meters) radio links among mobile devices such as laptop PCs, PDAs, cellular phones, printers, fax machines and computer networks. The Bluetooth specification has been endorsed by many of the market leaders in the telecommunications and computing industries. Consumer products enabled with Bluetooth wireless technology will begin shipping Q4 2000. According to Cahners In-Stat Group device shipments of products enabled with Bluetooth are likely to surpass 1 billion by 2005.
"We are very excited to participate with InnTechnology in this demonstration of Bluetooth wireless technology," said Michael D. French, senior vice-president of operations for The Venetian. "We believe that the applications being demonstrated here are representative of the actual services that The Venetian may consider offering to its guests in the near future. The leadership that InnTechnology has shown in conceiving these applications enables a hotel such as The Venetian to bring these cutting-edge services into the hands of each guest."
The invitation-only demonstration will showcase "real-world" Bluetooth applications in action. Beginning in The Venetian Hotel lobby, InnTechnology will demonstrate wireless guest "check-in" using a Handspring Visor Deluxe Personal Digital Assistant equipped with a BlueConnect(TM) expansion module by WIDCOMM and Bluetooth Access Points (provided by TROY XCD, a subsidiary of TROY Group, NASDAQ:TROY). Conveniently, the Visor Deluxe will also provide directions to the specified guestroom and act as a virtual "key" -unlocking the guestroom door via Bluetooth radio link. Once inside The Venetian guestroom, the demonstration of wireless file transfer between the Visor Deluxe and an IBM ThinkPad T20 series (equipped with a Bluetooth PC card from IBM) will occur. This will then be followed by a demonstration of TROY Group wireless printing, via Bluetooth, to an existing HP OfficeJet 520 multifunction printer/fax/scanner/copier that InnTechnology installed as standard equipment in each of The Venetian's 3,036 guestrooms.
"InnTechnology is proud to host this exciting Bluetooth demonstration at The Venetian. Our partners have enabled us to show the most up-to-date, technologically superior applications for the business traveler to enjoy in the near future," exclaimed Mac Graham, executive vice president of operations for InnTechnology. "Integrating Bluetooth wireless technology as an extension of our existing services will contribute to the ultimate convenience for the business traveler and efficiency of operations for our hotel customers."
Companies participating in the demonstration are at the forefront of bringing Bluetooth products and applications to the consumer marketplace:
-- IBM will offer a ThinkPad notebook PC with a Bluetooth PC card from IBM.
-- Texas Instruments provides the digital baseband for both Bluetooth Access Points, part of TI's Bluetooth chipset used in TROY XCD devices.
-- WIDCOMM has developed the BlueConnect(TM) expansion module to Bluetooth-enable the Handspring Visor(TM) PDA.
-- Silicon Wave provides its Odyssey Bluetooth radio solutions including the SiW1502 Radio Modem IC to TROY XCD.
-- Pistachio Inc. has written the Bluetooth software application for the Handspring Visor.
-- TROY will provide Bluetooth Access Points in both the Venetian lobby and the demonstration suite.
-- Bachmann Software will provide its PrintBoy software, enhanced to enable printing from the Handspring Visor using Bluetooth wireless technology.
-- Hewlett-Packard Co. manufactures the HP OfficeJet 520 printer/fax/scanner/copier, which will be the printing device demonstrated.
-- InnTechnology has designed and integrated this Bluetooth
solution. It will provide the central server and software to
manage these different devices, including: the delivery of the
automated check-in; the control of the door lock access; the
in-room printing capability; and billing of all services
(including in-room printing) to the guest's folio (through an
interface to the Venetian's Property Management System).
-- The Venetian will provide a 700 square foot suite to
demonstrate future functionality applications available to
their guests.
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