Hospitality Network

 

Hospitality Network

Hospitality enterprises (for example, hotels, airports, and convention centers) host guests who demand high-speed connections to the Internet and access to telephony services. Enterprises that are used by a large number of travelers spend money to support LAN-like performance and extend high-speed telecommuting to corporate users.

Hospitality providers build networks that offer high-speed Internet services in a flexible, affordable, and transparent manner. Figure B-4 illustrates a sample hospitality network.

Figure B-4. Hospitality Network

[View full size image]

Applications include fast Internet access and high-volume VoIP solutions. In hotels, one building or the entire hotel campus is wired with a single broadband access line to supply voice, video, and Internet applications to guest rooms. The hotel can take advantage of high-volume, long-distance discounts from its provider while realizing revenue from direct long-distance dialing by hotel guests. A hospitality environment can deploy the following components:

• Cisco Building Broadband Service Manager (BBSM) This service-creation platform enables hotel property owners to create, market, and operate broadband access services. BBSM provides plug-and-play access; customizable portals to restaurants, wineries, and retail shops; and support for multiple authentication and billing options.

• Cisco IP phone This device provides hotel guests with added conveniences, such as telephone-based applications that might include concierge services, linked directories to local attractions, and automatic speed-dial setup. For groups taking advantage of meeting services, the Cisco IP phones can provide personalized group directories, meeting agenda and room locations, and broadcast alert capabilities.

• Cisco Content Transformation Engine (CTE) The CTE is an appliance-based product that optimizes the delivery of web content to a variety of wireless and wired devices, such as cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and IP phones. Using the CTE with Cisco IP telephones in every room, guests have quick and easy access to hotel information (room service, in-house events) and third-party information (airline schedules, stock quotes, and weather information).