Tag Archives: Wi-Fi

by | May 21, 2015 · 10:29 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Best Tips for Creating Fast, Reliable and Secure Wi-Fi Networks”

Wi-Fi is a business driver that enables a comprehensive guest experience. Soon, hotels will leverage the power of Wi-Fi to expand on loyalty programs,Hotel wifi integrate with the in-room TV, and take part in other customer-engagement strategies such as location-based promotions and time-based offers.

Yaroslav Goncharov, CEO of Hotel Wi-Fi Test, has had a front row seat to the rise of Wi-Fi in the hotel industry. “It’s become a key amenity,” he says. “Some studies even claim it is second only to a comfortable bed.” At a time when basically every handheld device features Internet connectivity, guests place immense value on reliable wireless networks. This means that top-notch Wi-Fi services have changed from a nicety to a necessity.

When it comes to best practices, nothing trumps capacity. “While bandwidth growth has always been an issue for hospitality IT departments, the additional demands of Wi-Fi have accelerated the urgency,” says Alexandra Sewell, executive director, emerging markets, Comcast Business. She notes that many hotel guests carry two or three mobile devices, and they expect to be constantly connected when they travel. “And without the proper network capacity, Wi-Fi will be slow and frustrating,” she says. Kirk Hylan, owner of INsite Networks, a San Francisco IT company, says there’s no rule of thumb when it comes to determining how much bandwidth a hotel property needs. “With bandwidth, it’s really a matter of how much your pocket can afford because guests will use it all.”

“Technology is evolving faster than most of us ever imagined,” says Doug Gehret, general manager at Hilton Orlando. “We must be proactive to remain relevant.” Gehret’s hotel recently upgraded to the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard and now touts its high-speed data rates (up to 10 times standard Wi-Fi) as a key selling point in promotion material. With the AC Wi-Fi standard now over a year old, hotels that haven’t upgraded may find themselves falling behind the competition. And a property’s Wi-Fi speed isn’t a secret anymore, as third-party reviewers like Hotel Wi-Fi Test provide free, easily accessible ratings of wireless services that potential guests may use when choosing hotels for their next stay or event.

For more: http://bit.ly/1K5JHXO

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Hospitality Industry Technology Solutions: “Top 5 Trends In Hotel Technology” Feature Importance Of “Electronic Device Support” And “Real-Time Online Pricing & Reservations”

Top 5 Trends

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by | December 1, 2013 · 9:35 am
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Hospitality Industry Wireless Technology: Hotels Offered Free Wi-Fi At 64% Of Properties In 2013 With Guests Expecting Speeds Up To 5 Mbps

Hotel Wi-Fi Report

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by | November 16, 2013 · 11:34 am
by | July 19, 2013 · 6:26 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Risks: Hotel Wi-Fi And LAN Networks Remain Vulnerable To Being Hijacked

“Whether it’s paid or not, whether there’s a password involved or not, nearly all of them are completely unsecure,” he said. “The reason that Wi-mobile technologyFi hotspots put passwords on their Wi-Fi is not to protect the individual, but rather to limit usage…LAN technology evolved years ago for use within organizations where security was never thought to be a major issue. The result is that most of today’s LANs can be hijacked, and all communication can be easily captured and stored on an unseen laptop.”

Private Communications Corp., a Connecticut-based digital-security company, reports that more than half of the 24 million Wi-Fi networks thought to exist worldwide are unencrypted, meaning they’re effectively open to anyone within radio range.

That statistic is particularly alarming when juxtaposed with another from the same company: In the United States, an estimated 43 million people use Wi-Fi hotspots to conduct personal or professional business.

Lawson said travelers should be wary even when connecting directly to a local area network, or LAN, offered by, say, a big-name hotel.

For more:  http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2013/07/14/on-vacation-your-hotel-wi-fi-might-be-vulnerable-to-hacker.html

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by | June 16, 2012 · 6:32 am

Hospitality Industry Wireless Security Risks: Cyber Criminals Setting Up "Mock Wi-Fi Hot Spots" At Hotels To Steal Wireless Device Data

“People will see ‘free Wi-Fi’ and click on it, and when they do that they open themselves up to great exposure…the best approach is to be wary and steer clear of Wi-Fi hotspots that do not seem legitimate — something (that) looks like it’s not quite right, not the proper name they might expect,” 

Gary Davis, McAfee’s director of global consumer marketing, said there was a growing trend of hackers setting up mock Wi-Fi hotspots in public places, which appear at the top of the list of available Wi-Fi connections.

Once compromised, hackers can take total control of a device, including removing all the data contained on it. Android devices are currently the devices most targeted by hackers, Davis said.

“We saw a 1,200% increase in malware targeting Android devices just in the first quarter of this year,” he said.

John said the best approach for business travelers when using public Wi-Fi is to remotely log into their employer’s virtual private network, or VPN, which ensures all data received and sent from a device is encrypted.

For more:  http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/12/business/cyber-hackers-data-security-travel/index.html

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by | October 25, 2011 · 5:27 am

Hospitality Industry Internet Issues: Hotel "Wi-Fi Networks" Are Facing "Exponentially" Higher Demand From Guest Usage Of iPads; Investment In More Bandwidth Necessary

“…Some hotel Internet service providers are proposing a solution that offers tiered Wi-Fi service. The lowest level, suitable for basic Internet requirements like checking e-mail, would be free, but other levels would be priced depending on bandwidth requirements…”

 “… iPads consume four times more Wi-Fi data per month than the average smartphone…”

Largely because of the broad use of iPads and other mobile tablets, which are heavy users of video streaming, the guest room Wi-Fi networks that most hotels thought they had brought up to standard just a few years ago are now often groaning under user demands.

“The iPad is the fastest-selling device in consumer electronics history, and because of it the demand placed on any public place Wi-Fi system has gone up exponentially in the last year and a half,” said David W. Garrison, the chief executive of iBAHN, a provider of systems for the hotel and meetings industries.

This means more hotel customers are unhappy with their Internet connections. Hotel owners, meanwhile, who are digging out from a two-year slump caused by the recession, will probably have to invest more money to provide more bandwidth.

For travelers, it may mean still another fee, since hotels will be paying their own Internet bills.

For more:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/25/business/ipads-change-economics-and-speed-of-hotel-wi-fi-on-the-road.html

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