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Merging Voice and Data Integrated Mobile Communications Solutions For the Hospitality Industry MIS 461 December 6, 2002 Introduction Over the past decade, wireless local are networks (WLAN) and mobile computers have played an increasingly important role in the information technology solutions of enterprises and institutions. The Wireless Hotel Most hotels and convention facilities operate in information-intensive and knowledge-based environments. The ability to access information, analyze it, use it for collaboration and distribute it is key to increasing productivity, reducing costs and being competitively successful in the worldwide hospitality industry. A robust, effective, and economical network infrastructure for information exchange is critical. Most hotels currently have multiple network infrastructures in place, and have invested significantly in completely separate telephone (voice) and data networks. This has led to a situation with many disadvantages including staffing duplication, additional costs for two physical networks, lost opportunities to exploit economies of scale, smaller impact on the bottom line, and, finally, the inability to take advantage of new applications. The challenge for most hotel properties is providing more networking and "value-added" services for guests and administrative associates, despite flat budgets and no increases in network personnel. Merging voice and data networks is a step toward meeting these requirements, but simply sharing facilities for voice and data limits the leverage that a lodging facility can gain. True integration of voice and data services increases productivity and overall effectiveness, while the development of innovative multimedia applications will create demands for new services from guests and new revenue opportunities for the hotel. By providing mobile workers with anytime, anywhere access to information via instant voice and data communications throughout the hotel, Symbol[1] is enabling the worldwide hospitality industry to be more competitive, productive and customer-centric at a reduced total cost of ownership.
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