India hotels are set to offer next-generation technology – at least in their communication offerings. Percipia and Asiana Group Hotels have announced that the new Asiana Hotel in Chennai is the first in India to provide sophisticated IP telephony in the guest rooms.

This technology will allow guests to use color touch screen phones to access services that otherwise require a laptop or a call to the front desk. Services that will be provided include airline flight status, weather (for local or worldwide destinations), dining options, group directories and much more.

The new IP telephony at the Asiana runs on a converged network infrastructure from Cisco (News - Alert) Systems. Guest rooms offer what are positioned as the world’s most advanced telephones: Cisco’s color touch panel 7970 phones.

Equipped with the Percipia applications, these phones feature vibrant displays and intuitive, easy-to-use hospitality functions. The system facilitates increased personalization and guest recognition, which enables staff to deliver better services and simplifies work processes.

Groups visiting the Asiana hotel will enjoy enhanced communications among their fellow travelers. Each guest can see a directory of all members of the group and contact them directly just by touching a guest’s name.

The technology offered by Percipia enables such functionality while also preserving the privacy and security of each guest. Group leaders can also send broadcast messages to all group members.

The Percipia and Cisco technology was selected by Mr. Sriharan, managing director of Asiana Hotel Group, in order to cater to his clientele. Mr. Sriharan anticipates that 90 percent of his guests will be business travelers from Chennai’s booming high-tech industry and the hotel is within three kilometers of many leading global IT firms.

Such guests have come to expect sophisticated technology when they travel.

"We made this decision because I always believe in taking the long view and investing in the best technology available," said Mr. Sriharan in a Thursday statement. "Luxury hotel guests demand both opulence and the convenience of world-class technology."

Chris Farrar, president of Percipia, contributed in Thursday’s statement: "Asiana joins a rapidly growing group of high-end hotels around the globe that offer this technology to their guests. Percipia is very pleased to be working with visionary hoteliers from the Asiana Group who will introduce this level of service to travelers in India."

Percipia's chief technology officer Hari Kesavan added in Thursday’s statement, "Asiana's strategy in adopting the Cisco and Percipia solutions is squarely aligned with the wants and needs of its target guests."

The Asiana hotel has done well to not only recognize industry demands for in-house communications, but to also go the next step and provide what projected clientele will demand in room services. Such functionality will better position the hotel to be the preferred lodging location for business travelers and will likely set the standard for future implementations.

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Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMC (News - Alert) and has also written for eastbiz.com. To see more of her articles, please visit Susan J. Campbell’s columnist page.

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