Ruckus
BRCD]

In travel and hospitality industry, where customer expectations for a positive experience run particularly high, the adoption of data-driven services, along with rock-solid networks, is in the spotlight. Delivering standout guest room and mobile experiences is now about delivering robust, secure, and accessible infrastructure to create a more personal experience for individuals. Ruckus makes the grade with its wide range of indoor and outdoor “Smart Wi-Fi” solutions that drive unprecedented efficiency and guest engagement. Ruckus’s state-of-the-art WLAN systems, location based services (LBS), and integrated Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacon technology join forces to revolutionize the connectivity model and understand guest requirement beforehand. The company also offers ICX 7000; a family of fixed form-factor switches that simplifies network set-up and management, and OpenG small cells that are cost-effective in-building cellular coverage to building owners of all sizes.

“Don’t just connect your guests; connect with your guests,” quotes Ted Watson, VP Global Hospitality and MDU Solutions, Ruckus (a part of Brocade). For guests, the connection begins from the moment they set their first foot on the property. However, the ever-increasing traffic on wireless networks and walls obstructing the flow of signals often leaves guests unsettled. Ruckus’s WLAN systems bring seamless interoperability to provide high-performance, secure and reliable access to applications and services even during inclement weather conditions. Its wireless access points with patented Ruckus Beam Flex+™ adaptive antenna technology provide extended range and adaptive signal steering around obstacles and interference, optimizing connections for every guest device. With the same high-performance solution, guest can easily connect with the hotel information, spa services, special promotions, and other services hosted by the hotel.

Understanding the continuously changing customer behavior and preferences and optimizing solutions according to their needs in real time, is challenging. Ruckus counters that by deploying its SPoT™ LBS solution, which includes interactive maps and location-based advertising, to perform real time analytics and monitor traffic patterns to serve the guests better.

Don’t just connect your guests; connect with your guests

For example, if a guest is in the retail area, and has been looking for shoes for the past two days, Ruckus would be able to send an advertisement alert to the guest about offers or coupons on shoes. “It is the analytics of connectivity,” comments Watson.

Technically, Ruckus brings a couple of location intelligent features to the table: the ability to give very accurate X, Y and Z GPS coordinates; and provide the analytics around all of those coordinates with open APIs. The features allow users and ecosystem partners to provide in-depth, in-store shopper behavior and demographics to drive customer engagement. BLE beacons technology, on the other side, improves Wi-Fi location analytics by enriching proximity-based interactions.

Today, Ruckus offers its hospitality solution portfolio to approximately 35,000 hotels across the world and adds around 60 hotels on a daily basis to its client list. Using Ruckus, hotels around the globe have witnessed Wi-Fi complaints drop by 80 percent or more. To illustrate Ruckus’ expertise, Watson cites a particular instance where an offshoot of Mandarin Oriental was experiencing interference or black-spots throughout the hotel with its previously installed connectivity solutions. Working through a number of local resellers, Ruckus deployed a broad range of key hardware, including Ruckus’ patented BeamFlexTM and ChannelFlyTM technologies, in Mandarin Oriental hotels around the world. Taking advantage of the high-quality Wi-Fi connection, the hotel could offer guests apps such as mobile check-in, spa bookings and other hotel services, and also improve response time in the event of a guest query.

Before launching a new product to market, Ruckus undergoes a shrewd strategy of testing and incorporating the client’s feedback. Besides, “We try to actively engage in putting our finger on the pulse of the problem and identify the scope for corrections and growth,” concludes Watson.