The mobile revolution continues with the advent of smartphones and tablets into the realm of hotel Wi-Fi systems. They are causing enough of a stir that some hotel chains are upgrading all of their properties to accommodate their customers. The iphones and ipads of the Western world now have enough popularity to affect the hotel industry. A chain by the name of Larkspur Hotels and Restaurants has been taken to task for the new onslaught of mobile users who are demanding a quick and reliable connection to the web. The chain is, of course, located in Larkspur California which is just above San Francisco.
The tablets and smartphones that are now arriving on the properties of the Larkspur chain are enjoying a brand new internet connection. The hotel chain chose the Ruckus Wireless ZoneFlex Smart Wi-Fi system. Larkspur installed this system on all 23 of their hotels. The old system was failing to cover of all the hotel grounds, but the new system now does this with half the access points of the old system. It turns out the Ruckus system can deliver a signal to mobile devices very well.
The extra stress on the hotel’s Wi-Fi system, thanks to more mobile devices being introduced, was the turning point. Streaming Netflix videos, printing, downloading large files and other services put a strain on a network used by a crowd. The abundance of smartphones and tablets is also having a positive effect on other hotels as well. The Hilton Garden Inn has launched a printing service just for smartphones. The hotel named it “Printspots” and they claim it is easy and convenient to use. It works by sending a document to the property specific email address associated with the hotel. The email address is dedicated to the Printspot network. When the hotel guest wants their copy, they use a unique release code and retrieve their printed document at the hotel’s business center.
The hotels of California and other areas have upgraded to something called “miniaturized adaptive antenna arrays” to help pinpoint smartphones, tablets and other devices in their range. The array of antennas is constantly being focused and steered to the recipient to give the fullest and most robust signal. The result is that a mobile device can be what it was created to be, mobile. The Larkspur chain is using their new network to for high definition IP based video streaming. They are also using it for VOIP networks. Next generation technologies are also in the works to keep the travelling customer happy with their mobile device.
