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FCS' Solutions Integrate with Swisscom Hospitality
to Deliver a Seamless Guest Experience



Atlanta — June 25, 2012 — FCS Computer Systems (FCS) and Swisscom Hospitality Services today announced the integration of their respective applications portfolios. Through a dedicated Application Programming Interface (API), FCS’s i-Guest mobile application ‘talks’ to Swisscom Hospitality’s ConnectedHotel TV & IPTV systems, replacing the TV remote control with the guest mobile phone and further enriching the in-room entertainment experience. At the same time, guest orders and service requests placed through Swisscom Hospitality’s ConnectedHotel TV & IPTV systems seamlessly integrate with FCS e-Connect and c-Connect for various guest service requests to be fulfilled by the hotel’s staff.

Swisscom Hospitality offers a suite of convergent guest room solutions including ConnectedHotel TV, IPTV, High-speed Internet Access, Voice over IP and Room Controls, providing hoteliers with multiple media channels to customize the guest experience and to promote their service offerings.  Swisscom Hospitality’s ConnectedHotel TV and IPTV systems in particular engage guests through their interactive user interfaces, and invite them to explore all services offered by the hotel. Swisscom Hospitality’s guest room applications have been integrated with over 80 Point of Sales (POS), property management (PMS) and rating systems.

FCS offers a portfolio of both guest-facing mobile apps and hospitality operational solutions designed to improve guest personalization, drive hotel revenues and facilitate service fulfillment. Through i-Guest, hoteliers can extend their hotel brand to the guest’s mobile devices, while putting hotel services in the hands of the guest at all times.  On the back-end side, i-Guest, e-Connect and c-Connect interface with FCS Unicorn to Swisscom’s system for a holistic guest experience from the TV to the Guest’s mobile device.  FCS e-Connect is a web based centralised work order management system for both guest service requests and inter-department job requests, which improves the internal operational flow.  FCS c-Connect is the new cloud enabled version of e-Connect for those hotels that want to subscribe to FCS’ hosted solution or setup a private cloud solution for all their properties at their own datacenter.  FCS Unicorn is the latest cloud enabled universal interface and high-end billing solution which can be installed onsite for multi-property or hosted as a private or public cloud solutions.

Using the Smartphone as a Remote Control

Swisscom Hospitality and FCS’ applications now integrate with all key hotel systems – including the hotel’s Property Management System, the PABX and other rating systems – through a single processing interface. This ensures the consistent processing of guest service orders regardless of where they placed the order, be it the TV screen or the guest’s personal device. At the same time, hoteliers can cover their entire guest application needs through the combined Swisscom Hospitality and FCS portfolio at a reduced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
 
Integrating the respective features of both parties’ applications, the new Swisscom Hospitality Application Programming Interface (API) is paving the way for a new media use in the guest room. For instance, with i-Guest the guest mobile device can drive the TV screen in addition to performing its own, native features: As soon as it is registered and recognized on the Swisscom-managed network, it serves as an extension of Swisscom ConnectedHotel TV or IPTV and operates the television interface seamlessly as a remote control.

“Our integration capability enables far-reaching scenarios for a new guest experience where all guest room functionality becomes mobile and independent of existing room hardware”, comments Thomas di Giacomo, VP Global Service Development for Swisscom Hospitality. “At the same time, Swisscom Hospitality can monitor and manage all application interfaces 24/7 one-stop. We look forward to leveraging this potential through our global partnership with FCS. We can jointly deliver not only in EMEA and Asia-Pacific, but also in the Americas and for chains naturally on a global scale.”

“This solution is a breakthrough for all hoteliers that wish to provide more than one way to serve their guests.  Guests now can obtain hotel information and services anytime and anywhere on their own devices or within their room via their TV”, says Akina Ho, VP of Strategy & Global Business Development for FCS. “The partnership with Swisscom ensures that our combined solution can now be consistently deployed globally which solves a major headache for lots of hoteliers that want to obtain a consistent brand image and offering across the world as they expand.”

For more information on the comprehensive FCS suite of hospitality technology product solutions, please visit www.fcscs.com.

Please visit FCS at HITEC in Baltimore, June 25th to 28th at Booth #1827
 
About FCS Computer Systems | Founded in 1982, FCS is a comprehensive hospitality technology solutions provider, with an extensive portfolio of integrated products used by more than 4,000 hotels in 32 countries. FCS comprehensive solution is comprised of five main platforms. FCS Hotel Operation Solution Suite includes a universal interface and billing solution offering onsite or hosted options; an analogue and SIP based voicemail solution, and an Internet bandwidth controlling billing gateway software. FCS e-Solution Platform is a suite of web-based guest serving applications including e-Connect, e-Engineering, e-Housekeeping, e-Concierge and e-Recovery, which will be available on the cloud-enabled FCS c-Solution Platform. FCS m-Solution Platform is a suite of mobile device applications for field staff to take immediate actions via their mobile devices to service the guests. These mobile apps are designed to work in conjunction with e-Solution and c-Solution Platforms. The newest innovation is FCS i-Solution Platform which comprised of different mobile device applications running on guests’ own mobile devices allowing them to access hotel information and services anytime and anywhere. For more information, visit www.fcscs.com.
 
About Swisscom Hospitality Services | Swisscom Hospitality Services, a subsidiary of Switzerland’s leading Telecom carrier Swisscom, supplies the global hotel industry with integrated technology solutions. We advise hotel chains and groups on the rapidly evolving digitization of their communication services and work with them towards optimizing their IT Total Cost of Ownership. We build and manage convergent hotel networks that integrate both Swisscom and 3rd-party applications. The Swisscom suite of guest and hotel applications includes IPTV, Connected TV, HSIA, Voice over IP, room controls as well as business center and conference solutions. Swisscom works with 2.000+ partner hotels across EMEA, Asia and North America. www.swisscom.com/hospitality

Connect with FCS now!

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For more information Contact:

Fion Chu
FCS Computer Systems
[email protected]
Tel: +852-3195-8085
 
Arndt Mielisch
Swisscom Hospitality Services
[email protected]
Tel: +41 22 740 7545

Media Contact:

Andrea Roland
(407) 905 0608
[email protected]

 
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Also See: FCS Unicorn Solution Now Rated 'Avaya Compliant' / June 2012

FCS Taps Technology Industry Leader as New CEO; Steven Weeks to lead global growth for hotel technology provider / May 2012

FCS Expands Presence in India with New Office in New Delhi; Hospitality technology firm relocates India operations to prestigious DLF Towers / April 2012

FCS Launches Free Hotel Search Mobile App 'i-Guest Hotels Finder'; Platform helps bridge communication barriers en route to hotel while giving guests and hoteliers a chance to interact in advance of arrival. / November 2011

FCS Unveils Expanded Social Media Channels to Enhance Global Client Communications; Provider of cutting-edge hospitality technology solutions launches newly redesigned networking sites on Facebook and Twitter / September 2011

FCS Expands EMEA Headquarters in the United Kingdom / September 2011

FCS Universal Billing and Interface System Awarded HTNG Certifications; FCS UBIS earns certification by Hotel Technology Next Generation for compliance with web services and 2-way interface standards / August 2011

FCS Computer Systems Solution Now Rated "Avaya Compliant"; FCS WinExpress Version 2 application is compatible with key Avaya IP telephony solutions, and helps businesses like chain hotels or boutique hotels that require a reliable and economic call billing and voicemail solution to service their guests / June 2011

FCS Wins Prestigious HOSTEC Award / February 2009

FCS iServices Now a Nortel Select Product / January 2009
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