 Chicago
and Madison Heights, Mich. — June 10, 2011 —Two industry leaders
in electronic locks and
front-desk bypass, Saflok™,
a member of the KABA®
group, and OpenWays, a global
provider of mobile-based access-management
solutions, announce the release of a next-generation RFID
locking system with factory-installed OpenWays Mobile Key built in. The
new Saflok RT™ is designed to
be a
highly-effective solution for hotels looking to purchase
state-of-the-art
electronic locks. The joint solution adds a new dimension to room
access, guest
convenience and choice. The solution, and details about the first hotel
company
to deploy it, will be unveiled to North America hoteliers at HITEC,
June 21-23
at the Austin (Texas) Convention Center.OpenWays streamlines the hotel arrival process by harnessing the power of mobile technology and using the principle of Crypto Acoustic Credential (CAC™) and text messaging (SMS) to enable hotel guests bypass the front desk check-in process and open their room doors using any of the 5.8 billion cell phones in the world -- any make, any mobile network. The Saflok RT™ RFID lock combines the rugged durability of a full-body lock with SAFLOK’s highly reliable security features by bringing properties security, convenience and now choice, into a single source solution. Together this robust out-of-the-box RFID/Mobile Key solution provides more choice and more convenience than ever before. "We are delighted to introduce the Saflok RT™ RFID lock to North America," said Alastair Cush, KABA Saflok Director of Marketing. "As the hospitality technology landscape continues to change by integrating mobile technologies, we are excited by the opportunities presented by the integration of the OpenWays solution. Now guests wishing to bypass the front desk and use their mobile phones as a room key can do so, knowing that they have the option to also stop at the front desk to obtain supplemental RFID keycards at any time during their stay."  Pascal Metivier, OpenWays Founder and CEO, said that mobility is fast becoming the No. 1 technology trend for streamlining hotel operations and enhancing the guest experience. Therefore, he stressed the importance of offering a mobile self-service option that enables guests to access their rooms without having to stop at the front desk or at a kiosk upon arrival. OpenWays enables a guest to securely receive his or her room number and room key via cell phone (any type or brand and using any carrier network worldwide) prior to arriving at the hotel and proceed directly to the room upon arrival and open/unlock the SAFLOK™ equipped door. In fact, OpenWays guarantees full technical and future-proof compatibility with any mobile phone standard and immediate compatibly with all Mobile OS Standards. "We are very pleased to work with Saflok in creating an all-inclusive RFID/Mobile Key solution," Metivier said. "When we unveiled OpenWays to the global hospitality market, Saflok was quick to recognize the value in offering a Mobile Key front-desk bypass option as a way to offer more convenience and more choice to guests. As OpenWays continues to be adopted by hotel companies across the globe, we are confident that Saflok's diverse customer base will bring increased market opportunities for us, and in turn, we will bring more self-service options to their loyal customers." Google recently disclosed its mobile search figures, revealing that 19 percent of hotel queries were conducted on mobile devices. The information, released on their Mobile Advertising Blog, emphasizes the significance of mobile devices in the travel sector. In April of 2010, only 1.3 percent of websites were visited via a mobile device, but in April 2011, that number increased to 14.2 percent. Furthermore, industry analysts at eMarketer™ Digital Intelligence predict the number of U.S. consumers using mobile devices to research travel will climb from 19.7 million in 2010 to 29.7 million in 2012. "The bottom line is that the mobile platform is playing a huge role in hospitality, as mobile phones remain an integral part of each person's daily life," Metivier said. "Because travelers are already comfortable with using mobile phones for other retail and travel transactions, offering a Mobile Key alternative is a logical extension of a hotel's self-service program. And just as 'mobility' and 'RFID' are hot topics today, so too is 'sustainability.' The Saflok RT™ supports a hotel's green initiative by reducing the number of plastic keycards in production, thereby helping the environment. We are quite proud of this integrated solution and look forward to its unveiling at HITEC." To pre-schedule an in-person demonstration of OpenWays at HITEC, call Andrew Sanders at (732) 707-1869 or email [email protected]. EDITOR'S NOTE: A Press Conference will be held at HITEC on Tuesday, June 21 at 10;15 a.m. in OpenWays Booth No. 1834 to answer questions about the first hotel company to launch the Saflok RT™. Please RSVP to OpenWays PR Agent Barb Worcester to attend. About
OpenWays About KABA
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