Mandarin Oriental Takes Hotel Services to a New Level With Smarter Wi-Fi From Ruckus Wireless

SUNNYVALE, Calif. and HONG KONG, April 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Ruckus Wireless™, the smart mobile networking company, today announced that its ZoneFlex Smart Wi-Fi products and technologies have been selected by the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group to support a variety of guest and administrative services for its prestigious hotels throughout Asia Pacific and Europe.  Mandarin Oriental is just one of 65 new hospitality customers that Ruckus has signed over the last 60 days (see related release).

The Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi system is providing Mandarin Oriental and its guests with reliable and ubiquitous wireless high-speed internet connectivity, and is being used as the foundation for converged services.

The acclaimed collection of Mandarin Oriental hotels that have installed or are evaluating installing the next generation Wi-Fi system from Ruckus include their hotels in Tokyo, Manila, Jakarta, Sanya, London and in Hong Kong. In Manila, for instance, Mandarin Oriental has deployed a single smart Wi-Fi network with some 200 indoor Ruckus ZoneFlex Smart Wi-Fi APs to support guest wireless access as well as in-house communication for hotel staff equipped with SpectraLink VoIP over Wi-Fi phones.

Like many hotels around the world, Mandarin Oriental has seen a dramatic uptake in Wi-Fi usage across all of its properties as guests now travel with a myriad of Wi-Fi-enabled devices. Today, guest wireless access in Mandarin Oriental hotels averages from 60 to 80 percent usage.

"Wi-Fi is much more than an amenity for our hotels; it is a fundamental part of the technology infrastructure, a core part of the hotel product and, importantly, a key expectation from a significant percentage of our guests," said Nick Price, CIO/CTO of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. "Good Wi-Fi is also not an option, nor is it an accident. It takes knowledge, research, time and some considerable effort to deliver - but what a difference it makes. At Mandarin Oriental we install the best Wi-Fi technologies that we can find to offer the very best possible Wi-Fi service to our guests. Ruckus is a core component of the Mandarin Oriental Wi-Fi solution."

"Hotels are highly dynamic environments where delivering actionable information to the point of need quickly and reliably is fundamental to the provision of good customer service," said Price. "Guests are mobile, our employees are mobile, and therefore our business application portfolio must also be mobile.  Much of our effort is directed towards mobile applications today, and this will only increase into the future. A wireless infrastructure that can be secured for simultaneous use by both guest internet access and hotel guest service applications is a key driver in our success, and it positions us well for the future."

According to Mandarin Oriental, an increasing array of devices and applications are ideal candidates for future wireless support such as:

• Rapid response systems using Mtech's HotSOS (Hotel Service Optimization System)
• Preventative maintenance using Mtech's HotSOSGo on Windows mobile devices
• Housekeeping management using Mtech's REX on Apple iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad devices
• Wireless point-of-sale terminals using Infogenesis on Atigo tablets or Window mobile devices
• In room check in applications and minibar management
• IP based CCTV cameras

"We clearly see Wi-Fi as a strategic tool for helping us deliver, both directly and indirectly, the legendary services that our guests have come to expect when they visit any of our properties around the world," said Price. "We continue to look for ways to leverage new technologies, such as those provided by companies like Ruckus Wireless, to help us achieve these goals."

About Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is the award-winning owner and operator of some of the world's most prestigious hotels, resorts and residences. Mandarin Oriental now operates, or has under development, 41 hotels representing over 10,000 rooms in 26 countries, with 17 hotels in Asia, 13 in The Americas and 11 in Europe and North Africa. In addition, the Group operates, or has under development, 13 Residences at Mandarin Oriental, connected to the Group's properties.

About Ruckus Wireless, Inc.

Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Ruckus Wireless is supplier of advanced wireless systems for the mobile networking market. The company markets and manufactures a wide range of indoor and outdoor "Smart Wi-Fi" products for mobile operators, broadband service providers and corporate enterprises. Ranked as the top telecom company in the 2009 Inc. Magazine 500 list and named a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, Ruckus Wireless has realized dramatic growth. Since 2006, revenue and shipments have grown by over 1000 percent. Ruckus invented, and has patented, innovative state-of-the-art wireless technology that steers signals around obstacles and interference. This unique capability extends signal range and ensures consistent reliable distribution of delay-sensitive multimedia content and services over standard 802.11 Wi-Fi. The company has raised $51 million in funding from premier investors such as Sequoia Capital, Focus Ventures, Sutter Hill, Motorola, T-Ventures, Telus Ventures and Firelake Capital. The company is led by Ms. Selina Lo, president and chief executive officer. For more information, visit Ruckus Wireless at http://www.ruckuswireless.com.

SOURCE Ruckus Wireless

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