Hotels and Resorts that employ sophisticated systems based on IP telephone networks will increasingly enable a range of new services aimed at improving customer service in the whole Hospitality Industry, according to a new report by ABI Research (News - Alert). Although worldwide revenue from such systems totaled only $869 million in 2008, by the end of 2014 annual earnings will exceed $2 billion, the company said.

 

These systems will eventually penetrate mid-range hotels, but in the initial period will be found mainly in the top-tier of properties catering to those willing to spend $300 or more a night.

 

According to Stan Schatt, vice president at ABI Research, high-end hotels are increasingly turning to technology as a differentiator to attract a high-spending clientele

 

 “These services put a premium on improving customer service and staff accountability,” he said.

 

The first scenario is that when you order room service, three phone calls later, your order finally arrives. Using new phone-based technologies, managers can see who took the order, track its current status, and see how long it took to fulfill.

 

The second scenario is that when you’re in your room, wondering which of the hotel’s restaurants to visit and what show to see. A screen on your phone shows you video of all your options, and allows you to make bookings.

 

The third scenario is that when you’re lounging by the pool. If you had a pocket, your money would be burning a hole in it. You punch a button on a wireless phone provided by the hotel, and it shows you items available in the hotel gift shop. Another button makes a purchase, which is billed to your room account.

 

Schatt said that the variety of technologies needed to deliver such services means that this market is difficult for vendors to reach. It may require several different channels, including systems integrators.

 

Services companies such as IBM (News - Alert) will play a major role here. Also to watch: specialized companies such as MTech, a SaaS company offering workflow managed services for the hotel industry.

 

The research, called “Enterprise Communications in the Hospitality Industry,” chronicles the current and future impact of 802.11n access points, telepresence, and WiFi (News - Alert)-enabled cell phones in the hospitality industry. It also sizes the global total available market for communications products and services, including unified communications.

 

Read here about how, one of the largest hotel groups in the world is now using inContact’s hosted call center solution for its customer service and sales divisions. According to a press release, the company decided to abandon its legacy, on-premises call center system in favor of inContact’s hosted platform because of its intelligent call routing and out-of-the-box integration with Salesforce CRM.