PARSIPPANY, N.J.- Beginning this month, Cendant Corporation's hotel group will introduce a high-speed satellite communications service designed to improve access to the company's central reservations system as well as provide Internet connectivity for a substantial portion of its more than 6,300 franchised hotels in North America. The service, called DIRECWAY®, was developed by Hughes Network Systems Inc. of Germantown, Md. It also will be used to support each hotel's property management system, perform remote support and provide e-mail, Web-based services, access to proprietary databases and remote training. Hughes will operate and support the service.

The DIRECWAY satellite communications service will be installed first at those Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Travelodge®, Howard Johnson®, Knights Inn® and Villager hotels that currently rely on telephone dial-up connections. All Wingate Inn® franchised hotels already have broadband connections.

"DIRECWAY is based on proven technology and is designed to meet Cendant's specific needs for broadband deployment, including central reservations system access and high-speed Internet connectivity," said Mike Kennedy, hotel group senior vice president & chief information officer. "This service will facilitate our plans to deliver content-rich Web portal sites and online reporting to our franchised hotels."

The hotel group of Cendant Corporation CD, based in Parsippany, N.J., is the world's largest lodging franchisor with 6,622 open hotels representing 551,258 rooms on five continents under the brands. All hotels are individually owned and operated under franchise agreements with Cendant subsidiaries.

DIRECWAY is the world's leading broadband by satellite service for consumer, small business and enterprise markets. Hughes Network Systems Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hughes Electronics Corporation, is the world's leading provider of broadband satellite network solutions for businesses and consumers, with more than 500,000 systems ordered or shipped to customers in 85 countries. More information on DIRECWAY® can be found at

Rich Roberts
Vice President, Communications
(973) 753-6590
Wyndham