Source: ADB SA
  • Hoteliers flocked to ADB at HITEC Toronto looking for a more modern in-room entertainment platform
  • vuTyme's Streamcasting, Emergency Alert Messaging, and 'Lite' version for economy hotels peaked interest across all segments

Denver, Colo. – Coming on the heels of a successful HITEC show in Toronto, in-room entertainment (IRE) provider ADB needs a new slogan. The "biggest hotel interactive TV solutions player hoteliers never heard of" is no longer valid, now that ADB and its vuTyme in-room entertainment platform is on the minds of hoteliers from coast to coast. After sponsoring the event's opening party for a second consecutive year, displaying vuTyme in multiple partner booths, and embarking on aggressive public relations and advertising campaign, ADB's brand recognition is at its peak. The company is making such a name for itself that some of hospitality's biggest hotel brands and independent hotel owners, from Miami to Beverly Hills, sought out ADB in their efforts to find a more modern in-room entertainment platform.

"ADB has been one of hospitality's best-kept secrets," said Chris Dinallo, General Manager of ADB vuTyme Business Unit. "Our technology is installed in more than 250,000 U.S. guestrooms within the industry's top brands. Although we're one of the fastest-growing hospitality iTV technology providers in the world, and the 2nd most deployed platform in the U.S. hotel market, hoteliers didn't know us by name because vuTyme is deployed through the national cable providers via their branding and not direct to hotels. Thankfully, our anonymity is changing, and we are becoming well known for delivering a complete set of in-room services including live TV with customizable channel line-up (no blank channels), video on demand, pay-per-view, concierge, local channels, digital signage, and targeted advertisements through vuTyme. This robust, cloud-based solution also provides a searchable interactive Program guide direct-to-guest messaging through the TV, local attractions map with QR code, pause/rewind/fast-forward live TV, and other guest-friendly and in-demand features that we debuted last month at HITEC Toronto."

Here are five top reasons why hoteliers are looking seriously at vuTyme by ADB:

1. Streamcasting is becoming commonplace. vuCaster™, a vuTyme add-on, streams or "casts" personalized programming from YouTube, Netflix, Pandora, and other premium content providers onto the bigger in-room screen without the guest having to provide their account login credentials or download a mobile app. This feature is of major importance to hoteliers.

2. Offering a detailed "Emergency Alert Messaging" service via the guestroom TV has been long over-due in the hospitality market. With today's climate of ever-increasing bodily threats, whether it be natural or human-derived, guests are entitled to have the best technology and systems looking after their safety, informing them and instructing them on what to do and where to go. ADB's new "Emergency Alert Messaging" service informs guests if they should exit or stay in their rooms to keep them safe and out of harm's way. This eliminates the need for guests to call the front desk which may or may not have staff answering the phones; in fact, phones may not even be operational.

3. Until now, economy properties have been caught in the middle, having to purchase more than their guests need or alternatively choosing a basic free-to-air subpar service reducing guest satisfaction. ADB's vuTyme-Lite offers a scaled-back version of vuTyme that has total cost of ownership to the hotelier as a much as 40 percent less. vuTyme Lite operates in the cloud requiring no hotel head-end equipment, just a compact set-back-box discretely mounted behind the TV.

4. Hoteliers want consistency with the in-room entertainment platform across their properties nationwide. VuTyme delivers consistency to operators and convenience to guests, all while being hosted in the cloud by ADB. Services available at one property can be made available to all properties.

5. vuTyme is easily obtainable today from the hotel's current content provider as well as ADB directly. If you have COX, Charter, or a few others (to name just a few), you have access to vuTyme by ADB. It's that simple.

"Last year, few HITEC attendees knew our name; this year, they can't escape it," Dinallo said. "When the tradeshow doors opened, people immediately began seeking us out. We were overrun and short-staffed. Hoteliers in the midscale and luxury segments were asking to demo vuTyme, while economy operators were eager to see vuTyme Lite. HITEC Toronto was a tremendously successful show for us, and we can't thank HFTP enough for making the Opening Reception sponsorship so worthwhile. If there is one take-away from this event, it's that ADB is an established IRE solution provider."

For more information, visit www.vutyme.com.

About ADB Business TV

ADB's Business TV solutions are built on 20 years of continuous development and innovation, delivering advanced TV solutions for businesses across cable, satellite, IPTV and now over-the-top (OTT) services. We provide solutions that meet today"s complex hospitality TV demands, marrying global TV, interactive media, and IP connectivity to enable a better in-room customer experience.

ADB's hospitality solution is one of the top five most deployed hospitality interactive TV solutions globally and the second most deployed platform in the US. Our technologies power TV content and services delivery in over 250,000 US guestrooms, across the industry"s leading brands.

ADB is Connecting Lives and Connecting Worlds with innovative software solutions and managed services for business TV, personal TV, broadband and the Internet of Things (IoT). We understand how multimedia convergence is changing consumer consumption and driving demand for powerful, flexible and cost-effective connectivity and services.

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with offices throughout Europe, Asia and North America, ADB has deployed more than 100 million devices worldwide. We have a passionate and dedicated team of about 600 people, including a 350-strong engineering team.

Barb Worcester