An estimated 1,000 hotels to be equipped with satellite connections for free high-speed Internet access.
San Francisco, CA, May 3, 2004 – Broad Sky Networks and its satellite partner Future Visions, Inc. (FVI) today announced an agreement with Best Western International, Inc. to supply up to 1,000 of its 2,300 properties, located throughout the United States, Canada and the Caribbean Islands with FVI’s Netlink satellite links that support Best Western’s high-speed Internet access service called SpeedLinks™. The first round of installations at Best Western® hotels is scheduled to be completed by September 2004.This makes it not only the largest hotel industry initiative, but also one of the fastest technology implementations of its kind worldwide.
Each of the independently owned and operated Best Western® hotels will initially make either hard-wired or wireless service available free in both public areas and in at least 15 percent of all guest rooms. In some cases, wireless access cards will be available at the front desk for guests without existing wireless circuitry in their laptops.
Most SpeedLinks™ installations will be supported by the Best Western® SpeedLinks™ Help Desk technical support center, with a 24-hour toll-free customer hotline to assist both guests and hotel staff. The service is expected to appeal to business travelers, the majority of whom rate free access to the Internet from their room as extremely or very desirable in making their selection of a hotel.
“Satellite service is a favorite technology to deliver high-speed Internet access to Best Western® hotels because many are located in areas not yet served by cable or DSL,” said Mike Mudd, president of Broad Sky Networks. After demonstrating the performance of the Netlink satellite service at Future Vision’s test and training facilities, the company qualified for pilot testing at the Best Western® Operations Center and selected properties. On-site trials and detailed side by side comparisons with other providers were performed there.
“The Netlink satellite systems not only offer superior technology and reliability, but are the only systems to support over 40 off-the-shelf bandwidth options globally. This feature enables hotels to upgrade bandwidth without changing equipment and to grow as the appetite for broadband grows” said Joe Feyereisen, president of Future Visions. “The convergence of voice, video and broadband is here and we are working to ensure total compatibility for hotels for today and for the future.”
Mudd noted that the selection of Broad Sky Networks/FVI was based on more than the superior performance of the satellite service and aggressive bandwidth pricing. Other factors that led to their selection included the company’s ability to arrange satellite coverage to all hotels across North America with lead vendor ViaSat and other satellite companies, handle installations on an international/national scale, and willingness to work with Best Western’s other preferred vendors. Furthermore, the FVI Netlink satellite solutions were scalable to over 40 different bandwidth options
Along with satellite equipment for each specified hotel, Broad Sky Networks/FVI will install switches, router/gateways and Wi-Fi access points at select locations. According to Mudd, Best Western’s use of Broad Sky Networks/FVI to handle installation and integration can potentially save over $100,000 on the total cost of the deployment. Same day service and repair is included in the deal as well as a service agreement.
Best Western International, Inc. is THE WORLD'S LARGEST HOTEL CHAIN® with more than 4,100 hotels in 82 countries and territories. It is a membership association of independently owned and operated hotels that provides marketing, reservations and operational support to its members.
About Best Western
Best Western International, Inc. is based in Phoenix, AZ, and is THE WORLD'S LARGEST HOTEL CHAIN® with more than 4,100 hotels in 83 countries and territories. It is a non-profit membership association of independently owned and operated hotels that provides marketing, reservations and operational support to its members. For more information, go to www.bestwestern.com.
About Broad Sky Networks
Broad Sky Networks, based in San Francisco, CA, provides a single source to its Agents, VAR’s, and Resellers for the delivery of multiple providers of Business Class Broadband Satellite services. It provides back office agent support, account base maintenance and reporting, and sales support for all Broad Sky Solution Partners. For more information, go to www.broadskynetworks.net.
About FVI
Future Visions, Inc. (FVI) through its three divisions- retail, wholesale, and affiliated dealerships -offers the nation’s largest selection of wireless-based connectivity solutions for businesses. The company, based in Los Angeles, CA, is focused on providing turnkey solutions for Broadband Internet, Broadcast Security and Surveillance, Remote Access and VPN and Wireless Networks. For more information, go to www.futureviz.com.
Contact
Mike D. Mudd, President
Broad Sky Networks
Tel: 415.462.2950
Fax: 415.358.4470
Mike@BroadSkyNetworks.net
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