Whitepaper Five Keys to Reinventing Hospitality Wi-Fi...
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Whitepaper Five Keys to Reinventing Hospitality Wi-Fi VCW SECURITY Hotels are also embracing mobility with technology apps by allowing mobile check-in via smartphones and tablets and allowing guests to use their smartphones as room keys. In addition, they are leveraging mobility to improve operational efficiency, deploying mobile apps for event planning and adopting a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) strategy for employees. Hotels must not only update their Wi-Fi networks, but also develop new strategies using Wi-Fi to transform their businesses. The following are five keys to reinventing hospitality Wi-Fi. 1 - Ubiquitous Coverage Hospitality Wi-Fi networks should support multiple devices per guest and offer ubiquitous coverage within guest rooms, lobbies, fitness centres, pools, restaurants and outdoor areas. High-density locations such as lobbies, conference centres and banqueting rooms require more bandwidth and capacity, while outdoor areas require broader coverage. In addition, building characteristics such as drywall, cinder block, stone, etc. must be considered as they can impact signal coverage. To deliver ubiquitous coverage, consider the following: • Start with a site survey conducted by wireless experts - This will provide the most accurate assessment of coverage needs for your facility both now and in the future. • Deploy cloud-based Wireless LAN (WLAN) - Take advantage of the flexibility of cloud-based solutions to eliminate costly hardware controllers. Cloud-based Wi-Fi enables greater scalability across multiple locations with faster turn up and at a reduced cost. • Deploy a blend of 802.11n and 802.11ac Access Points (APs) - Take advantage of higher capacity 802.11ac APs in high-traffic areas such as lobbies, conference and convention centres. Use 802.11n APs for broader, more cost-effective coverage in guest rooms and hallways. These APs also provide greater range outdoors when operating in the 2.4 GHz spectrum. • Consider mesh capabilities - Mesh capabilities can be used to extend Wi-Fi coverage in areas that lack Ethernet cabling. However, be aware that mesh networks can be prone to security threats and may not be very effective through solid structures. A better choice may be to deploy technologies that support long-range Ethernet over phone-grade wiring. This enables connectivity for difficult to reach Wi-Fi APs in a reliable, secure and cost-effective fashion. 2 - Enhance Security With increasing wireless data traffic, maintaining security is a major concern. Guest access, whether free or paid, should be secured to prevent hacking threats and fraud. In addition, employee and operational traffic needs to be segmented from guest traffic. Most hardware controller-based Wi-Fi systems provide a basic level of security, but as Wi-Fi becomes the primary method of access, a solution that provides enhanced security (as outlined below) should be considered. • Avoid hardware-controller based solutions - These solutions place the intelligence and security at the controller rather than the AP and allow all traffic, including malicious traffic, onto the LAN. This places your network and the privacy of your guests at risk. • Deploy solutions that enforce security at the edge - Choose cloud-managed WLAN solutions with intelligent APs Free in-room Wi-Fi is the most important accommodation amenity when deciding where to stay The era of mobility is transforming the hospitality industry. Hotels and resorts are dealing with hyperconnected customers that need, and expect, high-performance Wi-Fi®. According to a recent SmartBrief poll, 40% of guests travel with three or more Wi-Fi enabled devices. This could mean that a family of four could have over 10 mobile devices in just one room, placing a huge strain on your Wi-Fi network. Guests are also bringing their entertainment subscriptions (Netflix, Hulu, etc.) with them requiring more bandwidth and further straining the network. Five Keys to Reinventing Hospitality Wi-Fi
Transcript of Whitepaper Five Keys to Reinventing Hospitality Wi-Fi...
WhitepaperFive Keys to Reinventing Hospitality Wi-Fi
VCWSECURITY
Hotels are also embracing mobility with technology apps by allowing mobile check-in via smartphones and tablets and allowing guests to use their smartphones as room keys. In addition, they are leveraging mobility to improve operational efficiency, deploying mobile apps for event planning and adopting a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) strategy for employees.
Hotels must not only update their Wi-Fi networks, but also develop new strategies using Wi-Fi to transform their businesses.
The following are five keys to reinventing hospitality Wi-Fi.
1 - Ubiquitous Coverage
Hospitality Wi-Fi networks should support multiple devices per guest and offer ubiquitous coverage within guest rooms, lobbies, fitness centres, pools, restaurants and outdoor areas. High-density locations such as lobbies, conference centres and banqueting rooms require more bandwidth and capacity, while outdoor areas require broader coverage. In addition, building characteristics such as drywall, cinder block, stone, etc. must be considered as they can impact signal coverage. To deliver ubiquitous coverage, consider the following:
• Start with a site survey conducted by wireless experts - This will provide the most accurate assessment of coverage needs for your facility both now and in the future.
• Deploy cloud-based Wireless LAN (WLAN) - Take advantage of the flexibility of cloud-based solutions to eliminate costly hardware controllers. Cloud-based Wi-Fi enables greater scalability across multiple locations with faster turn up and at a reduced cost.
• Deploy a blend of 802.11n and 802.11ac Access Points (APs) - Take advantage of higher capacity 802.11ac APs in high-traffic areas such as lobbies, conference and convention centres. Use 802.11n APs for broader, more cost-effective coverage in guest rooms and hallways. These APs also provide greater range outdoors when operating in the 2.4 GHz spectrum.
• Consider mesh capabilities - Mesh capabilities can be used to extend Wi-Fi coverage in areas that lack Ethernetcabling. However, be aware that mesh networks can be prone to security threats and may not be very effective through solid structures. A better choice may be to deploy technologies that support long-range Ethernet over phone-grade wiring. This enables connectivity for difficult to reach Wi-Fi APs in a reliable, secure and cost-effective fashion.
2 - Enhance Security
With increasing wireless data traffic, maintaining security is a major concern. Guest access, whether free or paid, should be secured to prevent hacking threats and fraud. In addition, employee and operational traffic needs to be segmented from guest traffic. Most hardware controller-based Wi-Fi systems provide a basic level of security, but as Wi-Fi becomes the primary method of access, a solution that provides enhanced security (as outlined below) should be considered.
• Avoid hardware-controller based solutions - These solutions place the intelligence and security at the controller rather than the AP and allow all traffic, including malicious traffic, onto the LAN. This places your network and the privacy of your guests at risk.
• Deploy solutions that enforce security at the edge - Choose cloud-managed WLAN solutions with intelligent APs
Free in-room Wi-Fi is the most important accommodation amenity when deciding where to stay The era of mobility is transforming the hospitality industry. Hotels and resorts are dealing with hyperconnected customers that need, and expect, high-performance Wi-Fi®. According to a recent SmartBrief poll, 40% of guests travel with three or more Wi-Fi enabled devices. This could mean that a family of four could have over 10 mobile devices in just one room, placing a huge strain on your Wi-Fi network. Guests are also bringing their entertainment subscriptions (Netflix, Hulu, etc.) with them requiring more bandwidth and further straining the network.
Five Keys to Reinventing Hospitality Wi-Fi
higher tiers, consider the following:• Segment users - Segment users and create policies based on free (public), paid, premium or loyalty rewards.• Offer tiered billing - Choose a solution that allows you to set bandwidth tiers based on roles, applications accessed or usage needs.• Integrate with the Property Management System (PMS) -Integrate with the PMS to automate the billing process.
5 - Choose the Right IT Partner
Providing an exceptional Wi-Fi experience goes beyond choosing a WLAN system. The right partner will help at every step including needs assessment, network design, installation and management. Look for a partner with the following attributes:
• Has a complete portfolio of LAN infrastructure products - This ensures your IT partner can provide both the WLAN system and other network elements, such as switches and routers, to support the increased bandwidth, port capacity and Power over Ethernet (PoE) requirements of your Wi-Fi network upgrade.
• Provides a comprehensive suite of professional services - The vendor you choose must be able to provide a wide variety of services including: site surveys; network readiness audits; network planning, designing and implementation, hosting and managed services, as well as on-going support.
• Offers carrier-grade solutions - Work with a vendor who has strong relationships with service providers to ensure you get reliable, carrier-grade equipment and support.
Summary
ADTRAN’s hospitality Wi-Fi solution meets each of the five key considerations and provides a comprehensive end-to-end suite of products for every aspect of your network. ADTRAN® is reinventing hospitality networks with solutions that enhance guest experience and loyalty, improve operational efficiency and enable Gigabit connectivity. With ADTRAN solutions, hotels, resorts, convention centres and arenas can:
• Reinvent the Wi-Fi experience and improve customer/guest loyalty with ProCloudSM Wi-Fi and virtual Wireless LAN (vWLAN) solution.
• Deploy high-performance, scalable and reliable LAN infrastructure with NetVanta® switches.
• Future proof hospitality networks with ADTRAN’s ultra-flexible, high-capacity Fibre solutions.
• Offload IT burdens by leveraging ProServicesSM for complete lifecycle support
that have built-in firewalls and wireless Intrusion Detection Systems (W-IDS). Cloud-managed WLANs centralise security policies and enforce security at the AP level to turn away hacking threats before they enter the LAN.
• Segment traffic and implement strong authentication/ encryption standards - Choose solutions that separate guest and staff traffic using role-based access privileges. In addition, the system must support enterprise-class authentication and encryption standards (802.1x, RADIUS, EAP, LDAP, WPA/WPA2, OKC-PSK).
3 - Optimise NetworkPerformance and Reliability
Demands on wireless networks are constantly growing. Keeping the Wi-Fi network at peak performance while maintaining high reliability requires continuous monitoring and management. In addition, it is critical to ensure that guests can quickly and easily connect to the Internet with any issues being rapidly resolved by trained staff. This places a greater burden on IT staff distracting them from other critical initiatives. To ensure a high-performance reliable service, consider the following:
• Select a managed Wi-Fi solution - Choosing a cloud-based and managed Wi-Fi service minimises IT burdens while reducing CAPEX and OPEX.
• Look for solutions that can guarantee 99.99% uptime - Delivering an exceptional guest experience requires a reliable, always-on network. Consider vendors who proactively monitor the network to detect and resolve any issues.
• Deploy an outsourced 24x7 Wi-Fi Help Desk - This will enable you to quickly resolve Wi-Fi connectivity issues, improving guest satisfaction and building brand loyalty.
• Avoid lock-in - The hospitality industry is constantly evolving and your IT infrastructure must adapt to the needs of your business. Ensure the solution you choose offers the flexibility to move from a managed service to in-house management at any time.
4 - Monetise Wi-Fi
Investing in Wi-Fi creates new opportunities to generate additional revenue. Instead of providing “one size fits all” free Wi-Fi, provide tiered bandwidth at different price points. Corporate customers and event organisers may choose a higher bandwidth service to support many devices, while a leisure traveller may select a lower tier of service. To ensure you can easily provide different levels of service while maintaining the opportunity to charge for
Hotels are also embracing mobility with technology apps by allowing mobile check-in via smartphones and tablets and allowing guests to use their smartphones as room keys. In addition, they are leveraging mobility to improve operational efficiency, deploying mobile apps for event planning and adopting a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) strategy for employees.
Hotels must not only update their Wi-Fi networks, but also develop new strategies using Wi-Fi to transform their businesses.
The following are five keys to reinventing hospitality Wi-Fi.
1 - Ubiquitous Coverage
Hospitality Wi-Fi networks should support multiple devices per guest and offer ubiquitous coverage within guest rooms, lobbies, fitness centres, pools, restaurants and outdoor areas. High-density locations such as lobbies, conference centres and banqueting rooms require more bandwidth and capacity, while outdoor areas require broader coverage. In addition, building characteristics such as drywall, cinder block, stone, etc. must be considered as they can impact signal coverage. To deliver ubiquitous coverage, consider the following:
• Start with a site survey conducted by wireless experts - This will provide the most accurate assessment of coverage needs for your facility both now and in the future.
• Deploy cloud-based Wireless LAN (WLAN) - Take advantage of the flexibility of cloud-based solutions to eliminate costly hardware controllers. Cloud-based Wi-Fi enables greater scalability across multiple locations with faster turn up and at a reduced cost.
• Deploy a blend of 802.11n and 802.11ac Access Points (APs) - Take advantage of higher capacity 802.11ac APs in high-traffic areas such as lobbies, conference and convention centres. Use 802.11n APs for broader, more cost-effective coverage in guest rooms and hallways. These APs also provide greater range outdoors when operating in the 2.4 GHz spectrum.
• Consider mesh capabilities - Mesh capabilities can be used to extend Wi-Fi coverage in areas that lack Ethernetcabling. However, be aware that mesh networks can be prone to security threats and may not be very effective through solid structures. A better choice may be to deploy technologies that support long-range Ethernet over phone-grade wiring. This enables connectivity for difficult to reach Wi-Fi APs in a reliable, secure and cost-effective fashion.
2 - Enhance Security
With increasing wireless data traffic, maintaining security is a major concern. Guest access, whether free or paid, should be secured to prevent hacking threats and fraud. In addition, employee and operational traffic needs to be segmented from guest traffic. Most hardware controller-based Wi-Fi systems provide a basic level of security, but as Wi-Fi becomes the primary method of access, a solution that provides enhanced security (as outlined below) should be considered.
• Avoid hardware-controller based solutions - These solutions place the intelligence and security at the controller rather than the AP and allow all traffic, including malicious traffic, onto the LAN. This places your network and the privacy of your guests at risk.
• Deploy solutions that enforce security at the edge - Choose cloud-managed WLAN solutions with intelligent APs
higher tiers, consider the following:• Segment users - Segment users and create policies based on free (public), paid, premium or loyalty rewards.• Offer tiered billing - Choose a solution that allows you to set bandwidth tiers based on roles, applications accessed or usage needs.• Integrate with the Property Management System (PMS) -Integrate with the PMS to automate the billing process.
5 - Choose the Right IT Partner
Providing an exceptional Wi-Fi experience goes beyond choosing a WLAN system. The right partner will help at every step including needs assessment, network design, installation and management. Look for a partner with the following attributes:
• Has a complete portfolio of LAN infrastructure products - This ensures your IT partner can provide both the WLAN system and other network elements, such as switches and routers, to support the increased bandwidth, port capacity and Power over Ethernet (PoE) requirements of your Wi-Fi network upgrade.
• Provides a comprehensive suite of professional services - The vendor you choose must be able to provide a wide variety of services including: site surveys; network readiness audits; network planning, designing and implementation, hosting and managed services, as well as on-going support.
• Offers carrier-grade solutions - Work with a vendor who has strong relationships with service providers to ensure you get reliable, carrier-grade equipment and support.
Summary
ADTRAN’s hospitality Wi-Fi solution meets each of the five key considerations and provides a comprehensive end-to-end suite of products for every aspect of your network. ADTRAN® is reinventing hospitality networks with solutions that enhance guest experience and loyalty, improve operational efficiency and enable Gigabit connectivity. With ADTRAN solutions, hotels, resorts, convention centres and arenas can:
• Reinvent the Wi-Fi experience and improve customer/guest loyalty with ProCloudSM Wi-Fi and virtual Wireless LAN (vWLAN) solution.
• Deploy high-performance, scalable and reliable LAN infrastructure with NetVanta® switches.
• Future proof hospitality networks with ADTRAN’s ultra-flexible, high-capacity Fibre solutions.
• Offload IT burdens by leveraging ProServicesSM for complete lifecycle support
that have built-in firewalls and wireless Intrusion Detection Systems (W-IDS). Cloud-managed WLANs centralise security policies and enforce security at the AP level to turn away hacking threats before they enter the LAN.
• Segment traffic and implement strong authentication/ encryption standards - Choose solutions that separate guest and staff traffic using role-based access privileges. In addition, the system must support enterprise-class authentication and encryption standards (802.1x, RADIUS, EAP, LDAP, WPA/WPA2, OKC-PSK).
3 - Optimise NetworkPerformance and Reliability
Demands on wireless networks are constantly growing. Keeping the Wi-Fi network at peak performance while maintaining high reliability requires continuous monitoring and management. In addition, it is critical to ensure that guests can quickly and easily connect to the Internet with any issues being rapidly resolved by trained staff. This places a greater burden on IT staff distracting them from other critical initiatives. To ensure a high-performance reliable service, consider the following:
• Select a managed Wi-Fi solution - Choosing a cloud-based and managed Wi-Fi service minimises IT burdens while reducing CAPEX and OPEX.
• Look for solutions that can guarantee 99.99% uptime - Delivering an exceptional guest experience requires a reliable, always-on network. Consider vendors who proactively monitor the network to detect and resolve any issues.
• Deploy an outsourced 24x7 Wi-Fi Help Desk - This will enable you to quickly resolve Wi-Fi connectivity issues, improving guest satisfaction and building brand loyalty.
• Avoid lock-in - The hospitality industry is constantly evolving and your IT infrastructure must adapt to the needs of your business. Ensure the solution you choose offers the flexibility to move from a managed service to in-house management at any time.
4 - Monetise Wi-Fi
Investing in Wi-Fi creates new opportunities to generate additional revenue. Instead of providing “one size fits all” free Wi-Fi, provide tiered bandwidth at different price points. Corporate customers and event organisers may choose a higher bandwidth service to support many devices, while a leisure traveller may select a lower tier of service. To ensure you can easily provide different levels of service while maintaining the opportunity to charge for
VCWSECURITY
About VCW Security
VCW Security specialises in the distribution and marketing of IT security solutions and services to end-user companies via the reseller channel. VCW Security is different to other companies. Instead of simply replicating existing products at a lower cost, the company has successfully pioneered many new and innovative technologies and challenged the market dominance of established vendors.
A wide range of products and services are offered from leading edge, non-competing vendors that help define the market and ensure higher margins for channel partners, all of which are recognised for the delivery of next generation security management solutions. VCW Security only works with a select group of channel partners that have a proven track record in the markets in which they operate. This ensures limited competition, a cleaner more qualified channel and no erosion of margin.
Address: Hollis House, Maesbury Road, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY10 8NR Tel: 01691 663000 | Fax: 01691 680214 | Email: [email protected] | Web: www.vcwsecurity.com
