NEC for Hospitality

NEC Unified Solutions launched an IP communications solution that supports hotel staff efficiency and productivity while enabling self-service voice applications for the guests they serve. Univerge Sphericall for Hospitality offers cost-savings and productivity benefits. It works out-of-the-box with many existing Property Management Systems (PMS) and third-party in-room telephone handsets and offers a service-oriented architecture to integrate with a broad range of business applications.

“Operators and developers of small- and medium-sized hotels have been asking us for an IP communications solution which does not require new devices, scales to support changing requirements, can be easily implemented and is easy to manage,” said Jay Krauser, General Manager, Portfolio Management. “With Sphericall for Hospitality hotels will be able to take advantage of the latest innovations in communications in an integrated bundle.”

Enhanced guest services include:
Self-service wake-up calls in seven languages with snooze option.
Direct-room dialing.
Streamlined guest check-in and check-out processes through integration with third-party PMS solutions.
Safety and security features with direct E911 connection from guest rooms.
Automated notification of hotel management and call recording when emergency calls are made.

Features for hotel management and staff include:
Integrated UC with unified messaging for email, voicemail and fax, click-to-dial calling and conferencing, and presence with IM and texting capabilities.
Customized reporting for room status.
Broad support for an array of IP voice solutions, on-property wireless networks and PMS.

Because the solution is standards-based software operating on industry-standard servers and IP terminals, hotels can easily expand and reconfigure their communications options as properties grow.

Case Study

NEC and Bay Photo

NEC announced that Bay Photo is using its Univerge SV8100 communications server and UC for Business (UCB) application for SMBs to help improve customer service and staffing levels while reducing abandoned calls.

Bay Photo’s Remote Order Entry System allows photographers to choose templates and photo treatments and upload photos on-line to be processed into customized albums, which are then shipped to customers. Before the NEC solution the customer support desk lacked a call center environment and call queuing, which left customers on hold for too long and caused the on-line business to underperform.

“The solution enables helpdesk agents and employees to have easy access to the people and information they need to get their jobs done,” said Sarah Bergeron, administrative executive, Bay Photo. “We can now see what is going on with the system so we staff for peak traffic times and are not losing calls and getting to customers faster.”

An IVR uses data from UCB to form a call queue and informs the customer of the number waiting. Call metrics and reporting enable Bay Photo to properly staff its call center for peak traffic. They are also utilizing UCB Cellphone Link which allows out-of-office salespeople to receive calls on their cellphones, making them accessible to clients and co-workers from a single phone number.

“Enabling organizations to implement communications solutions based on the role of individual employees is the cornerstone of our Univerge360 vision,” said Larry Levenberg, vice president and general manager, National Channel, NEC. “The system not only lowered Bay Photo’s total cost of ownership, it has upgraded their ability to give users the service they deserve.”

NEC Management

NEC announced that a Portfolio Management Team (PMT) has been established to strengthen and broaden the solutions provided to customers, assist channels with the distribution of these products, and provide a single interface for partners who wish to add their products or capabilities to the portfolio of offerings.

The team will lead the technical design, integration and testing of NEC and third-party products for communications-enabled solutions for vertical markets including education, healthcare, hospitality and government. To continue the success of the partner program, thy will also provide Proof of Concept and Interoperability Testing for the Univerge Partner Program.

Jeff Kane, president, said, “We will continue to provide solutions which are designed to meet the needs of customers through both our direct and associate channels.”

NEC Security Services

NEC Network Security Solutions is the provider for Davis+Henderson (D+H). Founded more than 135 years ago, they provide checking and lending support services to Canada’s retail banking institutions.

Because of their relationship with Canada’s banking industry and the sensitivity of end customer data, the company is audited two to five times each month. NEC and managed security services partner SecureWorks are providing the monitoring, management and reporting that enables D+H to quickly react to external threats and stay proactive in order to meet demands of regulatory compliance and frequent audits.

“Based on the commitment and level of service NEC and its partners have shown, I have complete faith in them as our security solution provider,” said Al Beveridge, chief information security officer. “Whereas I previously spent a significant portion of my time managing security vendors, with NEC and SecureWorks I get proactive monitoring and management, thorough reporting and peace of mind that our network is in compliance with our many auditing and regulatory concerns.”

Mark Bryant, director of IT operations, said, “I like the fact that NEC and SecureWorks take care of every detail. They have the trained experts so I don’t have to go out and hire anyone. Their model allows me to get to market faster. I also appreciate that the online portal allows me to see everything at-a-glance.”NEC Network Security Solutions is the provider for Davis+Henderson (D+H). Founded more than 135 years ago, they provide checking and lending support services to Canada’s retail banking institutions.

NEC Award

NEC Unified Solutions announced that Technology Marketing Corporation’s Communications Solutions has named the Automated Message System (AMS) as a recipient of a Product of the Year Award. It enables businesses of all types and sizes to provide messages and reminders to patients, clients, customers and employees. It can also help improve delivery of announcements and enhance responses, resulting in a return on investment by reducing administrative process costs and allowing companies to build longer-lasting customer relationships.

For any announcement, the AMS can send a message via phone call, email or text message. Each call or message is customized with specific information for each targeted individual. IVR functionality supplements the calling capability and asks for confirmation that the message was received. The recipient also has the option of being routed to a staff member via a normal extension number or integration with NEC’s contact center solutions.

“The AMS system can help reduce administrative process costs, improve customer relationships and eliminate the hours required to manually call customers to remind them about appointments in numerous service-oriented industries,” said Diana Schoenmann, vice president of the National Sales Assistance Center, NEC. “

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