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Hotel Selects Five-Star Solution for MATV Station.
Software and Service Key to a Hospitality-Focused Customized Music Video Channel
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - As the premier hotel in New Zealand's largest city, the five-star Hilton Auckland is always looking for ways of using the latest technology to provide a better experience for its guests. So when they were looking at creating a customized music video channel for the hotel, they chose the industry-leading Scala InfoChannel software suite.
Their idea was simple: control and automate a music video service and distribute it not just to the 50" plasma screen in the bar, but also to a channel on the hotel television dial. These requirements led Paul Evans, Director of Operations for the Hilton Auckland, to InfoChannel for several reasons.
Scala software facilitates remote management, features network monitoring, plays back DVD-quality video, and runs reliably. This combination of factors allowed Evans to faithfully put the network entirely in the hands of integrator SignActive. They could then focus on accomplishing another of the hotel's goals: generate ongoing revenue from local advertisers.
At the hotel, two InfoChannel Players run a mix of MPEG music videos and advertising consisting of either more video or static images with transitions. One drives a 50" plasma screen at the bar from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and the other runs 24/7 on the MATV system seen throughout the hotel.
In addition to video, the Hilton Auckland contracted SignActive to provide yet another hook - a local weather forecast that has proven invaluable to guests as well as advertisers who count on viewers to be engaged in the content to get their message across.
"We have had positive feedback from both the hotel guests and the advertisers who have confirmed that the on screen advertising does indeed work," stated Evans.
The music video clips are inserted and advertising is scheduled with InfoChannel Designer. The Players are then updated remotely via InfoChannel Network Manager, hosted at SignActive's office in Newmarket.
"As we are providing a complete managed service on a 24/7 basis for the Hilton Auckland we needed to use products that would be extremely reliable," explained Glenn Anderson, Director of SignActive. "The latest Scala InfoChannel 3 suite has easily proven itself, running flawlessly with minimal downtime and has the added advantage of excellent playback quality."
Changes are made while the station is live so that the audience cannot even tell when new content is being uploaded. The Scala system has run seamlessly for over a year now, to the delight of the entire Hilton Auckland staff.
For others looking to do a similar solution, Evans advised, "Have a concept of what you want to achieve, identify vendors with specific knowledge and experience of how to achieve it and go from there."
About Scala, Inc.
Founded in 1987, Scala pioneered the cable TV industry with software and services to allow users to create localized channels inexpensively. Today, Scala has grown to lead the corporate communications, retail dynamic signage, and interactive kiosk industries as well. With an unrivaled software suite to handle authoring, networking, monitoring, and logged playback, Scala has been the choice of tens of thousands of customers worldwide. Built on reliable and flexible network architecture, Scala software can support nearly any existing infrastructure from dial-up to LAN to Wi-Fi to satellite and terrestrial-based multicast networks. Scala's powerful and efficient store-and-forward design allows the control of unique content on a single cable headend or thousands of remote displays or kiosks from a single desktop PC without the constraints of streaming video.
About Hilton Auckland
This contemporary, luxury boutique style hotel brings a new hotel experience for the international and local business and leisure traveler. Upon entering the hotel, the lobby and public areas reflect the link between the seascape and landscape, and set the mood of the hotel. The Conde Nast Traveler US Readers' Choice Awards recently named the Hilton Auckland as one of the "Top 10 Pacific Rim Hotels for 2003."
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