FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY

The hospitality industry always aims to maintain a calm and relaxed atmosphere. Guests, especially VIPS, want to know they are protected from any outside threats. But can a hotel be fully safe and secure? Kees van Donk, director of hospitality EMEA at NEC, a global leading provider of ICT solutions for the hospitality industry says, “People want to have a 100 percent safe environment, a life without risks. In reality there is no such thing as a 100 percent safe hotel. Safety is as much a state of mind, as being well protected and guarded.” And with the latest advancements in technology, guests can get just that. Kees adds, “With technology you can assure a higher degree of safety. What happened in some North African countries recently was terrible. We can make use of technology to make guests and staff feel safe.”

This is where facial recognition technology, NEC’S latest innovation, comes in. With a simple scan of one’s face, a hotel can keep track of staff members and guests, thus making it easier for cameras and security teams to immediately locate and identify unknown intruders on the premises. “Facial recognition is our crown jewel,” says Kees. “It vastly increases an establishment’s ability to ensure guests are safe.” Already major chains in the industry have shown a great interest in the solutions. "Based on the NEC Smart Hospitality Framework, we not only have a deep understanding of the international hospitality industry, we also have a unique customer-base, where chains like Hilton WW, Starwood & Mandarin Oriental, already benefit from other solutions, within the NEC Smart Hospitality Solution Set”. But Kees also reminds us that technology is not the only thing that keeps an establishment safe, “Technology without a security policy does not make sense. Technology needs to be embedded in a set of policies.” Major establishments also need strict procedures and welltrained staff to ensure that in case of an emergency all goes smoothly, so as to minimize any possible problems.

NEC is already thinking of what’s next in the pipeline. “Finger print recognition and passport identification is what’s next for safety and security,” says Kees. With a mere touch of a finger or a scanning of a passport, guests can automatically check in at a hotel. Not only will this greatly speed up the entire check-in process, it will help hoteliers continue to ensure their guests feel safe; as there will be a track record of everyone on the hotel grounds.

Does security lie in technology or is it merely a state of mind? Hospitality News talks with industry expert to find out about facial recognition technology; the latest technological advancement in hotel security

In reality there is no such thing as a 100 percent safe hotel. Safety is as much a state of mind, as being well protected and guarded