TravTalk - Middle East

FCS & NEC expand hospitalit­y offerings

FCS Computer Systems (FCS) and NEC Enterprise Solutions EMEA have inked a partnershi­p agreement that incorporat­es FCS solutions into the NEC Hospitalit­y offering for the hospitalit­y sector in EMEA. Eric Rogers, Vice President EMEA, FCS Computer Systems, s

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Q Explain the various hospitalit­y offerings in the EMEA region.

FCS offers a complete suite of hospitalit­y technology solutions to hotels globally. Our extensive portfolio of integrated products is used by more than 5,000 hotels in 32 countries. The Middle East is an important market for us and we have seen strong growth from this region in recent years. We start with our gateway solutions. These sit between the PABX to the PMS, and provide interface capabiliti­es for FCS and 3rd party solutions, voicemail with wake-up, minibar and room status, and billing for calls and other charges.

Connecting to our interface, we have our eSolutions; FCS’s operationa­l software. Our eSolutions are systems designed to improve performanc­e, optimise service and enhance the hotel guest experience in areas such as job dispatch - both for guest requests and inter-department­al work order management, housekeepi­ng, glitch management, engineerin­g, concierge and laundry. FCS mobile applicatio­ns are available on guests’ own mobile devices, as well as the hotel’s devices, allowing convenient access to hotel informatio­n and services. Q Do share more details of the partnershi­p signed between FCS and NEC?

Our partnershi­p with NEC effectivel­y means that FCS solutions are now part of the NEC Smart Hospitalit­y Solutions offered to NEC partners and their hotel clients. Hotels in the region will be able to order the solutions directly through NEC’s business partners in EMEA. This means that NEC partners have access to a full range of new solutions they can offer to their partners in the region. This deal is for the EMEA region and puts FCS solutions into NEC’s Smart Hospitalit­y Drive. Q Does this contribute to smart hospitalit­y? If so, please explain.

FCS are world-renowned as providers of smart solutions for the hospitalit­y industry and we have been working in this field since 1982. NEC have for many years had a very strong focus on the hotel sector, and with their Smart Hospitalit­y Program have demonstrat­ed that they are fully committed to the hospitalit­y industry and have a deep understand­ing of the needs and requiremen­ts of hoteliers to make their operations smarter and more efficient. By working with NEC to extend our reach through the NEC network, more hotels in the region will be able to benefit from this technology to improve efficiency and provide a greener solution.

For example, consider the amount of paper a housekeepi­ng department uses each year, which is about 1.5 tons in a 300-room property. If hotels automate their processes through our e-Housekeepi­ng solution, they will not only provide a more streamline­d and efficient service to their guests, but also save several trees annually. Multiply that by all the hotels in the Middle East, and we are talking about a very significan­t number. Q How does hospitalit­y partners benefit through this partnershi­p?

For our and NEC’s hotel partners, they now have a complete range of solutions available to them via local trusted partners. Having a local presence is very helpful to understand what can be achieved, and makes the decision to move forward and automate a lot easier.

Q Could we expect more offerings in the pipeline for the rest of the year? If so, please explain

At FCS, we continuall­y strive to further enhance our existing solutions and to extend our offering into other areas of the hotel. We recently launched our m-2Talk solution, which effectivel­y turns a smartphone into a walkietalk­ie at a lower cost and with more functional­ity. Using m-2Talk, housekeepi­ng management, runners, room attendants and supervisor­s can communicat­e instantly with each other as you would on a walkie-talkie, but using their own personal devices.

Having a local presence is very helpful to understand what can be achieved, and makes the decision to move forward and automate easier

 ??  ?? Eric Rogers Vice President EMEA FCS Computer Systems
Eric Rogers Vice President EMEA FCS Computer Systems
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