Future Proofing the Resort Infrastructure

With the significant investment being made in many mixed-development resorts and hotels across the Caribbean, the investors, developers and operators need to feel comfortable that the communications infrastructures being deployed will deliver to their guests and villa owners the level of services they now demand. These infrastructures must be capable of supporting the inevitable rapid change in telecommunications, entertainment and business systems to ensure that the resorts’ customers continue to benefit from latest technology for many years to come.

Whilst technological development is moving at a phenomenal pace, the good news is that more and more communications applications are adopting IP as a common protocol. Welcome to the world of IP Convergence.

What is IP Convergence?

Convergence is the bringing together on a single network infrastructure of telephony, computer, video and a variety of other applications. Traditionally, these different services have been delivered across separate legacy networks, each requiring investment, development and support.  However, it is now possible to bring together all these applications on a single network using Internet Protocol (IP) as the transmission mechanism.
IP carries traffic around a Local Area Network (LAN), which inter-connects all the devices within a resort and in turn a LAN connects to a Wide Area Network (WAN) where IP is used to create links with telephone subscribers worldwide and external networks such as the Internet, reservations agents, credit card companies and the resort operators’ head office.

Why Converge Networks?

Network convergence helps organisations in all sectors to improve flexibility, productivity and profitability whilst enhancing customer service.

properly designed converged IP network provides for scalability, enabling new devices and applications to be deployed with ease as the resort grows and guest requirements evolve. IP assures the future proofing of the infrastructure because more and more evolving applications are based on IP as a transmission mechanism.

What can the Network Support?

Many communications services can already be supported over a single IP network and more and more are becoming available.

• Wired Internet (for guests and staff)
• Wireless Internet (for roaming users)
• IP telephony (significantly reducing telephony costs)
• IP Television (TV and movies on demand, personalised services)
• Guest information via the phones or televisions (weather, flights, stock quotes)
• Property Management System (inter-working with the phones or televisions)
• Point of Sale System (deployed flexibly wherever and whenever needed)
• Surveillance systems (CCTV across the network)
• Radio Frequency ID (enabling tracking of resources)
• Energy Management Systems (significantly reducing power consumption)

What is my Payback Period?

The Return on Investment model very much depends upon the specific layout and size of your development, but what is clear is that deploying a single infrastructure has lower capital and support costs compared to deploying multiple systems.

A major operating cost reduction, particularly in the Caribbean region, is gained from IP Telephony. Imagine what effect a 90% reduction in call charges can have on any business!

An intelligent Energy Management System will significantly reduce your power consumption, automatically setting air conditioning thermostats to a higher temperature and switching off water heaters and lights on guest check-out and re-setting them again on guest arrival.

With vendors creating IP based solutions then as technology advances you will be ready to accept it, keeping your resort at the high-end in a demanding and highly competitive market.

How can I make Sense of all this?

DXI is ready to work with you to guide you on an impartial basis through the myriad of options to develop a specification that is right for you. This blend of technical and business consultancy will ensure you make the right decisions to protect your investment.

DXI will then help with vendor, integrator, carrier and specialist system selection and then go on to project manage the network deployment for you, as part of your team, ensuring you have a world-class infrastructure on time, all the time.

Once implemented, DXI can provide ongoing 24/7 remote monitoring and management to ensure the network operates to its optimum. Our ongoing consultancy will keep your infrastructure delivering for you, your guests, your owners and your operator.

Is this Technology Proven?

Absolutely, a converged IP network was implemented at the prestigious Amanyara Resort in the Turks & Caicos Islands in March 2006 and the resort boasts one of the most advanced and reliable communications systems in the Caribbean.  DXI provided the technical and business consultancy, project management and in addition the ongoing 24/7 support.