James Richmond, co-founder & CEO, Nevaya, discusses what the launch of Apple Airplay will mean for streaming in the hotel sector

“Apple has decided that it’s going to do hotel streaming in the guest room, which means that the world’s largest company has decided that streaming is important. For Apple users reading this, it means that since last year their phones have been updated in readiness, even if they didn’t realise it. They and their content can now be released into hotel rooms.

“In terms of what this means for the evolution of casting; to use the language of the theory of technology diffusion;  we are now past the innovators stage and we’re moving to the early majority phase. If you are building or refurbishing a hotel, you will have to have streaming; the time of installing a Live TV setup is long past. I believe that the real mass deployment of this technology will now happen.

“That it’s being driven by Apple will mean that it will see the greatest traction in the luxury and upscale segments, where the majority of Apple users dwell, before streaming spreads further. For those users, it will mean a simple stylish design, coupled with an easy connection experience – all approved by Apple – which will have a QR code from Apple on the front of the TV screen, allowing the guest to access their content in that seamless, intuitive way which they are used to across all their Apple products.

“They will be able to AirPlay their content to the TV, and it will be very polished, making the guest feel that Apple happiness. They’re paired for the duration of stay, it’s slick, seamless, bulletproof and it means that, as an industry, we have entered a new era of streaming in the hotel room. Anything you can do at home, you can do here now in your hotel room.

“What won’t be in your hotel room under Apple Airplay is any hardware, removing the need for expensive and time-consuming installations and completely cutting out light-fingered guests trotting off with it. Instead there will be an easy-to-manage system which, if required, can be accessed remotely by experts.

“Moving on from the Apple TV boxes in hotel rooms will also mean even-higher security and privacy for guests and no chance that the next occupier of the room is exposed to the previous occupant’s terrible taste in boxed sets because they’re still logged on.

“Apple Airplay creates a true home-from-home experience where your hotel room really is your sanctuary. And a feeling of never wanting to leave can only be good for hotels.”

This article was published in the Hospitality Technology magazine. You can view it here.

Tim Dennis, senior account manager, Nevaya, discusses the importance of staying ahead of developments in technology, while delivering reliability.

A little-known fact about the hospitality sector is that it loves technology. It may not feel like it when you’re wondering why you’re paying for wifi, or being forced to download yet another app to pay for that wifi, or wandering around your room, waving your device around, trying to find the wifi.

For those of us attending The Hospitality Show, the enthusiasm is palpable and it’s at events like this where technology of all stripes is first suggested to the sector, from the practical to the outlandish. The appetite for all of it goes a long way to explain why your wifi might not be brilliant; far from having resisted change, many hoteliers embraced wifi the first moment they could. That poor wifi you’re suffering may be the result of an antique legacy system bought by an excited hotelier decades ago, rather than a lack of staying ahead of trends and needs.

This bubbling over was seen again recently with the explosion of AI and ChatGPT across our feeds. There was nothing it could not achieve, nothing it could not do. In hospitality, it was going to be reception, bellhop and chef, all in one.

This response has now been somewhat tempered. At Airbnb’s most recent results, CEO Brian Chesky told analysts that, when ChatGPT launched: “It was like the moment some of us first discovered the Internet. You had a feeling that everything was going to change. But one of the things we’ve learned since ChatGPT launched is that that’s going to take a lot longer than people think for applications to change”.

Airbnb is still backing AI – it spent a reported $200m on Gameplanner.AI at the end of last year – but it’s taking a breath and is focusing on its core business while it waits for all the pieces of its AI puzzle to line up.

At Nevaya we believe in technology and we believe in what it can do to improve the guests’ experience and drive loyalty. We have proven that creating a seamless home-from-home experience drives loyalty and that creating user interfaces bespoke to each brand or hotel can drive ancillary revenues.

We know that it’s about making technology simple to use and simple to install, but rock solid to operate. As a true SaaS provider, we can role out our products around the world and maintain them remotely, without the need for in-room technology, rooms of equipment or a team on site.

We believe in being innovators, which is why you can find our products being used by brands such CitizenM, who also understand the importance of meeting and exceeding customer expectations. Guests are very tech-savvy and want to enjoy the same technology in their hotel room – and the same content – as they do at home. They are also as likely to be frustrated with complicated, unreliable technology as they are at home.

Our products are very different now than they were when we launched Nevaya 20 years ago and by the time Airbnb is embracing AI they will have changed again. What won’t have changed is our commitment to reliability.

Nevaya has signed an agreement with CNN International Commercial to add the global news provider to the Nevaya Cloud platform.

The deal will allow hotels which utilize the Nevaya platform to offer guests CNN International alongside streaming services, helping to deliver a seamless experience which drives customer loyalty.

James Richmond, co-founder & CEO, Nevaya, said: “Our data shows that, while guests enjoy relaxing with their streaming services in the evening, news dominates activity in the morning and during the day.

“We are thrilled to be working with a company of the calibre of CNN International to bring current affairs and breaking news to more hotels and their guests. This agreement adds value to hotels, particularly those with international guests, with CNN International now accessible through the Nevaya Cloud platform.”

Natasha Raynor, Senior Sales Manager, CNN International Commercial said: “Audiences can easily stay informed and up to date with the latest global news in their hotel room as CNN International expands our reach in hotels worldwide through our partnership with Nevaya. We’re pleased that this new partnership will ensure that even more hotel guests can remain connected to CNN International’s renowned reporting while they travel.”

Nevaya uses the cloud to offer sector-leading connectivity to hotels around the world, removing the need to install in-room hardware or replace smart TVs and allowing for infinite scalability.

The group’s user interface can be tailored to any hotel or brand, turning the TV into a communications tool. Alongside news and entertainment, it can be used to upsell, cross sell and deliver information.

Richmond said: “The hotel sector is starting to realise the value of meeting guests’ demands for reliable in-room experiences and waking up to the loyalty – and ancillary revenue – potential this offers. “This agreement with CNN International Commercial is a missing piece of the puzzle to delivering a comprehensive, high-quality service for guests.”

Nevaya works with hotel groups around the world, including Accor, IHG, Ascott and CitizenM.

Nevaya and CNN will be attending HITEC together on 24 to 27 June.

As featured on the Hospa website.

The co-founder & CEO, screen-casting tech firm Nevaya, says the possibilities for in-room entertainment are endless in Dubai.

Dubai’s reputation as a global leader in luxury implies that you would expect the in-room technology in its hotels to be exceptional. And this is true, at least in part. Nearly all of the hotel rooms in Dubai have smart hotel TVs because most hotels get their live TV from providers who use fibre, rather than satellite. This has been the case for a number of years and the only way you can access the channels in this native IPTV multicast format is by having a smart TV or set-top box.

The hotels have made the investment in these TVs and in the infrastructure which includes structured data cabling, of which only a small amount of its potential is used. They are left sitting there, delivering dry mastic options, when they could be doing so much more. They are offering yesterday’s TV, with tomorrow’s technology.

The great news is that this infrastructure makes them compatible with a huge number of options, which could turn them from a passive box in the corner of the room to something which can help hotels to build a relationship with their guests, help them drive ancillary revenue, and to create an extensive, memorable in-room experience.

These hotels have already made all the hardware investments that they will need. It’s ready to go, just flick on a switch and the guest what they really want: their own content. The pandemic has changed guests’ definitions of luxury and their expectations of basic standards in hotels. Experience is now the priority, customers expect access to the entertainment they want, when they want.

The days of in-room entertainment being dictated by the hotel itself are long gone – guests know what they like, and they like it as seamless as possible.

Guests should be able to cast their favourite apps to the in-room TV before they even arrive in their room. No more dongle to deal with when you’re unpacking, using the cloud means that connectivity is robust, making the in-room experience truly relaxing. For Dubai, a market where hotels compete to be the best – and where the environment is such that the air-conditioned room is often a more appealing place to be than anywhere else – simple casting should be standard.

Hotels in the emirate are printed to ant to achieve the best, not just with their immediate competition, but around the world. They have been charged with being the next source of income after oil, with the hope that travel and truism will help to bolster the economy in the coming years.

So far, the effort has been successful. A KMPG study last year reported that Duabi’s hospitality industry made a strong post-pandemic rebound, registering the highest-rated hotel occupancy rate in 15 years, with the Emirate’s tourism sector contributing US$29.4bn to the economy in 2022.

Sidharth Mehta, partner & head of real estate, KPMG Lower Gulf, said “Dubai’s hospitality industry has witnessed remarkable growth – driven by the Government’s forward-thinking vision to address the needs of all hospitality stakeholder. Furthermore, the UAE is investing around US$32bn to acquire 48,000 more hotel rooms to bring it to a total of 200,000. These developments place the UAW in an enviable position to navigate travel and hospitality demands in 2023, equally driving ecumenic growth by creating employment opportunities”

The operators surveyed by KPG indicated that digitalisation and sustainability remained priority areas, and 67 percent said the uptake of technology had significantly transformed their business over the last 3 years. With that in mind, why let such valuable real estate in your hotel room go to waste? The luxury sector prides itself on commanding the kind of loyalty that drives repeat visits, and the word of mouth that builds a hotel’s reputation. It’s time to plug in the potential.

As featured in the February edition of Hotelier Middle East.

The Language of IT Often Creates a Chasm Between Management and IT Providers.

The first issue information-technology departments in the hotel sector need to address is understanding that, when it comes to technology, they are never going to innovate.

What happens in every sector, including ours, is that there tends to be a build-up in enthusiasm about technology, which leads to the belief in every IT department that it is going to build a massive infrastructure that it will manage and that it will be able to fix when it breaks.

The reality is that it this vision can quickly become a black hole for cash.

Why? Because often such a task is beyond the talent and needs of a small, or even medium-sized, organization.

You do not look at your gas requirements and start working on how to build a cylinder and a storage facility, so you should not be looking at building your own infrastructure either.

Instead, IT should be focusing on the business objective of the project. What are the key performance indicators you will be fulfilling?

That has nothing to do with technology.

Technology just enables you to do what you need to do within your business.

And that is where hotel operators fail. Often, they never consider why they are doing something.

The initial stage needs to be identifying what the technology will do, not being distracted by the glitter of a demonstration. Is it going to increase revenues? Can it decrease costs? Is it going to increase guest satisfaction? If it cannot do a single one of those things, or you cannot identify which one it fits into, it is probably a bad purchase.

Where I frequently see a disconnect is between the IT department and management. The two seem to talk in two different languages.

IT cannot talk about the impact on key performance indicators from the IT investments they make; they can only talk about the functions. Management, meanwhile, cannot understand how this helps meet the next quarterly objective.

For decades in the hotel sector no one has ever really looked at their actual requirements for acquiring a system. They look at the functionality of the system they’re going to buy. And then they work out how they can fit it around their business. That’s the wrong way. You’ve got to approach it from how you want to operate your business.

Once you have made these decisions, you need to think about whether you need a number of different products or if there is one that can do everything. With the latter, having a closed system does give you limitations in terms of future development, but there are businesses out there that may never change the way they operate their businesses, in which case it isn’t necessarily the wrong thing.

In terms of being more of an agile business, it makes absolute sense to adopt open application programming interface within your technology function, with the idea that you can “interchange” different products as and when the business moves on or changes direction.

You might increase the amount of food and beverage or expand into leisure. In which case, you are going to need to add systems, and having open architecture enables you to do that.

This is where we come back to the function of the IT department. It needs to move away from the “building everything” mentality.

IT teams should be looking at how they enable technology to work, and how it can bring together a multitude of different software and service providers to deliver a consistent service to the business.

The breadth of technology that the hotel industry demands means that very often IT requirements go well beyond what a small team can deliver and keep pace with.

James Richmond is co-founder and CEO at Nevaya.

We’ll be attending and exhibiting at the American Hotel & Lodging Association HTNG Connect: Asia Pacific in Bangkok 5-7 September with our regional partner McLaren Technologies Asia Pacific Pte Ltd and look forward to networking and knowledge sharing with fellow hospitality technology professionals.

Do get in touch with Tim Dennis, our senior account manager to discuss better content, better connectivity and a better stay for your guests.