Hotel Technology Next Generation

PARIS | Equip´Hotel 2006, the biggest hotel trade show in the world, has presented the award for “Best Innovation of the Year” to VingCard for its new Signature RFID electronic-locking solution which communicates with guests’ cell phones to provide guestroom access.

“For the first time in lodging history, guests will be able to use their Near Field Communications (NFC) compatible cell phones to open their guestroom doors”, said Mrs. Valérie Lobry, Director of E QUIP´HOTEL. “At EQUIP´HOTEL, we do not judge ‘innovation’ by technology development alone. Rather we take into consideration the significant impact that technology has upon the hospitality industry and its guests. Signature RFID by VingCard with NFC-compatible cell phones opens a new era in customer satisfaction and efficiency at check-in/check-out. This solution truly stood out from among the many applications that compete every year for this prestigious award. We congratulate VingCard and all those associated with its development.”

Pascal Metivier, president of ASSA ABLOY Hospitality EMEA and Latin America, said VingCard is very proud to have been chosen to receive this prestigious award. “We’re very pleased with the number of hotel companies and chains calling us to inquire about the release of Signature RFID,” Metivier said. “Winning this award substantiates that the research and development that went into this project was worth the effort. Thanks to a collaborative effort with NXP and major cell phone manufacturers, we have become the first hospitality security company to bring NFC technology for access control via cell phones to life.”

Partnership breeds innovation
NFC is the new short-range wireless technology that combines the functionality of a reader and a card into one device, and it is being implemented in new generation cell phones this year. Through a joint collaboration with NXP (formerly Philips semiconductors) (NYSE: PHG, AEX, PHI), hotels equipped with VingCard RFID locks will be able to offer remote check-in. Guests will receive booking confirmation number, room number and an encrypted room key access code through SMS (Short Message System), prior to the arrival at the hotel, and they will avoid long lines at check-in going straight to the room. Guest will open the room with their NFC-cell phone.

“Since Signature RFID made its debut at the hotel show in Dubai show and HITEC [Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference] in June 2006, the industry around the world has been buzzing with talk about the benefits that RFID technology brings to hotels and to hotel guests,” Metivier said. “Signature RFID is developed as an open-platform RFID lock that is design centric, guest friendly and compatible with the leading RFID ISO standards (ISO 14443 A-MIFARE, ISO 14443 B, ISO 15693) and the new NFC (Near Field Communication) secure transaction platform.”

Part of Signature RFID’s appeal stems from its open-platform architecture, Metivier said. Earlier systems, and those offered by other hospitality security vendors, are not compliant with all the leading RFID standards, secure transaction protocols, or compatible with the other RFID devices.

”Hotels do not want to invest in RFID if they are limited to one standard,” Metivier said. “We designed Signature RFID to support all the leading standards for maximum flexibility. Now the customer can choose what is best for their application. With Signature RFID, you avoid the risk of making the wrong choice on what RFID standard to follow. It is the same scenario as in the past with the VHS and BETA standards for video tapes.”

Get More with Contact Less
Signature RFID is modeled from Signature by VingCard (a card-based system which made its debut at the IH/M&R Show in 2005) in which only the key-card reader and door handle are visible, enabling the door hardware to blend in with the hotel environment.

Also like Signature, the system’s design flexibility offers different aesthetic finishes and colors to be applied to the RFID reader. Designers’ Collection handles also are available. Signature RFID provides a new, interactive experience to guests while enhancing the image and design of your hotel environment.

“VingCard always has been focused on providing the best security technologies to protect guests’ valuables and owners’ assets,” Metivier said. “We sincerely value our customers and the feedback that they provide to us regarding our products and services and Signature RFID by VingCard is the result of what our customers asked us for. At VingCard Elsafe, we listen.”

About VingCard Elsafe The world leader in hotel security technology, ASSA ABLOY Hospitality has products installed in more than 33,000 properties worldwide, securing in excess of 5.5 million hotel rooms. The ASSA ABLOY Group, a publicly listed company, is a world leader in security and hospitality systems. VingCard provides numerous electronic-locking system solutions, including traditional magnetic-stripe and smartcard systems, fully integrated PMS interface software solutions and worldwide service and support. Elsafe provides the first UL-listed (1037) hotel safe series on the market today in keypad and card-based models. Safes that include an internal power outlet to support recharging of laptops and camcorders also are available with a UL listing. Elsafe customers also enjoy the same worldwide service and support. The ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Group is dedicated to the hospitality industry. For more information on VingCard Elsafe, visit or .

About NXP:
NXP is a top 10 semiconductor company founded by Philips more than 50 years ago. Headquartered in Europe, the company has 37,000 employees working in 20 countries across the world. NXP creates semiconductors, system solutions and software that deliver better sensory experiences in mobile phones, personal media players, TVs, set-top boxes, identification applications, cars and a wide range of other electronic devices. News from NXP is located at

About Near Field Communication (NFC)
NFC technology evolved from a combination of contact-less identification (RFID) and interconnection technologies. NFC operates in the 13.56 MHz frequency range, over a distance of typically a few centimeters. NFC technology is standardized in ISO 18092, ISO 21481, ECMA (340, 352 and 356) and ETSI TS 102 190. NFC is compatible with Sony's FeliCa™ card and the broadly established contact-less smart card infrastructure based on ISO 14443 A, which is used in Philips' MIFARE® technology.

Contact
Ivan Aramayo
Director of Marketing and Communication
Irun, Spain
Email: iaramayo@vcegroup.com

Organization
Vingcard, an ASSA ABLOY brand
www.vingcard.com/
631 International Parkway, Suite 100
USA - Richardson, TX 75081
Tollfree: +1 800 225 8464
Phone: 1 972 907 2273