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Tech Talk
In-room infotainment: A new definition
GoDB Tech is a product development company specialising in
embedded media solutions. P Mahavir Chand, director, GoDB Tech tells
Sudipta Dev about the launch of a subsidiary organisation, Glix Solutions,
to address the needs of the Indian hospitality industry and the development
of In Room Infotainment Service (IRIS) TV
P. Mahavir Chand |
What is your latest offering for the hospitality sector?
Our media solution provides interactive applications to leading
set-top-box (STB) manufacturers/cable and DTH operators in India and abroad.
We have used our STB expertise to develop In Room Infotainment Service (IRIS)
TV solution to cater to the demanding needs of Indian hospitality industry.
It is deployed at hotels in Mumbai and Goa. Implementations are in progress
in Bangalore and Hyderabad.
IRIS TV is an interactive TV solution that is on par with international solutions
at a price tag that is very much Indian. Visually appealing high definition
screens, intuitive user interfaces, High Definition Media playback, real-time
access guest data from hotel PMS system via interfaces are the foundation blocks
of IRIS TV.
What was the rationale behind setting up a subsidiary organisation
catering to the hospitality industry?
Looking at the very positive response from the initial properties where the
solution has been deployed and bearing in mind the size of Indian hospitality/healthcare
market, we have decided to form a subsidiary, Glix Solutions.
Glix would tie up with the entire ecosystem players like PMS Vendors, AV Integrators,
VOD content providers, STB vendors to provide the complete solution for the
interactive TV. Our target is to deploy IRIS solutions in at least 3000 rooms
by this year.
What is the USP of your in-room entertainment system?
Some of our key USP is as follows
- HD support for superior video quality
- Available in both CAPEX and OPEX model
- Support for analog/digital or IPTV infrastructure
- Single remote for TV and in-room entertainment system.
- Pre integrated with leading PMS
- Value added services like games, shopping, weather,
etc.
- Complete development, sales and support based in
India.
- Partnership with leading VOD content partners
 How
does the technology work?
An IRIS TV STB is placed in each of the rooms connect to
the TV. The STB is connected to a central server over Ethernet (Ethernet over
coaxial is also supported). When the guest switches on the TV, a screen welcoming
him with his name is displayed. He can choose to select any of the services
or he can watch TV. IRIS TV is designed to be completely un-obtrusive to the
guests TV viewing experience.
Guests can select services like view bill, check out, food order, etc, or get
information about the hotel (restaurants, gyms, spas, etc), near by attractions
or even play casual games using a very simple and intuitive user interface.
The dash board applications in the lobby and house keeping sections display
the guest requests which are then fulfilled by the hotel staff. The IT team
can upload and schedule content to the server that is picked up by the boxes
for display in the rooms.
IRIS TV STB has a built in upscaler that allows analog TV to be upscaled to
720p/1080p. IRIS TV system also has a complete Video On Demand system built
in allowing hotels to deliver VOD content. IRIS TV's STB support Analog Video,
Digital Video (DVB-C QAM) or IPTV as the source of TV content. IRIS TV allows
hotels to group analog channels to bouquets providing a STB experience on a
analog RF Feed. Hotels can also prioritise channel order based on guest profiles.
How has the industry responded to the solution?
The hospitality segment has welcomed the solution with open arms. We are amazed
by the response from our demos and road shows. A few of the upcoming properties
have already signed up for the solution.
There was an initial doubt among existing properties as they had perceived infrastructure
changes in the room. However, after seeing our Ethernet over coaxial solution
the mindset has changed completely and they are now warming up to the concept.
We expect to take make a good headway with them in the coming quarters.
Your marketing strategy for the future?
Our marketing strategies are as follows:
- Direct sales team in NCR, Mumbai, Goa, Bengaluru
and Chennai
- Partner with leading AV systems integrators in India
for sales and implementation
- Resellers in other key cities will be appointed
- Expand in other regional markets like Sri Lanka,
Malaysia and the Middle East through partners
- Take part in all industry standard road shows /exhibitions
including Express Hospitality Exhibition in Bangalore
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