ETV Interactive

02/11/2006

ETV announce strategic partnership with Siemens to jointly service the Hospitality market in Thailand.

Siemens, a global powerhouse in electrical engineering and electronics dating back more than 159 years, today announced an important step forward in the development of their hotel solutions portfolio within the far-eastern hospitality market of Thailand.

With sales and service subsidiaries in over 190 countries Siemens is a dedicated organisation for the hospitality market and a partner of many global hotel chains, offering a complete end to end portfolio of hotel solutions, ensuring an integrated IP approach to all aspects of hotel management.

With more than 5,830 installations in the upper level hotel segment and over 25,000 installations in the medium to small segment across the globe, Siemens plan, implement and manage a broad spectrum of technologies for hotels of all sizes, cruise ships and wellness clinics.
With a current workforce of 1,600 employees, Siemens Ltd. Thailand, formed in October 1995, was established as a serious player in its own right offering an entire range of products, systems, solutions and services. The Siemens One Hospitality sector was established in 2002 to serve the fast growing and increasingly lucrative hotel sector in Thailand.

ETV’s expertise within the hospitality industry, a decade’s worth of innovation, development and product provision, in supplying market-leading entertainment and communication systems for hotels, will complement Siemens existing portfolio of hotel products, adding another innovative layer of technology to help hotels best service the ever demanding needs of their guests.

As guests become more and more demanding, today’s hotels constantly strive to cement brand loyalty by setting themselves apart from their rivals.

ETV’s interactive TV system “ETVi” offers hotels the latest in 21st century technology, delivered digitally through an IP network. A future proofed, tried, tested and proven technology, ETV’s fully integrated, digital approach ensures television and communication services are a cut above the competition and brand loyalty is secured, through the innovative inclusion of digital TV, digital Radio, on-demand and pay TV services - the latest blockbuster movies from Hollywood, on demand music, Internet & email on TV, High Speed Internet Access and business centre applications.

ETVi also generates significant service revenues for hotels. Hoteliers already benefiting from an increase in revenue per room per month include global operators; Como Hotels and Resorts, Park Plaza Hotel Group and the Intercontinental Hotel Group.

The strategic alliance between both companies will ensure that Siemens’ vision of becoming a ‘single source and strategic partner, meeting all the technology needs of partners in the hospitality industry’ is met and ETV’s goal of providing its market-leading technology to major hoteliers throughout the Asia-Pacific region, through partnering with a truly global partner and player, is secured.

Commenting on the new relationship ETV’s Founder and CEO Steven Morris said, “I am delighted to enter into such an important relationship with a partner as successful and with such an international presence as Siemens. Siemens offer ETV an important global platform to operate on, while ETV’s technology helps to cement Siemens innovative hotel products portfolio, providing a truly integrated approach to their hospitality solutions offering. Through a joined up marketing and sales approach both ETV and Siemens look forward to meeting both the present and future needs of the industry, helping hotels attract new business, secure brand loyalty and differentiate their technological offering from rivals in an ever increasing competitive and fast moving market place.”

Siemens Hospitality Solutions’ core competence is to integrate systems and provide turn-key solutions for the hospitality industry. Siemens Hospitality Smart Suite includes automated building controls and facility management, integrating lighting, heating, ventilation and fire alarms with the front desk and smart guest room, where room temperature & lighting controls are enabled, guest bedroom lock controls provided via smart card access, personalised greetings, loyalty preferences and guest communication supplied through IP integrated TV sets with the hotel’s property management system.

Silvio Reale, Siemens Vice President – Automation & Drives, Building systems said, “For Siemens, shaping the future is about recognizing technological breakthroughs, identifying customer needs and bringing the two together. We pride ourselves on developing advanced solutions that anticipate tomorrow’s needs today, bringing the future into the now, and giving our customers and theirs guests the benefit of our expertise. With ETV’s advanced technology developments within guest entertainment, we are pleased to be able to offer our existing customers, and our new clients, a truly unique offering, which will not only keep their guests coming back for more and more, but will benefit the hotel in significant revenue earning potential. ETV’s technology is a perfect fit with Siemens’ Hospitality Smart Suite and we are delighted to be able to offer the future of in-room guest entertainment to our customers.”

About ETVInteractive
ETV Interactive is a leading edge provider of Converged-IP entertainment, communication and information systems to the hospitality and residential markets. ETV is a one-stop shop delivering a complete solution including digital, movies and music on demand, integrated wired/WiFi roaming broadband access, digital world radio, TV internet and email plus games and business centre solutions – all distributed over a single CAT5/CAT6 cable or existing telephone system or COAX cable systems. All ETV products supplied to the hospitality market are integrated to the hotel’s property management systems via a single interface. Compared to legacy analogue providers, ETV solutions deliver significant benefits to hoteliers, developers and operators by dramatically driving up revenue per available room/per subscriber, improving customer satisfaction and driving down operating costs.

About Siemens
Siemens is a global powerhouse in many areas of electrical engineering and electronics. Its over 430,000 employees develop and manufacture products, design and install complex systems and projects, and tailor a wide range of services for individual requirements.

Siemens provides innovative technologies and in-depth expertise to benefit customers in more than 190 countries. Founded over 159 years ago, the company is active in the areas of Information and Communications, Automation and Control, Power, Transportation, Medical, and Lighting. In fiscal 2005, Siemens posted sales of € 75.4 billion and net income of €2.2 billion.