LAS VEGAS— Nortel Networks announced a visitor-based networking solution focused on hotels, convention centers, airports and other enterprises looking to provide travelers and mobile PC workers with temporary connectivity services that are secure and easily customized. Visitor-based networking can also provide high-bandwidth connectivity for businesses exhibiting in convention centers, according to the company. The new solution “can position hotels, convention centers and other enterprises to deliver new tiered, billable services that can fully engage their customers and differentiate them in the marketplace,” said Oscar Rodriguez, president, Enterprise Solutions, Nortel Networks. He added that visitor-based networking positions enterprises to capture network access revenues through wired and wireless connectivity, and to generate new revenues through opportunities like convention advertising sales and promotion of paid hotel services. With the ability to tier billing based on applications, hotels could fundamentally change their data service business model by using a Nortel Networks visitor-based networking solution, the company said. For example, hotels could offer corporate virtual private network connections or Internet voice as a “premium” service. These services provide “differentiable” marketing opportunities for hotels with loyalty programs and corporate accounts, according to the company. In addition, Nortel Networks solution enables hotels to expand their range of billable service options to include such features as “pay-by-bandwidth” and “pay-by-time.” Nortel Networks’ visitor-based networking includes elements from Nortel Networks Passport, Shasta and Baystack products, as well as its new wireless LAN portfolio. A special visitor-based networking Internet portal enables users to access the service and create member accounts without loading software clients. The portal enables users to sign up for a variety of secure network services that can be customized based on application content, bandwidth and security requirements. This portal works seamlessly with a visitor-based networking e-commerce module to enable full support of customer-initiated debit and credit card billing, according to the company. Nortel Networks said it has already deployed a visitor-based networking solution for Mandalay Resort Group.
