Sprint Embraces Hospitality Industry

ORLANDO— Telecommunications giant Sprint wants to embrace the hospitality industry and has done so by teaming up with upstart company KoolConnect Technologies. The business alliance creates an in-room, high-speed entertainment package which provides Internet access, music, games and digital movies-on-demand with VCR functionality. The new service, called Sprint Insite with KoolConnect Interactive Media, was launched at the 2001 HITEC show being held here this week. The new service offering also provides high-speed Internet access for laptop computer uses and allows hotels to provide on-line concierge services through televisions in guestrooms. On The Ave Hotel in New York City is the first hotel to provide the service in its 251 guestrooms. —Ruthanne Terrero