LOS ANGELES—Sonifi Solutions Inc. has launched SoniCast powered by Chromecast to enhance the hotel room experience for guests.
Chromecast is a media streaming device that plugs into the HDMI port of a TV that allows guests to cast their favorite movies, TV shows, music and more from their mobile devices to the TV. SoniCast offers more than 1,000 Cast-enabled apps. “The mobile-centric Chromecast interaction model, combined with thousands of shows, movies and songs that people can enjoy from Cast-enabled apps, makes this an ideal match for the needs of today’s hotel guests,” said Suveer Kothari, director of business development at Google.
“Sonifi and Google have partnered to improve the entertainment experience for today’s travelers,” Ahmad Ouri, CEO of Sonifi Solutions, told Hotel Business. “As the best-in-class technology provider with the largest content partner portfolio and over 25 million Chromecast devices shipped to date, Google was the obvious company for us to team up with. We started with the end user and decided to leverage Chromecast’s wide consumer base to deliver a familiar, at-home experience for guests, and use the biggest screen in the hotel room to enjoy virtually unlimited entertainment choices from the apps they already know and love.”
“Hulu wants subscribers to be able to access our content anywhere, on any device, and at the highest possible quality,” said Tim Connolly, SVP of distribution and strategic partnerships at Hulu. “Our content library uniquely meets the needs and interests of the busy traveler. We are excited about this innovative solution with Sonifi and Google and the options it provides to our subscribers.”
SoniCast’s Chromecast integration enables a simple user interaction model. Guests connect their mobile device to the hotel’s WiFi network, and follow the guided instructions on the TV screen to start streaming within minutes. “With SoniCast, guests do not need to enter personal account information into the hotel room TV (which is quite cumbersome with the arrow keys using a traditional remote control),” said Ouri. “Guests simply access their content through the apps installed on their own mobile devices where their credentials are stored securely. Content streams to the Chromecast device over an isolated and secure connection and the guest’s mobile devices are automatically disconnected at checkout.
“Our customers—across all hotel segments—were loud and clear about guest demand for a solution like this and the response to SoniCast has been overwhelmingly positive,” continued Ouri. “Initial installations have performed better than expected, with high casting durations, guests using SoniCast multiple times throughout their stay, and positive guest feedback. Additionally, we have seen a wide use of applications being accessed via SoniCast. Over 45 apps have been accessed including Hulu, HBO GO, Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, Starz, Sling TV, WatchESPN, Disney Movies Anywhere, TED, and Pluto TV. The beauty of this architecture is that every time a new app hits the market or adds casting support, it immediately becomes supported by SoniCast. We only expect this demand and usage to grow as the Millennial traveling population increases.”
—Nicole Carlino