Infotainment refers to a new concept in interactive multimedia solutions with a plethora of possibilities, especially designed for the hotel trade, hospitals, or other businesses.

Rather than being limited to offering entertainment functions, these solutions are also being integrated with the business of the company/establishment to deliver the added-value services required (room service, housekeeping, Wi-Fi, etc.). Based on a DirectStreams solution, Dimension Data is integrating applications of this type in the hotel trade, combining the functionality of the computer – in this particular case, Apple’s iMac and Mac Mini – with that of the Radio and TV networks.

Courtesy of this application for the hotel trade offered by Dimension Data in conjunction with DirectStreams, hotel guests get to use a (very stylish) iMac in their room. Onscreen, they find a system with an extremely user-friendly iPod-style menu, allowing them to watch TV, play a DVD, take advantage of a video on demand service or find out about the region’s tourist attractions, not to mention order a drink, meal or any other form of room service.

Exciting new services for the hotel and its guests…

Via a full Office-type suite and an Internet connection, guests can, for example, surf and exchange e-mails, use the webcam and hold video conference calls, view photos and videos recorded during their trip (no need to wait till they’re back home!), as well as send them to friends and family; they also benefit from the use of a single remote control (Mac and TV) and, where applicable, can also use their iPhone (or iPod Touch).

The system also directly benefits the hotel in terms of managing room service, reservations and invoicing, as a multimedia communication tool, or to inform guests about activities, for example. This list of services is of course non-exhaustive for what is an interactive communication channel between the guest and the hotel.

DirectStreams is the French company that has developed this Mac-based software solution for use in the hotel trade. The solution has already been installed in all 172 rooms at the Mama Shelter, the most innovative and ‘trendy’ hotel in Paris, recently opened by Serge Trigano, former owner of Club Med, as well as in other hotels throughout the world. The term ‘infotainment’, meanwhile, reflects the dual aspect of the services: entertainment on the one hand, and information and management on the other.

It is clear that the range of services which the system offers guests represents real added value – and therefore a competitive advantage – for the hotel. “In the same way, Dimension Data can add value to the unprecedented potential of this solution by constructing a tailored configuration for each hotel,” explains Frederic Helding, Business Development Manager Video at Dimension Data. “As an integrator, we take care of everything, from the physical installation of the equipment and the LAN-type network to the aspects connected with network security, WIFI, remote surveillance, IP telephony, etc. What’s more, we offer a service that enables the settings of the system installed in the hotel to be remotely controlled, on a room-by-room basis.”