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Phone's Demise May Be Premature
June 18, 2008

Like its industry counterparts, guestroom phone vendor TeleMatrix isn't exactly thrilled with the Guestroom 2010 committee's decision to essentially sound the death knell for the technology by leaving it out of the futuristic model room.

Bill Hazelton, TeleMatrix's marketing director, was bemused and diplomatic when I asked about it today. "People are so used to using their cell phones, I find it hard to see them using the guestroom phone in the future for long-distance calling," he admitted. It's a fairly logical comment, but surprising nonetheless.

But Hazelton was quick to add that there will always be a need for a guestroom phone. "The phone is required in the room for safety," which is true. To play devil's advocate, however, Guestroom 2010 does offer the notion of an intercom-style device, which would link up the front desk and could theoretically be designed with the ability to call emergency responders.

Nevertheless, the guestroom phone manufacturers may indeed have a trump card. As VOIP phones become more advanced, they offer more and more options for touchscreen display capabilities. I wrote this month about computer and TV systems that let guests access hotel services and virtual concierge, but as Hazelton points out, all of that could be configured just as easily for a small screen on a phone, including point-of-sale capabilities and targeted marketing opportunities. And he believes guests would prefer navigating a menu on a small touchscreen next to the bed, rather than using a remote to do it on the TV across the room.

As much as I love some of the TV applications--including RoomLinx and the vendor getting the most buzz at this year's HITEC, Control 4--I think Hazelton may be on to something.

Phone vendors definitely have their work cut out for them in the coming years, but let's not write that obituary just yet.

UPDATE: I should have noted that a handful vendors and hotels are already doing this sort of thing with the phones. A good example: the Nortel phones at InterContinental San Francisco.

Posted by Adam Kirby on June 18, 2008 | Comments (0)