The Regent Hong Kong takes delivery of 2 new in-room Internet products from MagiNet

As the next generation successor to what is known today as Prelude, the Guest Preview Channel and available in MagiNet Internet-equipped hotels worldwide, the new MagiNet Channel marked its global debut in Australia last month. The Regent Hong Kong is the first hotel in Hong Kong and second worldwide to take delivery of the new MagiNet Channel.

A channel that auto-displays when the guest first turns on the in-room television, the MagiNet Channel is designed to be instructional, informational and promotional, and consists of 8 separate window frames that are dynamic and continually flip, rotate, scroll or feature video and animation.

In addition to movie previews, "how to" and promotional videos on in-room Internet products and information on hotel and in-room services, the MagiNet Channel now features news feeds, world weather and stock market summaries that are updated daily.

The MagiNet Channel supports networking technologies such as file transfer protocol (ftp), enabling MagiNet to update the content on the MagiNet Channel remotely via the Internet, without ever having to set foot in the guest room or the hotel.

Thomas Gurtner, Regional Vice President and General Manager of The Regent Hong Kong comments, "Our guests will certainly appreciate the added value of daily news bytes, local and regional weather and stock quotes delivered via the Internet to their guest rooms via the MagiNet Channel. We commend MagiNet for creating this visually exciting television product for the hospitality industry."

MagiNet.Net, launched globally last month as the Internet portal of choice for business travellers worldwide, before, during, and after a trip, now comes in a version customized exclusively for viewing by guests at The Regent Hong Kong. Here, in lieu of the guest's default Home Page, www.MagiNet.Net automatically displays when the guest logs onto the Internet using MagiNet Laptop Connect and launches his browser.

As with the global site of MagiNet.Net, The Regent Hong Kong version is equipped with custom information tailored exclusively to the international business traveller, including definitive city and country guides for all of Asia Pacific, cultural do's and don'ts, and a wealth of local dining, business, entertainment, shopping and transportation information.

MagiNet.Net also features daily news feeds of local, regional and global news and stock updates.

The custom version for The Regent Hong Kong includes comprehensive information, photos and graphics on hotel guest services in categories such as Hotel Fact Sheet, Hotel Restaurants, In-Room Dining, In-Room Movies, Conferences and Banquets, Hotel Promotions, Telephone Services and Hotel Guest Services.

According to Bob Creager, President and CEO of MagiNet, "Now, with MagiNet.Net, guests at The Regent Hong Kong can peruse hotel restaurant descriptions and menus to help them decide whether it's going to be seafood at Yü or dim sum at Lai Ching Heen, before making dinner reservations. While surfing the 'Net or while on email, they can also have a quick look at room service menus, see the list of the latest movies playing in-room or the promotions The Regent may have on-going, all from the convenience of their laptops during their Internet sessions. It is our sincere hope that MagiNet.Net will play a role in enhancing and contributing to the guest experience at The Regent Hong Kong."

MagiNet Corporation is the total solutions provider for in-room entertainment, information services and Internet technologies geared expressly to the hospitality industry. Its installed base is comprised of top tier 4 and 5-star properties, encompassing over 100,000 rooms in 292 hotels in 64 cities in 13 countries. Headquartered in Hong Kong, MagiNet is represented via subsidiaries in Australia, Israel, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Philippines, South Africa, Taiwan and Thailand, and through distributor partners in Guam, India, Spain and the U.K.