Los Angeles – The Americana at Brand, an upscale retail/residential community in Glendale, Calif., and its sister property The Grove, a luxury retail/entertainment/fine-dining complex in Los Angeles, are now offering a host of one-touch services to its residents and patrons via a smartphone application developed by a runtriz™. Branded the One Touch Concierge™, the solution uses 3G mobile-device technology to deliver an immediate response to service requests, from ordering drinks and food to be delivered at poolside at The Americana, to getting packages picked up and brought to their car while at The Grove.

“Our customers expect an exceptional experience at Caruso Centers. One Touch Concierge™ developed by runtriz™ raises the bar for customer service,” said Paul Kurzawa, Executive Vice President of Operations for Caruso Affiliated, the developer of both properties. “With One Touch Concierge™, our customers and residents are now able to arrange for services and assistance more quickly and more easily than ever before.”

One Touch Concierge™ service is available to residents at The Americana at Brand seven days a week. By touching an icon on their 3G mobile device — whether it's an iPhone, iPod Touch, Palm Pre, Android or specified Blackberry — residents can order dinner from the on-site eateries when friends drop by, or arrange for the porter to meet them when they need assistance with packages or groceries. Likewise shoppers at The Grove can have a stroller or wheel chair delivered, or whatever other service they need to make their experience enjoyable and hassle-free.

Diners can make restaurant reservations and then purchase tickets for an after-dinner movie, after which they can quickly alert the valet to bring their car to them.

In addition to these services, customers can pull up information for stores and restaurants, hours of operation, special events and even get directions. Customers at The Americana at Brand can access The Grove’s services and, conversely, customers at The Grove can access services from The Americana at Brand —with the touch of an icon.

Revolutionary mobile technology for commerce

Matthew Allard, founder and President of runtriz™, said that while this technology is taking the hotel and resort industry by storm, it also is the perfect application for residential and retail commerce.

“More and more people today are carrying — and depending on — smart devices like iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry, G1 or Palm Pre to access services, for both business and leisure use," Allard said. "Caruso Affiliated, like an increasing number of forward-looking hospitality companies, knew our runtriz™ solution would benefit its business by delivering services in real time to their residents and customers.”

The One Touch Concierge™ service is available to all patrons of The Americana at Brand and The Grove. Visitors go to the concierge desk with their smart phone and obtain a log-in to access the wide range of service options. One Touch Concierge™ also can be accessed from anywhere via a smart phone or computer. “Once that easy step is complete, smart living and smart shopping are at your fingertips,” said Kurzawa.

“We’re proud to have developed this personalized customer-service technology for such a renowned, upscale developer as Caruso Affiliated,” Allard said. “We like to remind our customers that our name, runtriz™, derives from the Russian acronym ‘TRIZ’ [Teoriya Resheniya Izobretatelskikh Zadatch], meaning ‘The theory of inventive problem solving.’ Just as Caruso Affiliated is renowned for developing upscale residential/retail centers, we at runtriz™ are well known for our innovative customer-service solutions.”

For more information about the wide range of innovative products and services runtriz™ offers, please visit its Web site at .

About Caruso Affiliated

Los Angeles-based Caruso Affiliated is known for creating open-air community and regional retail environments that serve as local gathering places. The Grove is an established Los Angeles icon that attracts more than 18 million visitors each year, of which approximately 28 percent are tourists. The Americana at Brand is the company’s first mixed-use project and it builds on the company’s signature approach to creating integrated environments. In addition to the Americana at Brand and The Grove, Caruso Affiliated’s portfolio of top performing retail centers includes the Waterside, Marina del Rey, The Promenade at Westlake, The Lakes at Thousand Oaks and The Commons at Calabasas. The firm also has several projects in development including the company’s first luxury destination resort the Miramar in Montecito, CA. For more information, visit .

About runtriz™

runtriz™ is the premier Los Angeles-based global hospitality network specializing in mobile solutions for innovative hospitality brands. The firm has developed cutting edge interactive applications that allow their partners to provide customers with unparalleled service. The brand’s portfolio of services, including the highly lauded Hotel Evolution application, puts consumers back at the center of the value proposition by placing retail, hospitality and residential services in the palm of their hands. For more information, visit

Barb Worcester
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