LINQ360 Hospitality Tech Center Debuts

The Las Vegas based innovation center brings together myriad hospitality technology businesses in a unique think tank of some of this sector’s smartest minds. Here’s what it means for you

The hotel industry is getting its tech on. That is, numerous hotel industry technology providers have partnered with Microsoft Corp to create the first of its kind techno think tank that brings together more than a dozen companies in a single space.

Dubbed the LINQ360 Innovation Center, Powered by Microsoft, the center launched last week with 16 hospitality technology providers, each of which brings a different technological skillset with them. Companies represented in this one stop technology shop include: Microsoft, SuiteLinq, Cenium, Symon, Red Rock Software, Alcatel-Lucent, HP, Nevada Development Authority, Crestron, Hardly Square, MiCamp, Shift4, IBoxfilms, Video River Networks, and RiteWire. More are expected to join in the coming months.

Located close to the Las Vegas Strip in Summerlin, NV, the Center will create not just a showplace for potential customers to see myriad products under one roof, but will also act as a catalyst for future hospitality technology advances.

According to Michael Infante, worldwide director of Hospitality Industry Solutions and Alliances at Microsoft, LINQ360 provides the ideal venue to convey the benefits of the hospitality ecosystem to executives at the epicenter of the market. “The mission was to create a facility to collaborate, integrate and innovate for the world’s leading hotel brands,” he said. “With so many complex systems required to operate modern high-end hotels, the task of selecting solution providers is often a daunting one. The goal of Microsoft in the hospitality industry has always been to align best-in-class partners to make these decisions easier for hotel operators. Now with the LINQ360 Innovation Center, hospitality executives can experience them all in one place. It’s really the ideal way to convey the benefits of a truly integrated set of technology solutions.”

Craig Ziegler, President of SuiteLinq, said as a founding member the center will create new solutions as they work with technology companies that offer complimentary products and services.

“This incubator will be a conduit to allow entrepreneurs to come talk to us. It gives them quick access to member companies and the hospitality world. But most important this center will fund start up and emergent systems,” said Ziegler, whose company SuiteLinq provides integrated on-demand entertainment and business productivity solutions with the goal of delivering the Ultimate In-Room Experience for guests and new revenue streams for property owners. “This whole project is about being able to work with these kinds of minds in a symbiotic way, it’s not about who has leverage over each other.”

Ziegler added the group has talked about a five year roadmap and are partnering on ideas for the betterment of the hotel industry as well as each individual company.

Main features of LINQ360 include:

• Media walls that deliver video and interactive presentations explaining the center’s mission and information on the ecosystem partners
• A hotel guest room simulation showcasing interactive solutions including desktop, IPTV, IPVOD, and mobile platforms
• Digital signage and way-finding displays demonstrating public-area communication platforms
• The Windows Azure Cloud-Based Control Center showcasing back-end system management services including dashboards, content management tools, dynamic reporting features and additional benefits of Windows Azure
• The Xbox 360 Theater / Microsoft Experience, featuring Kinect
• An area demonstrating Microsoft Surface multi-touch, multi-user tabletop interactive device

The center will also with The University of Las Vegas to give them educational access to the company and will create curriculum for UNLV and other universities that help promote member company products and services. Ziegler added Las Vegas is also a great place for hospitality industry talent recruitment for each company’s respective teams. The offices also have enough room for up to 60 people to learn about the offered products and services in a classroom setting.

Jeff Kiehn, President of Cenium, a company that delivers Enterprise Resource Solutions based on the Microsoft platform is also calling Linq360 its North American headquarters.

“We are always talking about interfacing with vendors and our intention from this project is to have a truly integrated system. Linq360 will also give us a place where we can get in front of key hospitality executives. As a growing company it is sometimes hard to get those meeting on your own. The sum of all these vendors is better than each company going at it on their own. I will bring in customers that others want to see and they will do the same for me. I am thrilled to be a part of this unique hospitality concept,” said Kiehn.

The center is located at 9555 Hillwood Drive in Summerlin, encompasses 8,500 square feet – which will soon expand by another 5,000 square feet and is occupied by 16 hospitality technology companies, each of which focuses on delivering new and compelling technology and services to this dynamic market.