MILPITAS, CA—While travelers have started to frequent hotels again, it will likely be a while before any sense of normalcy returns. To help hotels deliver a sense of safety to hotel employees and guests, 22Miles, which offers 3D wayfinding and digital signage technology, has launched a Protection-as-a-Service (PaaS) solution.
“It is likely that we will see an impact on travel at least through 2020, if not longer, with hopes that in 2021 we will start to see normalcy again,” said Tomer Mann, EVP, 22Miles. “The hospitality industry, like many others, took a big hit when the pandemic struck, but along with these challenges also comes new opportunities for hospitality management and executive leadership to adapt and still provide safe and memorable guest experiences.
“To continue to see growth in the travel and hospitality industry, there is a need to support public confidence by taking important operational measures to ensure safety and security,” he added. “One such way to do this is through the implementation of flexible digital signage and wayfinding technology designed specifically to tackle these new COVID-related challenges.”
Enter TempDefend, a protective digital signage communication and direction tool that uses 22Miles’ thermo-sensing technology, advanced camera hardware, facial and body temperature detection software, integrated sensors and dynamic machine learning algorithms for existing or new digital signage displays.
“TempDefend can be positioned at a building’s entrance or at interior building checkpoints, providing protection for hotel properties, to equip them with the ability to confidently open to employees and customers,” Mann said.
The plug-and-play solution is also touch-free: TempDefend delivers instruction via voice command to direct individuals into a camera frame. The thermal sensor technology can scan temperature from up to four feet away.
The temperature reading can then be used according to the organization’s needs—including access control integration, video calling with reception, data analysis and notification, or even facial recognition. If the individual has an elevated temperature of 99.5 degrees or higher, TempDefend will initiate the response sequence. On the backend, building operators can view data in a live, thermal or LED view to make informed decisions in real time.
“TempDefend is just one feature of a larger suite of software solutions that we recently announced called Protection-as-a-Service,” Mann said. “PaaS was developed to be a series of integrated technology features and capabilities as part of a customizable software platform created to address viral pandemics and the evolving safety measures of social distancing, in markets that are experiencing impact from the pandemic such as the hospitality industry. Other PaaS capabilities include Touchless Touch—fully interactive voice activation and control that can be integrated into any kiosk or display; Secure Mobile Control, which allows for mobile interaction that also eliminates the hygiene risks associated with touching and physically interacting with screens; and more.”
Mann noted that it can work for many different types of hotels. “The great thing about TempDefend, and the larger PaaS suite, is that it is highly scalable and customizable,” he said. “Whether it is for a large resort with hundreds of existing kiosks and displays or a small boutique hotel that is first exploring adding digital signage or wayfinding capabilities to their property, PaaS can be quickly implemented and set up, often within just a few weeks. Hotel management can choose a pre-programmed kiosk or display, or add PaaS to existing displays based on their needs. And because the PublisherPro content management platform that PaaS sits on is so user-friendly, staff can be quickly and easily trained on how to manage and make updates.”
