OpenGrid Introduces Fastbook, Providing Mobile Commerce Solutions for the Hotel Industry
SAN JOSE, Calif. — May 17, 2001 — Extends Hotel Reservation Systems and Loyalty Programs to the Heart of the Business Traveler–Their Wireless Devices
OpenGrid, Inc., the leading provider of mobile solutions to the travel and conference industries, today introduces FastBook, a service that gives hotels the ability to offer guests, reservations and cancellations, and loyalty programs using any wireless Internet device.
OpenGrid is demonstrating its FastBook solution this week at the annual meeting of HEDNA, the Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association, which promotes the booking of hotel rooms through the Internet and other electronic means.
OpenGrid's FastBook wireless reservation system gives hotels and other travel industry businesses a simple, hosted solution enabling guests to make, confirm and cancel reservations through Internet-enabled wireless phones and handheld computers.
The FastBook offering includes:
— Wireless Web Hosting: A secure environment with co-located servers to ensure maximum uptime;
— Leveraging the loyalty program: Simplify data entry and allow a new path for guests to interact with hotel loyalty programs
— Wireless Device Rendering: Content that can be viewed on WAP-enabled wireless phones and on any Palm OS-version PDA;
— Transaction Enablement: Mobile commerce functions that allow customers to check inventory availability and rates; make, check or cancel reservations; and automatically call a hotel number for specific information; and
— Administration and Reporting: Secure, real-time tracking and reporting of all transactions.
"Our hotel customers tell us that a large part of their revenue comes from their frequent business travelers – just the type of people who use mobile phones and PDAs to stay in touch while they're on the road," said Jens Horstmann, President of OpenGrid. "Letting these travelers make and change their reservations from these same devices is a natural, and hotels will quickly find that FastBook can also save them money when their staff doesn't always have to handle these duties over the phone."
About OpenGrid
OpenGrid was founded in 1999 to become the leader in mobile business solutions. As the first wireless company to focus on the travel industry, OpenGrid leverages years of experience with the large and fast-growing opportunity of the wireless communications market. OpenGrid's executives have proven expertise in wireless transactions and mobile technologies and have established strategic relationships with leading technology, transaction and travel companies.
Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., OpenGrid has a board of industry luminaries including former Starfish CEO Philippe Kahn, and advisors including ex-Apple CEO Gil Amelio and MIT Media Lab guru Nicholas Negroponte. OpenGrid has a strong intellectual property position and is backed by a group of distinguished investors including Motorola, Labrador Ventures, Advanced Technology Ventures of Palo Alto, Applied Technology Investors of Menlo Park, and Draper Fisher Group of Palo Alto.
For more information, visit www.opengrid.com
CONTACT:
OpenGrid Inc., San Jose
Steven Cox, VP Marketing, 408/792-1651 stevec@opengrid.com
or
Kevin Compton, Public Relations, 408/353-8409 (office)
408-242-5565 (cell) kevincompton@opengrid.com