How to Enhance Guest-Facing Technologies

Nashville, TN (USA) – 16 February 2012 – Uniguest and Ascension Software have announced a strategic alliance that will combine their complementary strengths and expertise providing interactive guest-facing technologies to the hospitality industry.

The two companies will combine Uniguest’s touchpoint management acumen and industry-leading service and support with Ascension’s innovative technology products to enhance the social dynamic between hotels and guests.

Uniguest offers a comprehensive portfolio that includes public use computers, informational kiosks, digital signage, print services, and event services, making Uniguest the hotel industry’s best single-source provider for managing guest’s access to information. Uniguest is the world’s largest provider of hotel computer kiosks, with an expected 10,000 kiosks in service in 2012.

After thorough due diligence, Uniguest selected Ascension Software, the recognized leader in guest portal and mobile applications, as its latest technology partner. Ascension Software released the first hotel-to-guest iPhone™, iPad™, and Droid™ applications, among the most popular apps on the iTunes store. A recent Forbes™ article, “How to Make Amazing Branded Apps” featured Ascension Software’s highly acclaimed W Hotels iPhone application.

Joe Adkisson, EVP of Ascension Software, provides a look into the Company’s engineering philosophy, “We aspire to create impactful applications that accentuate our client’s vision in a way that is completely unique to their brand. Each release should have meaning in their guest’s everyday lives.” Behind each application is Ascension Software’s ORION platform, which is the only system that can support multiple properties in a single mobile application and integrates with most industry standard PMS, POS, and MMS systems.

Uniguest CEO, Jon Bearden, best explains the motivation behind the partnership, “Hotels are looking to mobile technology as a way to engage valued guests before, during, and after their stay. By combining Ascension’s ingenuity with Uniguest’s deep understanding of our client’s ethos, hotels will have a partner that can deliver groundbreaking mobile technologies that integrate with the total hotel experience and reverberate with guests in a deeper, more meaningful way.”

Uniguest will utilize Ascension Software technologies to release new custom solutions that give customers the opportunity to touch guests across web, mobile, and television platforms. Each solution will offer custom branding, custom order fulfillment, and real-time content delivery. In most cases, there will be the option to integrate the technology touchpoint with the hotel’s existing operation management systems for a more streamline user experience. Additionally, Uniguest will be adding the PMS authentication and post-to-folio functionality of ORION to its existing kiosks.

“This is an exciting partnership for the entire hotel community,” exclaimed Scott Mary, Founder and Chairman of Ascension Software. “Our two companies helped pioneer the computer kiosk industry and we have both built our industry reputations on a foundation of integrity, consistency of service, and deep dedication to customer satisfaction. At our core, both companies consider the needs of hotels and their guests first. It’s fitting we usher in the next phase of guest interfacing technology together. We’re excited about the synergies between our companies and we’re confident our hotel partners will experience great benefits from it in 2012.

About Uniguest
Uniguest is the global leader in designing and managing information touch points for the hospitality industry. Its mission is to enable hotels across the globe to enhance their guests’ experiences through strategically designed and well-managed information touch points. With a brand-centric approach and 24/7/365 service and support, Uniguest’s diverse products and services function to provide information at the right time, at the right place, to the right audience. To learn more, visit www.uniguest.com.

About Ascension Software
Ascension Software™ is a leading innovator in secure guest computing technology and support services and is trusted by businesses in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K. and the Caribbean. Ascension Software is focused on providing the hospitality industry with the finest remotely managed, self-service, automated business centers, public computing, in-room applications and fully hosted property guest portals for the internet, iPhone™, iPad™, Android™, and television.

Media Contact:
Ryan Firm
800-467-1218
ryan.firm@uniguest.com