Scandic Hotels first to offer booking services using WAP technology

Scandic Hotels first to offer booking services using WAP technology Scandic is now launching a system that offers booking and other services using WAP technology. Scandic is the first hotel chain in the world to offer its 370,000 regular customers WAP telephones, equipped with a range of Scandic services. These new services will enable Scandic's customers to book hotel rooms from any location and at any time of day. The services, which will be available throughout Europe, are the result of a co- operation between Scandic Hotels, Nocom and Nokia. Scandic´s customers are to be offered a complete package, including WAP telephones equipped with a range of Scandic services. The offer, launched today, will gradually be extended to all 370,000 regular Scandic customers during the spring. By providing our customers with direct access to telephones, they will be able to put the technology to the test. The initial services will enable customers to use their WAP telephones to check the availability of rooms, make and change reservations and recieve information about other Scandic offers or activities. "Everyone is talking about WAP. So I am particularly pleased that we are the first hotel chain to offer a complete package of WAP telephones and services. It provides us with yet another opportunity to develop our relations with customers, "says Roland Nilsson, President & CEO of Scandic Hotels. "This is merely the first stage of our investment in mobile services. By co-operating with some of the market's leading players, we are able to give Scandic and its customers a head start in using mobile technology." With WAP, which stands for Wireless Application Protocol, it is possible to use a mobile telephone as both a phone and a computer terminal. This means that many of the opportunities offered by the Internet will now be available to mobile phone users. Given that many travellers never leave home without their mobile phone, this creates a whole new range of opportunities in customer communications. "Using Nokias´s WAP technology, Scandic is making information and services readily available to its customers," says Johan Sjöquist, Manager Wireless Data at Nokia. The solution is an excellent example for illustrating how mobile Internet technology can provide users with greater efficiency and freedom." "Scandic's solution will set a global standard on how to improve customer service and strengthen customer relations with the help of the new mobile technology," says Anders Jonson, Managing Director of Nocom. In the solution offered by Scandic, Nocom is responsible for planning, operational and software issues, whilst Nokia is responsible for supplying the telephones and server technology. Adera is responsible for applications development and Geab - The Phone House is responsible for preparing the packages and for the final delivery to customers. For further information, please contact: Gunnar Brandberg, Vice President Marketing, Scandic Hotels, tel. +46 (0)8 517 352 12. Mobile phone: +46 (0)709 73 52 12. Anders Jonson, Managing Director, Nocom, tel. +46 (0)18 65 55 00. Mobile phone: +46 (0)708 65 53 01. Johan Sjöquist, Manager Wireless Data, Nokia, tel. +46 (0)8 793 83 00. Mobile phone: +46-(0)708 92 05 80 For further information, see also: www.scandic-hotels.com Scandic Hotels is the largest hotel operator in the Nordic region, with 131 hotels in 10 countries. Scandic's strategy is to be a dedicated hotel operator. The company's business mission is"to offer many people the highest value for money when staying in its hotels, during work and leisure." ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/01/21/20000120BIT00790/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/01/21/20000120BIT00790/bit0002.pdf