| v> | | | | Business Center, without thinking a lot about it. |
| Your customers asked for it, modern hospitality | | | | Reality hits when the complaints start piling up, |
| philosophy required it and now you have one in your | | | | managers get frustrated and the maintenance cost |
| Hotel: A Business Center. | | | | doubles or triples the budget. And that is just the |
| Your Guest now has access to the Internet to read | | | | visible problem." |
| and write e-mails, surf the Web for the latest news | | | | "Running a Business Center Computer is a risk the |
| and they can work in Word, Power Point and Excel. | | | | Hotelier really does not want to take without proper |
| For your Guest’s convenience (and maybe | | | | precautions," Mr. Koning continues, "The amount of |
| according to company standards) you have also | | | | work involved to keep it up and running is just part |
| added a printer, fax and copier. | | | | of the problem, the liability is the true risk each |
| You are now ready for the 21st Century traveler. Or | | | | Hotelier is subject to." |
| are you? | | | | The general opinion is that as long as the Windows |
| Philipsburg, Pa, Thursday, March 18, 2004 | | | | System, Virus scanner and Cleaning software is |
| Satisfied with your latest implementation one day, on | | | | updated, nothing bad can happen. However, these |
| one of your daily rounds, you notice that the | | | | tools do not prevent disk clutter, hacks, identity |
| Computer has a white piece of paper stuck to the | | | | theft, new viruses or objectionable content showing |
| monitor. Curious, you walk up and read: Computer | | | | on your computer. One by one, very serious matters |
| Out of Order. | | | | when you consider them, with the definite possibility |
| Checking into it, you find out that this is not the first | | | | of a law-suit. |
| time the computer has been down, and furthermore, | | | | SurferQuest software is developed to take a lot of |
| there have been a number of alarming complaints | | | | these risks away. It prevents hacks, disk-clutter, it |
| from Guests: | | | | erases all left-over user content, it is foolproof and is |
| Computer froze in the middle of my work | | | | even immune to viruses not yet invented. "And a |
| I walked up to check my e-mail and suddenly | | | | nice bonus is," continues Mr. Koning, "it reduces |
| looked at obscene pictures on the computer | | | | normal maintenance by about 97%." |
| screen | | | | SurferQuest systems are not limited to Internet |
| I noticed stuff from one of your previous Guests | | | | applications. They also contain Microsoft applications |
| on the computer? Will my info remain on the | | | | and the Hotelier can add additional software or |
| computer too? | | | | hardware to the PC at any time (as long as it is |
| I think you have a virus on your computer | | | | Windows XP compatible). |
| because this window kept popping up, saying,
| | | | SurferQuest leaves it up to the Hotelier whether to |
| And the list goes on. | | | | charge for usage or not. "Each system has the |
| You also find out that your very dedicated manager | | | | capability to accept Credit Card payments," states |
| spends (a very valuable) hour each day trying to fix | | | | Mr. Koning, "The advantage of using this feature is |
| and clean the computer. And, a couple of times, a | | | | that usage is regulated. Nobody can occupy the |
| computer technician had to solve a problem for $80 / | | | | computer too long, preventing other Guests from |
| hour. | | | | using it, unless he pays for it of course". |
| "It is a mistake to underestimate the process of | | | | SurferQuest s clients include the US Military, The |
| making computer and internet access available to | | | | Westin on Times Square, Starbucks Providence |
| your Guests ", states Ron Koning, Vice President of | | | | Biltmore, The Radisson in Boston, Seven Springs |
| SurferQuest, a supplier of Public Internet Computers | | | | Mountain Resort, Teton Mountain Resort and all the |
| and Software. "The Hospitality industry is forced to | | | | Emerald Suites. |
| offer this amenity, so they put a computer in their | | | | |