Spacenet Signs Contract to Upgrade VSAT Network
for InterContinental Hotels Group
New SkyEdge Satellite Network to Support Hotel Applications
at 2,500 of IHG's Hotel Branded Locations
McLean, VA – March 27, 2008 — Spacenet
Inc., a leading provider of advanced satellite networking services
for enterprise and government, announced today that it has signed
a contract to provide IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG,
NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] an upgraded satellite data network and managed
network services to 2,500 locations across the United States and
Canada. IHG is one of the world's largest hotel groups by number
of rooms and operates seven hotel brands including InterContinental
Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn,
Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.
The VSAT network provides optimized support for IP based applications
and enables improved ‘check in and check out’ efficiency
at the hotels. IHG is upgrading its existing satellite network
to Spacenet’s SkyEdge VSAT platform for faster speeds, advanced
functionality and improved network availability to support expanding
applications. Spacenet is also providing managed network services
that ensure maximum reliability, and serves as a single point
of contact for the management of IHG’s network services
and Level 1 Help Desk.
IHG Americas VP of Technology and Services Gustaaf Schrils said,
"As one of the world's largest and most global hotel companies
we are very dependant on reliable network connectivity to our
datacenter for efficient processing of information. The private
VSAT network provided to us by Spacenet not only gives us high
availability but also meets our data integrity and security requirements.
Over the years, Spacenet’s services have helped us achieve
our goals, providing a reliable and scaleable network for our
hotel applications. We are confident that Spacenet and the SkyEdge
VSAT platform will continue to deliver on these requirements.”
Spacenet CEO Andreas Georghiou said, “We thank our colleagues
at IHG for the confidence they demonstrate in Spacenet by allowing
us to continue to be a critical communications link between their
various properties. Network availability and performance are key
to IHG’s operations, and we take pride in being entrusted
with both. IHG is a leader in its industry and we are privileged
to extend our business relationship.”
About InterContinental Hotels Group
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG) of the United Kingdom
[LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)] is one of the world's largest hotel
groups by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises,
through various subsidiaries, over 3,900 hotels and more than
585,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around
the world. IHG owns a portfolio of well recognized and respected
hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts,
Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels
and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®,
Candlewood Suites® and Hotel Indigo®, and also manages
the world's largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club®
Rewards with over 37 million members worldwide.
The company pioneered the travel industry’s first collaborative
response to environmental issues as founder of the International
Hotels and Environment Initiative (IHEI). The IHEI formed the
foundations of the Tourism Partnership launched by the International
Business Leaders Forum in 2004, of which IHG is still a member
today. The environment and local communities remain at the heart
of IHG’s global corporate responsibility focus.
IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel
brands at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards
program at www.priorityclub.com. For the latest news from IHG,
visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/media
About Spacenet®
Founded in 1981, Spacenet Inc. is a leading provider of high-performance
satellite and hybrid terrestrial networking solutions for business,
government and home/small office customers in the United States
and worldwide. Spacenet has a longstanding tradition of industry
leadership and innovation, and today has deployed more than 100,000
network endpoints for customers including many Fortune 500 companies
and major government agencies. Spacenet's services include its
custom satellite/hybrid network solutions for enterprise and government;
Connexstar™ VSAT services for primary, backup and disaster
recovery networks; and StarBand® broadband Internet by satellite.
Spacenet is based in McLean, Virginia, and operates its own end-to-end
services infrastructure including network management, field services
and teleport facilities in McLean; Atlanta, Georgia; and Chicago,
Illinois. Spacenet is a wholly owned subsidiary of Gilat Satellite
Networks Ltd. (Nasdaq: GILT). Visit Spacenet at www.spacenet.com.
Spacenet Media Contact:
David Myers
Senior Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Development
(703) 848-1200
david.myers@spacenet.com |
