Juniper checks in at CitizenM to boost hotel experiences with personalised engagement | Computer Weekly

Netherlands-based hotel company CitizenM has selected Juniper’s full range of AI-driven Enterprise and Connected Security services, including wireless access, wired access and next-generation firewalls, as part of its strategy to deliver what it believes will be the required modern hotel experience for its guests.

The Netherlands-based hotel company said it has disrupted the traditional hotel model to give modern travellers what they want, adding that it started with an idea to disrupt the traditional hotel industry by creating a luxury hybrid hotel for today’s modern travellers – eliminating the frustrations these travellers shared. This is said to be a new breed of hotel designed around a new type of traveller: one who values a luxury hotel experience in central city locations, but at an affordable price.

That is, says the firm, a hybrid hotel “that isn’t just a place to sleep, but somewhere to work, relax and play”. The key stated components of this are “comfortable furniture, a great bed to crash,” and free Wi-Fi.

CitizenM currently has 31 hotels globally, and is pursuing major growth plans, aiming to operate 40 hotels in premier metropolitan locations and airports in Europe, Asia and the US by 2024. With the increasing number of guests and its ambitious expansion strategies, CitizenM needed a network that would scale with its digital transformation plans.

The company turned to Juniper wireless access points driven by Mist AI to deliver better guest engagement, coupled with Wi-Fi that is said to be both predictable and reliable.

In choosing Juniper, CitizenM will use the Mist AI and a secure client-to-cloud experience to transform how guests sleep, work and relax, while reducing the time and effort required to setup and manage secure IT networks in numerous locations.

In addition, the deployment is designed to provide CitizenM with high-performance, secure access to wired devices, and firewalls to protect all hotel properties and the Amsterdam headquarters from cyber attacks, while connecting them to the company’s cloud resources.

With CitizenM’s new network,
guests can check in at a kiosk or via the brand’s award-winning mobile app

, with an ambassador at hand to help if needed
.

A digital key is created and guests are on their way to their room typically in one minute. Once in their room, they can control the temperature, lighting and shades from a Wi-Fi-enabled tablet
 or via the app, as well as 
accessing F&B menus, viewing city guide content and more. Guests can also stream apps, videos or games to a high-definition TV and share them with family and friends without, Juniper assured, increasing the risk of a threat compromising them or the hotel network.

In addition to real-time, secure connectivity with personalised experiences for guests, Juniper also said its service has simplified the deployment and management of IT infrastructure and services across multiple, distributed properties. It claimed that with Mist AI, zero-touch provisioning and automated workflows operated via the cloud, network setup is easy and quick. Mist AI is designed to detect and fix anomalies proactively to expedite troubleshooting without the need for onsite resources.

Additionally, ambassadors, duty managers and support staff at the hotel properties are said to now have fast, reliable access to their key hospitality and business applications, including property management, content management, physical security, payments, video and voice.

“CitizenM has redefined hospitality by disrupting the traditional hotel model to give modern travellers an affordable luxury experience,” said CitizenM director of technology and digital Bojan Pavicic. “A key pillar of our strategy is to provide guest service beyond expectations.”

“We aim to anticipate our guests’ needs, continuously exceed their expectations and curate memorable experiences for them. We strongly believe that technology is the foundation and enabler of our transformation. We value Juniper’s innovative thinking and how AI can help us manage the network.”