Avaya will unveil the ‘Media Phone,’ a cross between a telephone and PC, at the upcoming International Hotel Technology Forum (IHTF) in Dubai.

A leading communication solutions provider, Avaya will give hoteliers the first regional preview of its new hospitality solution that allows direct access to applications and Internet-based information through a large color touch screen with a high-quality phone.

The media phone, created specifically for hotels, boasts of a large colour home screen that provides one-touch access to hotel-specific services and the Internet.

The focus for Avaya at IHTF is demonstrating to the hotel community how its unified communications solutions and integration can deliver an unprecedented customer experience as well as competitive advantage in the current economic climate.

From summoning a butler to finding dining hot-spots, Avaya solutions will delight guests from check-in to check-out, said an Avaya official.

"The hospitality vertical is experiencing two challenges – an increase in customer expectation about in-room experience and access to information and entertainment, as well as significant competition for both leisure and business travelers in a more trying economy," said Frederick Sabty, hospitality solutions director, Avaya Europe, Middle East and Africa.

"Avaya’s solutions created specifically for hotels, including the newly-developed ‘media phone,’ enable hotels in the Middle East and beyond to create previously unavailable customer experiences which enhance service and act as a competitive differentiator for the property," he noted.

In addition to providing a preview of its new Avaya Media Phone for hotels, the communications leader will also use the IHTF to showcase Avaya desk phones with features and functionality specifically designed for the hospitality industry.

These models with a simple user interface can act as in-room phones and also provide information on dining, spa treatments, directories, maps, weather conditions.

"The hospitality sector has become a central element of Avaya’s business, given that communications and information is vital to leisure and business guests," Sabty noted.

"At the same time, we’re developing and delivering communications solutions for the back-office functions in the hotel industry, to boost productivity and reduce costs."

"Avaya appreciates that retaining guests and operating more efficiently are vital to the entire industry, and IHTF gives Avaya the platform to highlight how we are working with hotels in the Middle East and elsewhere," he added.

Avaya’s industry-specific hospitality solutions are at work for guests and staff at Atlantis the Palm, Jumeirah’s Burj Al Arab Hotel, Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts, Wynn Resorts and hundreds of other hotels and resorts around the world.

Avaya is also the headline sponsor of the IHTF which runs from May 14 to 17.-TradeArabia News Service