Like many other industries, hospitality is undergoing a digital transformation. Guest WiFi access has gone from being an amenity–and something that would simply enhance the guest experience–to being just one of many services that are critical to meeting guests’ needs. Today, properties are swarming with devices, having grown more than 3X since 2012 to an average of 3.5 devices per room. Today, Cisco Meraki is announcing an expansion to our wireless and switch portfolio and solutions designed specifically for the hospitality industry, as well as new products applicable to the broader market.
In hospitality, it’s not enough to simply support the increased device density. Properties must differentiate by developing services such as rapid, personalized check-in, location-assisted experiences, and increased guest attentiveness. WiFi in particular, and the network in general, provide the critical backbone to innovate and deliver these services.
The new Meraki MR30H simplifies wireless for hotels, dorms, and multi–dwelling units. 802.11ac Wave 2 technology delivers robust wireless access in challenging RF environments, and its small form-factor with integrated four port gigabit Ethernet switch enables deployments in a range of environments without the need to deploy an additional tabletop Ethernet switch. Additionally, integrated location analytics deliver insights into client behavior such as foot traffic, dwell time, and repeat visit rates, and Bluetooth low energy (BLE) powers advanced location applications such as those leveraging beacons.
Along with the MR30H, we are introducing the MR33, an 802.11ac Wave 2 2×2 MIMO access point. It’s similar to the MR32 (including built-in location analytics and Bluetooth low energy), but in a smaller form factor and at a lower price.
Meraki is also announcing a major expansion of our switch portfolio, with the introduction of the MS225 and MS250 families. Available in 24-port and 48-port models, both families support physical and virtual stacking, PoE+, and feature 10 GbE SFP+ uplinks. Both are fully compatible with previous generation Meraki switch families, and additionally the MS250 supports the same layer 3 routing technology featured in the Meraki MS350 line. Naturally, these new switches are ideal to support the increased device density seen in hospitality and many other industries.
All of these new products are available to order today. If you’re curious to learn more about them, register for a wireless webinar or switch webinar and see what they’re all about!
Some of my partners can’t get enough of Meraki!!
Nice!
Nice recently deployed a few Meraki routers at customer sites liking the cloud management and VPN features