OpenGrid, Inc., said to be the first wireless company to focus on the travel industry, has introduced FastBook, a service that gives hotels the ability to offer guests, reservations and cancellations, and loyalty programs using any wireless Internet device.
OpenGrid is demonstrating its FastBook solution this week at the annual meeting of HEDNA, the Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association, which promotes the booking of hotel rooms through the Internet and other electronic means.
OpenGrid`s FastBook wireless reservation system gives hotels and other travel industry businesses a simple, hosted solution enabling guests to make, confirm and cancel reservations through Internet-enabled wireless phones and handheld computers.
The FastBook offering includes:

* Wireless Web Hosting: A secure environment with co-located servers to ensure maximum uptime;

* Leveraging the loyalty program: Simplify data entry and allow a new path for guests to interact with hotel loyalty programs
* Wireless Device Rendering: Content that can be viewed on WAP-enabled wireless phones and on any Palm OS-version PDA;
* Transaction Enablement: Mobile commerce functions that allow customers to check inventory availability and rates; make, check or cancel reservations; and automatically call a hotel number for specific information; and
* Administration and Reporting: Secure, real-time tracking and reporting of all transactions.

“Our hotel customers tell us that a large part of their revenue comes from their frequent business travelers - just the type of people who use mobile phones and PDAs to stay in touch while they`re on the road,” said Jens Horstmann, President of OpenGrid. “Letting these travelers make and change their reservations from these same devices is a natural, and hotels will quickly find that FastBook can also save them money when their staff doesn`t always have to handle these duties over the phone.”
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