Underscoring efforts to meet the advancing technology needs of business travelers and meeting attendees, Wyndham International (NYSE:WYN) has selected Sprint (NYSE:FON)(NYSE:PCS) to provide the option of high-speed wireless and wired Internet access in guest and meeting rooms and common areas in 35 properties spanning the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and London.
According to Cahners In-Stat/MDR, the United States has more than 78 million remote and mobile workers today, a large portion of which are frequent business travelers who are demanding Internet and wireless-accessible applications. Using infrastructure supplied by Cisco Systems, Sprint will install and manage the service - Sprint InSite(SM) High Speed Internet Access (HSIA) - which will allow Wyndham guests and meeting attendees to have secure Internet connectivity at speeds up to 50 times faster than dialup connections. The agreement outfits the remaining 22 percent of Wyndham properties not yet equipped with the technology.

Building on its existing relationship with Sprint as the company`s voice and data communications provider in 156 Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the agreement ensures Wyndham brand consistency chain-wide and falls on the heels of Wyndham`s revolutionary offer announced in June which provides free long-distance(1), high-speed Internet access, faxes and copies to members of its guest recognition program, Wyndham ByRequest(R).

“As wireless technologies converge and the demand for high-speed Internet access on the road and during meetings continues to grow exponentially, connectivity infrastructure is shifting to the major carriers,” said Mark Hedley, senior vice president and chief technology officer for Wyndham. “Over the last 18 months, Wyndham has taken an industry leadership position with the rollout of various high-tech initiatives, including high-speed Internet access. Capitalizing on this trend by leveraging our existing association with Sprint and their strategic relationship with Cisco, allows us to better serve our guests by meeting their technology needs, thus giving them the necessary tools to conduct business while traveling.”

Wyndham properties deploying the Sprint system will feature wired Internet access in property guestrooms and meeting spaces through Cisco Long-Reach Ethernet (LRE) broadband access technology, which extends Ethernet capability at speeds of up to 15-Mbps over existing phone wires. Wireless access, which will be available in hotel common areas and meeting spaces, is delivered through the Cisco Aironet(R) 1200 Series wireless local area network (WLAN) access points that support existing and future 802.11 technologies. Wyndham properties will be able to manage, market, operate and bill the Internet access services through the Cisco Building Broadband Service Manager (BBSM) software platform. Additionally, Sprint will provide marketing collateral to guests explaining the service, as well as training materials for hotel staff. Sprint also will provide a 24-hour help desk for guests.

“Wyndham was looking for a communications partner with the right blend of hospitality technology leadership, service reliability and corporate stability,” said Thomas Patchin, Sprint director of hospitality sales. “Sprint met Wyndham`s expectations in all areas and our Sprint InSite HSIA also brings a significant business benefit to its guests, which is key to Wyndham retaining customer loyalty and driving revenue.”

Sprint is a global communications company serving more than 26 million business and residential customers in over 70 countries. With approximately 75,000 employees worldwide and more than $26 billion in annual revenues, Sprint is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying state-of-the-art network technologies, including the United States` first nationwide all-digital, fiber-optic network and Sprint`s award-winning Tier 1 Internet backbone. Sprint provides local voice and data services in 18 states and operates the largest 100-percent digital, nationwide PCS wireless network in the United States.

Cisco Systems is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. News and information are available at http://www.cisco.com.

Wyndham International, Inc. offers upscale and luxury hotel and resort accommodations through proprietary lodging brands and a management services division. Based in Dallas, Wyndham owns, leases, manages and franchises hotels and resorts in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe. For more information, visit www.wyndham.com. For reservations, call 800-WYNDHAM.

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