Pierre Lestage, Locatel chief executive

Locatel, European leader in interactive multimedia systems for the hospitality and healthcare sectors, has acquired Docomo Intertouch Europe, along with its suite of solutions for premium quality internet access, in-room entertainment technologies and managed web platforms for hotels.

Locatel’s purchase of Docomo Intertouch Europe, which is based in London, includes the company’s solutions, as well as its commercial and development organisation.

According to a survey conducted with over 1,000 respondents in October 2012 for Locatel by international researchers OpinionWay, reliable high speed WiFi is a priority or important criteria for 86 per cent of business travellers when choosing a hotel.

With the integration of Docomo into the Locatel portfolio, hotels and their guest clients benefit from premium quality broadband WiFi, which in turn facilitates a much wider range of web-based services which can also be accessed by smartphones and other mobile devices.

This means, for example, that hotels can offer meetings’ organisers their own dedicated portal for the organisation and smooth running of events, complete with project management services, technical support, billing and reporting options.

Other valuable new services for hotel guests include teleconferencing facilities, business centre solutions and the ability to print documents via laptops and mobile devices – made possible by the Docomo ‘Freedom Suite’ of solutions.

As all Locatel systems are completely cloud based, hotels have no need for a server on their premises.

“Our acquisition of Docomo Intertouch Europe means that we can offer hotels a global solution to their information technology and communication needs, which allow them concentrate on their core expertise of running a hotel!” commented Pierre Lestage, Locatel chief executive.

“This marks a significant milestone in Locatel’s development strategy as we continue to expand our international footprint, as well as the ways in which we can help hotels to drive revenues and improve their cost efficiency. 

“Furthermore it reinforces that we are putting mobile technologies at the heart of our strategy, helping hotels to more efficiency manage their properties and anticipate the growing trend for clients who wish to use their own mobile devices to benefit from high quality business and leisure services.”