Back to Home | | Published on January 10, 2025 | 50 min read
Download PDF
Essential Technology Vendors for Hotel IT Operations Guide

Essential Technology Vendors for Hotel IT Operations Guide

Top 20 Technology Vendors for Hotel IT Operations

Hotel IT operations span a wide range of technology areas – from front-of-house systems that guests interact with, to back-of-house infrastructure that keeps the hotel running smoothly. This report profiles 20 leading technology vendors supporting hospitality IT across key domains: telecommunications (phone systems), property management systems (PMS), networking and infrastructure, guest Wi-Fi and connectivity solutions, cybersecurity, cloud services, and smart room technologies. Each vendor overview includes their main offerings, industry positioning, standout features, integration capabilities, pricing notes (where available), support model, and geographic reach. Comparisons and tables are included to highlight differences in offerings, features, and compatibility. The goal is to provide hotel IT professionals a comprehensive understanding of the top tech players in hospitality and how they can add value to hotel operations.

Telecommunications and Communication Systems

Robust communication systems remain central to hotel operations – from the front desk and back-office communications to guest room phones and emergency services. Modern hospitality phone systems emphasize VoIP, integration with hotel software, and compliance with safety regulations. Below are key telecom vendors in hospitality:

ClearlyIP (ComXchange Hospitality Phone System)

ClearlyIP offers ComXchange, a PBX phone system purpose-built for hotels. ComXchange is a reliable and adaptable VoIP-based system that integrates with all major PMS platforms, enabling features like guest voicemail, self-service wake-up calls, emergency notifications, and call accounting clearlyip.com. ClearlyIP’s hospitality solution emphasizes comprehensive integration – it supports PMS interfaces for brands like Marriott (FOSSE), Hilton (OnQ), Opera, Mews, Cloudbeds, and many others clearlyip.comclearlyip.com. This ensures that phone services (e.g. automatic check-in/out updates, room status, mini-bar postings) are linked with hotel management systems. Notably, ComXchange supports legacy analog endpoints (via analog gateways) alongside IP phones, which eases migration from older PBX systems clearlyip.comclearlyip.com. ClearlyIP also provides a range of SIP desk phones and peripherals (like lobby phones, SIP guest room phones, and even SIP radios for emergency use). The system is designed with high availability (failover clustering) and security features such as SIP authentication, intrusion detection (Fail2Ban), and encrypted voice (TLS/SRTP) clearlyip.comclearlyip.com. Pricing for ClearlyIP’s solutions is not published, as it is typically provided through authorized partners or as custom quotes, but the company positions its offering as an “enterprise results” system at an accessible price point (as evidenced by case studies like Hotel Pommier) clearlyip.com. ClearlyIP backs its products with dedicated 24/7 support and a partner network for on-site assistance. With over 350,000 hotel guest rooms on ComXchange worldwide clearlyip.com, ClearlyIP is emerging as a strong hospitality-focused telecom vendor, especially as hotels seek modern VoIP alternatives to legacy PBXs.

Mitel

Mitel is a long-established leader in hotel communications, known for its PBX systems deployed in thousands of hotels globally. Mitel’s hospitality communications suite includes on-premises PBXs (like MiVoice Business) and cloud-based unified communications, along with specialized hotel applications. A key strength of Mitel is its deep integration capabilities: Mitel’s solutions integrate with all major hospitality applications – from PMS and voicemail systems to call accounting, staff ticketing systems, and even voice-activated assistants mitel.com. This enables hotels to automate workflows such as guest voicemail activation on check-in, room-clean status updates via phone, and guest service requests via voice. Mitel provides a full range of hotel phone hardware (desk phones, cordless, and lobby phones) as well as support for mobile softphones, allowing staff to use mobile devices as extensions mitel.com. Mitel has also developed features like emergency call notifications and multilingual wake-up call services to meet safety regulations (e.g. Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’s Act in the U.S.). As one of the most widely installed systems in the industry, Mitel’s positioning is often turn-key reliability and scalability – their solutions can support small boutique hotels up to large resorts with thousands of extensions. Mitel’s pricing is typically through channel partners, with on-premise systems involving one-time hardware/licensing fees plus support contracts, and cloud offerings on subscription. The company has a certified partner ecosystem (e.g. Cloud5 Communications is a top Mitel hospitality partner serving 5,000+ hotels) which ensures local support and expertise hospitalityupgrade.com. Mitel’s global reach (with strong presence in the Americas, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific) and continuous innovation (such as cloud management portals and AI enhancements for contact centers) keep it among the top communication vendors for hotels. Importantly, Mitel’s APIs and middleware help hotels consolidate multiple PMS interfaces into a single interface, reducing the complexity of managing integrations and lowering costs mitel.commitel.com.

NEC

NEC has been another cornerstone in hotel telephony for decades, particularly known for its NEAX and SV series PBX systems widely adopted in full-service and limited-service hotels. NEC’s hotel phone systems offer features like front-desk console applications, guest room voicemail, wake-up call scheduling, do-not-disturb, room status codes, and call billing – all integrated with PMS for automated guest profile updates nec.comnec.com. In fact, NEC has been one of the most widely adopted business phone system providers in hotels globally linkedin.com. Its solutions historically provided rock-solid reliability and long product lifecycles (many hotels have NEC systems running 15+ years). NEC’s UNIVERGE SV9100/SV9300 series could scale from small inns to mega-resorts, and the company offered hospitality middleware to interface with keycard systems and guest service applications. However, a critical recent development is that NEC announced it is ending production and support for its premises-based PBX solutions outside Japan linkedin.com. Popular hotel models like the SV9100 are being phased out. This has significant impact: many hotels still using NEC will face lack of vendor support, aging hardware with rising failure risk, and compliance challenges for new emergency dialing laws linkedin.comlinkedin.com. NEC’s withdrawal is prompting hotels to seek alternatives (migrating to cloud telephony or other vendors). That said, NEC continues to support existing installations in the interim and in Japan, and it’s focusing on software-centric hospitality solutions. For hotels with NEC systems, the key differentiator had been a vertically integrated solution: NEC’s “Application Platform for Hotels” combined a communications server, PMS interface, call accounting, voicemail, and even integrations to hotel apps like HotSOS, all on one server nec.comnec.com. This all-in-one approach reduced installation time and cost by up to 50% compared to multi-component systems nec.com. While new NEC hospitality sales are dwindling outside Japan, the company’s legacy in the sector and the large installed base still make it a notable vendor, and many third-party providers (and NEC’s partners) continue to service and support NEC hotel PBXs.

(Other notable telecom vendors in hospitality include Avaya – providing enterprise PBX/VoIP solutions with hospitality feature packs and specialized phones – and Phonesuite – a niche provider of VoIP PBX systems for limited-service hotels. However, the list above covers the primary current leaders.)

Property Management Systems (PMS)

Property Management Systems are the digital heart of hotel operations, handling reservations, check-in/out, room assignments, rates, billing, and more. The PMS often connects to every other system (door locks, phones, POS, etc.), so integration and reliability are paramount. Below are the top PMS vendors in hospitality IT:

Oracle Hospitality (OPERA PMS)

Oracle Hospitality (formerly MICROS-Fidelio) is the maker of OPERA, the best-known PMS in the world. Oracle’s OPERA dominates in large hotels and major chains – it has been the market leader for decades and is used by brands like Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Accor, and many others discovery.hgdata.com. Oracle offers OPERA Cloud as its next-generation PMS and still supports OPERA v5 for on-premises deployments. The Oracle Hospitality suite is extremely comprehensive: beyond core PMS functionality (reservations, front desk, housekeeping, billing), it includes modules or add-ons for loyalty program management, sales and catering, condo hotel management, etc. One of Oracle’s biggest strengths is its integration ecosystem. The OPERA platform provides over 3,000 APIs and integration endpoints, allowing hotels to connect everything from keycard systems to revenue management and CRM tools oracle.comoracle.com. Oracle even offers an integration cloud service (OHIP – Oracle Hospitality Integration Platform) to centralize interfaces. This strong integration strategy means OPERA can serve as a central hub for hotel tech. Oracle is positioned at the high end of the market – it’s known for scalability, handling multi-property hotel groups and tens of thousands of rooms, with robust configuration for localized needs (supporting 21 languages, 100+ currencies) oracle.com. Notable differentiators include its global compliance (tax and legal compliance in many countries, useful for international chains) and the depth of its functionality (for example, very granular rate management and inventory controls that high-volume hotels require). Pricing for Oracle OPERA is typically enterprise-level (usually a per-room or per-module license model, often negotiated chain-wide). Oracle provides direct customer support and has a large network of certified PMS integrators. Recent industry evaluations placed Oracle as a Leader in PMS – the 2022 IDC MarketScape cited Oracle for “setting the bar” in platform approach and noted OPERA Cloud’s secure, scalable architecture and real-time single guest view oracle.comoracle.com. In summary, Oracle’s OPERA is a heavyweight solution best suited for hotels that need rich features, global support, and extensive integration capabilities.

Agilysys

Agilysys is a prominent hospitality technology provider offering multiple PMS solutions and a suite of related systems. Agilysys is especially popular in resorts, casinos, and high-end hotels in North America and Asia. The company’s flagship PMS products include Agilysys LMS (Lodging Management System) – known for use in large casino hotels – and newer cloud-native PMS solutions like Agilysys Stay and Agilysys Versa. Agilysys sets itself apart by delivering an end-to-end solution portfolio: in addition to PMS, they provide point-of-sale systems (InfoGenesis POS), inventory and procurement, spa and golf management, loyalty, and more, all of which can integrate together. For example, at casino resorts with thousands of rooms, Agilysys LMS can connect lodging operations with casino player accounts, activities booking, and resort-wide folios. According to Agilysys, LMS is designed for high-traffic hotels with 1,000+ rooms and has shown it can increase revenue opportunities by up to 25% through better guest data use (e.g. recognizing high-value guests) agilysys.comagilysys.com. The newer Agilysys Stay and Versa PMS are cloud-based and target a broader range of hotels and resorts, focusing on mobility (guest mobile check-in/out, tablet-optimized staff interfaces) agilysys.com. A notable differentiator for Agilysys is its strength in gaming hospitality – integrations to casino management systems and support for complex resort fee structures, player comps, etc., are areas they excel. They also emphasize guest self-service: Agilysys offers kiosk check-in solutions, mobile reservation and activity booking engines, and digital keys through integrations. On the integration front, Agilysys PMS interfaces with third-party systems via standard APIs and has partnerships to connect with major channel managers, door lock systems, and others. In terms of positioning, Agilysys is often chosen by properties that want on-premises control or a hybrid cloud (especially in casinos that require on-prem for PII security) or that want to leverage Agilysys’s full ecosystem (PMS + POS + Analytics from one vendor). Pricing is modular – large resorts might license multiple Agilysys products; the company has been reporting strong growth with record revenues in recent years as more hotels modernize their tech agilysys.com. Agilysys provides regional support out of the U.S., U.K., Singapore, etc., and has a reputation for hands-on customer service, including user conferences and training for the hospitality IT community.

Cloudbeds

Cloudbeds is an all-in-one cloud PMS platform that has rapidly become popular with independent hotels, hostels, and smaller resort groups. As a pure Software-as-a-Service solution, Cloudbeds offers not just PMS but also an integrated channel manager, booking engine, revenue management tools, and payment processing – effectively a full stack for running a lodging business online cloudbeds.comcloudbeds.com. This makes Cloudbeds especially attractive to boutiques and mid-sized hotels that prefer a single system to manage online distribution, direct bookings, and property operations. A key selling point is ease of use and efficiency: Cloudbeds claims that customers save up to 80% of their time on manual processes after switching, due to its intuitive design and automation features cloudbeds.com. In terms of features, Cloudbeds covers front desk operations (guest check-in/out, folios, housekeeping status), supports multi-property management, and has incorporated a lot of guest self-service functionality (like automatic confirmation emails, online check-in forms, etc.). It’s also known for strong integrations despite being all-in-one – Cloudbeds has an open API and a marketplace with 200+ integration partners (for connectivity to other hospitality apps like CRM, upselling tools, key locks, etc.) cloudbeds.comcloudbeds.com. This ensures that even if a needed feature isn’t built-in, hotels can connect an external system relatively easily. For example, Cloudbeds integrates with over 300 distribution channels/OTAs for real-time room inventory sync cloudbeds.com. Pricing for Cloudbeds is not publicly listed per se (it’s typically a subscription per room or per property, based on modules used), and interested hotels request a custom quote research.com. It’s generally considered affordable for the target market, with cost scaling by size of property. Cloudbeds has a global footprint – according to company reports, it serves tens of thousands of properties in 150+ countries hoteltechreport.com. It’s frequently recognized in industry awards; for instance, Cloudbeds won the “Best PMS” category in the HotelTechAwards 2025 (an award based on user reviews). Support is provided via regional teams and online resources, which is important for a cloud system catering to many time zones. In summary, Cloudbeds’ notable differentiators are its unified platform (PMS+CRM+Channel in one), the flexibility of integrations, and a focus on simplicity and cloud accessibility that allows hoteliers to operate from anywhere. It’s a top choice for independent hotels and smaller brands looking to modernize operations quickly without heavy IT infrastructure.

Mews

Mews is a modern, cloud-native PMS that has been gaining significant traction, particularly among progressive hotel brands, hostels, and modern lifestyle hotels in Europe and increasingly worldwide. Designed with a developer-friendly, open approach, Mews is often lauded for its innovation and flexibility. It was named Best PMS at the 2025 HotelTechAwards – for the second year in a row – underscoring its strong reputation among hoteliers and tech experts mews.com. Mews’ platform is entirely cloud-based and offers an array of features: online check-in and check-out, mobile concierge app for guests, built-in payment processing (Mews Payments), and a reservation system that easily connects to channel managers. One of Mews’ biggest differentiators is its open architecture – it provides multiple open APIs and a very large integrations marketplace. In fact, Mews boasts 1,000+ integrations available in its Mews Marketplace, far more than most competitors mews.com. These integrations cover everything from door lock systems and in-room controls to accounting software, allowing hotels to plug and play tools without paying connection fees mews.com. Mews also emphasizes automation: routine tasks (night audits, billing, room assignment) can be largely automated, freeing staff from manual data entry. The system’s modern UI and cloud accessibility (works on any device) have made it popular for chains that want to standardize on a sleek, user-friendly PMS. Mews targets multi-property groups and independent hotels that prioritize tech-forward solutions. It supports various property types (the company started with a strong base in hostels and now serves traditional hotels, aparthotels, etc.). Pricing is typically based on a per-room per month subscription, with add-ons for certain modules; Mews is transparent that it’s geared towards providing ROI through efficiency (for example, Mews often cites how automation in their system reduces the need for some front-desk labor hours). On the support side, Mews provides 24/7 support and a wealth of self-help via Mews University (online training) and an active community. Mews’ industry positioning is as a disruptor – it was born in the cloud era and frequently introduces new features (for example, recent AI-driven enhancements). Its commitment to an “open API” philosophy is notable mews.com, allowing hotels to build custom apps or connect custom tools easily. All these factors have put Mews squarely in the top tier of hotel PMS vendors, especially for hotels aiming to be on the cutting edge of guest experience and operational efficiency.

PMS Vendor Comparison: The table below summarizes key differences among the above PMS solutions:

PMS VendorDeploymentPrimary MarketNotable StrengthsIntegrations
Oracle OPERAOn-premises or Cloud (OPERA Cloud)Large upscale hotels and global chainsComprehensive feature set (loyalty, event management, etc.); global compliance and scalability; proven stability3,000+ APIs for integrations (very high connectivity) oracle.com
Agilysys (LMS/Stay/Versa)On-premises or CloudResorts, casinos, high-volume hotels (1000+ rooms) agilysys.comEnd-to-end suite (PMS, POS, inventory, etc.); strong in casino/resort operations; kiosk and mobile check-in optionsInterfaces to gaming systems, spa, POS; part of unified Agilysys ecosystem (high internal integration)
CloudbedsCloud SaaSIndependent hotels, boutiques, hostels (all sizes up to mid-scale chains)All-in-one platform (PMS + channel manager + booking engine); easy to use, quick setup; frequent feature updates200+ integration partners via open API cloudbeds.com (CRS, locks, accounting, etc.)
MewsCloud SaaSModern hotels, hostels, apartment rentals; multi-property groups seeking innovationHighly open & automation-focused; award-winning UX; marketplace with extensive third-party apps1,000+ integrations available mews.com (one of the largest marketplaces; no integration fees)

(Other notable PMS vendors: Infor HMS (cloud PMS for large hotels, especially in Asia and gaming hotels), Shiji (China-based provider with multiple PMS products and global expansion), Maestro PMS (popular with independent North American hotels), and Protel (German-based PMS common in EMEA). The ones profiled above represent the current market leaders in innovation or adoption.)

Networking and Infrastructure

Enterprise-grade networking is the backbone of hotel IT – it powers everything from internal operations to guest-facing services like Wi-Fi. Hotels require robust wired and wireless infrastructure that can handle high device densities (hundreds of guests), ensure security (segmented guest vs. admin networks), and increasingly support IoT devices (smart room gadgets). The vendors below are top providers of networking hardware and solutions in hospitality:

Cisco (including Cisco Meraki)

Cisco is a global leader in networking infrastructure, and its solutions are widely used in large hotels and convention properties. Cisco’s portfolio for hospitality spans switches and routers (for core network and VLAN segmentation), on-premises wireless (Cisco Catalyst/Aironet access points with controllers), and cloud-managed wireless via Cisco Meraki. Cisco’s key strengths are performance, security, and enterprise-grade features. For instance, Cisco’s latest Wi-Fi 6/6E access points are designed for high-density environments like hotels, ensuring guests get fast, reliable connections even with thousands of devices online cisco.com. Cisco’s networking gear integrates tightly with its security products (firewalls, NAC), enabling a unified approach often called the “Cisco Security Fabric” for hotels that need PCI compliance and rigorous data protection. In recent years, Cisco Meraki has been particularly popular in hospitality due to its ease of management: Meraki APs and switches are managed through a web dashboard that hotel IT or managed service providers can use to remotely monitor many hotel sites. Meraki also provides rich features useful for hospitality, such as built-in captive portal capabilities, location analytics, and IoT integration. In fact, Cisco Meraki highlights enabling “smart hotel” experiences – e.g. supporting connected door locks and voice assistants over Wi-Fi, and leveraging IoT sensors for things like HVAC control meraki.cisco.commeraki.cisco.com. Cisco has solutions like Cisco Spaces for hospitality which use Wi-Fi and Bluetooth beacons to offer guest location services, personalized push notifications, etc. cisco.com. On the infrastructure side, Cisco’s robust switching (Catalyst series) ensures reliable backbones that can prioritize voice/video traffic (QoS for IP telephony, for example) and isolate guest traffic. Cisco’s industry positioning for hotels is as a premium, “no-compromise” solution – often chosen by luxury brands and large casinos where network uptime and security are mission-critical. The company offers 24/7 support and has a global partner network for installation and maintenance. While typically higher in cost, Cisco solutions deliver strong ROI by supporting new digital initiatives: for example, using AI/ML-driven network insights, Cisco’s cloud management can proactively optimize Wi-Fi performance across a global hotel portfolio meraki.cisco.commeraki.cisco.com. In summary, Cisco provides hospitality IT with the confidence of carrier-class networking, plus innovations (like Wi-Fi 6E, intelligent cameras, and analytics) that can help create differentiated guest experiences on-property.

HPE Aruba

HPE’s Aruba Networking (formerly Aruba Networks) is another top-tier vendor for hotel network infrastructure, especially known for its wireless solutions tailored to hospitality. Aruba’s access points and controllers are used in many hotels for guest Wi-Fi as well as back-of-house WLAN (for staff iPads, wireless door locks, etc.). A differentiator for Aruba is its focus on seamless, secure connectivity with centralized management. The Aruba platform offers Aruba Central, a cloud management system that lets IT teams oversee hundreds of hotel networks from one interface – ideal for hotel groups that want consistent configurations and easy monitoring across properties securewirelessworks.comsecurewirelessworks.com. Reliability and security are core: Aruba’s hospitality-grade APs (like the 500H series) are often deployed in every guest room or every few rooms, ensuring strong signal, and they support features like built-in IoT radios (Bluetooth, Zigbee) to directly communicate with IoT devices (door locks, thermostats) without separate gateways securewirelessworks.comtheodist.com. The Aruba solution emphasizes “experience-first” Wi-Fi – meaning they strive to make hotel Wi-Fi as good as at home. Aruba’s technology like ClientMatch helps ensure roaming guests stay connected without drops, and their newer APs use AI to dynamically optimize RF in tricky hotel environments (concrete walls, etc.). Importantly, Aruba networks come with integrated security (firewall policies at the AP, role-based network access) to keep guest traffic isolated and secure. Aruba also provides SD-WAN solutions (EdgeConnect) that many hotels use to connect sites with optimized bandwidth and automatic failover securewirelessworks.comsecurewirelessworks.com. For example, a hotel chain might use Aruba SD-WAN to link all properties to corporate datacenters/cloud with improved reliability. HPE Aruba positions itself as a one-stop hospitality IT partner: beyond Wi-Fi, they offer switches, security (ClearPass NAC for device onboarding), and analytics. They frequently highlight use cases like smart guest experiences – e.g. using Aruba networks to enable mobile keys, personalized IPTV, connected conference spaces, and even asset tracking for operations hpe.comhpe.com. From a support perspective, Aruba has strong regional presence and specialized hospitality partners. The “Triple Play” of Wi-Fi, voice, and TV over one network is something Aruba cites – indeed, many Aruba hotel installations carry IPTV and VoIP traffic alongside internet. Pricing is competitive relative to Cisco, and Aruba often wins in hospitality when a hotel values user-friendly management and cutting-edge wireless tech. In summary, Aruba’s robust, secure, and scalable infrastructure solutions make it a go-to vendor for hotels aiming to deliver excellent guest connectivity and support their growing array of connected devices securewirelessworks.comsecurewirelessworks.com.

CommScope Ruckus

Ruckus Networks (part of CommScope) has a strong legacy in hospitality Wi-Fi – it became famous for its Wi-Fi antenna technology that delivered stable signals in challenging environments like hotels. Ruckus continues to be a top choice for hotels that prioritize exceptional wireless performance and simplicity of management. The Ruckus access points use patented adaptive antenna arrays (“BeamFlex” technology) that minimize interference and dead zones, which is particularly useful in hotels with many walls and devices. As a result, Ruckus Wi-Fi is known for high throughput and reliability, translating to better guest satisfaction scores for internet service ruckusnetworks.comruckusnetworks.com. Many hospitality case studies (from boutique hotels to large resorts) report that switching to Ruckus Wi-Fi improved their guest Wi-Fi ratings and reduced support calls commscope.comcommscope.com. Ruckus also offers controller appliances and a cloud management option, plus features like Ruckus SPoT (for location-based services over Wi-Fi) and Ruckus Analytics (AI-powered network assurance). A hallmark of Ruckus is their focus on converged networks – their platform is designed to carry not just guest internet, but also IPTV streaming, VoIP, security cameras, and IoT traffic seamlessly. The company emphasizes “IT and OT convergence” as part of their value: meaning the same network can handle traditional IT needs and operational technology (like smart thermostats, connected elevators, digital signage) ruckusnetworks.com. In terms of security and management, Ruckus has been building out cloud-native management that includes AI for detecting issues (e.g. an AP interference issue) proactively. For instance, Ruckus’s cloud can automatically adjust channels or suggest AP placement changes using machine learning. Ruckus is often praised for relatively straightforward deployment – fewer APs can cover a given area due to the signal efficiency, which can reduce hardware costs for a hotel. On integration, Ruckus works with many hospitality vendors: e.g., their systems interface with PMS for provisioning premium internet (tiered bandwidth), and with in-room entertainment systems for casting. CommScope Ruckus’s positioning is that it “delivers VIP experiences for every guest” by ensuring easy, fast connectivity and enabling new digital services ruckusnetworks.comruckusnetworks.com. They also claim a Ruckus network provides immediate and long-term ROI by both generating revenue (through reliable conference/meeting connectivity, tiered Wi-Fi upsells) and reducing costs (less troubleshooting, fewer APs) ruckusnetworks.comruckusnetworks.com. With global deployments in major hotel brands and a focus solely on connectivity, Ruckus remains one of the hospitality IT staples. CommScope’s support and channel partners cover most regions, and they often have specialized programs for hotel installers. Overall, for hoteliers desiring top-notch wireless with seamless IoT integration and future-ready bandwidth, Ruckus is a vendor that consistently makes the shortlist.

(Other notable networking vendors: Juniper Networks (Mist) – offering AI-driven Wi-Fi used in some hotels, Extreme Networks – provides switches and acquired Aerohive for cloud Wi-Fi, and Huawei – which supplies networking for many hotels in Asia. However, Cisco, Aruba, and Ruckus collectively account for the vast majority of branded hotel network infrastructures globally.)

Guest Wi-Fi & Connectivity Solution Providers

While networking hardware is one piece of the puzzle, many hotels rely on specialized solution providers to design, install, and manage their guest Wi-Fi networks and related technologies (TV, voice) as a service. These vendors combine networking gear, software gateways, and support services into a turnkey HSIA (High-Speed Internet Access) solution for hotels. They often handle bandwidth management, captive portals, 24/7 guest support, etc. The top players in this arena include:

GuestTek

GuestTek is a global leader in hotel broadband and in-room entertainment solutions, with over 25 years in the industry. They brand their platform as OneView – which encompasses OneView Internet (HSIA), OneView Media (Interactive TV and streaming), and OneView Voice (IP telephony) for hospitality. GuestTek’s core offering is to partner with hotels to design, install, and support their entire guest connectivity stack guesttek.comguesttek.com. This can include high-capacity Wi-Fi networks in guest areas, wired internet to rooms, conference networking, guest-facing TV systems (IPTV with interactive menus, BYO streaming), and VoIP phone systems. A key differentiator is GuestTek’s global reach and all-in-one approach: they claim to be the “only comprehensive, certified hospitality provider” that can deliver a full end-to-end tech solution – and provide the analytics and business intelligence on top guesttek.com. For example, GuestTek not only sets up the network, but also offers a cloud management portal for the hotel and a 24/7 multilingual support center for guests who have Wi-Fi issues guesttek.comguesttek.com. In terms of features, GuestTek’s OneView Internet includes a cloud-based gateway that handles secure guest onboarding, tiered bandwidth control (for free vs. premium internet tiers), and property-wide roaming. They also emphasize robust IPTV solutions (free-to-guest TV and interactive menus, often partnering with content providers like DirecTV) so that hotels can offer modern in-room entertainment similar to consumer streaming experiences. GuestTek integrates with hotel PMS for provisioning (e.g., enabling premium internet charges to room bills, or showing guest name on TV welcome screens). The company’s industry positioning is very strong, especially among luxury and large hotels – many Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton properties around the world use GuestTek for their HSIA and/or TV solutions. GuestTek often wins deals because of its ability to scale globally (they have offices and support teams across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East) and its continuous innovation (for instance, adopting cloud-based WLAN controllers and integrating casting solutions like GuestTek’s “GuestFlix” which allows guests to cast Netflix to the in-room TV). In terms of pricing, GuestTek typically works on a contract basis: hotels might pay an upfront for installation and then a monthly per-room fee for support and maintenance, or other managed service models. The value proposition is that the hotel gets a state-of-the-art network with guaranteed performance and does not have to maintain in-house networking expertise. GuestTek’s focus on enhancing guest experience and operational efficiency is seen in their mission statement – to keep guests “connected and engaged” with reliable connectivity that also drives additional revenue (like through interactive guest services on TV) guesttek.com. With a 27+ year track record and being used by many of the top hotel brands, GuestTek remains a top vendor in hospitality IT for converged network solutions.

Nomadix

Nomadix is a well-known technology vendor whose products are found in thousands of hotels, often behind the scenes. The company originally became synonymous with hotel internet gateways – the Nomadix Service Engine gateway has for years been the device that authenticates hotel guests, presents the captive portal, and manages bandwidth. Today, Nomadix has expanded to provide a suite of guest-facing technologies for hotels. This includes managed Wi-Fi hardware (they offer their own line of access points, controllers, and LAN switches now), Internet gateways (still a core offering, with features for visitor network management, customizable splash pages, tiered bandwidth controls, etc.), casting solutions (Nomadix Casting for in-room Chromecast-like streaming), mobile apps and PBX (Nomadix Cloud Telephony), and even voice-activated assistants (Nomadix acquired Angie Hospitality, which makes the “Angie” AI voice concierge for guest rooms) nomadix.comnomadix.com. In essence, Nomadix is positioning itself as a one-stop shop for hotel connectivity and digital guest experience. A hotel could, for example, use Nomadix to provide the entire network – from gateway to wireless APs – and also adopt Nomadix’s in-room smart devices and apps to enhance guest services. Notable features of Nomadix solutions include reliable and secure internet access (their gateways are known for stability), advanced bandwidth management (ensuring fair speed distribution among guests), and support for modern authentication (integration with loyalty apps, conference codes, etc.). On the guest tech side, the Angie digital concierge is a unique offering: a voice-enabled, Alexa-like device tailored for hotels that can handle guest requests (housekeeping, room service orders), answer FAQs about the hotel, and even act as a room control hub (adjusting lights or thermostat when integrated) hospitalitytech.comnomadix.com. Nomadix also provides a guest mobile app platform and integrations so hotels can offer mobile check-in, digital key, and guest messaging without building an app from scratch nomadix.com. Another area Nomadix has moved into is energy management – they partner with companies like Telkonet to integrate voice control with IoT thermostats (guests can say, “Angie, set the temperature to 72°F”) prnewswire.com. Nomadix’s industry reputation is one of technical prowess and reliability; their gateways, in particular, have been an industry standard (their name often appears in RFPs for HSIA). They typically go to market through system integrators and managed service providers (for instance, many hotel Wi-Fi companies use Nomadix gateways as part of their solution). Now, with a broadened portfolio, Nomadix often directly engages with hotel brands to offer Managed Wi-Fi as a Service, voice solutions, etc. From a pricing perspective, Nomadix hardware (gateways/APs) is purchased or licensed, and newer services like the Angie device may be sold via subscription or one-time purchase plus support. The company emphasizes ROI in terms of guest satisfaction (better Wi-Fi ratings, modern in-room experience) and operational savings (automation through voice and self-service). In summary, Nomadix is a key vendor for hotels seeking a flexible, feature-rich guest network solution – whether it’s just the back-end gateway or a full package including Wi-Fi, casting, cloud PBX, and voice assistants. By keeping up with trends (IoT, voice, mobile), Nomadix remains at the forefront of hospitality connectivity tech.

(Other notable HSIA/guest network providers: Single Digits – a major North American managed Wi-Fi provider that delivers “Triple Play” (Wi-Fi, VOIP, and IPTV) to thousands of hotels singledigits.com, and Blueport/AT&T, Airangel, etc. – region-specific providers. The above two, GuestTek and Nomadix, are highlighted for their global presence and comprehensive offerings.)

Cybersecurity Vendors

Hotels have become increasingly aware of cybersecurity threats – from payment card breaches to ransomware – and the need to protect guest data as well as ensure uptime of systems. Key areas of focus include network security (firewalls, intrusion prevention), endpoint security, and compliance with standards like PCI DSS for payment data. The following are two leading security vendors whose solutions are commonly deployed in hospitality IT environments:

Fortinet

Fortinet is a global cybersecurity leader known for its FortiGate next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) and the broader Fortinet Security Fabric. In hospitality, Fortinet’s solutions are popular for providing an integrated approach to securing hotel networks, branch locations, and cloud resources. Fortinet’s flagship firewall appliances (FortiGate) combine firewall/VPN, intrusion prevention, web filtering, and even SD-WAN capabilities in one, which is appealing for hotels that need to secure both guest networks and corporate traffic at each property. A common deployment in a hotel is to have a FortiGate at the network edge, segmenting the guest internet VLAN (applying firewall rules to isolate guest devices and block illicit traffic) and protecting the hotel’s internal networks (PMS, office computers) from external threats. Fortinet emphasizes security-driven networking – meaning their devices not only guard against attacks but also ensure high performance for critical applications. For hospitality, they highlight achieving PCI DSS compliance using Fortinet solutions without sacrificing usability fortinet.com. For example, FortiGate can be configured to meet PCI requirements for firewalling of cardholder data environments, while FortiToken two-factor authentication can secure remote access to hotel servers. Fortinet’s broader product line includes FortiSwitch (secure switches), FortiAP (secure wireless APs) – which can actually replace standalone Wi-Fi solutions for some limited-service hotels – and FortiNAC for network access control (important for identifying and managing the plethora of devices including IoT devices on hotel networks). A major benefit of Fortinet in hospitality is central management and automation: a hotel chain can manage hundreds of FortiGates across properties from a single console and roll out security policies uniformly, or even use cloud management for distributed sites. Fortinet also has specific OT (Operational Tech) security solutions which can apply to building management systems in hotels. The Fortinet Security Fabric architecture allows all these components to share threat intelligence and automate responses. In terms of positioning, Fortinet is often seen as offering enterprise-grade security at a competitive price point, which has made it quite popular in multi-site industries like hospitality. Many management companies choose Fortinet as a standard for firewall/VPN when connecting hotels to data centers or the cloud, because of the ease of deploying one vendor’s boxes and the integrated SD-WAN (to use multiple ISPs for reliability). Fortinet’s support includes 24/7 global support options and a large community of certified professionals. Overall, Fortinet provides hotels with comprehensive network protection – securing guest Wi-Fi usage, guarding hotel apps and databases, and even segmenting IoT devices – in a way that can be centrally managed and automated for efficiency fortinet.com.

Palo Alto Networks

Palo Alto Networks is another top cybersecurity vendor, renowned for its Next-Generation Firewall platform and advanced threat intelligence. Many large enterprises, including those in hospitality, trust Palo Alto Networks (PAN) to protect their data centers, cloud workloads, and corporate offices. In a hotel IT context, Palo Alto firewalls (PA-Series or the newer Prisma Access cloud firewall service) might be used at centralized data centers or head offices that aggregate hotel data, or at larger properties that require robust on-site security. Palo Alto’s NGFW is known for deep application inspection – identifying traffic by app (e.g., distinguishing Facebook vs. generic web) – which can help hotels enforce policies like blocking peer-to-peer traffic on guest Wi-Fi or prioritizing business-critical application traffic. One relevant offering is Palo Alto’s GlobalProtect and Prisma Access, which can secure remote connections from hotel properties to corporate systems, useful for group-level IT systems. Palo Alto Networks also provides advanced threat prevention that can be valuable for hotels: their WildFire cloud service analyzes suspicious files (to catch malware or ransomware before it spreads in a hotel’s network). With the rise of IoT in hotels, Palo Alto has focused on IoT security as well – for example, their research and solutions guide hotels on best practices for securing IoT devices like smart TVs and voice assistants paloaltonetworks.compaloaltonetworks.com. A recent Palo Alto research report highlighted that many IoT devices in hospitality lack robust security, making them vulnerable, and recommends strategies (network segmentation, anomaly detection) that align with Palo Alto’s offerings paloaltonetworks.compaloaltonetworks.com. In fact, Palo Alto’s IoT Security add-on for their firewall can automatically discover and profile IoT devices in a hotel and monitor them for abnormal behavior. The company is also pushing into AI-driven security operations: its Cortex XDR and XSIAM platforms can help hotel IT teams (or their MSPs) quickly identify breaches across endpoints, network, and cloud by correlating data. For industry positioning, Palo Alto Networks is often viewed as the innovator and high-end option – their solutions can be relatively premium in cost but deliver cutting-edge capabilities. Many hospitality companies, such as international hotel chains, use Palo Alto at the corporate level for secure access to centralized systems (e.g., securing connectivity between hotels and central reservation systems or corporate email). There are case studies, like a large European hotel group that partnered with Palo Alto to simplify and strengthen their network security across sites using a cloud management approach paloaltonetworks.compaloaltonetworks.com. Palo Alto’s support is enterprise-grade with options for dedicated account teams. In summary, Palo Alto Networks provides hotels with state-of-the-art cybersecurity – including granular control of applications, user-based policies, and AI-powered threat detection – which is especially valued by those operating sensitive guest data environments or those who have been targets of hacking attempts. It’s a top vendor when a hotel organization seeks to fortify its defenses to the highest standards and integrate security across on-prem and cloud assets.

(Additional mention: Checkpoint and SonicWall are other firewall vendors sometimes used in hotels, and MSSPs like Secureworks or Cloudflare for web security. The focus above is on two of the most prevalent in enterprise deployments, Fortinet and Palo Alto, which hospitality IT teams frequently consider for network security.)

Cloud Services Providers

The hospitality industry is increasingly leveraging cloud services for everything from hosting PMS and distribution systems to running data analytics and even IoT device management. The major cloud providers – often dubbed hyperscalers – offer the scalable infrastructure and advanced services that hotels and their technology vendors can utilize to innovate and reduce on-premises IT costs. The top cloud vendors relevant to hotel IT are:

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

AWS is the world’s largest cloud platform and has a dedicated focus on travel and hospitality solutions. Many hotel technology stacks run on AWS, including SaaS PMS vendors, booking engines, and even in-house hotel workloads (like data warehouses or websites). AWS’s value to hotels comes from its vast array of services – compute, storage, databases, AI/ML, IoT, and more – which can be used to enhance guest experience and optimize operations. For example, AWS’s analytics and AI services enable hotels to crunch guest data in real time to personalize offerings medium.com. A hotel chain could use Amazon Redshift (data warehouse) and Amazon SageMaker (machine learning) to analyze guest spending patterns and generate tailored promotions medium.commedium.com. AWS also simplifies integration of different hotel systems: using AWS’s integration tools and APIs, hotels can connect formerly siloed systems (e.g. PMS, CRM, loyalty platform) to share data, facilitating smoother operations and a unified view of the guest medium.commedium.com. Many hospitality companies have moved critical applications to AWS for reliability and global reach. For instance, Choice Hotels went “all-in” on AWS a few years ago, migrating their central reservation and distribution systems to AWS to gain agility and scalability (AWS’s global infrastructure helps handle traffic spikes during peak booking seasons). AWS also powers a lot of IoT scenarios in hotels: using AWS IoT services, hotels can manage fleets of smart door locks or thermostats with secure connectivity to the cloud. In terms of industry-specific offerings, AWS has a Travel and Hospitality competency program and has published reference architectures – whether it’s using Amazon Connect to run a cloud reservations call center, or deploying AWS Lambda to automate tasks like sending post-stay emails. A key advantage of AWS is its breadth of managed services: hotels can offload technical heavy lifting (for example, using AWS RDS for a managed database for PMS data, rather than hosting their own). Security and compliance are also a focus; AWS provides tools to meet GDPR, PCI, and other compliance needs which are crucial for hotels handling personal and payment data aws-experience.com. From a cost perspective, AWS is usage-based; hotels or vendors pay for what they use (compute hours, storage GB, etc.), which can be efficient but also requires cost management to avoid overspend. AWS has a strong support and solutions architecture team focusing on hospitality, and partnerships with major hotel tech providers (many of whom are AWS-native). Overall, AWS is often seen as the innovation engine – enabling hotels to adopt things like voice assistants (Alexa for Hospitality is built on AWS), AI concierge chatbots, or advanced revenue management algorithms by providing the underlying cloud tools. For hotel IT leaders, AWS offers virtually unlimited scalability and a platform to rapidly deploy new services, making it a top choice when modernizing infrastructure or developing new guest-facing applications.

Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Google Cloud has been making inroads in the travel and hospitality sector by showcasing its prowess in data analytics, artificial intelligence, and seamless global infrastructure. GCP is leveraged by some big names in hospitality for specific projects – a notable example is IHG Hotels & Resorts partnering with Google Cloud to build a generative AI-powered travel planner for its guests hoteldive.com. This travel planner will use Google’s AI (Vertex AI platform and upcoming Gemini models) to enable guests to get personalized trip plans and recommendations via the IHG app hoteldive.com. This highlights GCP’s strength in AI/ML services – Google’s expertise in AI (language models, vision, etc.) is a key differentiator that hotels can tap into for enhancing guest engagement (like chatbots, voice assistants, or predictive personalization). Apart from AI, Google Cloud is known for its data analytics capabilities. BigQuery, Google’s serverless data warehouse, is used in hospitality to aggregate and analyze huge volumes of data (for example, analyzing millions of daily pricing decisions or customer reviews across platforms). An example is Amadeus, a global travel tech provider, deploying its Hospitality Business Intelligence platform on GCP to help hotel operators make faster, data-driven decisions and gain performance insights asianhospitality.com. GCP’s data tools enable near real-time analytics, which can empower revenue management teams or marketing teams at hotel companies to be more responsive to trends. Google Cloud is also promoting open architectures and multi-cloud flexibility, which some hotel companies appreciate to avoid vendor lock-in. In terms of global infrastructure, GCP’s network and points of presence ensure low latency – relevant if hotels are running latency-sensitive apps (like telephony or streaming) from the cloud. Google Cloud’s TensorFlow and AI Hub have been used to develop hospitality-specific models (for instance, predicting maintenance needs of hotel equipment or optimizing energy usage in a property using AI). Another Google angle in hospitality is Google’s consumer ecosystem – many hotels are interested in integrating with Google’s services (Google Assistant for voice control in rooms, Google Maps for local recommendations, etc.), and hosting certain services on Google Cloud can ease that integration. Security on GCP is high, and Google often touts its expertise in running secure global services (after all, Google Search/Gmail run on the same infrastructure). Some hotel developers choose GCP for its modern development environment and tools like Kubernetes (Google Kubernetes Engine) for containerized hotel apps. Pricing for GCP, like AWS, is pay-as-you-go and competitive. To support the industry, Google Cloud has a dedicated travel and hospitality division and has formed partnerships – for instance, working with Sabre on airline solutions and hotels on distribution connectivity, etc. One more emerging area: Google’s strength in search and data can help with personalization – e.g., using Google’s Recommendations AI for suggesting hotel add-ons to guests (spa, upgrades) based on their profile. In summary, Google Cloud is a top vendor for hotel IT when it comes to leveraging data and AI at scale. Its recent use cases (IHG’s AI planner, Amadeus BI, etc.) show that hotels turn to GCP for innovation projects that involve heavy data crunching or cutting-edge AI, as well as for core workloads where Google’s performance and tools align well with the hotel’s needs.

(Microsoft Azure is another major cloud used in hospitality – for example, some hotel chains use Azure for centralized property data and Azure AI for forecasting demand. Microsoft’s cloud and productivity solutions (like Dynamics 365, Microsoft 365) are widely adopted for corporate and back-office processes in hotels. Azure provides similarly robust global infrastructure and a range of services, and many hotel enterprises adopt a multi-cloud strategy involving Azure. That said, AWS and GCP have been slightly more visible in recent hospitality-specific initiatives, which is why they are highlighted above.)

Smart Room and IoT Technology Vendors

Hotels are increasingly deploying smart room technologies to improve guest comfort, personalize experiences, and drive operational efficiency. These include digital keys, electronic locks, smart thermostats and lighting, voice-controlled devices, and in-room tablets or mobile apps for guest services. Such systems must integrate with hotel PMS and networks. The following are leading vendors providing these in-room technologies and IoT solutions for hospitality:

Assa Abloy Global Solutions (VingCard)

Assa Abloy Global Solutions is the powerhouse in hotel door locks and access control. They produce VingCard electronic locks – one of the most widely installed hotel room locking systems globally – and are at the forefront of mobile key technology. Assa Abloy’s Mobile Access solution allows hotels to issue digital room keys to guest smartphones via secure BLE (Bluetooth) technology assaabloy.com. This transforms a guest’s phone into a secure room key and even a remote check-in device, which has become highly popular for its convenience and contactless nature. The system integrates with the hotel PMS and loyalty apps: when a guest checks in online, the PMS triggers Assa’s system to send an encrypted digital key to the guest’s phone (stored in a wallet or the hotel’s app) assaabloy.complay.google.com. On arrival, guests can bypass the front desk and go straight to their room, tapping their phone to unlock. Assa Abloy’s newest lock hardware (like VingCard Allure or Essence) are BLE-enabled and also maintain RFID card compatibility, ensuring hotels can serve all guest preferences. Beyond guest room locks, Assa Abloy provides locks for common areas, safes, and minibars. They also offer staff safety solutions – for example, wireless panic button transmitters for housekeepers, with the system capable of tracking the location of the alert (complying with safety regulations in many markets) assaabloy.comassaabloy.com. Assa Abloy Global Solutions’ differentiators include a reputation for high security (their locks meet tough industry standards like UL and CE, Grade 1 certifications), and reliability at scale (a large convention hotel can have thousands of Assa locks working 24/7). They have also built a robust integration ecosystem: their access management software (Visionline and the newer cloud-based platform) connects with PMS for key issuing, with building management systems for granting access to maintenance, and even with guest apps (some hotel brands use Assa’s SDK to embed mobile key functionality in brand apps). The global reach is immense – Assa Abloy serves hotels in over 180 countries, and its VingCard locks are found in everyone from small boutique hotels to the tallest hotel towers. In terms of support, they have regional teams and partners, and emphasize training hotel staff on lock system administration. Price-wise, digital locks are a capital investment (per door lock plus system software licensing), but ROI can come from operational savings (less lockouts to manage, reduced front desk lines) and guest satisfaction boosts. Ultimately, Assa Abloy is the market leader in hotel access tech, continually evolving it (for instance, working on NFC and possibly future Ultra-Wideband tech for even more seamless access) to keep hotels on the cutting edge of secure and convenient room entry.

Dormakaba

Dormakaba is another top electronic lock provider for hotels, known for brands like Saflok and Ilco. Together, Assa Abloy and Dormakaba cover the vast majority of the hotel RFID/BLE lock market. Dormakaba’s lodging systems include a range of RFID locks (Quantum, Confidant, etc.) and a full Mobile Access platform. With Dormakaba Mobile Access, hotels can similarly issue and manage digital keys on guests’ mobile devices dormakaba.com. Dormakaba’s mobile keys are delivered securely to a guest’s smartphone and stored in an app, allowing the guest to tap their phone to unlock their room, elevator, or other access-controlled areas dormakaba.comdormakaba.com. One of Dormakaba’s strengths is flexibility in credentials – their locks typically support RFID keycards, mobile BLE, and even old magnetic stripe or PIN if needed, easing the transition to new tech dormakaba.com. Dormakaba also provides peripherals like section door readers, elevator controllers (to enforce floor access via key), and in-room safes. They emphasize lock design and durability; for instance, the Quantum series locks are ANSI Grade 1 certified (highest security level for locks) dormakaba.com. The company’s latest lock, Quantum Pixel, is notable for its small, sleek appearance (blending into door aesthetics) and technology that is mobile-ready out of the box dormakaba.com. Dormakaba’s software (Ambiance and Community access management systems) integrates with PMS for automated key encoding and mobile key issuing. A differentiator for Dormakaba is their focus on user experience in mobile key – their mobile key SDK and app toolkit have been used by many hotel brands to create a smooth digital key experience in brand apps. Also, Dormakaba often touts ease of installation; some newer locks use wireless networking (or even cloud-managed locks in the Ambiance system) which can minimize infrastructure changes. In terms of positioning, Dormakaba has a very strong presence in the Americas and EMEA, and is often the choice for mid-scale and economy hotels due to slightly more cost-effective options alongside high-end locks. They also provide consultative support – helping hotels plan master key hierarchies, staff access rules, etc., which is critical in larger operations. Like Assa, Dormakaba locks have long lifespans and support is offered for many years (important as hotels don’t change locks frequently). A recent trend is the integration of locks with other systems – Dormakaba partners with systems like property management, energy management (to link door opening with HVAC control), and security platforms. For example, when a guest opens a door, the system can signal the thermostat to adjust to comfort settings. Dormakaba’s continuing innovation (e.g., exploring cloud-based access management) and reliable products keep it among the top smart lock vendors that hotel IT considers for secure and modern access control solutions.

Honeywell (INNCOM)

Honeywell’s INNCOM is a leader in guestroom energy management and room automation systems. INNCOM solutions are found in many upscale hotels, helping reduce energy costs while giving guests convenient control over room conditions. The core of INNCOM is the Energy Management System (EMS), built around smart thermostats, occupancy sensors, and a central management platform buildings.honeywell.com. INNCOM smart thermostats (like the Honeywell INNCOM e7 Thermostat) can automatically adjust heating/cooling based on room occupancy – for example, setting back temperature when the guest leaves the room, and restoring comfort settings when the guest is detected returning. This yields significant savings – Honeywell cites up to 40% HVAC energy savings in hotels using INNCOM, without compromising guest comfort buildings.honeywell.combuildings.honeywell.com. These thermostats connect to door sensors or motion detectors to infer occupancy, and can also interface with the PMS so they know when a room is unrented (going into deep setbacks). Beyond climate control, INNCOM’s Integrated Room Automation Systems can manage lighting (dimming, master off when room unoccupied), drapes, and even amenities like towel warmers, depending on the property’s setup buildings.honeywell.com. Guests typically interact via bedside control panels or now via mobile app/voice integration. Honeywell has been integrating INNCOM with voice assistants and apps – for instance, allowing a guest to say “set room temperature to 22°C” to a voice hub which then communicates with the thermostat. Another component is hotel staff monitoring: the INNCOM system reports room status (e.g., if a room’s AC is running excessively due to an open balcony door, or if a minibar door opened which could alert for refills). Honeywell’s differentiator is its experience in building controls – as a building automation giant, they ensure the hotel’s individual room systems can tie into overall property BMS and even predictive maintenance systems. For example, data from room thermostats can feed into analytics to predict if an HVAC unit is failing. Honeywell INNCOM solutions are highly regarded for luxury hotels where guest comfort and personalization are part of the brand promise – these hotels can pre-set room conditions based on a guest’s preferences (pulled from profile), and INNCOM will execute those on arrival (lights on softly, temperature at 72°F, etc.). Integration is key: INNCOM works with PMS for occupancy and also often integrates with the door lock system (so that the act of a guest unlocking the door triggers the room to exit energy-saving mode and turn on lights). Honeywell provides both on-premises and newer cloud-based management for these systems, making it easier for corporate facilities teams to monitor energy performance across portfolios. Pricing for INNCOM EMS can be significant upfront (per room device costs and servers), but ROI comes via energy savings (which can pay back in a few years) and extended HVAC equipment life. Many utilities also offer rebates for such systems. In summary, Honeywell INNCOM is the go-to vendor for smart guestroom climate and automation, delivering both operational savings and an improved guest experience (guests find rooms already comfortable and enjoy intuitive control). With sustainability becoming a focus, INNCOM’s ability to reduce energy waste in unoccupied rooms is a major selling point, aligning hotels with greener operations buildings.honeywell.com.

Intelity

Intelity is a leading provider of guest experience platforms for hotels, offering a wide range of smart room and guest service solutions under one umbrella. Intelity’s platform includes guest-facing components (mobile app, in-room tablet, smart TV interface) and staff-facing components (workflows and request management via a dashboard called GEMS – Guest Experience Management System). The goal is to digitalize and streamline all sorts of guest interactions. For example, with Intelity a hotel can let guests check in on a mobile app, use a digital key, access a custom hotel branded app or in-room tablet to order room service, request amenities, book spa appointments, control the TV and room controls (lights, thermostat), and even chat with staff. Intelity is known as the #1 Guest Experience Platform in luxury hospitality, and indeed many top luxury hotel brands and casinos deploy Intelity’s in-room tablets or mobile solutions intelity.com. A key differentiator is the platform’s extensive integrations – over 100 major integrations are available, covering PMS, POS (for food orders), room control systems (like Lutron for lights or Salto for door locks), ticketing and service workflows (like HotSOS, SynergyMMS), and more intelity.comintelity.com. This means when a guest requests something via the tablet or app, it can automatically create a ticket for housekeeping or notify the PMS. Notably, Intelity integrates with many IoT room controls so that through a single interface, guests can adjust their environment (close the drapes, change temperature, etc.) intelity.com. On the staff side, Intelity’s GEMS provides a dashboard for managing all digital guest requests and also a content management system for the guest-facing content (e.g., the hotel can update restaurant menus or send push promotions for the bar). Intelity has also been innovating with AI – recently unveiling AI-powered enhancements that analyze guest data and feedback to suggest improvements or automate responses intelity.com. From an ROI perspective, Intelity often cites improvements such as increased in-room dining revenue (guests find it easier to order via app/tablet, leading to a 27% increase in room service sales on average for their users) intelity.comintelity.com, and labor savings (automating requests can reduce calls and save staff time, with Intelity claiming an average 12% reduction in staff work hours at properties using the platform) intelity.com. The guest engagement rates speak volumes: hotels using Intelity see very high guest usage – e.g., one stat boasts 92% guest engagement with promotional offers and 45% increase in mobile dining orders intelity.com. Intelity’s modularity allows hotels to start with just mobile or just in-room tablets, etc., and expand. For support, Intelity provides implementation teams to on-board hotels (since it touches many departments) and ongoing tech support. In terms of positioning, Intelity is often chosen by hotels that want to differentiate with high-tech service – such as offering a “digital concierge” in every room (via tablet or voice). Pricing is typically a monthly subscription per room or per user, plus costs for hardware like tablets if those are deployed. In summary, Intelity stands out as the vendor that ties together various smart room and guest service functions into a single cohesive platform, boosting guest satisfaction through convenience and personalized service, while also driving hotel revenues and efficiency intelity.comintelity.com.

(Additional smart-room tech vendors: Alexa for Hospitality (Amazon) – voice assistant tailored for hotels; Salto and Sapphire (dormakaba’s IoT) – for integrated locks and room controls; Angie Hospitality by Nomadix – voice AI as mentioned; Crave Interactive (now part of Amenitiz) – in-room tablets; Telkonet – energy management in mid-scale hotels. The ones profiled above (Assa Abloy, Dormakaba, Honeywell INNCOM, Intelity) cover the major domains of smart locks, energy/IoT, and integrated digital guest service, respectively.)

Conclusion

The hospitality industry’s IT ecosystem is served by a diverse set of technology vendors, each excelling in different operational domains. From the reliability of a telephone switchboard connecting a guest with room service, to the intelligence of cloud algorithms predicting future guest preferences, today’s hotel runs on a complex but increasingly well-integrated stack of technologies. The top 20 vendors highlighted – including ClearlyIP’s specialized phone system, Oracle’s and Cloudbeds’ property systems, Cisco’s and Aruba’s network solutions, GuestTek’s and Nomadix’s connectivity platforms, Fortinet’s and Palo Alto’s security appliances, AWS’s and Google’s cloud services, and Assa Abloy’s, Honeywell’s, and Intelity’s smart room innovations, among others – collectively empower hotels to deliver safe, seamless, and satisfying guest experiences while optimizing their operations.

For hotel IT professionals, understanding these vendors’ offerings is crucial for making informed decisions on technology investments and integrations. It’s evident that integration capability is a recurring theme: the ability of a vendor’s product to plug into other hotel systems often determines its success in the market. As seen, many of these vendors actively partner with one another (for instance, PMS systems integrating with lock and phone systems, or Wi-Fi platforms working with cloud and security services) to create a cohesive solution for hotels.

Another trend is cloud migration and IoT adoption – legacy standalone systems are giving way to cloud-managed, data-driven solutions. This offers hotels more scalability, easier updates, and advanced analytics (like AI-driven insights from guest data or network performance data). However, it also underscores why strong cybersecurity (from vendors like Fortinet and Palo Alto) is non-negotiable, as more critical hotel systems become internet-connected.

In selecting and working with these top vendors, hotel IT leaders should consider not only feature sets and costs but also the vendors’ support structure and vision for the future. Many of the profiled companies provide 24/7 support and have significant R&D dedicated to hospitality (e.g., adapting to new guest behaviors like contactless everything, or regulations such as privacy laws). Tables and comparison matrices, like the one included for PMS, can be useful tools to evaluate which solution aligns best with a property’s size, segment, and strategic priorities.

Ultimately, deploying the right mix of technology – from the network in the basement to the cloud in the sky and all intelligent devices in between – can help hotels enhance guest satisfaction, improve operational efficiency, and drive revenue. By leveraging the strengths of these top technology vendors, hotel IT professionals can build an integrated, future-ready IT environment that keeps their hospitality operations running smoothly and competitively.

Sources:

About ClearlyIP

ClearlyIP Inc. — Company Profile (June 2025)


1. Who they are

ClearlyIP is a privately-held unified-communications (UC) vendor headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin, with additional offices in Canada and a globally distributed workforce. Founded in 2019 by veteran FreePBX/Asterisk contributors, the firm follows a "build-and-buy" growth strategy, combining in-house R&D with targeted acquisitions (e.g., the 2023 purchase of Voneto's EPlatform UCaaS). Its mission is to "design and develop the world's most respected VoIP brand" by delivering secure, modern, cloud-first communications that reduce cost and boost collaboration, while its vision focuses on unlocking the full potential of open-source VoIP for organisations of every size. The leadership team collectively brings more than 300 years of telecom experience.


2. Product portfolio

  • Cloud Solutions – Including Clearly Cloud (flagship UCaaS), SIP Trunking, SendFax.to cloud fax, ClusterPBX OEM, Business Connect managed cloud PBX, and EPlatform multitenant UCaaS. These provide fully hosted voice, video, chat and collaboration with 100+ features, per-seat licensing, geo-redundant PoPs, built-in call-recording and mobile/desktop apps.

  • On-Site Phone Systems – Including CIP PBX appliances (FreePBX pre-installed), ClusterPBX Enterprise, and Business Connect (on-prem variant). These offer local survivability for compliance-sensitive sites; appliances start at 25 extensions and scale into HA clusters.

  • IP Phones & Softphones – Including CIP SIP Desk-phone Series (CIP-25x/27x/28x), fully white-label branding kit, and Clearly Anywhere softphone (iOS, Android, desktop). Features zero-touch provisioning via Cloud Device Manager or FreePBX "Clearly Devices" module; Opus, HD-voice, BLF-rich colour LCDs.

  • VoIP Gateways – Including Analog FXS/FXO models, VoIP Fail-Over Gateway, POTS Replacement (for copper sun-set), and 2-port T1/E1 digital gateway. These bridge legacy endpoints or PSTN circuits to SIP; fail-over models keep 911 active during WAN outages.

  • Emergency Alert Systems – Including CodeX room-status dashboard, Panic Button, and Silent Intercom. This K-12-focused mass-notification suite integrates with CIP PBX or third-party FreePBX for Alyssa's-Law compliance.

  • Hospitality – Including ComXchange PBX plus PMS integrations, hardware & software assurance plans. Replaces aging Mitel/NEC hotel PBXs; supports guest-room phones, 911 localisation, check-in/out APIs.

  • Device & System Management – Including Cloud Device Manager and Update Control (Mirror). Provides multi-vendor auto-provisioning, firmware management, and secure FreePBX mirror updates.

  • XCast Suite – Including Hosted PBX, SIP trunking, carrier/call-centre solutions, SOHO plans, and XCL mobile app. Delivers value-oriented, high-volume VoIP from ClearlyIP's carrier network.


3. Services

  • Telecom Consulting & Custom Development – FreePBX/Asterisk architecture reviews, mergers & acquisitions diligence, bespoke application builds and Tier-3 support.
  • Regulatory Compliance – E911 planning plus Kari's Law, Ray Baum's Act and Alyssa's Law solutions; automated dispatchable location tagging.
  • STIR/SHAKEN Certificate Management – Signing services for Originating Service Providers, helping customers combat robocalling and maintain full attestation.
  • Attestation Lookup Tool – Free web utility to identify a telephone number's service-provider code and SHAKEN attestation rating.
  • FreePBX® Training – Three-day administrator boot camps (remote or on-site) covering installation, security hardening and troubleshooting.
  • Partner & OEM Programs – Wholesale SIP trunk bundles, white-label device programs, and ClusterPBX OEM licensing.

4. Executive management (June 2025)

  • CEO & Co-Founder: Tony Lewis – Former CEO of Schmooze Com (FreePBX sponsor); drives vision, acquisitions and channel network.

  • CFO & Co-Founder: Luke Duquaine – Ex-Sangoma software engineer; oversees finance, international operations and supply-chain.

  • CTO & Co-Founder: Bryan Walters – Long-time Asterisk contributor; leads product security and cloud architecture.

  • Chief Revenue Officer: Preston McNair – 25+ years in channel development at Sangoma & Hargray; owns sales, marketing and partner success.

  • Chief Hospitality Strategist: Doug Schwartz – Former 360 Networks CEO; guides hotel vertical strategy and PMS integrations.

  • Chief Business Development Officer: Bob Webb – 30+ years telco experience (Nsight/Cellcom); cultivates ILEC/CLEC alliances for Clearly Cloud.

  • Chief Product Officer: Corey McFadden – Founder of Voneto; architect of EPlatform UCaaS, now shapes ClearlyIP product roadmap.

  • VP Support Services: Lorne Gaetz (appointed Jul 2024) – Former Sangoma FreePBX lead; builds 24×7 global support organisation.

  • VP Channel Sales: Tracy Liu (appointed Jun 2024) – Channel-program veteran; expands MSP/VAR ecosystem worldwide.


5. Differentiators

  • Open-Source DNA: Deep roots in the FreePBX/Asterisk community allow rapid feature releases and robust interoperability.
  • White-Label Flexibility: Brandable phones and ClusterPBX OEM let carriers and MSPs present a fully bespoke UCaaS stack.
  • End-to-End Stack: From hardware endpoints to cloud, gateways and compliance services, ClearlyIP owns every layer, simplifying procurement and support.
  • Education & Safety Focus: Panic Button, CodeX and e911 tool-sets position the firm strongly in K-12 and public-sector markets.

In summary

ClearlyIP delivers a comprehensive, modular UC ecosystem—cloud, on-prem and hybrid—backed by a management team with decades of open-source telephony pedigree. Its blend of carrier-grade infrastructure, white-label flexibility and vertical-specific solutions (hospitality, education, emergency-compliance) makes it a compelling option for ITSPs, MSPs and multi-site enterprises seeking modern, secure and cost-effective communications.

DISCLAIMER

This document is provided for informational purposes only. No representations or warranties are made regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of its contents. Any use of this information is at your own risk. ClearlyIP shall not be liable for any damages arising from the use of this document. This content may include material generated with assistance from artificial intelligence tools, which may contain errors or inaccuracies. Readers should verify critical information independently. All product names, trademarks, and registered trademarks mentioned are property of their respective owners and are used for identification purposes only. Use of these names does not imply endorsement. This document does not constitute professional or legal advice. For specific guidance related to your needs, please consult qualified professionals.