Atlantis to Offer a Superior Guest Experience with Communications Foundation from Avaya

DUBAI, UAE – Atlantis, The Palm – the region’s first truly integrated destination resort has turned to Avaya, a global leader in business communications applications, systems and services, to provide the communications foundation for the 46 hectare development.

Atlantis sits atop the iconic Palm Jumeirah and features two towers linked by an authentic moorish arch. The 17 hectare waterscape, Aquaventure is the largest water park in the region. Avaya will deploy a communications system that will integrate the resort’s multiple communications applications in a consolidated IP telephony environment spanning the hotel’s 1,539 rooms and 5600 square metre conference center.

Atlantis has deployed sophisticated contact centre and mobility solutions from Avaya that will provide guests will unparalleled service. Using Avaya Contact Centre Express, guests can get information and make requests for restaurant reservations, spa treatments or Aquaventure tickets via phone, email, text or instant messaging.

Whether a guest prefers texting on their mobile phone, sending emails or chatting over the internet, their request will be treated exactly the same as a traditional phone call. Requests will be distributed to the resort staff or department that can best attend to the guest’s needs. What’s more, resort guests can receive replies using the same method of contact, even conducting a conversation, just like they would expect over the phone.

Guests need not worry about someone not answering on the other end because Avaya one-X Mobile Dual Mode ensures that calls bound for the resorts employee’s business number or extension will ring simultaneously on both their office phone and their mobile phone. Resort staff can transfer or conference calls, as well as answer calls on multiple lines with their mobile phone. This enables them to move freely through the resort and attend to any calls or guest requests at any time.

Atlantis, The Palm resort employees will be equipped with NokiaE61 mobile phones that will give them one number access and advanced enterprise telephony capabilities as they travel across the resort’s private Wi-Fi network as well as public cellular networks. With a single VoIP-enabled mobile device such as the NokiaE61, workers can “handoff” phone calls using dual mode communications, as they travel from inside the hotel building (Wi-Fi) to the outside environment (cellular) – and vice versa. This drives cost savings by eliminating the need to use cellular minutes while inside the hotel facilities. When the worker travels outside the resort’s Wi-Fi network, they can handoff their Wi-Fi call to the cellular network outside by pressing a button, keeping their conversation going uninterrupted.

“Atlantis, The Palm is the region’s first truly integrated entertainment destination resort and a development of this scale has unique communication requirements. In particular, our focus is on providing a superior guest experience and maximizing employee productivity,” said Joe Tesfai, senior vice president Information Technology for Atlantis, The Palm. “It is key to have a solution that allows our team on the move to have access to all the communications features they would have at their desk.”

“Avaya’s specialized applications including the multichannel contact center will handle all hotel facilities and property management transactions. This is not an easy task considering the size and scope of the hotel and resort,” said Nidal Abou-Ltaif, area VP of Avaya for Emerging Markets. “Atlantis is the largest and most recent addition to Avaya’s growing portfolio of customers in the hospitality sector. Our goal is to continue to deliver advanced communications that enhance guest experience and improve customer service to hotels throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region,” added Abou-Ltaif.

Avaya will deploy Communication Manager, the company’s IP telephony software that manages voice, data and video transmissions. Resort management offices as well as resort suites will be equipped with the Avaya one-x IP desk phones, while a modular messaging system ensures that messages are accessible any time, anywhere from a wide array of access devices including telephones, fax machines, or PC user interfaces. Avaya Communication manager will also support the video solution for meeting services in the hotel and enable corporate customers using the hotel’s meeting facilities to conduct video conferences with any part of the world.

The deployment of the massive project will take place in phases. Phase one of the project implementation, which provides voice communications to the onsite operational staff, has been completed.

About Avaya
Avaya delivers Intelligent Communications solutions that help companies transform their businesses to achieve marketplace advantage. More than 1 million businesses worldwide, including more than 90 percent of the FORTUNE 500(R), use Avaya solutions for IP Telephony, Unified Communications, Contact Centers and Communications-Enabled Business Processes. Avaya Global Services provides comprehensive service and support for companies, small to large. For more information visit the Avaya Web site: http://www.avaya.com.

About Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai
Atlantis, The Palm is a 1,539 room, ocean-themed destination resort located at the centre of the crescent of the man-made Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. This US$1.5 billion joint venture project was developed with Dubai Government owned, Istithmar. Opened in September 2008, the resort utilises the 46 hectares site with 17 hectares of water park amusement, further marine and entertainment attractions and a collection of some of the most renowned world-class chefs including Nobu, Giorgio Locatelli, Santi Santamaria and Michel Rostang. Atlantis, The Palm offers an unprecedented entertainment centre, an impressive collection of luxury boutiques and shops and extensive meeting and convention facilities. It is home to one of the largest open-air marine habitats in the world, with some 65,000 marine animals in lagoons and displays including The Lost Chambers, a maze of underwater corridors and passageways providing a journey through ancient Atlantis.