Hospitality wins with biometrics; getting gamblers to the table; travel credentials’ future plumbed
Several companies have announced efforts to expand into the hospitality industry.
The first of them is NEC Asia Pacific, which received E-Visitor Authentication (EVA)-ready accreditation from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) for its check-in software.
The certification enables NEC to access the EVA API, used to match passport photos to guest faces, validating the stay plans of international visitors against the nation’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority.
“NEC is committed to providing a safe, secure and simple travel experience for travelers, thereby improving operational efficiency for hotel staff,” comments Loke Siew Yeng, the company’s vice president of the APAC digital business unit.
“With this EVA-ready status, we’ll be able to help hotels do just that. It provides travelers with a frictionless experience and allows them to focus on enjoying their stay in Singapore.”
NEC Asia Pacific’s efforts were also recently recognized by the Singapore Computer Society.
Resorts World and Sightline unveil next cashless tech
Resorts World Las Vegas and Sightline Payments announced the launch of their second-generation cashless technology. According to the companies, the solution substantially enhances the omnichannel consumer journey, reducing the customer’s “time to play” – the time it takes to start gambling.
More specifically, the update introduces biometric authentication, remote identity verification and enrollment for loyalty and payments, as well as a single digital wallet user experience.
The companies claim that, following the update, Resorts World Las Vegas’ Mobile+ app is now the first omnichannel cashless wallet to use the biometric features on the patron’s mobile device for enhanced security and ease of use.
“We knew when we launched the Mobile+ and Play+ technology it would be an iterative process as we would continue to make enhancements and improvements along the way for our guests,” comments Rick Hutchins, senior vice president at Resorts World Las Vegas.
“Today, we’ve dramatically lessened the time and hassle for those who want to take advantage of cashless gaming and enroll in Genting Rewards when they visit our resort.”
IDnow exec discusses digital ID, biometrics for hotel check-in
Digital ID and biometrics are also moving forward in the travel industry, according to Basil Macklai, IDnow director of strategy and business development.
Writing for Hotel & Catering, Macklai mentions the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO‘s) digital travel credentials (DTC), saying he believes they will eventually replace physical passports.
The executive also describes further steps of the customer’s physical journey, including renting and picking up a car using qualified electronic signatures (QES).
