iBAHN completes first South African ETVi and Broadband installation in five-star Taj Hotel Cape Town

iBAHN, the worldwide leader in digital entertainment and Internet solutions for the hospitality and meeting industries, today announces that it has completed the installation of a fully converged ETVi and wired and wireless broadband service for the new Taj Hotel Cape Town.

This is the first Taj hotel in South Africa and the first iBAHN installation in the country as well. The successful implementation marks the start of a five-year contract.

The hotel, which has just celebrated its opening, is equipped with a state-of-the-art IPTV solution and broadband over fibre in rooms with Lobby PCs for the Business Centre. iBAHN's ETVi delivers digital services direct to the guest room, combining digital TV entertainment with superb HD picture quality - vastly superior to analogue systems - on widescreen displays, and secure broadband internet services.

Using ETVi, the hotel will be able to fully integrate guest services with entertainment packages, offering multiple revenue streams and improved guest satisfaction, which is driven both by the ease of use of the system and greater choice of high quality entertainment. There will be no comparable property in South Africa offering an integrated IP based solution from a single provider.

The iBAHN solution includes scalable bandwidth capacity to meet increased demand and guests also will benefit from personalised services including messages, hotel bill, hotel channel and preferred language options.

Michael Pownall, General Manager of the hotel, comments: "With iBAHN's ETVi and broadband connectivity, we will be able to leverage and enhance our reputation as a leader in hotel technology, providing our guests with the best Internet access and hotel TV in-room entertainment anywhere in South Africa. iBAHN proved to have the best offering in a competitive market and their established reputation with global hospitality groups is well deserved."

Graeme Powell, Managing Director EMEA, iBAHN, comments: "The iBAHN teams in South Africa, India and the UK demonstrated our global reach with a local cultural understanding of Taj corporate requirements. We're delighted to work with a hospitality group that understands the benefits of a converged digital entertainment service that delivers expanding revenue opportunities and ensures continued guest satisfaction."

About Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces (www.tajhotels.com)

Established in 1903, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is one of Asia's largest and finest group of hotels, comprising 65 hotels in 45 locations across India with an additional 15 international hotels in the Maldives, Malaysia, Australia, UK, USA, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Africa and the Middle East and South Africa. From world-renowned landmarks to modern business hotels, idyllic beach resorts to authentic Rajput palaces, each Taj hotel offers an unrivalled fusion of warm Indian hospitality, world-class service and modern luxury. The Taj, a symbol of Indian hospitality, has recently completed the centenary of its landmark hotel, The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, Mumbai. Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is part of the Tata Group, India's premier business house.