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Cellphone to replace hotel room keys

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CIOL Bureau
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STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN: It can be termed one of the most innovative use of cellphones! And a revolution in chip technology! Visitors to a Clarion Hotel Stockholm has begun a major pilot project that aims to replace room keys with mobile phones.

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The project, to be implemented in association with Assa Abloy, the world's largest maker of door locks, would lend customers mobile phones with close-range radio chips, much like devices used for contact-less payments at gas stations. Choice Hotels Scandinavia, TeliaSonera, VingCard Elsafe and Venyon, a fully owned subsidiary of Giesecke & Devrient, have also joined forces in this project.

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The technology makes it possible for hotel guests to check-in and out using their mobile phones, said a press release.

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The hotel said the goal of the pilot is to get feedback from guests and employees using the NFC phones for a variety of services. Guests will be able to check in to the hotel and receive the hotel room key directly on to their mobile phones before arriving at the hotel. Guests can also access other services via their mobile, and on departure, the check-out process using the phone promises to be easy and stress- free.

Clarion management said the technology also increases security. If a mobile phone is lost, the access credentials can be revoked remotely and then reissued. This makes it impossible for unauthorized people to use a lost or stolen NFC mobile phone.

The pilot starts this week and will last for four months. The experience gained from the Clarion Hotel Stockholm pilot is planned to be enhanced and expanded over time to other hotels as well as to commercial and residential buildings.

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