It's a wired, wired world

Entrepreneur, March, 1998 by Christopher Elliott

Just because you're out of the office doesn't mean you have to be out of touch. Today many hotels, conference centers and airports are getting wired like never before.

Close to a quarter of all U.S. hotels offer Internet connections in their rooms, according to a survey conducted last year by Northern Arizona University's School of Hotel and Restaurant Management. About one in four properties also reported they had business centers where visitors could get online.

We looked at some of the most connected properties and facilities in the country and found it's getting easier than ever to send faxes and e-mail, make calls, videoconference or conduct a presentation from your laptop computer - without your business missing a beat.

But before you travel, remember:

* Getting wired is still expensive. Whether you want to send a fax from the airport or hook up your computer in your hotel room, expect to pay a considerable premium. Prices range anywhere from an extra $30 a night for a hotel with all the right electronic gizmos to several hundred dollars for a few hours of videoconferencing hardware.

* Don't assume anything. Hotels typically offer a two-tiered approach to connectivity. The more expensive concierge-floor rooms offer dataports and fax machines, for instance, whereas you may have to ask for a connection in rooms on other floors. Call your hotel in advance if you're not sure about its techno-amenities.

* Be patient. Keep this in mind particularly at airports, where there may be only a few fax stations or Internet kiosks. If you absolutely must send messages from airports, buy a cellular modem and pay the roaming charges. It's better than waiting in line - and missing a flight.

* Prepare for the worst. It pays to invest in software and hardware that helps you connect to various kinds of networks or allows you to make presentations from any kind of projector. Just because a conference center is wired doesn't mean it will run your programs.

BEFORE YOU GO

Getting connected begins before you leave your home city. Many airports are installing new monitoring systems, stringing high-speed fiberoptic cable or bringing in Internet access booths to ensure passengers never miss a message - whether it's a voice mail, fax or e-mail.

* Portland's Multilingual Kiosks

Oregon's Portland Airport has introduced electronic kiosks that offer data about ground transportation, tourism and the airport itself. The interactive booths are the first in the country. to present the information in six languages so travelers from around the world can get good, clear directions when they land. While these free kiosks have since spread to other airports in the country, Portland continues to push the technology envelope - it's also on the cutting edge of offering realtime flight data. Although it's not the first airport to give travelers more up-to-date departure and arrival information, Portland was an innovator in making that information available on its Web site (www.portlandairportpdx.com).

* Better Flight Information In Baltimore

The leader in flight information systems, actually, is thought to be Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) Airport, which recently installed a state-of-the-art flight information and baggage display system. The technology taps into data provided by the airlines, giving passengers the latest arrival and departure times. Previously, the numbers displayed on the airport's television screens were nothing more than airlines' standard schedules with a time-delayed update. Now the information is linked to actual flights taking off and landing, as well as to the baggage claims in process. BWI's recently opened international terminal (the International Pier) is also decidedly high-tech. Thanks to a new fiber-optic network, you can get connected to your baggage and flight information a little faster.

* Norfolk's Internet Booths

Virginia's Norfolk International Airport was the first facility in the country to bring in a CyberFlyer booth (below, left), manufactured by Denver-based CyberFlyer Technologies. The stainless-steel units help travelers plug into the World Wide Web through a lightning-fast connection, check e-mail, and access special travel information, such as flight guides. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey plans to install similar kiosks with Internet access at the Kennedy, La Guardia and Newark airports. Eventually, Internet kiosks at airports could become as common as phone booths.

* Just The Fax At O'Hare

At Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, the nation's busiest, more travelers are getting wired with the help of airline clubs. The private clubs offer standard analog phone jacks through which travelers can connect to the Internet, a convenience many business travelers have come to depend on. But O'Hare went a step further when it began offering high-speed Internet access and fax stations in the airport. Since airline clubs are off limits to passengers without memberships, the new services are finding many new customers. O'Hare's Monique Bond says she has noticed an increase in passenger demand for connectivity, "so we are giving passengers more services, more technology."