Allbridge has added TraknProtect employee safety devices to its product portfolio. Allbridge manages the new ESDs using the Ruckus Networks (now part of CommScope) Internet of Things suite. The combination of TraknProtect and the Ruckus IoT Suite provides a reliable, proven solution to meet hotels' staff alert needs, without requiring a new network infrastructure.
The complete TraknProtect solution includes a portable safety button that provides real-time alerts via SMS, push notifications, desktop alerts or email for housekeepers, maintenance personnel and room attendants providing services in the guestroom. An associated cloud-based application tracks false alarms and on-property safety calls, providing hotel management with tools to further enhance security.
"Staff safety devices have already been mandated for hotels in New York, Seattle and Chicago, and we believe that many metropolitan areas will follow," Allbridge Chief Product Officer Matt Koch said in a statement. "This comprehensive staff safety solution gives hotel employees the protection and peace of mind they need while giving hotel owners a uniquely cost-effective way of implementing it."
The staff alert devices communicate to the associated cloud service via IoT-enabled Ruckus H510 access points deployed throughout a property. The Ruckus IoT suite manages TraknProtect device onboarding, security and protocol translation while acting as a gateway to the TraknProtect cloud application and dashboard.
"For hotel properties that make use of Ruckus access network infrastructure, the Ruckus IoT Suite simplifies, secures and reduces costs for staff safety and other IoT solution implementations," said Mark Grodzinsky, GM of IoT for Ruckus Networks. "By consolidating multiple physical-layer IoT networks into a single network, Ruckus eliminates network overlays. By rigorously integrating IoT solutions such as TraknProtect into the Ruckus IoT Suite, we enable Allbridge to deliver a fully integrated, proven staff safety solution."
The need for improved employee safety measures within the hospitality industry has risen in recent years prompting many markets to implement regulation to protect staff. The American Hotel & Lodging Association, in partnership with five of the largest hotel brands, announced the 5-Star Promise in 2018, a pledge to provide hotel employees across the U.S. with ESDs by 2020. Through ordinances or collective bargaining agreements, many hotels in cities such as Seattle, New York, Washington D.C., and Chicago have already distributed the devices.