UIEvolution and Princess Cruises Partner to Upgrade In-Room Entertainment On Sapphire, Sun, Diamond Princess
Seattle, WA (PRWEB) June 23, 2014 -- UIEvolution, Inc. and VIDELIO-HMS announced today the continuation of a partnership with Princess Cruises to deploy UIEvolution's technology platform Guest Evolution™ on the Sapphire Princess, the Sun Princess and the Diamond Princess. The three ships were successfully upgraded with improved guest in-room experiences, all the while staying in market leveraging much of the existing network and ship infrastructure.
The demand for the new system began in 2013 when UIEvolution and VIDELIO-HMS deployed the Guest Evolution™ platform on the Royal Princess, delivering the world’s first truly HTML5 based next generation TV solution to passenger and crew TVs. After receiving rave reviews from both passengers and crew, Princess selected UIEvolution and VIDELIO HMS to deploy Guest Evolution™ on ships with coax cable infrastructure. The two companies teamed to design a modular solution to support in place modernization from a one-way network to a two-way network.
"We are delighted to once again work with UIEvolution and VIDELIO-HMS to offer innovative technology and in-room entertainment services and content to our passengers and crew," said Andrew Brown, manager of onboard media, Princess Cruises.
UIEvolution and VIDELIO-HMS were able to install and commission Guest Evolution™ as an upgrade while the ships largely remained in service. Now complete, Princess Cruises can use the Guest Evolution™ platform to offer a full IPTV experience with greater personalization and transactional e-commerce capabilities.
“Cruise ships are like small cities, so we leveraged technologies that cable companies have been using for decades to successfully deploy IP services over coax,” said John Cary, Chief Technology Officer at UIEvolution. "Deploying a solution over the existing coax cabling meant that ships do not need to be completely rewired."
“We are proud that Princess Cruises selected our company, along with UIEvolution, once again for this challenging and remarkable deployment,” said Gianluca Trentadue, Chief Technology Officer at VIDELIO-HMS. “We have successfully proven that it is possible to retrofit a leading-edge IT-based video streaming solution on ships that have no IT dedicated infrastructure by leveraging only the existing coax distribution. And it was accomplished with no major disruption of the normal ship’s activity and while passengers where enjoying their cruise.”
Guest Evolution™ platform’s features include live TV, ship channels, free-to-guest video and music on demand. The solution can be extended to support a host of additional innovative features such as:
• A vast library of video and premium movie content.
• A completely open App Store that allows for HTML5 apps to be easily loaded and run across the in-room entertainment system.
• On-board ship location, mapping and routing
• Information on ship activities, shore excursions and port guides with video assistance and information
• Streaming radio channels
• Fully localized options for native language and accessibility
“We are pleased our Guest Evolution™ platform has, once again, been selected by Princess Cruises,” said Travis Beaven, Chief Product Officer at UIEvolution. “Princess Cruises truly understands the real benefit of technology in the whole guest experience – the entertainment, the comfort, the extent to which we can do so much to personalize and enhance that guest experience.”
About VIDELIO-HMS
With almost 30 years of experience in the cruise industry, VIDELIO-HMS is a worldwide-recognized system designer and integrator in the fields of onboard Local Entertainment and Infotainment platforms. The company, based both in Europe and USA, provides ample expertise in the engineering and installation of Hospitality TV and Broadcasting, Audio, Video, Lighting, Communication networks, Automation, Rigging, Public Address, CCTV and more. VIDELIO-HMS is recognized not only for exclusive professionalism and expertise, but also for design flexibility aimed at the best integration and system management. For further information, visit http://www.hmsgroup.com
About Princess Cruises
One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is a global cruise and tour company operating a fleet of 18 modern ships renowned for their innovative design and wide array of choices in dining, entertainment and amenities, all provided in an environment of exceptional customer service. A recognized leader in worldwide cruising, Princess carries 1.7 million guests each year to destinations around the globe ranging in length from three to 111 days. The company is part of Carnival Corporation. Visit online at: http://www.princess.com
About UIEvolution
UIEvolution is a global connected screen solutions company specializing in highly scalable mobile products and services. We help companies take full advantage of mobile to extend their brand, deliver their unique business objectives and connect the mobile lifestyle of their customers to other consumer devices; phone, tablet, TV, automotive, digital signs and more. We understand that technology and connectivity should enhance, never distract, from life experiences. From our inception in 2000, and long before it was cliché, we have called this The User’s Experience Matters. And for nearly 15 years we have made software and provided services that deliver this vision. Headquartered in Seattle with an office in Tokyo, UIEvolution has a proven track record with clients like Toyota, AT&T, Microsoft, Disney, Princess Cruises, Samsung, Mitsubishi, and NTT. http://www.uievolution.com
Cami Zimmer, UIEvolution, http://www.uievolution.com, +1 (952) 239-9822, [email protected]
Share this article