Wireless reseller GX2 helps hotels score better guest reviews

With global sales director Carl Jefferys.

What network product and services do you specialise in?

We are primarily a Ruckus Wireless shop and were recently awarded partner of the year for Australia and New Zealand. We also do HP Core and PoE Edge switching to support wi-fi.

When did your company first get involved in this area?

We started with our Global Gossip internet cafes in the 1990s where travellers would check their email. With the introduction of laptops and smartphones we started building wi-fi networks in hostels and hotels around the world. We’ve rebranded to GX2 in the past year or so.

What are your networking credentials?

We’re a Ruckus ‘Big Dog’ partner. Our engineers have a range of certifications, including Ruckus WiSE, CCNA, CCNP and HP business partner.

Heard about any cool networking developments recently?

As much as I dislike the hype-infused heading of IoT, we see more and more diverse systems running over IP networks in hotels, such as washing machines and car park systems.  Additionally, applications that utilise LPWAN strike me as where the hot opportunities will come from.

Can you tell us about a recent networking deployment?

We’ve recently rolled out guest wi-fi networks for several Warwick hotels in Paris and Brussels. The problem was their old wi-fi network would not allow iPhones to connect or maintain a stable wi-fi connection, which resulted in poor guest reviews for the hotel.

What is driving customers’ networking projects?

We specialise in the hospitality and student accommodation verticals, where good guest wi-fi is a necessity. Free or paid to the guest is another discussion, but someone has to fund a well-designed, enterprise-grade wi-fi network with a 24/7 global help desk for guests to call when they have a problem.

Networking is...?

Networking is the plumbing that supports all the cloud-enabled apps, backend systems, telephony, IPTV and security that businesses and end-users need to operate. There is still an undeniable requirement for rock-solid cabling, wi-fi, Ethernet switching and an ISP to transport all this stuff.