Corporate travel and tourism growth driving demand for world-class hotel technologies in China

SINGAPORE, 9 October 2008…DOCOMO interTouch (http://www.docomointertouch.com), one of the world’s largest technology providers for the hospitality industry, has grown its customer base in Mainland China to more than 100 hotels after experiencing consistently strong growth over the past three years.

According to Charles Reed, CEO of DOCOMO interTouch, the company’s customer base has grown in line with increased corporate travel and tourism, and intensifying demand for high-tech in-room technologies as consumer needs continue to evolve.

“In 2005, we had just 17 hotel customers in Mainland China, and have been increasing that number by two or three hotels per month over the past three years. We now have more than 100 hotel customers. In fact, we have also been very successful in growing our business across all of Greater China, with an additional 70 hotels working with us in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.”

“China’s growing role in world trade has seen an increasing number of international business travellers visiting China. These executives are looking for high-end hotel options that offer all the technologies they are accustomed to at home, especially highspeed Internet, to ensure they can access email and web-based applications.”

“At the same time, China is growing in popularity as a tourism destination, spurred on further by the recent Olympic Games. The UNWTO has predicted that China will be the world’s leading inbound destination by 2020. Today’s tourist, whether young or old, likes to stay connected with their friends, families and home life while travelling, and hotel technologies help them to achieve this,” said Reed.

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts is one of international hotel chains that has been working with DOCOMO interTouch for 9 years, and will soon deploy DOCOMO interTouch highspeed internet access technology in its newest hotel, Park Hyatt in Shanghai.

Elton Wong, Area Director of Finance – China, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, said,“Sophisticated in-room technologies have become a necessity for our guests, many of whom are travelling on business and want fast and user-friendly Internet access. We have enjoyed a very fruitful relationship with DOCOMO interTouch and find their technologies not only fulfil our guests’ needs, but also help us to manage these services more efficiently and with less strain on our own resources.”

Using increasingly sophisticated software developed in-house, DOCOMO interTouch has established itself as a market leader in providing the full suite of technologies and managed services to hotels in Asia, South Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Americas regions. With its newly expanded customer base in Mainland China,
DOCOMO interTouch now provides its solution to more than 1,000 hotels around the world.

With an unparalleled 96 percent first-time Internet connection rate, round-the-clock remote network monitoring and a 24-hour toll-free Helpdesk, DOCOMO interTouch is the largest and most trusted provider of managed technology services for hotels in Asia Pacific. Since the acquisition of major rival MagiNet earlier this year, DOCOMO interTouch has expanded its portfolio to include enhanced interactive solutions and inroom entertainment such as IPTV and IPVOD.

In addition to investing in R&D and enhancing its product portfolio, DOCOMO interTouch will continue to expand its market presence to support the needs of its hotel partners in Asia Pacific and around the world.

About DOCOMO interTouch
DOCOMO interTouch provides a full suite of integrated solutions to the global hospitality industry. We are one of the world’s largest hotel technology service providers, delivering reliable and secure wired and wireless broadband connectivity services, multi-media services, interactive television and managed network solutions. Our one-stop-shop solution, round-the-clock network monitoring and multi-lingual customer support enable hotels to offer a superior guest experience, facilitating communications for today’s business travellers.

Since 1998, DOCOMO interTouch has been serving the hospitality industry, managing more than seven million broadband connections each year in guest rooms, meeting rooms and business centres worldwide.  Our innovative technologies provide travellers and conference attendees with convenient access to enjoy communication, information and entertainment services in over 63 countries.

Headquartered in Singapore and with operations throughout Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas, DOCOMO interTouch is expanding into the Americas and has offices in 50 countries worldwide on these continents. DOCOMO interTouch is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTT DOCOMO, a global leader in mobile telecommunications technologies.

More information on DOCOMO interTouch is available on http://www.docomointertouch.com

About Global Hyatt Corporation
Global Hyatt Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is one of the world’s premier hotel companies. The hotels owned, operated, managed or franchised by its subsidiaries provide authentic hospitality to guests in 45 countries through a passionate commitment to personalized service, cultural relevance, and the environment. Global Hyatt subsidiaries own, operate, manage or franchise more than 365 hotels and resorts worldwide under the Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt Resorts™, Grand Hyatt®, Park Hyatt®, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt Summerfield Suites® and Andaz™ brands with additional properties under development on five continents. Global Hyatt Corporation is also the owner of Hyatt Vacation Ownership, Inc., operator of Hyatt Vacation Club®. The success of Global Hyatt is driven by the commitment and energy of the approximately 90,000 men and women around the world who provide exceptional service to hotel guests. From the U.S. and Canada, reservations for any Hyatt hotel worldwide may be obtained by calling 1-800-233-1234 or visiting www.hyatt.com.