MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release

Rydges Hotels & Resorts signs deal with inter-touch

inter-touch to provide variety of broadband services to 26 Rydges properties across Australia

Singapore, 12 April 2006 • inter-touch, a leading broadband Internet provider to the hospitality industry, announced an agreement today with Rydges Hotels and Resorts Australia.
inter-touch will provide broadband Internet connections and other online services to 26 Rydges properties in Australia.

Attracting a high proportion of domestic and international business travellers to its chain of hotels in Australia & New Zealand, Rydges is confident that inter-touch will improve its Internet offerings available to this important customer group. 

The agreement with inter-touch covers wired and wireless broadband Internet access and remote document printing solutions throughout the hotel - from guestrooms, conference areas and F&B outlets. In addition, nine Rydges properties will be fitted with a Digital Video on Demand (DVoD) solution. The DVoD service gives Rydges’ guests convenient access to a wide selection of video content. All services are integrated into each hotel’s Property Management System (PMS), simplifying billing and administration.

Managing Director of Rydges Hotels and Resorts, Paul Lonergan says the implementation of these online services will enhance the overall service experience Rydges provides to customers. “This is great news for Rydges’ guests. We’re all about providing our customers with the best possible level of service, whether it be facilities, food and beverage, Internet access or in-room entertainment,” he commented.

“The new inter-touch broadband solutions give our guests peace of mind. They know that if they stay at a Rydges hotel, they will get fast, secure and easy-to-use online services that are reliable. This agreement ensures that Rydges will stay ahead of the game in the ever-developing area of customer business technology”.

The rollout of inter-touch services into Rydges hotels will be completed over the next six months.

CEO of inter-touch, Charles Reed says the agreement with Rydges represents a significant step for the company in Australia. “We already partner with many leading hotel brands around the world providing wired and wireless broadband connectivity to the Internet and corporate Virtual Private Networks,” he says.

“This deal with Rydges goes a step further by providing a full package of solutions covering in-room entertainment through DVoD, wireless access in conference rooms and public areas, and printing solutions. Apart from the obvious benefits these services afford Rydges’ guests, they also introduce new revenue streams that hoteliers can benefit from.”

Since its acquisition by NTT DoCoMo in December 2004, inter-touch has leveraged the relationship with its parent company to enhance its offerings and develop new technologies. inter-touch is the strategic link in implementing NTT DoCoMo's globalization strategy, which aims to bring together various technology and hospitality partners to develop new services for travelers.

inter-touch has built a solid reputation in the hospitality industry for delivering the fastest and easiest internet connections, backed by unparalleled service and support for customers across the globe.

About inter-touch

inter-touch is a leading provider of fast, easy-to-use and secure Broadband services to the world’s hospitality industry. inter-touch connects over 80,000 hotel rooms, conference and meeting facilities, airline lounges and serviced apartments. It operates in over 40 countries across Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and North America. Since 1998, inter-touch has partnered with many prestigious hotel brands and management companies around the world.

About Rydges Hotel and Resorts

Rydges is part of the hospitality division of the parent company Amalgamated Holdings Limited (AHL), an Australian owned and operated entertainment, hospitality and leisure company with core businesses in cinema, accommodation and tourism. AHL operates a range of businesses in Australia and internationally in Germany, Holland, United Arab Emirates, New Zealand, Asia and the United Kingdom. The well-known brands of Greater Union Cinemas, The State Theatre, Featherdale Wildlife Park, Rydges Hotels & Resorts and Thredbo Alpine Resort all operate under the AHL banner

For more information, please contact:

Koh Peck Yan
inter-touch Pte Ltd
Tel: +65 6436 3665
E-mail: pykoh@inter-touch.com

James Brasher
LEWIS Public Relations
Tel: +65 6557 2440
Mobile: +65 9437 0553
E-mail: jamesb@lewispr.com