Superb Hospitality

Our RF system utilises an ISM Band (Industrial, Scientific, and Medical) which is a special purpose, low power band. We are using 433 Mhz Frequency for wireless communications and we have received TRA approval for using this frequency. We use lower frequency RF which gives us greater transmission distances, and the ability to use lower power transmission. We have a large number of advantages over systems which are using 2.4 Ghz Wireless LAN (WiFi) technologies. Some of them are:

Lower power transmission which means increased battery life (up to 20 hours)

We are not constantly transmitting on the airwaves (only when sending orders or requesting information) this means it is difficult to flood our transmission. We only send small packets of ENCRYPTED data for a short period of time. All this = increased battery life.

Security – There is no possible way to log a computer with wireless capability onto the computer network. This is due to the different frequency, format and encryption we use. Eliminates the threat of hacking, viruses, Trojan horses etc. People can sit out the front of a WiFi venue with a standard laptop with wireless capability and potentially log onto a WiFi network using software available on the internet

2.4Ghz bandwidth is becoming increasingly overcrowded. Most laptops and PDA’s now have WiFi capability, mobiles, cordless phones, audio/video transmitters and countless other devices from wireless joysticks for Playstation’s to transmitters used by television studios to beam live pictures back to their studio. All of this will impede performance and cause interference when using a 2.4Ghz WiFi system.

Hospitality venues all use microwave ovens. Microwave ovens agitate the water molecules in food in their operation to cook food. The frequency at which these water molecules vibrate is 2.4Ghz. Therefore microwave ovens (especially the higher power ones) can effectively wipe out or impede the performance of a WiFi system.

Greater propagation through solid objects (walls, windows etc) and less susceptible to reflections/bounce down hallways which will all severely reduce the effectiveness of a Wi-Fi signal. People (bodies) have the worse effect of absorption for transmission at 2.4Ghz so the more people in the room, the worse the transmission becomes.

No network dropouts with WaiterPAD. WiFi is susceptible to network dropouts due to all of the reasons presented above. When a WiFi system does drop out, it can not be used as it requires constant communication with a server. Waiterpad does not suffer from this.

WiFi systems do not function when there is no connection with the network. For example if there is a black-spot in an area or you go out of range, WaiterPAD handhelds can still be used and orders can still be taken when out of range. The order is stored on the WaiterPAD and is simply transmitted by the user when back in radio range.

WiFi systems uses standard off the shelf components not built for the hospitality environment.

WaiterPAD can support up to 99 handhelds. We have a number of sites using 16 handhelds without a problem. This is almost impossible to achieve with a WiFi system due to the amount of network traffic that exists. History and experience has shown that WiFi systems are problematic once network traffic increases above 4-5 handhelds.