TEMPE, Ariz., Oct. 7, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- To keep pace with the demands of a consumer-led, technology-driven society, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has introduced a fleet of "smartships" to give guests a vacation experience powered by intelligent technologies – including cocktail-mixing robots, RFID powered wristbands and mobile apps. With solutions implemented by Insight Enterprises, Inc.'s (Nasdaq:NSIT) U.S. operations, Royal Caribbean has debuted seven ships that gives guests access to technology that rivals what's available in their own office or living rooms.
"Our guests expect the same level of connectivity in the middle of the ocean as they do on the mainland, and we've leveraged technology to allow them to stay as connected, entertained and informed as they want to be," said Santiago Abraham, Vice President, IT Programs, Royal Caribbean Cruises LTD. "Bringing to life our concept of a richer and more memorable vacation experience required partnering with Insight and together we are delivering the ultimate technology-driven ocean-based experience."
In 2009, as passenger desire for connected and technology-driven experiences increased, Insight and Royal Caribbean began laying the foundation of a new approach to handle every aspect of the technology that would be required for the most ambitious shipbuilding initiative the cruise industry had ever seen - Oasis of the Seas. The project would become the largest cruise ship ever built and set the stage for what would be possible as they embarked on outfitting more ships with cutting edge technology on Allure of the Seas, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Reflection and Celebrity Silhouette.
To ensure Royal Caribbean could rollout and maintain a fleet of "smartships," required simulating the open sea on the shores of Lake Michigan. Each cruise ship project begins with replicating the massive environment at the Newbuild Configuration Center, a 5,000 square foot integration facility at Insight's Chicago location. The center was established for engineers to develop, install and test technology specific for Royal Caribbean, and is where a slate of unrivaled technology was prepared for Oasis of the Seas, including:
- More than 900 wireless access points
- Access to electronic health records system
- Connectivity of 365 point-of-sale terminals
- Voice over IP (VoIP) access for 1,000 phones
- A digital reservations platform
- High-speed streaming video services across for 2,000, televisions and 300 interactive displays
- Digital-powered Casino gaming
"Working with Royal Caribbean to integrate IT systems into ships the size of the Empire State Building presented unique scope and scale complexities, but working through the challenges has created a fleet that caters to passengers who have high connectivity demands," said Steve Dodenhoff, President Insight U.S. "The Royal Caribbean projects have now set the benchmark for what is possible in delivering a constantly-connected experience even for passengers travelling to the furthest-flung corners of the globe."
For more information on Insight, visit http://www.insight.com/ or call 1.800.INSIGHT.
About Insight
From business and government organizations to healthcare and educational institutions, Insight empowers clients with intelligent technology solutions to realize their goals. As a Fortune 500-ranked global provider of hardware, software, cloud and service solutions, our 5,400 teammates provide clients the guidance and expertise needed to select, implement and manage complex technology solutions to drive business outcomes. Through our world-class people, partnerships, services and delivery solutions, we help businesses run smarter. Discover more at insight.com. NSIT-M