Scandic Hotels deploys Nokia's broadband mobile Internet connectivity

In order to satisfy business and leisure travelers, Scandic Hotels will deploy Nokia's wireless LAN access points throughout the hotel buildings, allowing easy, secure and reliable wireless connections to networked resources such as virtual private networks (VPN) in guest rooms, lobbies and conference areas. Once the guests install Nokia's wireless LAN card, they will gain access to the Internet, their corporate server, and also the local hotel portal including information about services offered by the hotel and its surroundings.

"Our guests are now connected to the best communications solution available which is both secure and accessible, and also independent of their telecommunications operator", says Roland Nilsson, President & CEO, Scandic Hotels. "What's more, thanks to local portals our guests will have access to the vast amount of information our hotels are offering about their services and surroundings. These portals can contain restaurant details, traffic and weather forecasts, as well as information about local leisure services such as theatre shows, sports and other events. This kind of offering naturally increases our attractiveness, among both business and leisure travelers."

At the moment, the public access zones are being installed at Scandic's largest hotels in Scandinavia. However, deployments at all hotels of the chain are expected to follow in the near future.

"Scandic has established a first mover advantage in exploiting this groundbreaking technology in order to give instant benefit to customers and also to maintain their competitive edge", notes Jukka Jyränoja, regional manager of Scandinavia at Nokia Internet Communications. "For Nokia, this initiative is another example of our commitment to provide mobile professionals with reliable and secure high-speed access when and where they need it. It further demonstrates Nokia's vision of the Mobile Information Society."

The service is based on Nokia's wireless LAN technology that provides Internet access at broadband speeds of more than 50 times faster than normal dial-up connections. In addition to Nokia's wireless LAN access points and wireless LAN cards, the solution includes access controllers and a mobility services manager. The products are compliant with the IEEE 802.11b industry standard for wireless LAN. Nokia's partners in the initiative are Sweden-based InfraLAN and Wirelessbolaget.

About Scandic Hotels
Scandic Hotels AB is the largest hotel company in the Nordic region, with 133 hotels in 10 countries. Scandic's strategy is to be a dedicated hotel operator. Its business mission is "to offer many people the highest value for money when staying in its hotels, during work and leisure."

About Nokia
Nokia is paving the way to the mobile information society with its innovative products and solutions. The company is the leading mobile phone supplier and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed and IP networks, related services as well as multimedia terminals. In 1999, Nokia's net sales totaled EUR 19.8 billion (USD 19.9 billion). Headquartered in Finland, Nokia is listed on the New York (NOK), Helsinki, Stockholm, London, Frankfurt and Paris stock exchanges and employs more than 55,000 people. For more information, please visit www.nokia.com