It rolled out in Japan last July and expects to reach 1,700 hotels and 240,000 rooms – nearly 30% of the nation’s hotels – this year. The smartphones currently enable users to access the Internet, make local and international calls, and view tourism information for free.
Handy Japan Co., a startup providing free-to-use smartphones docked in hotel rooms, will partner with Japanese technology conglomerate SoftBank Corp. to expand its services into “internet of things” technologies.
It rolled out in Japan last July and expects to reach 1,700 hotels and 240,000 rooms – nearly 30% of the nation’s hotels – this year. The smartphones currently enable users to access the Internet, make local and international calls, and view tourism information for free.
The startup, developed by Hong Kong-based Tink Labs, is available in 650,000 rooms in 4,000 hotels in 82 countries.
SoftBank will invest in Handy Japan’s parent firm, named Handy Japan Holdings Co., but declined to disclose the size of investment, The Japan Times reported.
“Internet of Things” implementations include using Handy smartphones to lock and unlock room doors, control electronics in the room, and check out services.
Beyond hotel rooms, the smartphones can be used to purchase tickets or call for a cab. Another nifty feature is mobile tethering, through the use of SoftBank’s communication networks.