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Unlocking your hotel room with your smartphone? OpenWays is an app for that.
Holiday Inn locations in two cities are experimenting with a system that lets guests unlock their rooms using a smartphone. When you check in online, the system (called OpenWays) sends you an encrypted audio code that unlocks your door, and then texts you your room number. That means no more checking in at the desk, and no more worries about losing a key or a keycard.
OpenWays is available as an app for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry. The system isn't widespread yet, but it could be huge by next year if the tests go well.
As far as security, it's actually less risky than a physical key. The hotel can remotely kill any code that might be a security risk, and the codes expire when you check out, so guests can't steal them. Personally, I'd be excited to have one less object to keep track of while I'm traveling.
[via Mashable]
Comments
8
Subscribe to commentspeegeeMay 27th 2010 1:13PM
Did you conveniently miss out what's written in http://openways.com/pdf/faqs.pdf : "...compatible with ALL 4 billion cell phones on the mobile consumer market today, compatible with ALL cell phone network technologies (GSM, UMTS, CDMA, 3GCDMA, LTE, WIMAX…) and compatible with ALL Mobile OS standards (BlackBerry, Apple iPhone, Symbian, Google Android, JAVA J2ME, MICROSOFT WINDOWS mobile and
more)" just to mention only specific platforms?
GerdMay 27th 2010 1:57PM
Hah! Nice find. I thought I was reading Download Squad, not Engadget.
It didn't seem to make much sense to me, being available only on the iPhone. It would seem like a stupid idea, unless it's only made for hipster hotels.
Jay HathawayMay 27th 2010 2:10PM
It's technically compatible with all of those, but there are currently only APPS for the platforms I said there were apps for.
richard.gaileyMay 27th 2010 2:47PM
Phreaking 2.0?
JoelMay 28th 2010 12:13AM
Oh no! My battery is dead! And my charger is in my hotel room!
stinlen56May 28th 2010 3:29AM
Wait, it's more secure because access can be remotely killed and the codes expire? Magnetic swipe cards have the same capabilities. This mechanism sounds more secure, but certainly not for those reasons.
TrevorMay 28th 2010 7:58AM
A good idea and convenient for those of us who travel frequently, but hotels will be slow to adopt. Most chain hotels are independently owned and operated and the infrastructure upgrade would be cost prohibitive.
gojedaMay 28th 2010 2:07PM
A solution looking for a problem.