InformationWeek: The Business Value of Technology

20 Great Ideas To Steal In 2012

Are you playing it too safe, IT leaders? Take these InformationWeek 500 projects along to rev up your next brainstorming session.

Start The Discussion | Stacey Peterson | September 12, 2012 00:01 AM

Connect directly with Stacey: Bio | Contact

Previous Image

Next Image

Informationweek Discussions

To upload an avatar photo, first complete your Disqus profile. | View the list of supported HTML tags you can use to style comments. | Please read our commenting policy.

Previous Slide Next Slide 13 of 22

An iPad In Every Stateroom

Royal Caribbean Cruises has put iPads in all 100 suites of its Splendour of the Seas ship and lets passengers use them anywhere onboard.

The iPads come with customized applications that can be used to access the Internet, watch movies, view ship activity updates, create a daily schedule, sign up for shore excursions, monitor onboard charges, order room service, and view restaurant menus.

The device opens new revenue channels, giving guests more exposure and access to the ship's services. It also lets the cruise line more easily provide guests with customized offers. The ship has a dual-band wireless infrastructure that's both voice- and video-ready anywhere on the ship.

Royal Caribbean is working on a similar app that passengers will be able to use on their own devices. It's also planning more social interaction, such as helping guests with common interests connect. The cruise line plans to put iPads in all of Splendour of the Seas' staterooms and eventually deploy them on other ships.