Oyo acquires Mumbai-based AblePlus to invest in IoT
Hospitality firm Oyo on Tuesday announced it has acquired AblePlus, the Mumbai-based Internet of Things (IoT) startup. While the details of the deal were not disclosed, the entire AblePlus team will now be a part of Oyo’s technology team. With this acquisition, Oyo will now be introducing IoT into the basic precincts of their hotel management system.
The company also introduced industry-first initiative of Digital Arrival & Departure Register, which has been adopted by the state governments of Haryana and Rajasthan. In addition, Oyo also makes use of Machine Learning (ML) based algorithms to personalise the user journey.
Customers will now be able to look at self check-ins, which will be supported by digital arrival and departure register, self KYP with Aadhaar, and IoT server-managed smart locks.
In a press statement shared by Oyo, Anil Goel, CTO, Oyo, said,
“Through increased technology intervention that enables the remote monitoring and management of rooms across properties, we will be able to achieve improved operational efficiency, thus creating a superior stakeholder experience. As one of the first startups that is an early adopter of IoT-powered technologies, we look forward to delivering new, advanced applications for key vertical markets that will offer elevated customer experience. This will take OYO a step closer to consolidating its vision of creating beautiful living spaces across India.”
With the rollout of the added technology enabled operations, Oyo team believes they will be able to track assets across properties better, and also work in reduction of wastage of electricity and minimising the carbon footprint.
The team is also looking at introducing voice-based assistance in rooms, enabling automation of controlling appliances and lights among other services. Going forward, Oyo also plans to implement a comprehensive guest entertainment programme that will include fitness, gaming and augmented experiences.
The company is also looking at several other integrated technology solutions including enhancing its Oyo Asset Management offering, so that it is easy to partner with them.
With each repeat usage of Oyo’s offerings, via mobile app or desktop website, the platform acquires intelligence that helps make it better accustomed to the user’s perceived needs. Oyo has also recently started experiments with gamification, where users are asked simple questions aimed at increasing the overall awareness of the user in terms of new hotels and destinations that they can explore.
This is Oyo’s second acquisition in the year. In March, the team had acquired Chennai-based service apartment Novascotia Boutique Homes. The company had then announced the acquisition will fuel its growth in 2018, and will be the first in its series of launches, acquisitions, and collaborations for the year. Acquisitions are aimed to fuel its vision of achieving 1,80,000 keys by the end of this year, while achieving 4.5 percent of the hotel market share.