The Converged Blog

Life in the United States has changed dramatically since the outbreak of the novel COVID-19. The first reported case in the U.S. was in Washington state on January 21st, 2020, which affected a U.S. citizen who had recently flown home from Wuhan. On January 30th, the Word Health Organization (WHO) named COVID-19 an international public health emergency, and on Friday, March 13th, President Trump declared the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States a national emergency. State officials began announcing school closures, while many workers, including Allbridge employees, were directed to begin social distancing practices by working remotely from home.

One of the most impacted during the COVID-19 crisis is the Healthcare industry. As the effects spread in the U.S., hospitals nationwide are becoming overwhelmed, with shortages of space, necessary equipment, and supplies. Senior Living communities, on the other hand, are doing as much as possible to limit interaction with the public, as their residents are some of the most vulnerable to the life-threatening virus.

Television is still very relevant in the Hospitality industry for a simple reason: You need video services to make your guests feel comfortable. Even if that content isn’t delivered over traditional cable wires, guests still enjoy television programming—even as over-the-top (OTT) disruptors like Netflix have shaken up the industry.

That said, not every hotel television solution is alike.

As the manager of a senior living property or skilled nursing facility, you’re focused on doing everything you can to ensure your residents are comfortable in your community. One of the more streamlined ways to accomplish that is to offer your residents television services that mimic the experiences they’ve grown accustomed to in recent years.

The rise of the Internet and the proliferation of high-speed networks have transformed the way people watch television and movies—and, by extension, have changed the way they consume content at hotels and other Hospitality properties. Thanks to the emergence of over-the-top (OTT) content and on demand streaming solutions, people can watch shows and movies at their own convenience, instead of relying on hardware technology such as a VCR or DVR.

As the manager of a property in the Hospitality or Healthcare industry, you’re focused on delivering great experiences to every person who passes through your doors. One of the best ways you can do that is by investing in up-to-date data, video, and voice solutions that give guests access to things they’ve grown accustomed to in recent years—such as Wi-Fi and over-the-top content.

Guests at Hospitality properties and residents at Senior Living communities increasingly expect up-to-date technology experiences. In an increasingly digitally connected world, people rely on their devices to carry out everyday tasks.

The addition of Wi-Fi services to senior living properties is quickly becoming more of a standard amenity and less of a diamond-in-the-rough offering. Many Healthcare properties offer Wi-Fi to their residents, either to drive competitive advantage or as an opportunity to upsell them on additional services.

In the age of rapid Internet searches and online reviews, guest satisfaction plays an increasingly important role in the success of any Hospitality business.

That’s because there’s a 91 percent chance customers won’t do business with a company again after a bad experience. Making matters worse, guests who have bad experiences are much more likely to share details about those experiences with their family, friends, and colleagues, or publicly on social media. In an age where 84 percent of people trust online reviews as much as they trust recommendations from their peers, these factors can have tremendous implications on hotels.

November 28, 2019 marked the one year anniversary of the announcement of Allbridge. Three industry leaders — Bulk TV & Internet, DCI Design Communications, and EthoStream — came together to form one unified company that now serves more than 1,000,000 rooms nationally.

We spoke with the Allbridge CEO, Dave O'Connell, to gain an insight on what led to the creation of the company and what the past year has been like.