Microsoft Windows XP Embedded
Customer Solution Case Study
South African ISV Launches Interactive
Entertainment Solution for Hospitality Industry
Partner: XN Corporation Africa
Web Site: xncorp.co.za
Customer Size: 1–99
Country or Region: South Africa
Industry: Hospitality
Customer Profile
XN Corporation Africa, an empowered
South African company, specialises in
providing solutions for the hospitality
industry. With a strong technical and
development team in South Africa, it is
ideally placed to supply and support the
most innovative range of technology
available.
Software and Services
 Products
− Microsoft Windows® XP Embedded
− Microsoft Visual C#® 2005
− Microsoft Visual C++® 2005
 Technologies
− Microsoft .NET Framework
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customer successes, please visit:
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“XN Africa’s IES development team have delivered a
solution which leverages highly productive and
groundbreaking Microsoft technologies to the full.”
Ed Dayan, Chief Technical Officer, Torex Retail Plc
Business Needs
XN Corporation Africa, an independent
software vendor (ISV) and an empowered
South African provider of technology systems
to the hospitality and leisure industries, is
launching a groundbreaking interactive
entertainment solution (IES) targeted at
hotel chains. The company is a subsidiary of
London-listed XN Checkout, a market leader
of electronic point of sale solutions to the
leisure, retail, and hospitality markets. XN
Corporation Africa offers hotel operators a
fully convergent IES that delivers services
such as films and music on demand,
broadband Internet connectivity, and roundthe-clock access to room service—all
delivered through an easy-to-use touch
screen.
Gary Davies, IES Divisional Director at XN
Corporation Africa, says: “We wanted a
system to provide hotels the opportunity to
significantly increase their incremental
revenue per guest. We designed a system to
assist hotel operators with displaying guides
to hotel services and menus on screen, thus
saving them money on print costs as well as
unlocking the potential for third-party
advertising, which again increases revenue
opportunities.”
XN Corporation, which was acquired in 2005
by leading U.K. retail systems provider Torex
Retail Plc, decided to invest in a solution that
would combine all services for the hotel
guest into one environment. This allows the
hotel operator to improve its time
management, and thus improve guest
service levels, by reducing inefficiencies and
wastage.
Finally, XN Corporation decided to configure
the solution in such a way as to impose no
limitations or restrictions on guest usage.
Davies adds: “Many existing IES solutions
have a limit on the number of concurrent
viewers that can see a movie. We wanted a
system that provided genuine movies on
demand without restriction so that if every
guest wants to watch the same film at the
same time that can happen without delay.”
Solution
XN Corporation originally began developing
the solution in South Africa using a Linux
platform. However, problems soon emerged
and costs started to escalate.
Davies says: “We found that the Linux
environment was unstable and unreliable. We
had a major problem with support and
response times from Linux. It became clear
that it was not cost effective to work with
open source technology given the need to get
the solution into the marketplace as soon as
possible.”
In the past, XN Checkout’s experience using
Microsoft® technologies in another division of
its business had been positive. As a result, XN
Corporation decided to investigate possible
Microsoft alternatives to the Linux solution. It
soon discovered that the Microsoft Windows®
XP Embedded operating system provided
much greater business value.
Windows XP Embedded is a componentised
version of Windows XP and delivers a scalable
infrastructure for 32-bit connected devices
that ensures rich applications and services.
Reliability and widely available software
resources, such as the Microsoft .NET
Framework and development tools like
Microsoft Visual C++®, make the solution
inexpensive to develop.
For XN Corporation, the Windows-based
software environment was particularly cost
effective, maximising existing IT resources.
Davies explains: “We are about to become a
Microsoft Certified Partner and our developers
are familiar with the .NET Framework
architecture. This runs on any Microsoft
operating system, of which [Windows XP
Embedded] is a part, and which allows us to
complete tasks in weeks not months.”
XN Corporation demonstrated its convergent
IES solution for the hotel industry at the ICE
Exhibition in London in January 2006, and the
company plans to go live with its first
customer IES solution in South Africa this
year.
Benefits
Working with Microsoft technologies, XN
Corporation developed a leading-edge
solution for the hospitality industry that it
plans to market to leading players in South
Africa, including Sun International, Radisson,
and Gold Reef City. The launch is the latest
in a series of innovations from the XN
Checkout group. In November 2005, the
company unveiled its Global-Res electronic
reservations management solution for
hotels.
Other benefits include:

Helping hotel operators reduce costs,
boost revenues, and deliver an enhanced
customer experience to their guests.

Low installation and maintenance costs,
because numerous communications and
entertainment channels are united on a
single system.

Movies available on demand without
having to wait until a particular time for a
film to be shown.

The ability to change menus or pricing of
food and beverages automatically, without
the need to print paper menus and price
lists.

Automated ordering of beverages through
touch screens eliminates the need for
mini-bars in guest rooms, thereby reducing
theft and stock loss.

A wide range of opportunities for thirdparty advertising and service offerings,
such as the ability to offer excursions or inroom advertisements.
© 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS
OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Microsoft, Visual C#, Visual C++, Windows, and the Windows logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Document published April 2006

Touch screen is easy to use and reduces
the need for handheld remote control
devices.

CD library gives guests the option to listen
to music of their choice.

Message function provides the hotel with
the ability to communicate individually
with guests or to a group of guests.

Low-cost scalability promotes a roll out of
the solution in multiple languages,
including Arabic and Chinese.