The last six months have been brutal for many people connected to the hospitality industry, but Enseo founder and CEO Vanessa Ogle has refused to let the COVID-19 crisis dismantle the business she has spent 20 years building.
So far in 2020, Ogle’s Plano-based Latina-led company, which provides technology services mainly to the hotel industry, has been issued over 10 new patents with several related to touchless technology and remote control.
In May, Enseo leveled up its enseoCONNECT product by adding what they call Fido. Fido turns a hotel guest’s smartphone into a type of universal remote. By scanning a QR code, guests can control the TV, thermostat, lights, and other smart devices with a cell phone. They also can see the details of cleaning and sanitization processes for the room and the building.
In a matter of weeks, the improved enseoCONNECT system was launched in more than 20,000 hotel rooms. Earlier this summer, enseoCONNECT won the Hospitality Technology Next Generation TechOvation Award for 2020.
The enseoCONNECT mobile remote allows hotel guests to control the in-room TV, lights, thermostat, and more. [Photo: Enseo]
“In this downturn, we applied all our engineering and technology base to develop a successful suite of products that enable us to help lead the way out of these difficult times,” Ogle said in a statement. “EnseoCONNECT is a perfect example of why technology investment is always worth it. Enseo invested our resources and had a product ready when the need arose. We are part of the solution to bring travel and back to school back to normal.”
Other recent additions include VERA, a video-enabled remote agent that helps guests via a live feed, and the MadeSafe Checkpoint to measure an employee’s temperature before shifts.
In June, Ogle told the Dallas Morning News about the difficulties her company faced when the pandemic hit. On the brink of mass layoffs, they secured one of the first PPP loans in the area.
Ogle and her team have excelled in creating new products, earning 78 patents over the company’s 20-year history, but this time, their window was short before the loan ran out.
Enseo quickly developed more “Touchless Technology” solutions to help hotels receive guests in the new normal.
“I’ve got a new saying: ‘My touch, not high touch,’” Ogle told the DMN. “Luxury hotels used to be all about high touch: How could you have as many people as possible say hello, shake your hand and have face-to-face interaction? We’re going to see a very different set of scenarios where guests say, ‘How do I get the touch that I want, not the touch that you’re trying to give me.’ ”
SITE, Enseo’s advanced property & data management tool. [Photo: Enseo]
The company also provides technology services to schools, most notably a remote device that staff members can wear to notify officials of an emergency. Two years ago, Lovejoy ISD became the first customer in the education sector. Enseo offers Fido IoT remote control for cellphones and safety remotes for senior living community residents as well.
In July, Enseo made the list of the 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies from the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO) and American Express. Enseo has also been recognized on the Inc. 5000 list as one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. several times.
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