ONELAN Acquired By Hotel-Focused Solutions Provider Uniguest

May 4, 2018 by Dave Haynes

The UK-based digital signage CMS company ONELAN has been acquired Uniguest, a Nashville-based company best known for operating the business centers in hotels, across several major chains.

The acquisition, says a press release, will strengthen ONELAN’s presence in the U.S., with customers and partners benefiting from Uniguest’s team of 180 US-based staff and a further 75-person 24/7 call center.

“Digital engagement is something we see as a crucial component to the future of the industries we operate in,” says Uniguest CEO Jeff Hiscox said. “After doing a thorough review of the market, we realized ONELAN’s solutions are best in class and our combined solutions will drive a new “digital infusion” in the public use space of our customers.”

For the near future, says the press release, ONELAN will continue to operate as a stand-alone business with its current team members out of the Reading, U.K. headquarters. Uniguest will add the signage offerings into its solution set, and the products will immediately be available to Uniguest clients.

It’s likely a good move on both sides. I know Uniguest had hotel clients asking if it could extend beyond the business centers (designated areas where guests could grab a desk and a PC) into signage. It was computers and software, and Uniguest has a very impressive Network Ops Center in Nashville (been in it). The company has a footprint in 15,000 hotels in 68 countries.

The company has had its own rudimentary CMS, called U-Sign, but it was not something that was going to set client’s hearts fluttering, or compete effectively with the established software solutions out there.

ONELAN has a highly respected software solution and a lot of global reach, but has only really gone after the U.S. market in the last two or three years through their U.S. guy, Brian Hughes. The company’s footprint spans across 6,000 projects in 50 countries, and it operates in the education, corporate, retail and hospitality sectors.

“Uniguest is a natural partner for us as their Secured Advantage product goes hand-in-hand with our interactive signage solutions,” says ONELAN Chief Commercial Officer Hugh Coghill-Smith. “Both companies strive to bring the most value to our customers. We determined the best way to provide a seamless customer experience was to bring the two portfolios together as one offering.”