Microsoft has announced today that Royal Caribbean International, a cruise line brand located in Florida, will deploy 40,000 Windows tablets to their employees. Each tablet also comes with access to various Office 365 apps.
“The Royal Caribbean men and women who provide such great vacations are the real heroes of our fleet and these gifts demonstrate our appreciation in a tangible way,” said Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises. “The technology we are introducing onboard Quantum of the Seas isn’t only about giving our guests a better vacation – it’s also about giving our crew and their families a closer connection than we’ve ever been able to and the Windows tablet will give them this opportunity.”
So why did they pick Windows? Well, the answer is quite simple. Royal Caribbean chose a specific tablet device built by HEXA, and is not only thin but also light-weight. The tablet will accommodate the active and mobile lifestyle of the cruise line employees. On top of that, competitive offerings were no match to Windows’ price point and flexibility across form factors.
The employees can also utilize Office 365 apps, including OneDrive and Skype, with these new Windows based tablets.
The newest ship in the fleet, called Quantum of the Seas, will also feature RFID luggage tags and RFID wristbands for navigating the ship and unlocking doors. In fact, the ship will also feature faster broadband connections that can enable live video gaming via a Xbox console within the ship’s SeaPlex. Not to be outdone, the ship will also leverage a modern point of sale (POS) system that is also powered by Windows tablets.
