PATENT OWNER
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`PATENT OWNERPATENT OWNER
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`EXHIBIT 2078
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`EXHIBIT 2078EXHIBIT 2078
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`2005 Computerworld Honors Program
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`Page l of4
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`,N,,§,f,';'f,",f,;l Ameranth wireless
`l Ameranth Wireless's Im rov Corned Club Solution
`Carmel, Ny
`
`Status: Laureate
`Year: 2001
`Category: Medea Arts 8. Entertaunment
`Nominating Company: Mrcrosoft Corporatrrm
`
`l '
`
`,
`*
`‘
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`‘ S
`
`UMMARY
`
`
`
`1
`'_
`LONG SUMMARY I The lmprov solutlon rntegrates Ame-anths software for wrndows CE 3.0
`‘ wnt merant
`5
`1st
`entury cmmenrcatrons
`, wlreless handheld comguters,
`In ows
`erver, an
`»_
`.
`erver
`Symbol 802.11 FH Wrreless LAN The solutron, base on Ameranth's 21st
`Century Restaurant vrsron, provrdes Internet t:cket‘ng and gayment
`Erocessmg, :.-affrc school reservatrons, food orderrng, ohoneebased
`tlcketrng and payment DFOCCSSIHQ, and wrreless handheld trcket
`authorlzatron and seatrng assrgnments By rntegratlng the We:, the Wrreo.
`and the Wlreless, the lmprov Comedy Clubs are an e to to e ul
`advantage 0? the benefits of cuttrng edge
`technology
`
`r lrnmedrate rmpvovements tn Pf7I(IP’1(y and speed
`of servrce have rntreaseo revenue and dramatrcally enhanced the
`~.U5[U|'Y|€F expel ence at the Dallas lmprov A new lnteractrve Web srte
`allows
`pre~order al‘d ;1re—pay for looc and trc-<ets for faster
`servuce at the the er smce stall can ourcfiry process then reservatrons
`and a
`'
`usrng a wrreless handnelc cornguter When he
`ustorners arr ve for the show, the krtchen has a ready "reoger. therr loo:
`and rt comes to the taole on trme.
`
`T52 AfT\€f'dn("
`Advantage
`Torn Castrllo, owner of the lmprov Comecy Clubs, nrst
`came across Arneranth tn Ch-cago a: the Natrona. Restaurant
`Assocrat:on’s annual tradeshow At that pa-nt he tolo Ameranth that, “the
`lmorov needs to move «ts systems unto 21st Century technology.” and he
`was "won gvgr gy thg ggmggnfs dgmgnsgrat-on " Looklng ‘or a total
`solutron. Castrllo was partrcularly lmpressec wltn the fact that Amerantr
`cou 3 aevelog and ,n tall the entrre web, PL, and wrreless
`system—somethzng no other comgany could matc-
`:ause Castrllo
`was oaslcally start.ng from scratch, thus grcvrced 3 great
`advantage.
`“At the trrne, the Imarov was a very loJv~:ec'1 ant:
`nefficrent operatron, where phonertased resewatrors were noted wrth
`Dencrl and paper and the taole management was done wrtr a grease
`. aentrl and a lam nated seat.ng chart," Castlllo recalls. The Compary d d
`have a Macrntcsh for accoantmg and rmnrng an antrquated POS SYSKGIT‘,
`as well as a promotlonal Web 5 te with no mteractrve capaotlrtres And
`there was no database hcusrng customer rnformatron_
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`2005 Computerworld Honors Program
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`Page 2 of 4
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`Castillo
`immediately saw Ameranth as a way to increase sales by ramplng up the
`company's efficiency and speed of service throughout the entire customer
`cycle and e-commerce enabled the Web site. The solution would also
`provide a way to create a customer database. ‘Using Ameranth's 21st
`centu Restaurant
`X Eliove tfi lmprov will be able to increase sales
`a 3 increase EFF the efflclency and speed of service,‘ he says. ‘we are
`predicting cos: will be recovered within a year.’
`Ameranth’s
`core technology is the 21st Century Communications" middieware,
`
`which routes data, regardless of programming language: across a varieg
`'
`r n
`in
`W -
`Wlr
`an
`-
`of pie orms, aaiitating the data gmchronization reflulr
`or in ego rig
`dlent/server
`ms. The lmprov solution integrates Ameranth‘s 4——®
`software for windows CE wireless handheld computers, Microsoft back
`Communitation middleware over an 805.11 f-‘H wireless
`.
`is tota
`-
`'
`.-
`.-1;
`- an interactive web site with Ameranth’s 21st Centuq
`solution proviaes lnfernef Ecfifing a amc school
`reservation and food ordering, phone-based ticketing and a ment
`processing with instant database lnwt, and wireless handhe
`i
`t
`enables customers to pre-order and pre-pay for tickets and
`authorization and seating assignments. A new Se"-SEFVICE Web site
`food.
`
`
`
`Show Biz. Benefits
`The best seat in the
`house is where everyone likes to sit, but it's not the only thing that
`contributes to a great evening out. Patrons at the Dallas lmgrov benefit
`from the Arneranth solution from the moment they pick up the p one, or
`i
`on to the web site to book their tickets. Over the phone, the Amaranth
`3%: tlcketi’nE7reservati‘ons sofiare enables staff to process orders
`more efficiently with automated tabie seating assignments. Now that ‘
`agents can also enter customer lnfonnatlon directly into the SQL Server
`database, and management can trad: sales, implement a reguent
`customer
`r
`ram and produce mass e-malls.
`
`Both on-line
`Q
`and phone orders are the first step in speeding up table management at
`the theater. Using wireless computers and the S mbol S
`rum 24
`wireless LAN Access Point. stafl can wlrelessly process each customer
`ei er
`roug scanning
`e bar code on tickets they printed out when
`purchasing online, or by inputting the authorization code they received
`over the phone. Usin the handheld computer to access the database.
`table assignments are quickly and efiaenfiy given E5 custfimers.
`lntemet-ordered food expedites the wait staff's lob as orders can be
`started upon Ea customer's arrival, leaving them more time to sell
`revenue-generating drinks and desserts. Theater management also
`benefits from the use of Am ranth's 21st Centu Database wizard for
`
`p otos - wi out any know ge o
`.
`ugating the web site prices: menus show listing and comedian nos and
`‘Thanks to the
`database system, we now know who our customers are. Thanks to the
`wire ess integration, the ticketing system, and the Web site, we now have
`a few minutes to get to know on
`s omers”
`-Tom Castillo, owner
`a
`The Improv project has helped customers receive better service, has
`helped the lmprov managers to run their clubs more efficiently, and has
`helped club staff members to better handle the busy penoos of the night.
`The Improv Comedy Clubs differ from restaurants in that all their
`customers arrive and place food orders at the same time. This places a
`huge burden on the club's staff. Now, reservations and food orders ca
`
`be placed oniine, allowing the kitchen to prepare t e o
`in a vance.
`Ticketing is automated and done faster at the door with a handheld
`computer, and the manager is able to
`menu items or show
`schedules and arrange seating intuitive back office software, which
`communicates with the web site and the handhelds computers in real
`time.
`
`we believe that the lmprov system has significantly
`increased efficiency and improved the customer experience. At each
`stage of the customer's evening, from planning what show to see, to
`rnaki
`reservations to bu in and resentin tickets, to ordering drinks
`an
`o
`,the process as
`mean oma
`a
`esssuscepi e o
`
`errors. in addition, service is faste
`no t e burden placed upon
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`BENEFITS
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`2005 Computerworld Honors Program
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`Page 3 of4
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`employees is lessened.
`
`Let's walk through a typical
`experience using the Ameranth system:
`
`1) Planning the
`evening: Previously, customers logged on to the lmprov Web site to find
`outdated information and no method for making reservations. with
`ran '
`in
`customers can not only see
`current scheduling (as it is integrated with the manager's own scheduIer,)
`but they can also make online rgservation , print tickets, and even
`pre-order and pay for their meal.
`
`2) Arriving at the lmprov: The
`night of the show is an exciting one, but previously it also meant waiting
`on a long line despite having purchased a ticket in advance. Now, thanks
`to Ameranth‘s software and the Symbol PDT 2740 handheld computer,
`attendants at the door can either scan customers‘ tickets or look up their
`reservation by name or code number and present the customer with their
`seating assignment. This efficient way of accessing the database gets
`people to their tables aster an
`ustst e ine at t e ront
`door.
`
`3) Placing an order: with the whole restaurant sitting
`down to eat at one time, competition for a server's attention could be
`fierce. savv customers have alread ordered their meal online and have
`gotten
`eir or er into t e ‘t
`en
`ore others have even opened their
`menus.
`
`From the owner's point of view, by increasing the
`efficiency of club operations, he is able to 1) decrease labor needs, 2)
`improve customer service, and 3) keep trad: of valuable customer data.
`
`The lmprov project helped seed Ameranth‘s new product, the
`21st Century Restaurantc. The 21st Century Restaurant product
`an
`e
`so
`are.
`is system, w I
`will roll out in March 2001, will
`integrates legacy flint-of-sale gstenis in restaurants with wireless
`give restaurants the ability to use handhelds for tahleslde orderin and
`
`an communicat within restaurants. Typically, restaurant staff has to
`payment processing. This will revo u ionize t e way
`at ata is recor ed
`record each order twice—once at the table on paper, and then again at the
`computer touch screen terminal. This inefficiency leads to inputting
`errors (resulting in unhappy customers.) an unnecessarily long delay
`before the order readies the kitchen, and a poor allocation of labor
`resources (servers should be on the restaurant floor, not standing in front
`of a computer.) Ameranth believes that wireless ordering and payment
`processing will be an inevitable improvement in restaurants across the
`world.
`
`As new technology continues to be developed, inpration becomes an ‘_
`ever-growing concern. The lmprov owner, Tom asti
`,
`a
`oo e
`around or a company that could provide his clubs ,
`reservations. and food ordering is such a way that me web gtg wouig
`actually interact with his back office software. Furthermore, he wanted to
`i—ncorporaEe some of EFe new fiafifiela Einology into the system.
`Ameranth was the only comgny that could accomplish such reasonable
`goals.
`
`The integration of Web/Wireless/and wired is a natural
`evolution of technology, which Ameranth has brought into the workplace.
`The lmprov project is Just the beginning...with the 21st Century
`Restaurant system wireless, wired and web integration wii become
`accessible to virtually every restaurant in the nation.
`The
`technology behind the lmprov's innovative ticketing solution is a
`combination of e-commerce web design‘ back office database
`maria ement and a wireless interface to the databased information. The
`proiect is unigue in its a5i ity to route an3 syfironize data across the
`three platforms--from the web site (running on Microsoft Distributed
`interNetwork Architecture) to the windows CE handhelds to the back office
`server (Microsoft windows NT Server or Microsoft SQL Server 7.0.)
`
`As stated above, Ameranth’s lmprov proiect is uniggg in its ibllllx to route
`and synchronize data across the three WEb£WIFEl€5§£WIf9d
`giatforms—from the web site (running on Microsoft Distributed
`inremetworii Architecture) to the windows CE handheids to the back office
`server (Microsoft windows NT Server or Microsoft SQL Server 7.0.) This is
`the only application of its kind.
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`IMPORTANCE
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`2005 Computerworld Honors Program
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`Page 4 of 4
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`The Improv project continues to
`evolve into Ameranth's vision of the 21st Centu Restaurant. Ameranth
`now offers wire ess Ofaeflng and payment processing Efirougfi the
`wireless handheld computers. This system interfaces with a restaurant's
`legacy point-ol-sale system, and is set lor full-scale roilout in March 2001.
`
`Tom Castillo, owner and manager of the Dallas lmprov Comedy Club,
`described the club's old way of doing business. ‘The lmprov was a very
`low-tech and inefficient operation, where phone-based reservations were
`noted with pencil and paper and the table management was done with a
`grease pencil and a laminated seating chart." There was a promotional
`Web site, with no interactive capabilities. There was no database
`housing customer information, and the long lines at the door were
`indicative of the inefficiencies behind the greeting station.
`
`‘Using Ameranth's 21st Century Restaurant, I believe the
`improv will be able to increase sales and increase both the efficiency and
`speed of service," he goes on to say. ‘We are predicting costs will be
`recovered within a year.‘ The value of this int
`rated s stem oes beyond
`simply improving customer service. with or ers p aced ahea 0 time, t e
`lmprov is able to increase I:he capacity of the kitchen. lnternet
`reservations Ptovlde access to a whole new customer market, and the
`increased knowled e oi‘ the lm rov's customer base lets manager
`0 arg
`5 events an promo ons.
`‘Thanks to the
`n s to the
`database system, we now know who our customers are.
`wireless int
`ration the tlcketln s stem and the Web site we now have
`a few minutes to get to know our customers."
`-Tom Castillo,
`A7 B! H! K! D! W
`Manager/Owner
`working with emerging technologies always provides its share of
`difficulties. As the hardware and operating systems developed, not only
`did Ameranth have to keep up with the changes, but also we were placed
`in a position of testing, not only our software, but outside hardware as
`well. Plus, the system is dependant upon this emerging hardware, which
`places many of the difficulties outside of Ameranth's realm of control.
`This, in itself can be extremely frustrating. Luckily, Ameranth's strong
`partnerships and the excellent quality of the technology used, reduced
`these difnculties to a minimum.