Business iQ continues to evolve. Foxtel announces new agreement

After nearly 20 years at Foxtel, Scott Wiedemann has witnessed the transformation of in-room entertainment from pay-TV to fully integrated digital guest platforms. As National Manager – Accommodation, he is now leading the next phase of that evolution through major upgrades to the Business iQ platform and an exciting new partnership.

Mr Wiedemann says the future is about personalisation, connectivity and creating meaningful revenue opportunities for accommodation operators, speaking exclusively with AccomNews about the roadmap for Business iQ and the new collaboration with eero, an Amazon company.

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Foxtel has been steadily evolving Business iQ. What major improvements have been made to the platform over the past year?

Over the past 12 months, our product team has been enormously productive delivering 100+ enhancements to Business iQ over two stages. Our first phase released in September provided more personalised on-Demand experiences, additional 4K content, enhanced security, wifi 6e support and automated fallback to IP during satellite rain-fade ensuring greater performance.

The second phase, arriving early this year, will deliver several high-impact improvements including embedded Hotel Loyalty Apps, video promos on the welcome screen, QR code engagement analytics, centralised content management across multiple properties and an AI-powered chatbot for self-troubleshooting.

Complementing the new features, we have created a Business Class Support Team to assist sites with the set up and ongoing management of their digital concierge and compendiums to fully leverage the platform, optimise the guest experience and maximise revenue generation opportunities.

Speaking of Business iQ’s evolution, what can you tell us about the future roadmap?

2026 will see us elevate our product development to deliver Business iQ as an app-based software solution. In response to increasing uncertainty in hardware solutions and with Chromecast approaching end of life, we are excited to transition towards a truly future-proof software-led platform. This will significantly reduce reliance on expensive cabling, eliminate multiple hardware points of failure and vastly reduce installation times.

We are actively collaborating with a number of technology partners to ensure compatibility across many leading television brands.

Also planned are expanded content, sustainability improvements, deeper partnerships for greater cohesive operations, and additional revenue generating streams. Our continued growth enables ongoing reinvestment, ensuring Business iQ continues to evolve and remain as Australia’s leading in-room entertainment and technology platform.

Related AccomNews article: Foxtel is powering guest experience and hotel revenue

Foxtel is also announcing a new agreement with eero, an Amazon company. Can you tell us about this collaboration?

Foxtel has finalised an exciting agreement with eero, an Amazon company, to deliver commercial grade wifi solutions to our accommodation subscribers. eero has an impeccable global reputation in delivering wifi via their proprietary TrueMesh™ technology across 24 countries, we couldn’t be prouder working with such a formidable team.

The agreement with eero strongly aligns with our long-term strategy of delivering reliable, simple and secure wifi infrastructure to our subscribers. Bundled with our Business iQ platform, it will provide a leading and all-encompassing technology solution for our commercial customers.

The agreement will be multi-layered with further exciting announcements coming soon.

What are the key benefits of the collaboration with eero for guests, and what advantages will operators see on their side?

eero, an Amazon company, will be offered alongside our Business iQ technology to deliver exceptional mesh networks for commercial environments. Importantly, there will be options available with no upfront costs enabling hotels to deploy Business iQ with eero’s wifi hardware.

eero meets the highest quality standards and operates with seamless connectivity to provide a fast and reliable network even under heavy demand. eero TrueRoam technology provides uninterrupted connectivity as guests move throughout the property providing a consistent superior guest experience.

Additionally, every eero device comes with world-class encryption, security protocols and unmatched testing to ensure enterprise grade security and reliability.

You’ve overseen major developments in your role. What achievement has been most rewarding for you?

During my 18+ years at Foxtel, there has certainly been significant change. But with constant change comes adaptability. It has taught us as a business to be agile and to continually innovate, but in a considered and disciplined way. Many companies have entered and exited the market over the years, and with Foxtel celebrating our 30-year anniversary in 2025, we have endured and flourished through several eras of technology.

I think in a moment of reflection of the journey, that is a key reminder. And now to be under an exciting global ownership of DAZN and forming agreements with leading global brands like eero, Foxtel is well-positioned for an exhilarating and truly limitless future.

This article first appeared in the Summer edition of AccomNews. Click below to explore.