Internet Laundry: Wired Laundry Room Gives Student Washer and Dryer Status Online   8/26/2005 - 954 views,

I wonder if the machines have an IP address?

Here’s what LaundryView has to say about it:

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Today’s college students are among the most connected people on earth. Their WiFi-networked laptop computers, cell phones, and PDAs keep them in constant contact with each other and the world around them. However, there has been at least one place they could not connect with until recently-the campus laundry room. Mac-Gray Corporation, the second largest supplier of card and coin- operated laundry facilities management in the United States and the largest supplier to colleges and universities in North America, has developed an Internet-based system called LaundryView(TM). LaundryView provides a way for college students to communicate with washers and dryers in campus laundry rooms. Typical student reactions to the system frequently include the word “awesome.” The LaundryView eMonitoring system is a huge time saver for busy college students who can’t afford to wait in the laundry room for machines to become available. Now they can check online from anyplace on campus.

How LaundryView Works: When LaundryView is installed on a college campus, washers and dryers in its student laundry facilities are connected to the Internet. The availability and current status of each machine is displayed on a web page that students can easily access through any device equipped with a web browser and Internet connection. In addition to showing the current status of all washers and dryers, the website also displays a graphical two-week history of equipment usage so students can see, and avoid, peak usage times.

Through the LaundryView web page, students can arrange to be notified when a washer or dryer is available, or when their own washing or drying cycle is complete. They can specify how they want to be notified, either by e-mail, cell phone message, or wireless PDA message. In addition to keeping students connected to their laundry room, LaundryView also keeps Mac-Gray informed if there is a problem with one of its machines. Should a malfunction occur, the machine automatically notifies the local branch office and within minutes a service order is delivered to the appropriate service technician. By keeping more machines available more of the time, the LaundryView eMonitoring system makes it easier than ever for students to manage one of their least favorite activities. For a tour of the system visit http://demo.laundryview.com