The RCU reports changes by itself
Card inserted, door opened, DND pressed or temperature changed, the RCU pushes the news at once. TingEdge does not have to poll each room.
Technology and security
Four separate layers, each doing exactly one job. Rooms keep running when the network is down, sensitive data stays at the hotel, and every action leaves a trail.
Rooms keep running when the network is downCommands with confirmationDocuments stored at the hotelA log of every action
Architecture
Four layers, one job each
In-room devices, the edge device at the hotel, the operations platform and the apps are kept apart. A fault in one layer does not stop the others.
- In each room
RCU
The HDL room controller reads the card, door and sensors and controls lights, air conditioning and curtains. Room logic runs right inside the RCU.
- One RCU per room
- Expand with Buspro devices
- Reports changes by itself
- Hotel technical room
TingEdge
A small Linux computer packaged in Docker. It talks to the RCUs on the local network, gathers clean data and sends out only what is valuable.
- One or more TingEdge per hotel
- Runs timers and scripts
- Keeps guest documents on site
- Cloud or dedicated infrastructure
Platform
Business database, centralised authentication and permissions. Each hotel's data is separated at the database layer.
- Reservations, folio, housekeeping, stores
- Permissions and the authentication package live here
- Real-time sync
- User screens
Apps
Operations web for the desk and managers, a staff app and a guest app. The interface and data are bilingual, Vietnamese and English.
- Web that runs in a browser
- App iOS, Android
- Guest app in the hotel's branding
Inside the hotel network
Front desk machines and the staff app on the local network connect straight to TingEdge. Room status appears almost instantly, with no detour through the Internet.
Outside the hotel network
Managers on a business trip and the guest app on its own Wi-Fi or 4G go through the cloud platform. The same account, the same set of permissions.
Connecting to the rooms
From the RCU to the screen
The only place that talks to the RCUs is TingEdge. The status on screen is the real status of the room.
TingEdge filters before sending
Compared with the current state, only what changed is sent. Temperature, humidity and power have thresholds so junk messages do not flood the system.
Commands with confirmation
A command to a room is resent up to three times. The screen shows done only when the RCU confirms the real state; there is no fake status.
Know at once when a room loses signal
If an RCU is silent for more than 5 minutes, the room tile turns to connection lost and an alert is raised. RCUs are identified by hardware address, so a changed IP does not mix up rooms.
3times
a command is resent before reporting no response
5minutes
without a signal before the RCU is reported as lost
15minutes
account locked after 5 wrong attempts
2languages
data and interface bilingual in Vietnamese and English
When something goes wrong
Rooms do not shut down with the network
A hotel runs 24 hours. The system is designed so that each kind of failure has its own way of holding up.
Internet down
- TingEdge keeps controlling rooms, receiving status and answering the door bell
- Machines on the local network keep working with the session already signed in
- Events queue on disk and are sent later when the network returns
- New sign-ins are not possible yet, because authentication sits at the centre
TingEdge stops or restarts
- Rooms do not go dark: the RCU runs cards, seasonal air conditioning and scripts by itself
- The web only shows a notice and does not lock the room map
- Check-in, check-out and posting to the folio carry on normally through the cloud
Connection restored
- TingEdge pulls the desired room state from the platform and reconciles it with the RCU by itself
- However long it was down, it returns to the correct state
- The interface shows that it is syncing until it finishes
Software updates
- TingEdge receives the new version as a Docker package remotely
- If it cannot start, it rolls back to the old version by itself
- No need to send someone to the hotel for each update
Security and access
The right person, the right task, with a trail
Fine-grained permissions for hotel staff, centralised authentication, and on-site devices that open no door to the Internet.
Permissions per person
A role is only a starting label. Permissions can be added or removed for each person: a housekeeping employee can be allowed to view ledgers if the hotel permits.
Centralised authentication
Permissions and the software plan are always checked at the centre. TingEdge has no account system of its own and accepts only valid sessions.
Lockout after wrong attempts
After 5 wrong passwords the account is locked for 15 minutes. Sign in with email, phone number or Google.
Action log
Records who did what, when, and on which room. Configuration and permission changes all leave a trail.
Confirmation before big actions
Switching off a whole floor, changing statuses in bulk or editing RCU configuration must be confirmed, with the consequences explained beforehand.
TingEdge opens no inbound port
TingEdge only connects outward and needs no port opened from the Internet. The RCU network should sit in its own technical network zone.
The guest app uses a one-time code
Guests enter with a phone number and a one-time code generated when the room is matched to the stay. The code expires and becomes invalid at check-out.
Data separated by hotel
Each hotel sees only its own data, even when several small hotels share one system.
Personal data
Guest documents stay at the hotel
Tools for the hotel to meet its obligations under the 2025 Law on Personal Data Protection and Decree 356/2025/ND-CP.
The hotel decides the purpose of processing data. TingHotel provides tools and does not replace legal advice.
Documents stored at the hotel
Photos and details of ID cards and passports sit on the TingEdge at the hotel, encrypted. Documents are not backed up to the vendor's cloud.
Masked, and logged when viewed
People without permission see only a masked form. Every full view is recorded.
Deleted automatically on expiry
The hotel sets a retention period for documents. When it expires, the system deletes or anonymises them, keeping an anonymous stay history.
Recording consent
Stores when and what the guest agreed to for data processing. No pre-ticked boxes are used.
Data subject request log
Requests from guests to view, correct, delete or withdraw consent all go into the log, with a clock counting the response and handling deadlines.
Data breach incident log
Records the time, scope, how it was handled, and whether the authorities were notified.
Card numbers are not stored
The system does not hold guests' payment card numbers. It stores only a substitute token if a payment gateway is used.
Reminder not to keep ID documents
The check-in screen reminds the front desk to return original documents to the guest under current regulations.
Data retention
Keep only data that has value
Device signals are plentiful, but most are useful only in the short term. Each type of data has a clear retention period.
1 to 2 weeks
Device events
Who inserted a card into which room, and when: only short-term value for lookup and reconciliation.
1 year
Energy
One record per hour within the day, overwritten. One summary per day is kept for seasonal comparison.
1 year
Configuration and permission log
Enough to review who changed what within an operating cycle.
Set by the hotel
Business records
Reservations, folios and task tickets are not deleted automatically. The retention period is the hotel's decision.
Deployment
Three ways to host the system
The same software, running where the owner's scale and storage requirements call for.
Shared cloud
The hotel needs only the TingEdge on site. The platform, backups and updates are operated by TingHotel.
- Start quickly, with no dedicated server
- Each hotel's data is kept separate
Hotel group
A chain or group of small hotels shares one system to cut costs, while each property keeps its data separate.
- Each staff account belongs to one property
- Reports are consolidated by group
Dedicated infrastructure
The owner's own database and infrastructure, with the server possibly placed in Vietnam.
- Project-specific development scope
- Fits requirements to store data in the country
Integrations
Open to connect with existing systems
External PMS
A hotel already on another PMS can still pass check-in and check-out to control rooms according to the true stay status.
BACnet/IP, Modbus, KNX
Central air conditioning, electricity and water meters, and public-area lighting connect through add-ons.
API, webhook, MQTT
An open gateway to connect restaurant software, POS and the owner's systems.
OTA channels, e-invoicing
Sync rates and room availability with sales channels, and connect an e-invoice provider.
For IT teams
Frequently asked questions
What is TingEdge and where does it sit?
A small computer running Linux, placed in the technical room on the same network as the RCUs. The software is packaged in Docker, so it updates remotely and does not depend on the machine's configuration. Large hotels can use several TingEdge units.
Do we have to open network ports from the Internet into the hotel?
No. TingEdge only connects outward by itself. Remote support is switched on per session only when the hotel allows it, and is logged.
How should the RCU network, office network and guest Wi-Fi be organised?
Place the RCUs and TingEdge in their own technical network zone. Front desk machines need to see TingEdge to get instant status. Guest Wi-Fi is usually separate, so the guest app always goes through the cloud.
What if the Internet is down for a whole day?
Rooms keep operating: TingEdge keeps controlling, receiving status and running timers. Machines already signed in on the local network keep working for a limited time. Events are kept and sent later when the network returns.
Where does the data sit, and who can access it?
Business data sits on the cloud platform, separated by hotel. Guest documents sit on the TingEdge at the hotel. The Enterprise plan can run on the owner's own infrastructure.
Which browser do front desk machines need?
A recent version of Chrome is recommended for front desk machines, to connect straight to TingEdge on the local network. Managers viewing remotely can use any common browser.
Will our IT team get detailed technical documents?
Yes. The network diagram, TingEdge hardware requirements, connection list and backup process are provided per project to the owner's IT team.
See TingHotel running on a sample hotel
HDL Vietnam engineers demonstrate the room map, check-in, SOS alerts and the guest app on a real room controller or the virtual RCU.