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In the recent event of the shooting happening in Las Vegas in a hotel it has made the issue of hotel security on everyones mind as everyone is trying to figure out how to make sure this never happens again. The idea of implementing a TSA- like approach to security in a hotel would not be advantageous for a hotel as the cost to implement this would be very high which would lead to higher prices for the guests and also guests definitely would not appreciate this type of security. One thing that hotels should look at, is the car access to the property. Most hotels do have drive up drive ways where guests can conveniently valet their car and check in, but this style leads the hotels open to car bombings and hotels will not recognize this vulnerability until an intelligence agency declares this as a target by terrorists. Instead of making radical changes in hotel security and the actual property we should focus more on fact-based risk assessment to figure out the best solution.

The major hotel chains are influencing legislation and also now requiring employee safety devices (ESDs) to make the workplace safer for employees (i.e. room service attendants or housekeepers) who find themselves alone in guest rooms with ill-intentioned guests. ESDs can also be appropriate for large resorts with beach personnel, activities personnel, or other positions that find themselves in enclosed, or remote areas with less security. Not every hotel has a security department that can constantly monitor cameras and ESDs. Will these devices present more strain on hotel wireless networks? That depends. Hoteliers need to consider whether these devices will be provided by or monitored through their keylock vendor, through their guest room entertainment vendor, or through a wireless provider. Could there be a benefit to an ESD interface with the PMS? I'm not finding an obvious answer. Hotels, varying in room count, are providing ESDs that range from whistles to wireless to BLE or RFID enabled. Hotel owners and management companies have the responsibility to research the most appropriate solution for their hotel without undermining the safety and privacy of their employees and their hotel networks.

I believe it is important for hotel brands to evolve with the people who are staying there. Nothing beats being at home; however, it is pretty awesome when you are staying away from home and do not feel as if you are missing out. This article covers just that, making a bold statement with their title; "High Tech and High Class: How Luxury Hotels are Embracing Technology". Modern hotels are on " a deeper level of connectivity than a simple iPod doc, or a reliable Internet connect". Many are using state of the art devices and software which allows their guests to control from the lighting in the room to even housekeeping. The article also talks about Shane Krige, General Manager of the Plaza in New York City. He purchased a few iPads for the hotel lobby for his guests to play with. The feedback led to the hotel putting an iPad in every room at the Plaza. The Star Hotel & Casino in Sydney Harbour now offers a Control4 systems which gives guests a touch screen control for the TV, lighting and temperature and even music. Even better than the touch screen control the suites all feature "a button labeled "Leaving Room" by the entry door that automatically places the suite in an energy-saving mode: With a single touch, it closes blinds, turns off lights and dials back air conditioners for energy savings. Should you forget to press this on your way out, after 30 minutes the system will sense there is no one and trigger the button automatically. Upon return your room will greet you by opening curtains, turning on the lights and displaying a welcome message". Greener might be more expensive; however, it pays for itself and saves the hotel money in the long run.

Now as the world developed, security of every area becomes more and more important especially in hospitality industry. More and more new technology is used in hotel. From this article, we know that the Hilton Americas-Houston has installed a cutting edge digital video system that relies on facial recognition technology.The hotel isn't just monitoring for potential outsider threat; it's also keeping an eye out for rogue insiders, too. The hotel is using facial recognition to monitor employee behavior, paying particular attention to any former employees who leave on less-than-pleasant terms. All employees are informed that video monitoring of them takes place. The video system monitors the areas where employees come to punch into time clocks in order to verify the person's identity. But perhaps more significantly, the facial recognition system is used to watch for any suspicious activities of employees or former employees. For security problems that happened already, the system can find relevant surveillance footage in seconds rather than hours, which can aid in solving crimes and possibly prosecuting criminals. Hotel security could also derail potential dangers before they happen by, for instance, uploading a digital image of someone who is banned from the hotel and letting the system send an alert when the person shows up. Using facial recognition, the system would issue an alert if the person walked into a hotel so security so then hotel security could then escort the people out of the hotel. In serious cases, footage can be stored and e-mailed to an insurance company or local district attorney.

This seems similar to the casino facial recognition technology that Professor Cilli mentioned in the video lecture. Its interesting that you mentioned protecting the Hotel and their guests from disgruntled former employees backlash. With the Hotel common areas not being private space I don't see why guests would have a problem with privacy infringement.

3VR highlights hotel security program that incorporates facial recognition to track guest, identify unwanted or banned guest and monitor employee attendance and behaviors. Also it can be used to help those pesky items that guests seem to keep losing by using color, size and other physical attributes. While this system has many benefits to a hotel, I see this being only feasible in a large property where the sheer volume of customers and guest can produce enough revenues to offset the cost of this system.

The article talks about the integration of a new system called Rainmaker and RoomkeyPMS. The trend of using the "cloud" is ongoing, as RoomkeyPMS is software that is "cloud-powered" which helps to facilitate the way the front office handles their operations. Rainmaker integration with the PMS, on the other hand, is to help the back of the house. It is meant to increase hotel bookings and "streamline operations and revenue optimization processes". Highlights the first boutique hotel in Charleston, The Spectator Hotel, are the first to adapt this new collaboration to improve the way data is being accessed. Based on the article, the hotel is using these cloud based systems to be able to offer more innovative service to their consumers especially when it comes to how revenue is being handled. I think that having to cloud systems working together can be kind of difficult especially when they serve two different purposes. But with that being said, both softwares seem to work for the best individually. Having the ability to try this out on a smaller boutique hotel would be for the best because it allows hoteliers to conduct analysis for the systems on a smaller scale.

The article shows how a unified computing and communication system helps a company implement a new technology. While the new technology system is worth a multimillion-dollar investment; the benefits have provided the company excellent financial results. It allowed the company to consolidate 18 room reservation and telephone operations into a single location. Another advantage from the update is the capability for Station Casinos to connect 15,000 different devices which include some of the newer slot machines that have been installed. The new technology reduces downtime; this is an advantage as downtime could lead to potential monetary loss. Finally, the update while costing millions of dollars, the financial return on the investment is tremendously impactful to the company.

This article speaks about a seemingly successful turn around for a struggling casino group in Las Vegas after making multimillion-dollar investments for I.T. over a period of time. While it has not completely eradicated all their problems, Stations Casinos Inc., which operates 18 hotels, and casinos off the Vegas Strip has saved tremendously by providing a cohesive communication computer system that has allowed greater efficiency ultimately saving money. An example of efficiency is cutting down data center server racks from 12 to one. More advantages showed with reduced cost due to less power and energy being used to maintain more infrastructures. An upgrade in network allowed for their slot machines and security cameras to connect across the board. This is important because, " about 80% of revenue comes from slot machines," said Baltz. These are just a few advantages the Stations Casinos Inc., has experienced since their investment. After reading this article, it just goes to show how important the I.T. department can be to the profitability of a hotel, casino or other hospitality entity. Usually we think of the product or service as the revenue generators of a business, but this type of article shows that, by saving money, the trickle down effect of increasing profits will occur when you cut expenses.

If there was ever any question that IT investment could drastically benefit companies, this scenario is the proof. A group of struggling Las Vegas Casinos really turned there negative situation around with the use of new interactive technology. This interactive technology is not only beneficial in the hotel world, but apparently casinos as well. The possibilities for this technology are endless, as long as it continues to advance. Guests and costumers who continue to be satisfied with their enhanced technological experience, will give companies and businesses large profits. Just as the casinos had a drastic turnaround by utilizing technology, other groups will do the same.

This article notes that many hotels have been the victims of cyber attacks. For example, in July of this year, the Four Seasons, Trump Hotels, and the Loews Hotels all had customer information hacked because of security failures. Furthermore, many of these resulted from vulnerability from the vendors. To address this issue, the article suggests that hotels should incorporate the following four actions: (1) Review data security policies; (2) Require vendors to take responsibility for their mistakes; (3) Analyze cybersecurity policies; and (4) Require brands and managers to test backup systems.

This posts summarized 10 trends in the hospitality technology. Most of them are benefiting the guests directly, such as the wifi access and the self check-in services. However, as more and more hotel in the industry adopting these technology, the competition has been brought on, and every company is working harder to invest more technology in hotel management, development as well as operation. These 10 trends are the most basic ones which have changed the industry greatly, but there are mot to expect in the near future. 

I decided to do further research on Biometrics software in hospitality because we use it at the Four Seasons where I work in the Residences department. Biometrics is a technology that scans your fingerprint and grants you access to areas designated by management. This is useful in residences and hotels because as an owner or guests, only you will have access to your apartment or room. The article mentioned how as technology evolves, there is a debate as to whether guests will want to give their fingerprint. Too much security could be seen as a nuisance but too little security puts guests at risk. Having a Biometrics system in place at a hotel ensures that only hotel guests are patrolling the property or floors with rooms. Another interesting aspect is using Biometrics to remember returning guest preferences such as floor height, food choices, allergies, etc. This system could be put into place at check-in so that right away the front desk knows the guest is returning and can be made aware of their past preferences. Benefits of Biometrics mentioned in the article is not having to deal with room key cards, added security on property, seamless check-ins as well as even paying for items on property. A guest might not even need to take their credit card around because they can just use their fingerprint to pay at the pool, gift shop, etc. Behind the scenes, Biometrics is important as well. A hotel can use Biometrics to track employee attendance, clocking out for meals and to ensure only employees are accessing closed off areas of the property.

Biometrics can be used by companies for employees to clock in and clock out to ensure timesheet accuracy. It can be used by companies as a security measure so that guests are where they are permitted to be. It can be used for easy check in and billing and payment verification if there are issues. Biometrics can also be used as a way to collect guest information for example their preferences.

Unified Computing System (UCS) technology is widely used byStation Casinos Inc., which is a one of high-tech Station Casinos Inc. invested and do a good implement in their properties. It not only help this company do a good business and also help the it employees keep their jobs.

Hotel guests are a captive audience and are often looking for the convenience factor when making their purchasing decisions, such as where to eat that night. If hoteliers take the initiative with their WiFi solution, they could be soon be reaping the financial rewards.

Implementing the right technology can bring a company back to business therefore it is really important to Know what technology is the best for the organization in order to improve productivity and attract potential clients.

The IT staff in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino prefer to use the Policy Patrol Disclaimers from Red Earth Software in order to solve too goals: to standardize the signature on all outgoing e-mail with a more corporate and consistent feel, and the em-mail signatures had to be flexible enough to accommodate marketing promotions. E-mail is an important tool for team member to communicate with other parts as an entertainment marketing tools to streamline their brand and publicize the events. The reasons for choosing the Policy Patrol are, its close integration with exchange server and active directory. It can immediately applies updates to active directory contact information in the users' e-mail signature to make easy to maintain. Also, the Policy Patrol Disclaimers is very easy to operate and need little to maintain. It is consistent, reliable, and easy to use.

The article is talking about that the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino communicates with vendors, partners, legal teams, and hotel and casino patrons via e-mail. Hard Rock had two goals for the e-mail signature to improve their e-marketing. One is to standardize the signature and the second is to be flexible enough to accommodate marketing promotions. The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino chose the Policy Patrol Disclaimers to help them achieve goals. The Policy Patrol has a close integration with Exchange Server and Active Directory. It allows the hotel to configure one template that is automatically personalized with the sender's contact information. The Policy Patrol also allows to easily updating e-mail marketing information for all e-mail signatures by configuring e-mail signatures from one central template.

This article mentions a marketing tool through e-mails and a specific solution, eSignature Solution, implemented by Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The employees at the Hard Rock increasingly communicate with co-workers, partners, vendors, and customers via e-mails. The company realized that e-mails could be an important marketing tool which costs less than other tools, such as TV commercials. Thus, the Hard Rock implemented eSignature Solution which allows them to send out e-mails to customers, vendors, and partners with upcoming events, special deals, and so on. In addition, this centralized e-mail signatures program enables the company to configure one template that is automatically personalized with the sender's contact information, and to customize e-mails and its contents (events or special offers) based on customer information. According to Mike Essig, the director at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, the new solution is very easy to operate, update and mostly cost effective. Along with social media marketing, marketing through e-mail could be very effective and potential as the number of use of e-mail is significantly growing and e-mail is widely used in our lives.

"IT solutions can be used to help a hotel to manage its environmental impact (CO2 emissions, energy consumption). Siemens analyses the customer requirements and then implements best-in-class solutions. In addition we provide the required process consulting to establish sustainability reporting within an organization. Here are a few highlights of our "Sustainable Impact" offering: Benchmark customer's own position in sustainability issues vs. competitors and improve own sustainability processes to become best-in-class. Integrate sustainability / energy management into company strategy, organizational framework and corporate behavior Target setting for company-wide KPIs (e.g. CO2) and creation of transparency by setup of IT supported controlling process Support fulfillment of regulatory requirements, voluntary reporting (e.g. GRI, DJSI, CDP) and company positioning (e.g. sustainability report) Manage environmental and other sustainability projects"

in order to keep the green hotel the manger should use the IT solutions. especially in the environment impact, we cannot control the hotel environment sustainability development only by the manual. using the IT solution is fast and convenient. we can use it to analysis and conclude the best solution or advice for the sustainability development of the hotel. we put the data, operation statement and expenses into the system and then the computer can help the hotel to establish the frame for building the green hotel. also we can use the Siemens technology to assign the employees everyday so as to avoid the situation that is over-staff or under staff. moreover we can use the Siemens system to decline the waste of paper, water, energy and so on. This way can save the money and protect the environment.

Nowadays, all hotels are trying to improve their IT with their sustainability efforts. In this article, Siemens has introduced a new system "IT for Sustainability". The new system will help hotels improve energy, resource-efficiency, and save costs in two ways: greening the hotel IT environment and using IT as enabler to lower carbon footprint.

Noble Studies is adding Chad Hallert to their team. Hallert is a former internet marking director at the Eldorado Hotel Casino and Silver Legacy Resort Casino. At Noble Studios he will work with clients to maximize performance and ROI. His previous experience involved web development for their casino websites, which helped to increase profitability. This is an interesting move by Noble Studios to hire Chad Hallert. This will give the company an edge because Hallert specialized in casino and hotel e-marketing. This could help bring in more hospitality based clients to Noble Studios. Hallart is highly thought of in Nevada and has been recognized for his knowledge in technology marketing.

This article discusses how to select the right Property Management System (PMS) for hotels and specifies procedures that the hotels need to follow. The first step in selecting a PMS is that hotels need to foam an evaluation team that includes managers, staff from different departments, such as front desk, accounting, housekeeping, and IT, in order to make sure the PMS works for everyone. Then, the hotel should determine its budget, making sure they don't waste time for a PMS out of their price range. Once the budget is set, the evaluation team should conduct a needs assessment to ensure that they only buy features they need. Next, researching the PMSs that meet the hotels' requirements and fit the budget is necessary. This article emphasizes some key features, such as user-friendly design, guest-oriented functionality, integration with other system, etc., to consider when evaluating the PMSs. After the hotel has completed its research, they need to narrow the options down to top two or three, and to have the selected vendors demonstrate their products in front of the evaluation team. After all, the hotels can choose the right one which works the best for them. Competition in the hospitality business has been intense, so it is essential to invest in technology, such as Property Management System (PMS), to streamline operations, enhance guest service, and ultimately win competition over others. However, there are so many PMS options to choose on the market, so it is also critical to know what procedures to follow, and to choose the most suitable PMS for each business.

Indigo Sky Casino and Hotel, one of the largest casinos in NE Oklahoma, will be implementing a "comprehensive software suite" by Agilysys, a leading developer and marketer of proprietary enterprise software, services and solutions to the hospitality and retail industries. The Agilysys software suite will consist of a Lodging Management System, InfoGenesis POS and Stratton Warren System.  The Lodging Management System will help automate all hotel operations. InfoGenesis POS will manage any combination of dining, bar service and retail operations. The Stratton Warren System will help maximize purchasing power and reduce operational costs by automating the procurement process. Combined, these Agilysys solutions will help Indigo Sky "maximize staff productivity, enhance efficiency and increase revenue." 

This article discusses the wave of facial recognition technology coming to the Las Vegas casinos for not only safety but also for data analytics purposes.

A thief was caught in Las Vegas due to the facial recognition technology utilized in the building. Also, casinos and hotels are adding internet connected devices like temperature monitors, call buttons and door sensors, and surge in demand is lowering the cost and can be implemented for as little as $1per month

3-D mapping is allowing casinos and hotels to better understand their guests. So much data can be gathered that the difficulty is employing a team of "PhD's," to analyze the data. The article finishes by stating that there is a huge amount of competition for capital inside a casino. Casinos are in a constant cycle of upgrading and that it is difficult to convince everyone of the value of the investment.

This article focused on cybersecurity in hotel casinos. They mention how casinos seem to be a target for a lot of cyber attackers because they tend to not invest as they should on protecting themselves. Casinos hold a TON of financial data; customer info., bank info., and credit card info. I enjoyed the article because they even went as far as giving a few casinos a "security score" in how well/bad they are in staying secure.

This article discusses different marketing companies that are reaching out to hotels and casinos to offer something new to their consumers. Duetto is a software that will optimize profit for casino hotels, by tracking the individual guests on their spending. They can utilize that data collected by recommending room pricing for individual guests, allowing to maximize profit. This article also continues to talk about other technology companies such as JOINGO. JOINGO is a company that focuses on customer loyalty in the gaming and casino industry, setting up loyalty programs that are customizable to each individual guest. They will send out offers and alerts to the target market, which the consumer can use because everything is offered in real-time. It goes on to explain other technology companies that are optimizing profit for these casino's and resorts. I believe these are all great companies that are working to maximize profit, but I do believe that a company should be created that utilizes all these features offered in one. A lot of the companies are teaming up to work with the casino allowing for everything to go in too many directions, I believe it would be wise to have one company create a software that has all features.

This article talks about Agilysys , which is a leading provider of innovative technology and hospitality software solution and states that Valley View Casino & Hotel in Valley Center are using their Visual one system for the hotel which offers :  front office operations, guest history, housekeeping, reservation management and more. The company offers software and hardware to companies ranging from small hotel to middle size hotel. Furthermore the company else have a Visual Comp accounting module with give the employer the opportunity to code complimentary guest charges from the guest folio, including patron self-redemption and manager comps and much more.  The software that the company provides are really users-friendly and the news users have no problem whatsoever to use the program after receiving the training.

It is not only easy to use but also features drag-and-drop options in their touch screen devices which facilitates new employees to use this kind of system. Most Importantly, it is user-friendly and can save a lot of money to the company in the long run. Great investment!

Gambling has become popular in casino hotels. The reason why many people support the need to have gambling in hotels is because it contributes to the development of the economy. Gambling provides the elegance of hotels with its daily entertainment and live concerts that are held on a weekly basis. Casino hotels provide top of the line restaurants for their guests to enjoy after spending a long day of playing. What casino hotels do is attract tourists from the community to come out and enjoy a great time. Expanding some casino hotels and making them more innovative is being talked about worldwide.