Ask anyone — from the front desk clerk to the GM — property management systems (PMS) are old, antiquated, and haven’t seen much innovation over the last 20 years. This is because they are one of the stickiest solutions a hotel can have. Switching costs are high due to licensing, hardware and training. This is all about to change though. Here is why:Licensing prices will come down to earth as the market becomes more competitive and Software as a Service (SaaS) will become more acceptable.PCs will continue to disappear since the next generation PMS will run off tablets or even smartphones. Welcome to the “post-PC world,” as Steve Jobs would say.As consumerized enterprise software becomes more prevalent, the PMS will become as intuitive as the iPhone. Training costs will take a deep dive if not disappear at all. Gesture, touch and voice will replace the keyboard and mouse.ATRIO by PAR Springer-Miller, InnRoad, and RoomKey are some of the companies leading the way. It’s only a matter of time before others jump in.