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Switching to the cloud from a client server platform pays off with a big drop in both the initial capital outlay and the ongoing operating costs for the property management and other systems.

pects of a franchisee’s business, from guest check-ins and housekeeping services to billing and finances. Over time new features have been rolled into the software platform making it more robust and useful for hotel owners—it’s currently distributed in eight countries and available in four languages. And while plenty of cloud-based PMS packages are now available from third-party vendors like Micros, Maestro, and RoomKey, Choice’s internal solution has garnered its fair share of attention. “We had been getting knocks on the door from IT vendors at other hotel companies and individual Choice franchisees that own other brands, saying they were interested in our product,” says Pacious, “So we set up a new division so we could take a look at other opportunities we could develop.” This led the company to launch SkyTouch last year, a new division that develops and markets cloud-based software solutions to hotels inside and outside the Choice system. Pages: 1 2 3 4 2013-06-18 Sean Downey !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })(); (function() { var li = document.createElement('script'); li.type = 'text/javascript'; li.async = true; li.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https:' : 'http:') + '//platform.stumbleupon.com/1/widgets.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(li, s); })(); inShare0 Related Articles attachment-3

his led the company to launch SkyTouch last year, a new division that develops and markets cloud-based software solutions to hotels inside and outside the Choice system. Pages: 1 2 3 4 2013-06-18 Sean Downey !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })(); (function() { var li = document.createElement('script'); li.type = 'text/javascript'; li.async = true; li.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https:' : 'http:') + '//platform.stumbleupon.com/1/widgets.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(li, s); })(); inShare0 Related Articles Hotel Market Insight: Cleveland a

This led the company to launch SkyTouch last year, a new division that develops and markets cloud-based software solutions to hotels inside and outside the Choice system.

VingCard Elsafe provides comprehensive training on the technology for the hotel staff and encourages everyone who will have interaction with the locks to participate

, preventing

As hotel locks become increasingly automated, preventing them from becoming vulnerable to security concerns has become a top priority for hoteliers

As hotel locks become increasingly automated, preventing them from becoming vulnerable to security

“  Our Classic magstripe locks do not store critical security information within individual locks, such as master key information, and any service device must authenticate itself through diversified encryption methods to gain access to the lock software ,” Shea said. “  When VingCard Elsafe moved the industry towards RFID technology, security was one key driver, and our primary focus was to add additional security to the RFID card to prevent cloning. To that end, VingCard Elsafe hotel locking systems do not work with cards that have no anti-cloning capability.”

VingCard Elsafe’s locks can also detect tampering and work to alert hotel security staff using the company’s VISIONLINE system. “[The VISIONLINE system] incudes alarms to alert the hotel front desk if someone attempts to tamper with a door lock as well as providing real time alerts to the hotel’s security staff

VingCard Elsafe’s locks can also detect tampering and work to alert hotel security staff using the company’s VISIONLINE system. “[The VISIONLINE system] incudes alarms to alert the hotel front desk if someone attempts to tamper with a door lock as well as providing real time alerts to the hotel’s security staff when activity is detected that a card is being misused,”

For instance, a ‘wandering intruder alert’ warns hotel security personnel when a card is presented to a number of different doors.  Other alarms include detecting that a door is forced open, left open, or ‘mule tool’ intrusions when a door is opened from the inside handle without an occupant in the room.”

After installation, hotels must work to keep their staff trained and their system upgraded to keep pace with the latest security issues.  

VingCard Elsafe provides comprehensive training on the technology for the hotel staff and encourages everyone who will have interaction with the locks to participate ,”

As with any hotel upgrade, hoteliers understand that renovation and upgrades are a regular part of running their business

Looking past RFID solutions for instance, VingCard Elsafe has made our RFID locks compatible with next generation technologies, like Near Field Communications (NFC), providing our customers with an easy upgrade path at reasonable cost.”  

“If such a significant issue were to exist in a car, customers would likely expect a complete recall at the expense of the manufacturer,” Brocious adds. “I can’t help but feel that Onity has the same responsibility to their customers, and to customers staying in hotels protected by Onity locks.

But since then, two hackers who asked not to have their names revealed have claimed in emails to me that they independently replicated the exploit and refined it, so that it now works on any Onity hotel room lock. Brocious tells me he’s spoken with eight or nine hackers who have all been able to replicate his work to some degree.

“We want to assure you that Onity is working on providing you with a solution that will address any potential risks related to the alleged vulnerability of these locks,”

Onity isn’t the only one to come under fire in wake of its security flap: Brocious has also been criticized for failing to warn Onity ahead of his Black Hat demonstration and for selling a licence to use his Onity-hacking trick to a locksmith training firm for $20,000 long before he made his findings public.

Onity issued a statement responding to last month’s presentation at the Black Hat security conference by Cody Brocious, a Mozilla developer who showed that he was able to insert a device he built for less than $50 into the data port on the underside of Onity’s locks, read their memory to find a decryption key, and use it to gain access to the lock’s firmware and trigger its open command in a matter of seconds.

Onity will offer its customers new circuit boards and firmware that ostensibly fix the problems Brocious demonstrated–But Onity is asking owners of some models of its locks of some to pay a “nominal fee” for the fix, while offering others “special pricing programs” to cover the cost of replacing components.

Menu options, travel directions, appointment updates, facial recognition software and contact information are just the beginning of the very real ways that event planners will soon be able to use wearable tech.

Event technology trends aside, the number one thing for any event professional to remember, is to let your tools work for you, rather than the other way around. The purpose of implementing advanced technology is to make your life, and the life of those whom you plan events for, as easy as possible.

5G will also make it more feasible to incorporate the cutting-edge into event experiences.

Projection mapping is the act of creating an augmented reality experience with the help of projectors.

this visual technology proves to be an efficient and cost effective way to create optical illusions in nearly every location.

event technology adoption can increase attendance by 20%, increase productivity by 27%, and decrease costs by as much as 30%.

branded apps provide limitless opportunities to interact with consumers right on their own phones

Apps can be customized to appear as if they were created specifically for events or stays, while offering functionality that serves to enhance and personalize the attendee experience.

Planners can utilize branded multi-use apps to connect with attendees and engage them on a variety of levels before, during, and after the occasion.

Event spaces can create customized apps to enhance experiences and share things like helpful facts, historical tidbits, and even the personalities of their unique employees,

Because they’re often cloud-based, these programs also provide accurate, customizable, and collaborative project planning that’s accessible by all managing parties

With event diagramming software, both event planners and venues are able to map everything out visually

provides helpful tools like drag-and-drop diagramming, 3D walkthroughs, and seating software on a single platform.

Hotels especially can use apps in this way, allowing guests to control their rooms from their phones and even communicate with chatbots to find nearby attractions.

Projection mapping5GBranded multi-use appsEvent diagramming

It also opens up new possibilities for app developers to push the boundaries of current event tech trends

Knowing event technology trends—and adopting the most valuable ones—gives planners and venues the competitive advantage

Studies show that using event technology can increase attendance by 20 percent and increase productivity by 27 percent. 

Each match automates personalized actions, such as printing a badge with the attendees name, sending an email with a scannable lunch voucher, and finalizing a swag bag for their ticket-tier (no sense creating swag bags for no-shows).

The technology speeds event check-ins, improves security, and helps businesses at tradeshows collect more valuable leads by tracking attendee visits to booths.

can also use facial recognition to watch for crowd flow bottlenecks and collect session attendance data so you know what worked—and what didn’t.

The ability to support advanced tech like facial recognition makes venues more attractive to corporate planners. The technology also allows automation at certain access points, which means lower manpower requirements and lower costs. 

Properly integrated apps add value to events, providing attendees with more opportunities for networking, interaction, and engagement with peers, speakers, and exhibitors.

Offering tech to support projection mapping provides bang for the buck. There’s no need to physically construct or deconstruct any part of your exhibit hall to add this fun, popular technology to your toolbox and draw more events. 

This visual technology is an efficient, cost-effective way to create optical illusions on anything—from cars to landmarks to stages.

With tradeshow or conference maps, speaker bios, and schedules in the event app, there’s no need for bulky information packets. Push notifications in the apps help keep attendees informed and on schedule. Planners can also use apps to personalize the event agenda through live polling and attract event sponsors with the option of targeted attendee surveys.  

Event spaces can create customized apps to share helpful info like maps, historical tidbits, and even the personalities of their unique employees

Easy-to-use 3D event diagramming software provides accurate, customizable, collaborative project planning regardless of venue design or size.

Give clients peace of mind and leave nothing to chance on the big dayUpload a floor plan to work with, so you know the diagram is to scaleTake clients and stakeholders on 3D ‘fly throughs’ to clarify your visionPlan seating charts and manage attendees’ meal choices or other preferencesHelp staff easily identify and accommodate VIPs and guests with special requests

Sales reps can collaborate with planners in real time, share variations on the event proposal, and visually portray upsells.

Attendees can use this tech to follow slide presentations, participate with quizzes and polls, take notes, and engage in text-based Q&A. They can also view graphs, tables, videos, and other content; and follow website and social media links. 

Any speaker can keep an audience attentive and engaged with this technology, leading to good reviews and a successful event.

Supporting second screen tech for presentations is much less expensive than making physical upgrades that aren’t in the budget. 

This data underscores the importance of social media sentiment analysis in monitoring your brand and messaging, keeping an eye on competitors, and making improvements to services during and after events.

Tracking attendee activity on social media during an event provides actionable data to help you make adjustments in real-time

Replenishing food and beveragesEasing show floor bottlenecksDriving session attendanceAddressing technology issues (mobile apps, Wi-Fi, or audio/visual)

Venues can social media sentiment to promote popular services and learn where there’s room for improvement:

Wristbands and smart badges using near-field communication (NFC) chips keep disruptions and lines to a minimum, thereby increasing attendee productivity and engagement.

Access different event areasExchange information with peersReceive exhibitor marketing materialMake cashless purchases

Wearable tech helps you speed-up check-in, control access, and monitor attendee behavior with less staffing. It also improves ROI for exhibitors, who can drive attendees wearing the tech to visit a booth of interest based on an individual’s profile.

On-site staff can use real-time data to learn when they need to offer overflow rooms or investigate security breaches, such as non-VIP guests in restricted areas. 

Indoor wayfinding helps attendees navigate exhibit halls with ease,

gather useful attendee behavioral data, send leads to sales team members in real-time, and build attendee profiles to send targeted messaging

You can also incorporate proximity advertising options as a value-add for exhibitors and sponsor

Post-event, you can utilize IPS data to see where attendees spent their time visiting booths and attending presentations.

Adding hotel bars, restaurants, spas, gift shops, and other amenities to the location map can help drive additional revenue during events while improving the attendee experience

store attendee admission information on their person, helping to detect fraud and streamline access

Attendees can review their travels throughout a tradeshow and see who they interacted with, while exhibitors are notified in real-time when sought-after prospects come into their booth.

Planners can generate pop-up directions for attendees based on their location at an event instead of investing in producing/shipping/replacing physical signage

validates your event and highlights improvement opportunities by tracking session popularity, length of attendee visits to exhibitor booths, and strong tradeshow traffic.  

RFID and beacon technology helps security and general event staff do their job better in real-time, which is essential for building trust and streamlining crowded events

event planners are turning to venue sourcing platforms to connect with the perfect site for their particular event.

discover detailed venue layouts, capacity ranges, and on-site services

Venue platforms offer exceptional ROI and generate more leads through improved discoverability.

Convey elements that make your venue uniqueShowcase your event spaces visually with accurate floor plans, 3D diagrams, quality photos, and videosLeverage the success of past events with testimonials and social media accolades

artificial intelligence (AI) tech is using badge scans, social media info, and other behavioral data to match attendees with people they should meet or seminars they may want to attend. 

Instead of taking-up significant time pre-event and on-site manually recommending seminars, exhibitors, and sponsors to attendees, AI can do it for you—even in real-time—based on their profiles and preferences captured during registration. 

it requires transparency and advance notice about how you may use data submitted by attendees. 

Attendees entering the geofenced area triggers predetermined actions, such as event check-in, push notifications, or advertising related to the event. 

Planners can sell geofencing to exhibitors and sponsors to reach attendees at events, or even promote their event on attendee devices at a competing event under a separate geofence. You can also provide attendees with a better experience via seamless registration and check-in, along with automatic app downloads as soon as they walk on-site.

provides analytics, both post-event and in real-time to help you better understand things like the duration of an attendee’s time at an event and overall peak attendance. 

Hotels can serve ads promoting their brand, facility, and services to attendees at events

once a prospect visits an event website, ads for that event will appear on any subsequent websites the prospect visits, in the form of website banner ads, search engine results, and pop-up or push ads on mobile apps. 

Event marketing teams should develop relevant and creative ads with clearly visible event dates to convince prospects who have visited an event website, but haven’t yet registered

venues can use it to generate return visits from event planners

retarget attendees during events with offers for in-house services like food and beverage, spa, and discounts on extending their stay.

Gameplay creates an immersive attendee experience, while generating leads and booth visits for exhibitors via quizzes, scavenger hunts, and trivia on mobile apps.

Gameplay fosters a sense of common purpose; creates an environment of collaboration and trust; facilitates easier communication; and boosts attendee confidence. You can also gather information about attendee engagement and interests via game choices.

Promoting the use of gameplay on-site showcases a venue to organizations looking for facilities supporting team building exercises as well as immersive attendee experiences.

Event technology is a term used to describe all of the digital tools and software used in the events industry. Everything from check in & registration, to diagramming, to social media tools, and more can be considered event technology.

he company also uses a weak encryption scheme that allows him to derive the “site code”–a unique numerical key for every facility–from two cards encoded one after another for the same room

Planners will try to book events further in advance. This leaves hotels and venues in a pickle: Taking early bookings could mean missing out on higher-value events later.To avoid missing out on revenue, hotels and venues need to segment business intelligently. That way, you can avoid the pitfalls of traditional lead-scoring biases that hurt RFP management.

In 2020, brands will invest in events as a marketing channel. In fact, in a recent event marketing survey, 52% of respondents said that event marketing drove more business value than other marketing channels. (Only 8% said it drove less business.)

Planners should create ample private meeting spaces and “collision spaces.” Some events do this by providing fewer chairs than attendees. With fewer empty seats, they’re encouraging movement and interaction.

Large, minimalist spaces with easily accessible bars are the perfect recipe for a networking event. Venues like this can use the networking angle to promote event space to corporate clients.

These attendees blend the worlds of business and leisure. It’s given rise to a new, multi-generational segment that drives destination decisions. (See: our Hotel Market Segmentation Guide for more on this.)

Attendees want more control over the event agenda. In fact, 96% of the Social Tables audience believe events are expected to be more personalized than ever.

While you don’t need to offer 11 choices for every hour, you can empower attendees to mold the event to meet their individual needs.

For proposals, try showcasing multiple event-specific variations. This adds value for the planner by helping them better meet their event objectives, while adding value for the hotel or venue as an upselling technique.

According to Billboard, there over 800 annual music festivals in the U.S. alone, and they attract 32 million attendees in total. 14 million of those attendees are (surprise, surprise) millennials.

At smaller levels, adding performances to the agenda can go a long way in engaging attendees. However, for larger events, creating a festival-like atmosphere requires access to a variety of spaces that are exclusive to one group.

A bigger focus on wellness could revolutionize F&B — replacing beef with the proverbial Brussels sprout.

16. Sustainability will be center stage at events.

Sustainability initiatives are your chance to make a positive impact while painting your brand in an equally positive light.

Demand will continue to outpace supply

Industry Performance TrendsAttendee Experience TrendsMeeting Destination TrendsEvent Technology TrendsMeeting Design Trends

Meetings are growing and evolving rapidly, and each is an experiment in applying new methods to find a perfect formula.

be dynamic, you have to be flexible, and–above all–you have to be in tune with attendee desires.

Meetings are growing and evolving rapidly, and each is an experiment in applying new methods to find a perfect formula.

predicts 5-10% growth in demand. At the same time, the development pipeline is slowing.

It’s also the spontaneous conversations that come with serendipitous networking.

nticipate higher rates, and book event space as early as possible.

At the same time, face-to-face time takes a hit — making it a more treasured commodity in our modern world.

redict it’ll grow about 2.41% in North America. CWT expects an even higher hike of 3.7%.

Planners should create ample private meeting spaces and “collision spaces.” Some events do this by providing fewer chairs than attendees. With fewer empty seats, they’re encouraging movement and interaction.

everage lobbies, rooftops, and other communal areas for networking events.

For events — especially large-scale events — sustainable initiatives are now the expectation.

Fast, reliable WiFi will soon become the norm, opening up new engagement opportunities and nontraditional venues for events.

“I think many hoteliers will be unhappy with the significant investments they are making now into cabling that will become obsolete just as soon as 5G launches.”

Apps present an opportunity for personalization and engagement at each stage of the event lifecycle.

Hotels and venues are developing sophisticated apps that enhance the in-venue experience. Whether it’s Wembley Stadium’s virtual tour guide or Marriott’s sophisticated in-app chatbot functionality, branded apps are adding value in multiple ways:

Why? Well, take the speed of your current 4G LTE smartphone internet and multiply it by 1,000. (Think: putting the Millenium Falcon into hyperdrive.)

Because today, 86% of consumers expect companies to act on social and environmental issues — and they’re more than ready to vote with their dollars.

0% of event planners reported that their jobs require more experience creation than just 2-5 years ago

Content:

Destination

Technology:

90% of respondents stated that event security should still be a top priority for the industry.

That could mean avoiding coastal destinations during hurricane season or avoiding certain areas of the city to ensure safety outside of event hours.

. Event diagramming software can help in this regard by allowing venues and planners to collaborate on a single source of truth

Security is a significant value add and a key selling point in initial communications.

you’re providing any personnel, such as security, custodians, and administrators.

Have evacuation plan

reate a step-by-step safety checklist for execution during on-site setup, and another safety checklist for the day of the event.

Less is more when it comes to the material.

It’s a movement that stands in direct opposition to the gaudy ballrooms of old

ess furniture, fewer seats, smaller portions, less irrelevant decor… you get the picture. A

c, open floor plans that make minimalism a possibility.

lassic combinations of whites and greys

ewer seats means more mingling.

lutter-free to promote a clean, open feel that keeps the focus on content.

Hotels, however, may find themselves scrambling to reinvent their event spaces. It could be time to rethink these spaces — along with lobbies and other communal spaces that set the aesthetic tone for the hotel at large

Larger chains should look to boutique hotels, which create visual identities that are often more closely aligned with the appeal that nontraditional venues offer.

Systems that track the other qualities that make each human unique are in development as well.

here are some systems being explored that can allegedly sniff someone, and also systems that can recognize the pattern of blood veins on a human being which are apparently unique to the individual,

new thing is contact-less Smartcards and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) cards that need just be waved to allow room access.

Kimpton's 190-room Nine Zero Hotel in Boston was the first hotel to install a biometric iris scanner back in 2004

we navigate hotels is set to change in the blink of an eye. Or the swipe of a cellphone. Or the print of a finger. With futuristic systems like scent and iris scanners and digital facial-recognition, hotel security is being taken to the next level. #plain_module { width: 590px; height:170px; border: none; float:left; margin:0px; font-size:12px;} #plain_module img {border:none; width: 13px; height:14; border: 0px; margin:0px; } #plain_module .mini_main { margin: 0px; padding:0px; width:585px; height:220px; repeat scroll 0 0} #plain_module .mini_item_header {padding:10px 0px; margin: 0px 0px; font-size:16px; color: #555555; border-bottom:1px dotted #CCCCCC;} #plain_module .mini_item {padding:5px 0px; margin: 0px 0px;} #plain_module a { color: #49A3CA; text-decoration:none; } #plain_module a:hover { color: #F98419; text-decoration:underline;} span.gray {color:#949494;} .mini_main li{list-style-type: none;background-image: url(http://www.aolcdn.com/travel/bullet);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: 0 1px;padding-left: 10px;}

It is crucial for tourism and hospitality practitioners to proactively incorporate new technologies into their businesses as these will improve service quality and differentiate their products and services.

In order to be able to follow the increasing guests' requests for qualitative services, it is mandatory for hotel management to constantly work on improving its functions and operations. For this it is necessary to keep track of innovations in sectors outside the hospitality, like IT sector that works on creating, developing and introducing new technologies

Hospitality is one of targeted sector that is considered appropriate for application of cloud technologies and services. Hotel Management System or widely known as Property Management System (PMS) is one of the system where IT practitioners saw the chance for improvement by ''moving it to the cloud''.

Hotels will be forced to upgrade their current systems so that they can respond to various and changeable guests' habits and requirements. However, until today, there was not enough academic papers related to usage of cloud technology in hospitality industry even though this sector is under continuous changes caused by usage of new technologies which made search, evaluation and payment of the hotel rooms easier than ever.

After comparing the two groups of hotels, from which one was using desktop PMS and other group cloud- based PMS, the results of the research were derived and presented. In conclusion of the paper, challenges with which the hotels are facing and which affect their decision of starting to use cloud- based technology as well as recommendation for future work will be discussed.

As stated by the Sharif (2010), cloud computing is the latest technology that is being introduced by the IT industry as the next (potential) revolution to change how the internet and information systems operate. The term “cloud” was probably inspired by IT text books’ illustrations which depicted remote environments (the Internet) as cloud images in order to conceal the complexity that lies behind them (Sultan,2010).

The goal of a new computing world is to develop software for millions to consume by easily accessing it over a network. Cloud service providers are making profit by charging consumers for accessing these services.

Products offered via this mode include the remote delivery (through the Internet) of a full computer infrastructure (e.g., virtual computers, servers, storage devices, etc.); the building blocks of an IT enterprise.

Services provided in this category include CPU processing on demand, virtual Web hosting, and storage on demand. The most notable vendors are Amazon’s EC2, GoGrid’s Cloud Servers, and Joyent.

With cloud computing, services and applications that were managed locally in the past requiring hardware, operating systems, web servers, as well as teams of network, database and system management experts are now provided remotely by cloud providers under this layer.

Cloud computing services can be adopted by firms in three different forms (Goscinski and Brock, 2010):

Public clouds - online applications that are open to everyone for free, such as Google

Private clouds - involves firms deploying key enabling technologies, such as virtualization and multi-tenant applications, to create their own private cloud database

Hybrid clouds - mix of the previous two types that are emerging with the intention of providing clients with a level of “control” over their resources

The cloud offers enterprises the option of scalability without the financial commitments required for infrastructure purchase and maintenance.

Reallocating information management operational activities to the cloud offers businesses a unique opportunity to focus efforts on innovation and research and development. This allows for business and product growth and may be even more beneficial than the financial advantages offered by the cloud.

These investments and efforts for a new technology to be presented open a new progress circle of technology advancements and it continues in the same way.

When creating software or an application for a hotel, IT personnel have to possess a certain level of flexibility, openness and creativity. On the other hand, hotel employees are expected to have more insightful and openminded approach towards new ways of performing business operations, sometimes take risks and have experiences with using different programs and applications.

A hotel's PMS can gather and keep valuable information about hotel guests by incorporating business intelligence tools which help hoteliers organize and make sense of the gathered data. Regardless of whether room reservations come from Online Travel Agency, Global Distribution Systems or by telephone, all of them are gathered, stored and managed in the PMS.

Simplicity of the cloud based property management system allows it to be productive. Cloud based PMS's can operate on any advice that has a web browser and the companies are putting their efforts to make it even more friendly on smaller devices like tablets and smart phones.

Business intelligence options provide hoteliers with a threedimensional view of guest data, which allows easily statistical reporting and increased hotel management efficiency.

The aim of this study was to investigate the difference in practical usage of the two types of PMS systems – cloud based and classical (desktop) ones.

On the question about the reasons for using the current PMS type in hotels, answers of Group A were based on usage of their current PMS for years and on the fact that employees in all hotel departments were used to work on it. As time passed by, hotels upgraded their system to new versions for several times and additional customization was implemented with regard to hotel preferences.

Hotels from Group B were consisted of relatively new boutique hotels that operate for more than a year and from those that were not using any kind of PMS solution (they were using Excel tables and creating reservation records manually). The reason why hotels from this group wanted to use cloud PMS was a desire to try the latest technology used in hospitality industry.

Other reasons for using it were: PMS could be reached from any place where Internet connection is available, simple but effective design with lots of visual solutions, more options to enter the important information and the fact that it is working not only on any PC but also on any mobile device due to its mobile applications.

low investment costs were main reason for hotels from Group B to decide in favor of cloud based version.

The similar amount of initial investments were confirmed by the Group A. Being considered as great amount of money for newly opened and small sized hotels to invest, management decided to try out the cloud version which allows access to this system based on monthly subscription with very little or no investment cost, depending on the solution provider.

After initial investments in the system implementation, hardware, software and training of employees, every year hotel makes a one-year-based contract for additional support services and, if needed, extra training. Support is provided any time a hotel reports an issue or malfunction by directly connecting to hotel's computer through remote programs.

Changes are made either for each hotel at a time, or after releasing new version, when provider try to convince all the current users to upgrade to it. Upgrade is provided by the extra charge, so these costs should be also considered during planning investments in classical PMS.

Regardless of which type of system they used, all participants were very careful about and interested in the matter of data security.

However, it is totally different situation with cloud based system, which is mainly open system where all authorized users and providers from outside have access to. Of course, it is up to hotel management to whom the authorization rights will be given and being an open system it makes support, development and innovation activities much easier. Cloud based PMS are hosted on some of the world's best known servers so there is no need for additional computers to be used as servers.

Although there are some great differences in functions and way of managing regarding classical and cloud based system, both have their advantages from which hotels do not want to give up.

One of the biggest advantages of cloud based PMS for the Group B is the fact that this system can be directly integrated with hotel online booking engine. This is considered as a great advantage for the hotels that besides having functional web site, wish to maximize use of its online booking engine, receive more online reservations directly from the guests and gain more profit.

Such a functional connection between hotel’s PMS and online reservation system allow hotels to have a social media integration as well. This means that hotels are able to receive online reservation through their Facebook page as well as receive direct links to its page from the biggest review sites such as TripAdvior.com.

In this paper two different approaches and perspectives on usage of cloud based and classical hotel management systems were exposed. Hotels from Group B have shown a tendency for usage of new technologies and readiness to adopt and continuously learn about them.

Among factors, affecting why hotel prefers one system over another, are type and size of hotel, through which channels are guest reservations coming, previous experience with IT stuff and different programs, etc.

Cloud based program can help them in order to update prices and room availability information to hotel's booking engine. This prevents overbooking, provides easily management of CRM functions and information, with no first investment costs or extra expenses which results in revenue increase.

Hotels that use classical PMS pay a great attention to the security issue because they do not want to risk opening their hotel for external intervention. In recent years we can find in media lots of evidence of information linkage from system that had much higher security measures than an average hotel.

Measuring the performance of cloud-provided services is another challenge for the hotel management, primarily due to the lack of measurement standards.

While investigating the previous knowledge about the other system solutions, hotels in Group A have claimed lack of information about the cloud technology and its solutions.

Even though IT stuff in these hotels has some basic knowledge about it, it is still not enough to convince the other managers about its benefits. Therefore it may be concluded that, besides trying to overcome the above mentioned challenges, developers of cloud based solutions to hotels should also work hard on training the potential clients about the positive aspects and correct usage of cloud technologies.

Lack of measurement standards for cloud-provided services in general as well as for hotels is another important limitation due to which qualitative research was conducted. Authors’ recommendation is that academicians should focus more on topics of cloud computing, cloud solutions for other business operations and on defining measurements standards for cloud services.

Ability to achieve more with fewer resources,

Security of data

Ability to be agile, adapt and evolve

the three key advantages of the cloud PMS over the legacy PMS:

Flexibility:

Ease and efficiency:

Connectivity:

I believe over the next 5 years the adoption of cloud PMS solutions will explode and this will be the highest growth component of the hotel tech stack

Why? Low costs, efficiencies, higher productivity and data security aside, in the near and mid-term a full-service 3-4-5-star hotel will need over 100 plus APIs with third-party tech applications and solutions to be able to function and meet the basic needs and wants of today's digitally-savvy travelers.

According to Laura Calin from Oracle Hospitality, switching from a legacy to a cloud PMS has occurred traditionally when a) on-premises hardware reaches end-of-life and warranties are expiring, or b) when a brand affiliation comes to an end and a replacement system is required.

IBC offers a portfolio of products and services including the proprietary IBC hotel management platform offering managed distribution, advanced Central Reservation System (CRS), and soft brand benefits to independent hotels, villas, and even bed & breakfasts around the world. Considering more than half of the world's hotel properties are independently owned, that's quite a bit of potential.

"Guest conveniences are key to drawing clientele, and independent hotels are looking for every technological advantage they offer to both new and returning guests," said Pamela Barnhill, president and COO of IBC Hospitality Technologies.

OpenKey will be enabling independent hotel owners and operators to drive their mobile app strategies, improve two-way guest communications, reduce overhead, boost an operation's margins, and increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.

The renovation is immediately noticeable in its wow-worthy lobby, inspired by water elements.

Swan and Dolphin broke ground on the construction of a new tower on its property, which will add 349 guest rooms and 21,330 square feet of new meeting space, including a 6,000-square-foot rooftop ballroom and terrace from which guests can view Disney’s fireworks.

tower will contain 151 executive meeting suites, featuring guest rooms connected to small meeting spaces

“The Cove,”

“The Caribbean Room” is open for business at the Dolphin. Ideal for breakouts, small meetings and event work rooms

the Swan Resort opened a similar restaurant in August, serving coffee, ready-made sandwiches and snacks.

Shula’s Steak House recently completed a refresh of the restaurant space and menu as part of a branding update for Shula’s Steak House.

rooms are available for group buyouts.

transformation includes an expanded bar and lounge featuring a three-sided, wraparound bar for networking and socializing, as well as seven new menu items, including pan seared scallops and a 22-ounce dry-aged ribeye

Like Norwegian, it will rely heavily on an app component, that, like Carnival, will also be available on interactive screens around the ship, in addition to mobile devices and stateroom TVs. And, like Royal, MSC will have a smart watch with geo-location that is also connected to the app.

In January, Carnival revealed the result of an 18-month project aimed at making the cruise experience more intuitive. Instead of largely relying on a smart phone, the company chose to build a “medallion.” The quarter-sized, two-ounce disc contains passenger information, incorporates geo-location services and is personalized with each cruiser’s name and sail date. It can be carried in pockets or worn on wristbands or pendants for an additional cost.The medallion interacts with the whole of the ship, which will be retrofitted with thousands of sensors and interactive screens, and miles of cable.

In the short-term, those innovations will looks like this: Guests will check-in through facial recognition technology — not check-in counters, thus eliminating lines. On board, passengers will be able to sign up for excursions, order drinks and make dinner reservations from a new Royal Caribbean app that also will enable crew to find passengers based on facial recognition. The app will partner with Royal’s WOW Bands, similar to Disney’s MagicBands, to open stateroom doors. And, thanks to RFID tags on luggage, guests will also be able to track the progress of their bags to their rooms. As with Carnival, the more passengers interact with the technology, the better equipped the app will be to offer meaningful recommendations.

For example, as guests approach their stateroom doors, the door senses the medallion and unlocks it for them. A digital photo wall senses a passenger’s approach — thanks to the medallion — and adjusts to show the cruiser his or her vacation pictures. After a guest requests a drink, either on an interactive screen, a smart phone or other device, crew can find that passenger wherever he or she is on the vessel because of the geo-location in the medallion.The operating system behind the medallion is Ocean Compass, an online vacation profile that passengers create before sailing, where they input their preferences; during the trip, they can add information via onboard screens and personal devices. Crew can also access passenger profiles in Ocean Compass, allowing them to offer relevant suggestions and address passengers by name.

Beyond that, Royal Caribbean plans to add virtual reality and augmented reality into the passenger experience. These concepts might transform cabin interiors with images of a starry night or a peaceful sunset displayed on screens on the walls, ceiling and floors. It could also transform dining by introducing virtual reality glasses that can transform the venue into a new landscape based on the cuisine passengers are eating.

But with the new technology will likely come privacy concerns. Much of the software cruise lines are introducing also involves capturing passenger information and using it to curate suggestions about what to do.

It’s already happening. In 2014, Starwood Hotels announced plans to start using smart phones as hotel keys, with the help of an app and Bluetooth connection. Hilton this year discussed plans to build a “Connected Room” in 2018, which will allow guests to control features of the room through an app, including lighting, entertainment and temperature.

It elevates the experience for everyone, not just the highest paying passengers, and not just on its best and newest units. I think it will become the norm...eventually the cruise industry and, not just the cruise industry, but other places, other tourism [entities].

The technology aims to ease irritations: the long lines to embark or disembark, crowded bars, the impersonal feeling of a mass congregation of people.

Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and MSC Cruises — have all come out with tech that promises to make cruising a less cumbersome experience. Most of it incorporates facial recognition and geo-location.

In the next five years, the new normal in cruising is going to be a better-connected voyage that will largely do away with lines and waiting — some of the factors that deter travelers from cruising to begin with.

Real-time availability: The new functionality enables consumers to view current availability and book a table at their favorite restaurants, or a new restaurant they want to try

Waitlist: If users are interested in a restaurant that does not take reservations, they can now learn how long the wait is, and how many diners are on the list ahead of them Restaurant marketing tool: "Right Now" provides a new tool for restaurants to push out and market new inventory to diners on the go Availability bar: Diner

s can view restaurant availability in aggregate, with table inventory automatically populating a bar marked "Tables Available Right Now," on the Urbanspoon iPhone app home screen; Restaurants can easily flip the switch on and off to publish information about their wait list, including walk-in availability and wait times

Every email you send is an opportunity to promote your social media channels and encourage guests to interact with them

Pre-arrival emails also present another opportunity: to increase your incremental revenue through upselling and cross-selling.

An estimated 77% of consumers prefer to receive marketing messages through email campaigns. So there’s your chance to collect valuable feedback for your hotel—with post-stay email marketing.

Sending emails to your customers after they’ve checked out does more than help you discover what they thought about their experience. These emails are also a chance for you to thank your guests for staying with you and invite them to subscribe to your loyalty programs. They’re a chance for you to build on the guest-hotelier rapport you established with your pre-arrival email. And when guests subscribe to your mailing list, you can reach out to them in the future with special deals and exclusive offers.

If guests enjoyed their stay, you can also use this email to remind them about your social media channels and encourage them to share their experience online. If, on the other hand, they had a bad stay, sending them an email opens the door for you to mend the relationship and offer a win-back incentive. Both types of exchanges create loyal guests, which can lead to repeat business and referrals.

Cloud computing plays an integral role in the evolution of the hotel industry by offering prompt and easy implementation solutions

The transition to cloud technology is mainly driven by the opportunity to scale business operations and revenue growth while providing a seamless guest experience

Cloud-based PMS for hotels comes with prompt and economical implementation, effective data security, reduced overhead costs, improved efficiency, user-friendly features, immediate customer support, universal access and better connectivity

Open API ensures better data-sharing capabilities between hotel management applications by streamlining hotel operations and user experience

Cloud computing plays an instrumental role in ingesting, processing and protecting customer data to power a seamless customer experience driven by data

Cloud-based solutions can be integrated to provide customized services to guests, ranging from intelligent keyless experiences to self-check-in and checkout.

global hotel industry is moving to an experience-driven paradigm, with technology-led initiatives

four types of key card systems: holecards, bar code cards, magnetic strip key cards and radio frequency identification (RFID) cards

Holecards are the earliest type of key card systems

An individual key card is programmed by a computer with a unique electronic signature.

If stolen, magnetic strip cards and RFID cards can have the signatures changed, adding security protection from theft.

Key card systems operate on the relationship between a plastic card and electronic access control locks