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Judging by its title, this may not seem like a breakthrough article. However, there are some important points worth discussing. The article indicates that some GDS companies, traditionally serving the airline industry, are now venturing into hotel property management systems. Since SABRE and Amadeus no longer want to depend exclusively on airline service, they are investing heavily in PMS technology. Furthermore, since the new trend is the implementation of cloud based PMS's, they are focusing their resources exclusively on cloud technology because it gives hotels more flexibility on services and integrations. The article suggests that while Oracle might still be a leader in this field, way ahead of its competitors, industry dynamics change so fast that SABRE and Amadeus will eventually become fierce competitors. Oracle is still the most used tool in this market and most hotel employees have received Oracle training at some point. Nevertheless, although that's an advantage for Oracle when it comes to savings in training cost, innovations on cloud based technology can provide more opportunities not available on conventional system servers.Therefore, this move by major GDS providers can prove a wise investment. Finally, another significant development in this article is the fact that SABRE will eventually add alternative lodging to its inventory such as Airbnb or corporate serviced apartments. This, in my opinion, will be an absolute game changer.

This article highlights the topic of Data Mining and the way in which companies use it to become informed and discover new ways to become more effective. Data Mining can be used to increase revenue, cut costs and identify growing trends. This article will feature key examples from major companies such as Oracle, Wal-Mart and the NBA, all of which use Data Mining to enhance their business performance. 

This article highlights the necessity of investing in technologies for the Hospitality Industry. Guests are demanding technology that makes their stay more independent rather than having to deal with present employees. They want to be able to contact virtually rather than go down to talk to the concierge. They also want more in-room technology available for them. This article in my opinion is very important for hotels to take note of just how much guests want hotels to provide them with new technologies, because the percentages are becoming high. People are bored of the same hotel stay they have been receiving for so many years, and investments in technology is a must.

This article goes over the recent trends that the Hospitality Industry has been adapting to in the past few months. It goes over the importance of Hotels taking the extra time to get to know what will make a specific guests experience that much more enjoyable by paying attention to details of past stays, and making things more convenient and accessible. These goals can be reached by keeping up with technology trends such as Apps giving guests easy and quick access to Check-in and paying for things throughout the hotel.

Its great to see that AI is one of the trends listed. A lot of problems can be automated using AI. Moreover, it can personalize the experience for the customer. In general I think technology should not also offer convenience to a customer but personalization as well!

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced the roll out of the Oracle Hospitality OPERA Cloud Property Management (PMS), which will reduce the need for onsite hardware with special installation and provide operational enhancements that will be beneficial for guests, such as higher performance, security and reliability. One of the key features described is the mobile computing aspect of it, which gives operators the ability to run the hotel from anywhere, meaning team members do not need to be stationed at a desk to serve guests. The cloud-based system is designed to operate in more than 200 countries and can integrate with thousands of partners to create personalized opportunities for guests. This follows a series of shifts to other cloud-based systems which started in 2016 in an effort to demonstrate a progressive approach to digital transformation to give their hotel owners a strategic advantage over the competition.

I was shocked to read this article. I have worked with Wyndham and with Opera for many years and I was not expecting them to change to a different PMS system. I believe this might be a good move from Wyndham because private owners could reduce expenses by not having to pay royalties to Opera but at the same time, this is a new system that is somewhat new to the franchise. Great post I really enjoyed this article.

This discusses a research report that studies the impact of both positive and negative factors impacting the market for PMS software. This includes analysis on the impact caused by COVID-19.

This is a great article and I love that it highlights issues that we're currently facing! A relevant article about the several improvements that'll have to be made amongst improving our technology, guest preferences, manage reservations based on COVID-19, etc.

Wyndam has shifted to a cloud- based PMS system, being the first major hotel company to do so. This system will allow the hotel to deliver a better guest experience, enhance operational efficiency, and lower costs while making the hotel more competitive in the market.

With 110,000 employees in more than 750 properties, it has been a challenge for Starwood of making current data accessible to authorized users. So Starwood recently deployed Information Builders' WebFOCUS to augment their SAP suite of applications, and the results are accommodating HR professionals worldwide. This system boosts the productivity and reduce manual labor. The WebFOCUS Managed Reporting environment made it easy to develop standard reports, set up domains for various properties and divisions, and manage the reporting infrastructure from a central location. 

This article describes the system that Starwood has implemented in regards to their HR department and the benefits of the system. The Webfocus system which is a customizable reporting system that can give a myriad of data to the HR managers.

Alice, a relatively new start-up which sells operations software to hotels, had a significant investment from Expedia in the previous round of funding. Alice has become a software that provides "the first unified platform for a hotel to run its entire back end operations, such as housekeeping and customer service communication". The system allows guests to send a text message with a request for more pillows or towels, for example, which will be directed to the proper the hotel employee department. Customers can track their requests and both the front and back of house staff can receive communications from guest requests. This IT platform has seen 5 times the amount of requests being generated. Also, the platform has partnered with double the number of hotels and they project more than two million requests will be communicated through this software in a year. Expedia is the largest shareholder in Alice currently. Alice suggests that this is because Expedia could be more interested in "more back-end software services for the hotels that use it to market and distribute their inventory globally." Expedia currently markets tools such as revenue management under the name Expedia Powered Technology to hoteliers. Expedia also offers meetings and events booking tools for hotels. Priceline, which is a competitor to Expedia, also has invested in tools and services that include revenue management software for their hotel partners. Trivago is also offering these services. Alice believes that the size of the market will allow for many other companies to work in this space, and is even open to partnering with other firms to expand. Alice also plans to expand their own business and add personnel with the new funds.

Module 2: Hardware/Software (Berkley Alessandrini) The following article compares the current top/trendy management software programs within the hospitality industry - specifically within lodging operations. Obviously manually updating your hotel's information is no longer an effective way to do things. The following article breaks down certain software programs like; My Cloud PMS, Oracle, roomMaster, etc, and gives information on each that differentiates them. I can relate to the article because I have experience working with a few different types of software programs and I know first-hand how important it is to have a software that is convenient, organized, and user friendly. Depending on the program, they have the ability to be customised based on needs of the hotel and can even add certain features if necessary. After analysing the article, I believe that it is vital to compare the different programs available to find a PMS that fits best for your specific hotel. In some cases, maybe your property will not benefit from the "top" management software system; therefore you must compare and find one that will work best with your needs, requirements, budget, etc. It is important for the Lodging Industry to take full advantage of the technology that is provided to them and as technology is constantly evolving - you must (as a business) evolve with the changes and update your current technology to lead and stay ahead of the trends. Having a software that provides your hotel with the best features, availability, etc. is a must!

This article talks about Mews, a start-up company, receiving a huge investment after there showing of "the first property management systems built for the internet era." Basically, a system that keeps track of all the hotel's check-in, check-outs, and transactions, this is an important system for those hotels who intend to keep up with the ever-changing digital age that we are in. This article focuses on the landscape of many of these types of tech groups who are all competing as well as the growth of this tech company and how they came up with this idea. Though with all new technology, there could be a potential drawback of data hackers mining for information. Thus, it is up to this group to prevent these problems while rolling out their new technology.

This article talks about the various ways virtual reality can be used in the hotel industry. VR can be used to entice consumers to increase their amount of travel, by immersing them in VR versions of almost any travel destination. The article also briefly touches on the use of VR for hotel booking and even training employees.

Very interesting read. I have always had mixed emotions as it relates to the use of virtual reality in the hospitality and tourism sector. On one hand, it is my opinion that virtual reality can add to the guest and consumer experience. Virtual reality can allow consumers to experience multiple levels of travel with the purchase of one ticket or hotel booking. While on the other hand, I am also of the view that virtual reality can limit the amount of travel and hotel bookings that can actually occur. Why would consumers travel to a specific location when they can travel virtually? The article highlights various ways that virtual reality can be used in the hotel industry. Technology is changing and the industry must continue to adapt and make use of the new trends and technological advances. I look forward to the future with virtual reality.

The use of VR as an augmentative tool in Hospitality and Tourism is virtually a non-sequitur. In an industry that is built on experiences its use and value is almost limitless. In of itself, no doubt we will see "Virtual Tourism" become an actual industry. I do believe the timelines being pushed forth by the article represent fairly conservative estimates even with the current limitations of the technology. Oddly it leaves out augmented reality, which is already seeing heavy increases in usage from previewing venues to experiencing the product before you try. With the current rapid progress and access of the technology to the general end user growing, we will see consumer driven adoption outpacing industry delivered implementations quite soon. Once driven by the desires of the consumer, not unlike the advent of the OTA, we will see the industry adopt much more quickly than I think this article presents.

The article talks about the effect that cloud computing has had on property management systems. Particularly, PMS integrations.

My opinions on this article are based on my own experience with PMS systems, specifically Oracle Opera. It has been a terrible experience over the years trying to solve any type of issue with Opera and the support is existent but very limited, which makes it difficult for an average front desk agent to even understand what is going on. With Cloud-Based PMS systems, it would definitely need to be crucial to develop excellent customer service that will actually help with things go wrong with the PMS system.

New entrants into the property management system have provided better alternatives to the legacy systems. Integrating those systems has been somewhat a challenge but in the future they(Cloud system) may well be the norm.

As we know, cloud computing provides an ease of access system for data storage and on-demand computer system resources. This is something that certain industries, especially the hospitality industry, have used to reduce overhead costs and increase profits. This article discusses a few key players in this fight to be as innovative as possible while saving money and promoting new business practices that contribute to the industry. When looking at things like regulatory compliance and industry-wide needs, cloud computing is a great way to keep up with the ever-changing demands of today's modern consumer marketplace.

This article deals with cloud PMS and its advantages. Some of the advantages stated by the article are efficiency, low cost, and provides guest with more contactless experience. This is a new trend we are starting to see emerge into the industry especially now more than ever after the events that have occurred due to the pandemic.

Seems to me this took a lot longer for companies to start getting onboard then I would have anticipated. The cost perspective and ease of use should have attracted people right away. Not having to house or protect on site servers from damage and theft is also a critical point. Not to mention the ability to grow the system when necessary.

The article discusses traditional PMS, an on-premises software platform that can range from very basic to extremely powerful and complex. Installation, training and maintenance are expensive for such platforms, and they stifle innovation by not allowing third-party integrations, applications, and solutions. Cloud-based hotel management systems with Open API integration platforms are the future of hotel management software. They are cost-effective and offer many operational benefits. Operating expenses such as the OPERA Cloud PMS improve cash flow, are easy to install, train personnel, and automate many administrative processes. Also, it provides easy access to reporting and performance analytics, as well as contactless guest experiences and mobility.

The use of biometrics in the hospitality industry is becoming more common. Through physiological characteristics such as fingerprints, face scanning or voice recognition, guests can access hotel rooms without the need of room keys. Employees would have control over guest access and be able to easily recognize guests after scanning in.

This article discusses how biometrics is reshaping the hotel experience. From check in from the way we make purchases and enter different areas of the hotel. This feature is also able to enhance security and take away the old issue of lost keys. Many hotels are already implementing this feature and this is a great way to increase security measures.

This article is focussed on the risk involved if the proper impact study is not undertaken prior to implementation of extensive IT projects. Several multinational companies were referenced in the article, highlighting failures with smooth implementation resulting in the loss of millions and sometimes billions. Below is a summary of some companies referenced in article and the impact of IT implementation gone wrong: 1. Levi Strauss: In 2003 Levi Strauss examined its technological capabilities and concluded that its systems were inadequate for its multi-national corporation operation within 110 countries. A budget of US$5 million was created for a system upgrade. Many challenges along the way resulted in the inability to sufficiently report financials resulted in three distribution canters in the USA closing for a week. As a result of this, the company lost US$200 million and the termination of the chief information officer in 2008. 2. Hong Kong Airport: IT problems resulting in glitches in flight information system and database for tracking cargo shipment resulted in a US$600 million loss between 1998 and 1999. 3. Hershey: About 10 years ago Hershey wanted to implement a new order taking system. Problems with implementation resulted in the inability of the company shipping US$100 million worth of candy in time for Halloween thus impacting the company's bottom-line of an 18.6% loss in earnings during the quarter. 4. Kmart: in 2000 Kmart embarked on aUS$1.4 billon IT modernization project. In the midst of the project Kmart discovered that the project had too many customized application which would result in an exorbitant maintenance costs. An additional US$600m was spent on integrating a supply chain management system. Failure of this project led to bankruptcy filing by Kmart in 2002. This resulted in the closure of 600 stores and the loss of over 60,000 jobs in the USA. 5. Auto windshield (UK): Auto windshield was considered to be the second largest auto glass c

This article touches on how it is critical for restaurants to embrace technology in order to maintain a loyal customer base. What I found to be the most important point was the importance of compatible technology. The article recommends having technology that can track inventory, reservations, sell, manage employees. The value of this is measured and 2.1 times the ROI of a traditional onsite POS. The article recommends online ordering, points out that 2/3 of fast casual customers plan to order online this year, and that the average ticket size is 26% over the regular order. I agree with the author that a restaurant owner's choice to embrace technology can make or break their business.