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News | E-Commerce Times

The internet has drastically altered consumer relationships. Traditional "brick-and-mortar" enterprises realized that to survive, they too had to satisfy customer expectations to procure goods and services over the Internet. The Internet has raised the bar on customer expectations. Companies who understand this will succeed, and in turn, provide a Web experience that meets the unique preferences of each of their customers.

This article describes trends in technology in the hotel industry and the applications of them in the Russian economy. The article discusses what the trends in IT are and how they may apply to the hotel sector of the hospitality industry, providing real-world examples and hypothetical scenarios. The information in this article is insightful to the relationship between hospitality and information technology and provides a perspective on this relationship from the viewpoint of the Russian hotel economy specifically.

POS breach at White Lodging, huge important personal information was stolen and was able to access for over 7 months. White Lodging hire third party security firm to protect customers.The key to managing the risks are keeping monitoring systems and updating software. Besides, insurance is available to protect against costs for data breaches.

More establishments are going to unattended payment kiosk. I remember a little over a year ago McDonald decided to install unattended kiosk. I thought it wouldn't work . Due to taking away from the staffing of the restaurant. This article talks about attended or unattended kiosk. Shaving off 1-3 million dollars off your book will certainly will help profit margins.

This article states the differences between an attended and unattended payment systems. The article recommends asking your businesses financial getaway or payment handler to advise as to whether your business requires an attended or unattended payment terminal.

This article explained the differences between attended and unattended POS. The major difference between these two is based on the people who activate the transaction. Attended payment terminals are reliant on a member of staff being present to activate the transaction, while unattended payment terminals are for environments where there will not be a member of staff to assist the transaction. The customer instead will be the one to activate the payment. The conditions for the two are also different. Contactless is also an issue in POS selection.

New apps are being developed for digital menus. Pros and cons and tablet menus and traditional menus. Many restaurants around the world are already implementing this type of technology.

The apps are searching within several options. Apps are various while somebody is searching. I like the example to show on menus that wine would offer grape variety and climate zone. There are more offerings on iPad about food suggestions. While clients are taking an option inside, everyone should take an insight. They are going on SmartCeller for e-digit selling. Even some of the groups are keeping software digital menu inside. How many more options are keeping to get papers and get owners. Data source are concerning more about processing like reservations online due to everyday data source. If there are more current contents. I would like to be offered more about networks and payments solving via cards no matter member cards or savings cards.

This article helps us to understand the benefits of eMenus. The main point is that eMenus do not replace waiters or waitresses but help them. For example, it lets people see the actual pictures of the dishes so they are more willing to order something new and maybe even something more expensive than usual.

In this article the food and beverage POS systems are described and discussed. The author explains why POS systems are important for the restaurants and entertainment centers, how to build those systems, how much would it cost to the businesses and what POS is exactly. Other than that, the benefits of installing POS systems are pointed.

The article talks about the importance to keep accounting records. Which are the reasons to do that. The ways depending on the budget to keep the records. Accounting software is one of the ways.

This article on Chron can be viewed as a general guide for people who are willing to improve accounting in their businesses, especially restaurants. It has discussed different ways and steps of keeping accounting records, along with some important indicators of the health of the restaurant.

The hospitality industry is implementing more sustainable practices in order to promote a green image that appeals to consumers- which is impacting sales. As the article quotes "companies that lead their competitors in terms of environmental performance also tend to enjoy a median Return-on-Equity that is 3% higher than that of their counterparts." By going green, industry's can can not only attract today's environmentally conscious travelers- but also can help the environment. The hospitality industry is practicing approaches of how to manage operations in an eco-friendly way to help the planet. 2020 will be the year for companies to operate their environmental policies, and marketing messaging around ecological themes.

This article was surprisingly a very interesting read due to how fast things actually are in the world of technology as it relates to the hospitality industry. In this article, I read about the origins of Wi-Fi when it was primarily used as basic network connections for POS software to where we are now with an expectation of the revolutionary technology that is Wi-Fi 6 to roll out in 2021. Currently, we as a society are only really familiar with Wi-Fi 5 that functions on a first-come, first-served basis. Wi-Fi 6, moves past the focus of getting faster internet to getting more efficient internet. While this is a factor of the technology in that it is 4-5 times faster, it actually goes about giving people better internet acces in a more intelligent manner. Based on the article, this intelligence means that instead of someone benefitting from 100MB download speeds when they're watching a short YouTube video since they logged onto the hotel internet first, a person that is streaming a live convention with several cameras and computers would benefit more because it would be more efficient than a simple YouTube video. Something that the author of this article makes very known is that this technology is not getting "better" interms of evolution of product. Wi-Fi 6 is actually entering a new era of intelligence, making it a more revolutionary development in the tech industry and hospitality. In the 21st century, new technology like this is essential because we see so many things moving onto online services when it comes to booking a hotel, buying event tickets, interacting with other people, etc. In a hotel setting, this new technology would lead to increased satisfaction since their Snapchat and Instagram stories are being uploaded at nearly instantaneous speeds, same with their YouTube videos, and Facebook photos. While this may not be the best thingsto do when considering how much of our lives we spend online, it is best to go along and welcome it since the advancemen

Compared to large hotel chains and airlines, the GDS can play a different role for businesses of smaller sizes. For small hotels, it may be beneficial to make use of a channel manager instead of depending on sales from a GDS. The article suggests to smaller hotels that channel managers, who work directly with travel agents, can mean more profit for your business. Using the GDS and a travel agency, you are technically paying 2 commissions. With a channel manager, you would only be paying one. Having this business relationship will cut out a middle man, and hotels with smaller budget will find this strategy more efficient.

I find this article a little misleading. The GDS are channels, can be managed by a channel manager, or in conjunction with, or separately but usually for smaller hotels require an intermediary. Accessing the GDS(s) are used less by smaller hotels for two main factors: 1. Costs and Fees 2. Scope of demand (driving the right customers). 3. Program Fees The article cites figures which have changed substantially since 2015, as of Q4 North American GDS growth was up 6.4% and ADR was up 4.2% YOY with 18.4% of all bookings coming through GDS. TravelClick, Inc. (2019, March 4) What isn't highlighted in the article was the fact that margin agreements with OTAs for smaller independent hotel range anywhere from 20-35% . If the article had done an actual cost comparison (access through intermediary to GDS instead of OTA) the 10% commission + access and delivery fee may have proven more profitable. It would have been better if they had done a little more comparative cost analysis. TravelClick, Inc. (2019, March 4). GDS Booking and ADR Growth Drive Strong Q4 2018 RevPAR Performance in Hospitality. Retrieved from https://www.hospitalitynet.org/performance/4092226.html

This article from the Little Hotelier talks about what exactly is GDS and the Channel Manager and which on is better for Small Hotels. Small Hotels should opt for the system that gives them what they need, but in their price range and for the size of their business.

This article gives some ideas on how to successfully host an event. Events are important and valuable to the hospitality industry. An excellent event includes making registration easy, managing the event properly, and creating a unique experience. Events can be divided into "Simple" Events, Midsize Events, Small Events and Complex Events. The size of the event will affect the planning of the event. The main points and purpose of the event are also factors to consider when planning the event. Time should have a clear theme, while considering the company's profits. Finally, applying the current technology to the event to create an unforgettable experience for customers is also essential for a successful event.

This article talks about the detail about a professional way to make a good event. It lists seven necessary points. Also, showing the point of view and example to make the reader easy to understand.

This article of Swift Digital supports talks about the importance of backing up data and how it's crucial for not only your businesses's data, but your personal data as well.

(1 of 2) "The hospitality sector has always been a popular target for cyberattacks." This is the first line of this Recorded Future article published in January. The article discusses breaches that happened for both Marriott and British Airways and how this is a regular occurrence in the industry as it is such a big target with so many possible points that can be attacked. While the statistics for the hospitality industry have improved greatly in the last decade, in 2019, they were still accounting for 10% of all breaches. Not only does a breach affect the way an organization operates, but also it also severely effects their bottom-line and takes quite a but of time for them to recover. "According to Ponemon's 2019 Cost of a Data Breach Report, the average hospitality data breach costs $1.99 million to contain, at a cost per record of $123. These high costs are due in part to the time needed to adequately respond to a breach. On average, it takes 200 days to identify a hospitality data breach and a further 75 days to contain it." The article continues by stating that hackers are typically seeking payment card data when compromising the hospitality industry.

(2 of 2) The article then discusses the many reasons why it is so difficult for hospitality-oriented companies to secure their assets versus other organizations of similar stature. Some of these reasons include the large, complex networks which are typically publicly accessible and contain many customers in the databases, the fact that customers are always onsite and so are attackers, the high turnover leading to inconsistent training and sharing of credentials, franchisers owning the responsibility of security yet not knowing much about it, and the risk associated with all of the various third parties the hotels do business with. While intelligence has come a very long, "security professionals in the industry are tasked with defending highly complex networks with many endpoints against a constant barrage of attacks and a constantly churning workforce… [AND] they have limited security resources to work with." Comprehensive security intelligence systems are now capable of protecting many aspects of the organization. Some of these updated features include responding rapidly to security incidents, blocking online brand abuse and impersonation, managing third-party risk, reducing breach containment times, and better allocating security resources. Property data security is so important to the hospitality industry. If a business does not take the proper precautions to protect their systems and their customers, then it could lead to a devastating event for the business. While security intelligence has progressed within the last decade, a business needs to make sure that they have chosen a reliable agent to partner with who will produce consistent service. If the business keeps up with their system updates and protections, they should not have to worry about their security system failing.

The Cyber-security Market report has predicted worldwide spending on cyber-security will surpass $1 trillion by 2021. This is a result of annual cyber-attacks costing $9.5 million in global damages. The many solutions on the market require cyber-security services to be innovative on how they market. Cyber security companies want to stand out to customers while still remaining credible. Many businesses are also uneducated and/or don't prioritize cyber-security. The use of blogs and downloadable e-books allow marketers to educate while promoting their product. Cyber security marketers have to make sure they have an easy user-interface, use data in messaging, and don't over exaggerate the capabilities of their products.

"Maybe it's easy to ignore the huge percentage of vintage gadgets that wind up torched in dicey scrap heaps in developing countries". This article was written on Feb-27-2020. The problem we saw on the old video is still very much a problem now, only bigger.

This article was super informative in the realm of E-waste. It covered every aspect of the issue and most definitely is relevant in today's world.

This article spoke about the history of GDS as well as different opinions on what the future holds for GDS. The main points of the article included a comparison in percentages of travel agents using GDS now and in the past. It seems that GDS has a chance of surviving the downfalls of direct booking if they are able to evolve with technology and consumer needs.

modern technology/applications has taken over where most people can make their own flight reservations without an agent. But even with this change GDS is still going strong and that is mainly because most people feel safer when they go to an agent to make their reservations.

the article discuss the large amounts airlines pay for GDS companies in incentives and they are trying to find different ways to reduce sales through other platforms and try to reach consumers directly. such methods like offering a good online reservation website offering better prices to consumers or raising the prices sold to GDSs.