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This article talks about what the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA is doing regarding green computing on campus and how their students can also get involved.

This article helped me gain a better undestanding of proximity marketing and beacons. Beacons emit radio signals to connect with nearby consumers' mobile devices. This article discusses some of the pros and cons to proximity marketing in order to best engage consumers. Proximity marketing is a fairly new concept that is beginning to skyrocket.

Modern society is an era of big data. There are indeed many benefits to using proximity marketing. But pay attention to avoid excessive spam, so as not to cause customer dislike.

This article talks about the benefits of proximity marketing and why it is the new wave in which companies should get engaged and begin finding ways to utilize this kind of marketing amongst their consumers. The collected data is priceless information for a company to gather about its ideal customers and how to engage them. However, the downsides the article brings up are the legalities around opt-in and the opportunity to allow consumers to opt-out with ease, and the pressures to get the marketing continuously. That is a compliance issue that companies should stay clear and consider. Also, it the importance to build security features to care for this data and information being shared online.

This article discusses 10 robots that are helping to revolutionize the restaurant industry. These robots are really making an impact in the food and beverage industry by stepping in and filling workforce gaps due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The article mentioned that even though these robots have the ability to replace humans, it's very unlikely that will be happening anytime soon. Furthermore, a majority of these robotic systems are still quite expensive and are intended to work alongside human employees so they can "focus on more complex tasks." If you are interested in salad making robots, pizza robots, and my personal favorite the fully automated micro-cafe that creates coffee, then this will be a great read.

This article discusses 10 robots that are automating the restaurant industry. There are robots that make cocktails, pizza, burgers, coffee, ice cream, etc. Business are starting to discover the benefits of using robots to improve their productivity. Since the pandemic began, these robots have become increasingly used and all industries have started to take notice. In the future, it is likely that new generation technologies like these will replace front line workers.

There are several pros and cons to self-service POS systems. Technology innovations will result in an increase in the amount of service businesses that will utilise self-service kiosks for contactless payments. Every business must evaluate which type of system would work best for the specific type of product or service offering. Retailers, restaurants, ticketing businesses and businesses with appointment checkins are likely to benefit from these systems. There are many solutions that can enhance customer service and business efficiency. Each business must carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages prior to investing in order to identify a system that fits.

Cloud computing has its disadvantages like outage and downtime

This article speaks on some disadvantages of Cloud computing all while providing ways to tackle these threats. For example, other than the main and common disadvantages it also touches on is the switching between cloud services. This can be seen due to the lack of growth within the cloud system. Eventually the gaps between servers can cause risk of security and loss of information.

cloud computing disadvantages: downtime, security and privacy, vulnerability to attack, limited control and flexibility, vendor lock-in, cost concerns

Geo-targeting is a step above geo-fencing and like that of Proximity marketing is a digital marketing technique meant to geographically target consumers within a set of parameters. The purpose of this is that while digital marketing has been around, is being used and the future of it is quite relevant it requires companies to adapt using various methods of marketing to reach the consumer. And geography is an area that is highly required. And unlike geo-fencing, geo-targeting is more generalized in the locale. It is asserted that companies need to have a better understanding of their guests at a basic level than before. "Hotels can no longer take a blanketed approach---understanding where a guest is coming from and the impact of a hotel's digital footprint" is just as important. A reason hotels might want to use geo-targeting is that direct business captures "95% more revenue than that of indirect channels". Interested enough many guests book last minute and that accounts for 72% off mobile bookings. Geo-targeting relies on revenue to determine its success. One issue noted is the use of VPNs can create miss-targeting when users are receiving messages from a location they are not in. Several things to note are prioritizing a focus on existing and prior guests because they cost less than advertising to new guests. Secondly, using CRM can create personalization through guest profiles and add an extra special factor to their experience. One example shown was Denny's and it showed an increase in visits. Geo-targeting is a marketing strategy that can help companies stay relevant.

This take on proximity marketing is interesting in that it requires a little more thought in implementation because you aren't just narrowing it down to a specific locale, you are creating a wider net to catch people in. That means you have to have a broader understanding of who you are catching which would be multiple targets that may not be alike, but have similar needs. They used the pandemic as an example of how it benefited them to use geo-location, While not marketing to a whole section of the US they targeted a more localized net ( a state away) but not too narrow as to leave out a specific target. It showed some success in that they were able to save money and help bring brand awareness to a different type of consumer. They not only target those locally but "neighbors" and I know that I as a new guest appreciate seeing local people utilizing a product or service and come back for more because it gives me an idea that the product or service or both is appealing to guests. This also helps hinge on the word of mouth of the customer. That is an additional positive aspect of this type of marketing. Seeking local rather than national or global customer-created brand devotion.

This article talks about research surrounding analysis of global proximity marketing. The article categorizes several things such as sales, revenue, cost structure, and more. It includes data on some of the most well known companies in the world, including Google, Microsoft, Apple, and more. This research is important because it provides a business overview of the sustainability of proximity marketing and discusses its implications for the marketing and sales industries, which hospitality falls under.

Green IT is an aspect of technology that many people do even consider when thinking about sustainability. According to Computer Aid International, "The production of a computer requires 22kg of toxic chemicals, 240kg of fossil fuels and 1,500 kg of water. 80% of life-cycle energy use is accounted for before we even switch a PC on for the first time." This statistic alone should be enough for us to take action. Marriott has started taking action, however. They created an underground data center where the power consumption goes down and efficiency goes up. Cloud computing is also a massive help due to the fact that the physical software wont be on the desktop computers or laptops being operated so the power consumption will be lowered there as well.

Green IT is an aspect of technology that many people do even consider when thinking about sustainability. According to Computer Aid International, "The production of a computer requires 22kg of toxic chemicals, 240kg of fossil fuels and 1,500 kg of water. 80% of life-cycle energy use is accounted for before we even switch a PC on for the first time." This statistic alone should be enough for us to take action. Marriott has started taking action, however. They created an underground data center where the power consumption goes down and efficiency goes up. Cloud computing is also a massive help due to the fact that the physical software wont be on the desktop computers or laptops being operated so the power consumption will be lowered there as well.

This article focuses on the importance of having green IT in business. It shows example of other hotels that have already adopted green IT. Not only this but it offers tips for businesses that are looking to adopt green it. It highlights the issue of recycling computers instead of reusing it . They recommend to use the appliance until it doesn't work.

Green computing, commonly referred to as "green technology," is the study of creating, utilizing, and disposing of computing systems in a way that minimizes their impact on the environment. The ecologically friendly and ethical use of computers and their resources is known as "green computing." A growing trend that has established itself as the preferred method of doing things while preserving the environment is "Going Green." Green computing aims to lessen technology's negative effects on the environment. This entails conserving energy, cutting waste, and fostering sustainability. The goal of "green computing" is to lessen the carbon footprint left by the information technology and systems sector and allied businesses. Green computing mainly uses two methods: e-waste and energy efficiency. Reduced resource use as well as the use of energy-efficient servers, peripherals, and CPUs are all part of energy efficiency. And e-waste is how electronic garbage should be disposed of properly. Even while we may believe that computers are non-polluting and require relatively little energy, their use really contributes significantly to environmental pollution. Only 15% of the estimated $250 billion annually spent on powering computers globally is thought to be used for computation; the remaining energy is lost idling on inactive machines. Since energy consumption is the primary cause of CO2 emissions, any energy saved on computer hardware and computing will result in tons of CO2 emissions being avoided every year. The Energy Star program was established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1992 as a controlled labeling initiative to promote and reward energy efficiency. More than 75 different product categories, as well as residences, office buildings, and industrial facilities, have already received the Energy Star badge. Consumers of devices have widely embraced sleep mode because of the campaign. The IT industry is working to implement Green Computing across a

This article focuses overall on the explanation of what is green computer science and several different ways for you to practice that very same thing. Green computer science is definite as "the study or practice of eco-friendly computing or IT." This type of computing, while growing around the world and being a large part of the overall energy consumption, the problems with that grow as well. With the e-waste that comes with computing, green or otherwise, it is becoming more important than ever to try and find other ways of eco-friendly computing in order to combat the a,punt of e-waste that is produced as a result of the computing. The article highlights 3 different ways of eco-friendly to make sure you are doing your part and it also includes a symbol or brand to look for to make sure that the computer you do use or plan to use is eco-friendly as well. The secondary ways are as follows: 1. Dynamic power scaling which is a technique that allows a drastic reduction in the working rate or frequency of a microprocessor or link interfaces to reduce energy consumption and generation of heat by the chip. 2. Virtualization is a modern IT paradigm which allows separation of technology implementations and computing functions from physical hardware, while cloud computing is virtualization of computer programs via the internet. 3. Using terminal servers is a green computing technique that allows multiple users to connect to a central server, which performs all the processing; however, each user experiences the system on his or her terminal. Finally, the brand or symbol to look for on the computer to make sure that it is eco friendly and consume less power is the Energy Star located on products. In addition, it's not just for laptops; it's for computer monitors, printers, and desktops as well.

This article talks about the current applications of 3 innovative technologies and how they are used in the hospitality industry.

Cyber-attacks has become an increasing problem within the US and the lack of unfulfilled jobs regarding cyber security poses just as big, if not bigger, of a problem. All states, besides Maine, are in dire need to fulfill jobs across the private business sector and government related positions. At this point, many companies, including the government, offer free training (acquiring proper certifications) in hopes of gaining more employees to help with the fight against cyber war.

This paper discusses the role of PMS, POS, and GDS in the hospitality and tourism industry. It identifies key digital literacy and employability skills that students and educators need to develop to better understand and negotiate the changing, digitally focused landscape of the hospitality and tourism sector.

I love this article because it presents such a positive view of the unattended POS system in a restaurant setting. It poses human interaction as a nuisance which prevents customers from ordering more food. The way that it is explained is that the device will not judge someone for asking for too much or customizing their order too much, so customers feel more powerful in ordering exactly what they want. The article also provides several statistics showing how Chili's has increased their appetizer and dessert sales by using these tablets. The advertisements that are displayed on the machines lure customers into ordering more of these items.

It's really a definite one. It implied so much about reality. This is very factual, but there's still in need of traditional human interaction. It is a great marketing strategy and they can upsell their product and show what they offer which most customers will give it a try out of curiosity. Looks can be deceiving but yet it is in human mentality to try.

Chili's has installed 45,000 tablets across 823 Chili's restaurants. These tablets let you order your meal, drinks, refills, etc and lets you pay our bill at the end. Chili says the presence of the tablet increases the size of the average check.

This arctic is about what is a global Distribution System, history of the GDS, how does a GDS work and what benefits GDS offer.

A GDS or Global distribution system can come in handy for many different purposes. Some of these companies such as Expedia and Travelocity are know ones in the United States. It is important to weight pros and cons when deciding who to book with when choosing a hotel or an airlines especially since there are so many options. Depending on how you book especially when bundling with a GDS you could get a great deal.

This article evaluates the past and current roles of GDS in the travel and tourism industry. It is clear that the GDS has adapted and changed with the times and now is able to do even more than at its initial conception. However, as the article pointed out the all the functions of the GDS it is clear that OTA's ad websites are also able to provide a lot of these same functions. We discussed this week whether the GDS system is still currently a relevant system and most agreed that it is. However, as we look to the future it will be interesting to see what evolutions the GDS has yet to go through and how it will attempt to remain relevant in the ever changing tourism market.