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marble_bird

ITInvestmentAnalysis_Hospitality.pdf - 0 views

shared by marble_bird on 12 Jul 20 - No Cached
  • This study aims to determine the feasibility of IT investment in hospitality and determine the value and tangible/ intangible benefits from IT implementation.
  • Nowadays hospitality thinks that technology can improve business effectiveness and efficiency. Hospitality in Indonesia, especially Jakarta was competing to provide the best service in terms of information and technology. Moreover, implementation of IT is one of strategies to improve hotel performance
  • Based on previous research, IT implementation at the hotel has been started since 1980s until 1990an, many hotels that invest millions of dollars for information technology about 4.4 million dollars
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  • Gaining competitive advantage [7] such as, IT security investments may stop the competitors to absorb market power. From other studies that point to problems appearing in hospitality to find out if the IT they invested is effective, [8] asserts that many hospitality companies have no procedures to see how effectively their spending on information technology is.
  • Various sources of data that show about IT investment in the hotel, then the problem is the existence of large amount of investment for IT development without understanding IT effectiveness for the hotel [11], the managerial party who difficult to give data about the values and intangible/tangible benefits.
  • According to [14], an IT investment consists of the total life cycle cost of an entire project or project chunk that involves IT, including the post-project operating cost of the system that was implemented. The investment ceases to exist when it is replaced or eliminated for any reason.
  • Evaluating expense or impact of large IT investment may vary from study to study [15]. In order to evaluate IT investment, Information Economics (IE) is a set of calculating tools to measure the benefits and costs of an information technology project.
  • The benefits of IT/IS that organizations use can be viewed by combining Simple ROI analysis and analysis of technology and business domain.
  • This study using Information Economic approach in order to do feasibility assessment that combine technology domain and business domain
  • The data collected includes the financial data of 5-star hotels and IT projects undertaken, as well as the costs for the technology used today. This stage is also done spread the questionnaire online for intangible value analysis of business domain and technology domain
  • The feasibility of IT investment can be known ROI score generated on the economic impact sheet. According to [23], to calculate simple ROI, there are three worksheets, such as: development cost sheet using ratio, ongoing work sheet, and economic impact sheet. The final value of the ROI and the scores of corporate analysis is incorporated into the IE
  • The Scores on the IE Scorecard will show the value and benefits of investment for IT.
  • The huge demand for the Internet makes many hotels present the speed and bandwidth that can satisfy the guests.
  • E-Concierge Service Management. Service to entertain hotel guests and modern travelers is currently working with smartphones in the form of E-Concierge Mobile with technology called Mobile Guest Softphone (MGS).
  • IT Security, the problem that arises when using IT in a company/organization is its security. For companies/organizations and even hotels are also very vulnerable to information that can harm the hotel in case of cyber attack.
  • According to Table 2, Mandarin Oriental Hotel ROI score is 1. This score means that the IT investment is feasible. Above 100% for Simple ROI means that IT implementation give profitability to the hotel and able to invest more in the future
  • Value Linking approach implemented in 5-star hotel, implementation online reservation and e-Concierge management, hotel guests can quickly make room reservations and guest data collection will be better. For e-Concierge the process of entering guests to the room will also be easier
  • This value showed that 5-star hotels in Jakarta have the time and opportunity to invest more in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on future growth and development of existing infrastructure.
  • It can be concluded that IT implementation and IT projects in 5-star hotels in Jakarta are quite useful. E-Concierge, mobile apps and online reservation are most valuable and success investment for 5-star hotel. But, in order to improve the performance of hotel IT, which in terms of security and improve hotel services, need a system improvement in accordance with the hotel program, so it can support the vision and mission of 5-star hotels in Jakarta.
  • The result of financial analysis that is calculated ratio and processed in economic impact sheet obtained simple ROI and can be concluded that in terms of cost, IT investment in 5-star hotels in Jakarta can provide economic benefits for the hotel.
  • The investment quadrant shows that a 5-star hotel has a solid business base, has the time and opportunity to invest in the future. The 5-star hotels in Jakarta also have the time and opportunity to invest more in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on future growth and development of existing infrastructure.
  • This value indicates that IT investment in 5-star hotel in Jakarta is considered economical enough, and quite helpful and useful in supporting hotel business process.
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    This article covers a study performed on various 5-star hotels in Jakarta on the effectiveness and feasibility of IT investments. The study is performed via a questionnaire distributed to hotels in the area with associated data values for analysis. The study finds that IT investment in 5-star hotels in Jakarta is economically feasible and could provide these businesses with competitive advantage and profit.
marble_bird

Hotel_ITSec.pdf - 0 views

shared by marble_bird on 15 Jul 20 - No Cached
  • During the past decade, information technology (IT) has significantly changed the way the hotel industry controls and manages operations. While many technologies have been utilized, some newer technologies have emerged in the literature and in practice, and many of them impact the hotel’s security.
  • Among the results, this study identified a gap between hoteliers’ understanding of IT budget adequacy and the adequacy of installed IT security systems.
  • Advancements in technology are increasing at a remarkable rate. As technology becomes more important, organizations that do not keep up with these advancements could lose business opportunities to other competitors that do
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  • The four leading technologies which have showed a high adoption rate from the industry and have received attention from academia are: self-service, wireless, green, and security technologies. The advantages of these technologies for hoteliers include enhanced customer services and operational efficiency (Doyle, 2007), decreased guest wait times, more efficient methods to settle bills (Singh & Kasavana, 2005), reduction of energy costs (Meeroff & Scarlatos, 2007), and protection of sensitive customer data and credit card numbers
  • In addition, exploring the influential factors of security system usage will provide greater depth of knowledge with respect to why some hotels have adopted more security systems than others.
  • there is still a lack of understanding of the nature of risk associated with inadequate IT security, especially among operators of hotels that do not have their own IT departments.
  • Self-service technologies are commonly defined as devices or applications which permit users to produce a service independent from the direct involvement of the service provider (Meuter, Ostrom, Roundtree, & Bitner, 2000). The use of self-service technologies in the hotel industry has grown considerably, especially in the areas of self check-in, in-room check-out, and foodservice kiosks
  • IT systems refer to general support systems such as mainframe computer, mid-range computer, and local area network.
  • Some of the most significant wireless technology applications involve the use of mobile handheld devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDA), tablet PCs, and cellular phones, or RFID (radio frequency identification). RFID utilizes computer chips and antennas, allowing the chips to wirelessly communicate with a receiver.
  • While the major usage of RFID in the hotel industry was for inventory control purposes, it also has the potential to be utilized in ways that can provide more conveniences for the guests.
  • Other possible uses include placing RFID tags on items of high value as a means of theft prevention or integrating tags into guest loyalty cards for easy identification
  • IT investment that lowers environmental impact and IT that manages the environmental impact of other systems are commonly referred to as “green technology”
  • Many hoteliers might think becoming more environmentally friendly will cost more for their hotels. However, it has been demonstrated that “going green” is not only the right thing to do for the environment but also provides tangible bottom-line benefits for hotels by reducing consumption of energy and water, as well as other related costs.
  • Some of the risk factors involved include reliability, security, and privacy issues
  • risk associated with a breach of IT systems security (e.g., network break-ins) is very high. Consequently, no sector of the business community is exempt from attacks on their IT systems, with an attack being defined as a technique used to exploit a system’s vulnerabilities.
  • Many of these attacks involve attempts by thieves to gain access to customer credit card data, and these attempts constitute a major portion of the risk inherent in IT security
  • if a system is breached and the merchant is not PCI compliant, the merchant then is responsible for all costs associated with improperly used credit card information taken from that system (Kress, 2008). These losses could bankrupt a business if the security breach goes undetected for even a short time.
  • IT security systems are those measures taken to protect the confidentiality and integrity of proprietary data.
  • two main paradigms of adoption are believed to occur: bottom-up adoption and top-down adoption.
  • Thus, it is reasonable to assume that organizational factors (e.g., financial factor, human resource) will influence the implementation stage of security systems at a hotel.
  • A hotel with sufficient IT budget will install more security systems than those with insufficient IT budget.
  • That is, if a hotel does not have its own IT department, it will have a negative influence on successfully installing or maintaining necessary security systems.
  • A hotel with its own IT department will install more security systems than those without.
  • Overall, the state of IT spending on security continues undiminished because managed security services are required for almost every application (Communications News, 2007).
  • A hotel with more technologies being utilized will install more security systems than those with fewer technologies.
  • Given the importance of security and privacy at a luxury hotel, this study expects luxury properties to have installed more security systems than other segments
  • Most hotel employees use their property management systems for hotel operations and should be able to check their e-mails.
  • To justify the low response rate, previous studies which have compared response rates of mail and e-mail for surveys were reviewed.
  • The sample obtained in this study represented the targeted sample: over 80% of the respondents were working in hotel operations. Furthermore, the purpose of this study was to explore hotel operators’ insight of technology usage, IT budget, and security measures rather than to confirm existing theories or to generalize the results.
  • The respondents were asked to select from a total of fourteen securities related systems
  • The profile of the respondents revealed that they were experienced hoteliers with more than ten years experience in the industry
  • Fifty-three percent of the respondents reported that they were with chain hotels that would be considered mid-range properties with an average of 175 rooms (median of 107). Over 80% of the respondents reported working in operations, while fewer than 4% reported working in either IT or engineering (Table 1).
  • Nearly 70% of the respondents’ properties did not have their own IT department (69.2% did not have, and 30.8% had their own IT departments, n = 234, missing data = 10).
  • Fifty-three percent of them (n = 244) thought the most important goal for hotel technology would be enhancing the customer’s experience.
  • second identified goal was utilizing technology to help generate revenue (41%)
  • differentiate properties from their competition (20%), to lower expenses (16%), and to increase security (6%).
  • Internet kiosks in the lobby represented the most frequently used self-service technology (36.5%, n = 244), followed by kiosks for airline check-in/board pass
  • With respect to security systems currently in use, antivirus security systems represented the most frequently used security system (92.2%), followed by hardware firewalls, software firewalls, physical security, and encrypted login security systems.
  • intrusion detection was the most frequently identified system (15.6%), followed by vulnerability assessment scanning (13.5%), Internet scanning (13.1%), antivirus (11.5%), digital ID server (11.5%), and nonreusable passwords (9.8%; Table 2).
  • Thus, the hypothesis was supported that there was a linear relationship between the three factors and the adequacy of security systems.
  • The positive standardized coefficient (β) of .389 indicates that there was a statistically significant (p < .001) linear relationship between IT usage (the number of wireless, self-service, and green technologies a hotel was using) and the adequacy of security systems
  • The study revealed certain things of interest, the most significant of which is the need for greater emphasis on IT security among hoteliers.
  • only about 30% of all respondents reported having their own IT departments. Since budget hotel properties are extremely unlikely to have an IT department, it is highly likely that the very large majority of IT decisions throughout the industry are being made by hotel operators for whom IT is not their primary area of concern.
  • Furthermore, the focus of hoteliers for future IT implementations is enhancing the guest experience (53%) and generating revenue (41%). Very few respondents (6%) identified increasing security as a 5-year IT goal.
  • While almost all respondents use information systems as part of their jobs, very few are trained in the development, maintenance, and secure use of these systems.
  • no correlation was found between the respondents’ perceived adequacy of their IT budgets and the adequacy of installed security systems, as adequacy of IT budget did not appear as a significant term in the regression analysis.
  • Nearly 10% of respondents do not have so much as anti-virus protection for their systems, and nearly half do not even take simple physical precautions to protect their IT systems.
  • we note that no correlation exists between the respondents’ perceived adequacy of their IT budgets and the number of installed IT security systems, as the number of installed systems was not a significant factor in the regression analysis.
  • the large majority of respondent properties do not have their own IT departments. Second, the people making IT decisions generally do not have IT backgrounds or training. Third, the large majority of respondent properties have little more than firewalls or antivirus software to protect their proprietary data, and these systems alone are not adequate to meet PCI standards, as they do not take steps to encrypt and protect cardholder data, maintain a vulnerability management program, implement strong access control measures, regularly monitor and test their networks, and maintain an information security policy as required by the Security Standards Council.
  • it is reasonable to conclude that the respondents did not have an adequate understanding of the nature of the IT security hazards facing them for the average property does not have installed systems adequate to meet PCI standards, yet they reported having adequate budgets.
  • In order to adequately protect proprietary data, one must have an understanding of network security, which is an understanding apart from software functionality.
  • Properties with their own IT departments, however, reported that they had a higher number of installed IS security systems than did those properties without their own IT departments.
  • roperties without their own IT departments, in particular, have a less adequate understanding of their IT security needs than may be necessary.
  • This study found hoteliers’ lack of attention to security provision, training in IT, and PCI compliance can place hoteliers at great risk. For example, the cost of a single incident at a noncompliant property could result in the loss of the entire business.
  • It will be useful to examine the reasons why luxury properties are more likely to employ adequate security measures to determine whether this greater use is attributable to better understanding of security issues or some other factor.
  • The study was limited by the nature of online surveys; the response rate was quite low. Future studies could test the proposed research model via paper-based mail surveys to increase a response rate.
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    This article covers a study performed on various hotels to determine management's level of IT knowledge and security implementations in relation to the hotel's IT security budget. The article discusses four types of technology impacting the hotel industry and how management responses to trending technology can affect a business, particularly in terms of a data breach and overall security. The study finds that an alarming percentage of hotel managers are not adequately informed on the risks and procedures of IT management and security, and many do not have proper IT security measures in place despite having an appropriate budget.
jlewinsky

Facial Recognition Market Expected to Reach $9.6 Billion Worldwide by 2022 | News | Hos... - 0 views

  • According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, World Facial Recognition Market - Opportunities and Forecasts, 2015 - 2022,  the global facial recognition market is expected to generate revenue of $9.6 billion by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 21.3% from 2016 to 2022.
  • North America is expected to dominate the market throughout the forecast period, owing to the high expenditure on security systems by government agencies in the region.
  • Facial recognition technologies include 2D, 3D, and facial analytics. The 3D facial recognition technology segment holds a significant share in the world facial recognition market, owing to its high accuracy in terms of recognizing facial features as compared to the 2D facial recognition technology.
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  • 2D technology is also widely used due to its low installation cost and operational ease as it uses 2D appearance
  • Among the component segments, hardware accounted for the maximum revenue share in 2015, owing to high cost of 2D and 3D cameras. The facial recognition software market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 23.9% during the forecast period. Development of effective and efficient facial recognition software applications is expected to drive this market.
  • In the year 2015, homeland security contributed the highest revenue share, accounting for around 21% of the overall market revenue. From a growth perspective, intelligent signage is likely to be the most prominent application of facial recognition, anticipated to witness the highest CAGR of 25.1% during the forecast period.
  • North America offers lucrative opportunities for market growth, exhibiting a huge demand of facial recognition technology for homeland security and criminal investigation.
  • Some of the leading players in the facial recognition market include Cognitec Systems GmbH, NEC Corporation, FaceFirst, Inc., and 3M amongst others.
  • These players have adopted product development, acquisitions, agreements, and partnerships as their key strategies to strengthen their market position and expand their geographical presence. For instance, in 2015, Cognitec Systems GmbH launched and incorporated a superior version of the face recognition algorithm B9 in FaceVACS-DBScan, one of the its leading facial recognition products.
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    According to this article the technology of facial recognition is expected to grow tremendously by 2022. Also, mentioned industries such as homeland security who has been using this form of technology since 2015. When comparing the 2D and 3D technology, 2D technology is more widely used due to its low cost and ease of use. The use of 3D technology has its place in the industry as well due to its ability to recognize facial features more accurately than 2D technologies.
ovila009

Global distribution system (GDS): Complete guide for hotels - SiteMinder - 1 views

  • More than 600,000 travel agents plug into the GDS every day on behalf of companies to book flights, hotels, car rentals and destination activities.
  • Despite the growth of third party online travel agencies (OTAs) like Booking.com and Expedia, the GDS remains the number one way to promote your hotel to the corporate travel market globally.
  • A GDS is a worldwide conduit between travel bookers and suppliers, such as hotels and other accommodation providers.
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  • The history of global distribution systems dates back to the 1960s when a more sophisticated method was needed to keep track of flight schedules, availability, and prices
    • anonymous
       
      This is how GDS started back in the day in order to keep track of things however nowadays it is used for so much more.
  • Hoteliers are always looking at ways to increase their reach to attract more customers, increase revenue, and make a profit
    • anonymous
       
      Hence why GDS is so beneficial for hotel companies and other industries.
  • As soon as a reservation is made on the GDS or an online booking website, the channel manager instantly reduces inventory across all channels, including the hotel’s own website, and automatically delivers the reservation details back into the PMS or central reservation system (CRS).
    • anonymous
       
      Reservations are now made quick and easy with this system. It gives customers a pleasant experience.
  • There are several major global distribution systems that house and process the majority of data from hotels, airlines, and other distributors. These include Amadeus, Sabre, Galileo, Worldspan, Apollo, and Pegasus.
    • anonymous
       
      Here we can see some examples of GDSs.
  • The Apollo reservation system was used by United Airlines until 2012, when it switched to SHARES, a system used by its former Continental Airlines subsidiary.
  • Sabre is seen as a pioneer for online travel agencies, corporate booking tools, revenue management, and web and mobile itinerary tools, to name a few.
  • Galileo traces its roots back to 1971 when United Airlines created its first computerised central reservation system
  • created by other airline groups in an attempt to gain market share in the computer reservation system market.
  • Worldspan is a Travelport platform, and is the technology leader in web-based travel eCommerce, offering solutions for all facets of travel business online. As a leading GDS, Worldspan provides travel distribution, technologies and services for thousands of travel companies worldwide, including travel agencies, corporations, travel suppliers and travel websites.
  • Amadeus has the biggest global footprint of any of the GDSs, with a potential reach to millions of guests.
  • Abacus was founded in 1988 and became a leading provider of travel solutions and services in the Asia Pacific region.
  • Pegasus Solutions pioneered the hospitality reservations industry.
  • The best systems will connect your hotel directly to the world’s most prominent GDSs
  • Using a software provider to tap into the GDS saves a lot of money and time.
  • Essentially, the GDS can increase hotel bookings and revenue by placing hotels on more ‘supermarket shelves’ globally.
    • anonymous
       
      It gives hotels the ability to expand and increase the number of customers they get by exposing them more internationally.
  • there are still more bookings being generated through the GDS than through hotel websites.
  • The GDS is indeed a unique and direct marketing tool for your hotel.
  • booked quickly and efficiently.
  • The GDS can help hotel managers uncover new market segments to promote their products to
  • More travel agents are relying on the GDS to find the best places for their clients to stay.
  • the GDS improves search positioning and displays your brand messaging during the search and booking process
  • Hotels generate more revenue through a GDS because it places the hotel’s information, availability and rates in prominent locations where it is easy for travel agents to find.
  • you can market all of your rooms to all of your distribution channels at one time.
  • Your GDS should help you maximise your bookings and increase your revenue
  • the capability for the GDS to integrate completely with your existing PMS, online booking engine and channel manager.
  • help you make the best decisions regarding your marketing strategy and distribution plan.
  • discover and tap into the most powerful and motivated market segments.
  • trial the GDS for a short time and measure results before continuing your subscription.
  • Because cruise travellers rely heavily on travel agents for their trip arrangements, it’s highly likely any hotel bookings will also be made through this channel.
  • A GDS is a worldwide conduit between travel bookers and suppliers, such as hotels and other accommodation providers
  • Cruises tend to rely on more conventional channels like travel agents to reach and convert guests.
  • With the cruise industry currently in a state of growth, it represents a chance for hotels to get a slice of the revenue.
  • It appears travel agents are driving most of this success, with 70% of cruise bookings made via this channel.
  • Cruises do all the hard work to book their guests but often they will arrive a day or two early or depart a day or two after their cruise, booking at hotels for the extra time.
  • Most prominent is your hotel description
  • you eliminate the frustration of signing up with each individual platform, and you can connect to all of the top providers without paying the individual fees.
  • The GDS is often used to tap into the corporate travel market because it has the ability to present hotels, flights, and car rentals in one simple interface which is convenient.
  • Live rates and availability are sent from a hotel’s property management system (PMS) directly to the GDS and online booking websites via a channel manager.
  • What are the major GDS systems?
  • here are several major global distribution systems that house and process the majority of data from hotels, airlines, and other distributors. These include Amadeus, Sabre, Galileo, Worldspan, Apollo, and Pegasus.
  • There are several major global distribution systems that house and process the majority of data from hotels, airlines, and other distributors. These include Amadeus, Sabre, Galileo, Worldspan, Apollo, and Pegasus.
  • Amadeus GDS
  • Sabre GDS
  • Galileo GDS
  • Worldspan GDS
  • Apollo GDS
  • Abacus GDS
  • Pegasus GDS
  • – like the ones mentioned above – so you don’t have to worry about signing up to each one
  • individually.
  • In one fell swoop you can access all the retail and traditional travel agents you want:
  • There are a few specifications which will greatly aid successful GDS connectivity: Being centrally located Being located close to an airport Room capacity of more than 20 rooms Lodgings that are set up for corporate markets and not affected by seasons
  • Here’s a checklist to ensure you’re using the GDS to its full potential:
  • 1. Pooled inventory
  • 2. Commission-free structure
  • 3. Integration capabilities
  • 4. Comprehensive reporting
  • 5. Ability to target specific markets
  • 6. No lengthy contracts
  • 7. Simple and affordable connection
  • Essentially, the GDS can increase hotel bookings and revenue by placing hotels on more ‘supermarket shelves’ globally. This approach is particularly effective at capturing international corporate travellers. You can gain lucrative international corporate business, particularly if you’re near a major airport gateway or close to government or commercial enterprises.
    • yoevelyn
       
      This article goes into how to optimize the use of GDS for a hotel operation and the author touched on a point we have discussed in the class before: how to market your local hotel to an international audience. The author suggests that adding your property to a GDS can be a cost-effective way to bring those international business travelers, specially if your hotel is near an airport.
  • The number of bookings generated through a GDS generally outpaces that of direct bookings
  •  
    This article goes in depth into GDS. It explains the concept of the GDS is and how eaxctly it works. It also gives examples of some major GDSs. It talks about the benefits of using GDS in hotels.
  •  
    The global distribution system in the hospitality industry is beyond vital in the act of keeping the ball rolling. GDS provides live products and offers to travelers across the globe. Whats really amazing about GDS is that live availability and rates are transferred through a channel manager directly to online booking sites. This allows guests to acquire the best rates the soonest as opposed to waiting to call a hotel or resort to see what they have and at what price.
  •  
    This article shows us everything we need to know about Hotel GDS. It includes GDS in the hotel industry, GDS work way in travel, seven major GDS systems, the way to access leading GDSs with GDS software, GDS conditions of use, benefits of connecting hotel to the GDS, and how to use the GDS to capture cruise travel bookings at hotel.
ovila009

Proximity Marketing Examples: 28 Retail Companies Nailing it with their Campaigns | Bea... - 0 views

  • Unacast’s latest Q4 Proxbook report confirms that beacon deployments are on track and the numbers align with ABI Research’s forecast of 400 million beacons to be deployed by 2020
  • we bring you a comprehensive list of 28 retail companies that are making a mark with their proximity marketing campaigns via beacons.
  • Eat touted this move as a “strategic pillar” in its communications because it allowed the company to access more information about customer behaviour and drive business intelligence to make precise decisions about how consumer behaviour can be influenced.
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  • As a part of this program, the chain tapped a popular Turkish loyalty app called Shopping Genie, to target customers while they were around the premises of a local McD Café.  Customers got mobile coupons, via the app, which prompted them to purchase a coffee and receive a beverage from the new drink line for free. This proximity marketing campaign via beacons helped McDonald’s achieve 20% conversion rate with 30% of users who received the promotion!
  • Bluetooth beacons were deployed at the point of purchase, where customers were waiting in line to pay or just moving around.
  • These beacon notifications offered two Red Bull cans for $4! Apart from making a profit out of campaigns, Red Bull also monitored the entire campaign in real-time and captured customer behaviour.
  • The retail giant used GE light bulbs to house beacons and send push notifications of specials and discount coupons to in-store customers. These beacon-equipped LED bulbs can track shoppers within a store by using the beacons hidden inside them
  • Carrefour has extensive iBeacon networks in all 28 of its hypermarkets in Romania through which the retail chain offers its consumers a simple, intuitive, and fun app for orientation inside hypermarkets from area to area
  • The retailer’s beacon-enabled app automates the commercial content delivery and collects essential data about in-store consumer behaviour. Its proximity marketing campaign keeps consumers informed about the products, services, and actual special offers from each of the store departments.
  • Popular convenience store group Nisa piloted iBeacon technology to track its shoppers by attaching Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons to trolleys and baskets
  • These sensors picked up the signals emitted by beacons and collected location data which was then fed to a cloud-based server for analysis.
  • used iBeacon technology to gamify the Ladies’ Night event with brands providing offers, discounts, freebies, and prize giveaways. Many retailers such as Hotel Chocolat, Krispy Kreme, Cath Kidston, and House of Fraser, participated in the event
  • The event was highly successful as it saw more than 500 app downloads within the first three hours, with over 500 offers redeemed. All 120 hotspot offers were redeemed within the first 52 minutes of the event.
  • Best Buy implemented a beacon strategy to help boost sales and improve personalisation of experience. The retail giant chose to use their own application as well as Shopkick retailing app to offer rewards to shoppers, simply for stepping foot in the door.
  • Hammerson rolled out beacons across their shopping centres to improve personalisation of consumers’ shopping experience. Their beacon-enabled Plus app was initially trialled at Les Terrasses du Port in Marseille and it ranked among the top 10 lifestyle apps in France.
  • UK supermarket giant Tesco launched its “biggest trial” of iBeacon technology, in partnership with consumer goods company Unilever, by deploying beacons in 270 stores across London. They launched the ‘Mpulse app’ as a part of the Pink and Black marketing campaign
  • UK supermarket Waitrose started using iBeacon technology at its relatively new experimental Swindon store to deliver price promotions to consumers when they were near a particular aisle or food counter
  • The app also allows a consumer to call for assistance. A member of the staff receives the request informing them that a customer is waiting for help
  • using beacons to target passers-by based on their interest. They change campaigns based on distinct seasons including prom season at colleges
  • Supermarket giant Woolworths successfully completed a beacon trial with one store using iBeacon technology to improve customer service around click-and-collect. Thereafter, the chain announced that they are looking to roll out beacons across all of its 254 click-and-collect stores with the aim of allowing consumers to place their order online and pick them up in-store
  • Amazon, the retail giant started a new convenience store in Seattle, U.S. in Jan 2018. Amazon Go is an 1800 sq feet mini market filled with food and technology. They have deployed an array of cameras, beacons and other proximity sensors to make the store one-of-a-kind
  • World-famous brands such as Hamleys, Armani, Longchamp, and Hackett form the 80% of the retail companies that have deployed beacons in their Regent Street stores with the aim of pushing exclusive and personalised marketing messages to customers via iBeacon technology. Shoppers receive alerts and tailored content about everything, from new in-store promotions to exclusive offers only available for visitors to Regent Street, as they pass
  • Neiman Marcus, the high-end retail chain, piloted beacons at three stores—Austin, TX, Walnut Creek, CA, and San Antonio.
  • Rite Aid has installed beacons in over 4,500 US stores for retargeting and personalization of user experience. This large-scale beacon deployment by the Pharmacy chain is the largest beacon installation program in a retail setting till date. In fact, it has even surpassed the one undertaken by the famous Macy’s
  • a collection of beacon-level proximity data to strategize their retargeting plan and achieve personalization capabilities similar to those that have been used in e-commerce
  • Walgreens has innovated considerably in the mobile retail space by using iBeacon and other technologies at over 7000 locations.
  • leveraged iBeacon technology at ten of its stores to boost its loyalty program.
  • Target, the second largest general merchandise retailer in the US, announced that it will start testing beacon technology in 50 of its stores nationwide.
  • The recommendations may appear both as push alerts and in-app updates on the Target app’s “Target Run” page, which is designed like a social media news feed offering deals, top-pinned items on Pinterest, and more
  • beacons to bridge the gap between online shopping and in-store experience. Their beacon-enabled app notifies consumers if any item in their mobile shopping bag is in stock,
  • The store has deployed beacons with individualized campaigns for each department, which makes the customer experience interesting and focussed
  • Macy’s expanded its beacon program to all stores nationwide, by installing more than 4,000 beacons. This step was a part of the retailer’s efforts to make bigger investments in omnichannel retail technologies. This Thanksgiving, Macy’s also used a beacon-triggered mobile app game at its 700 stores, to engage shoppers
  • Urban Outfitters announced that they will be rolling out beacons at 15 of their stores located in Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Atlanta, New Jersey, and Delaware, more than a year ago. The US multichannel fashion and homewares retailer decided to take a different route unlike the conventional route of using aggressive promotions.
  • Kenneth Cole is using beacons to create more compelling, personalized customer experiences with an aim to “provide value and offer at the time of need when customers are in the store
  • launched beacon networks in more than 100 of its top-performing stores located in states such as Chicago, Dallas, Miami, New York, and San Francisco. The idea was to implement iBeacon technology at the stores with the highest traffic levels and best traction with Shopkick.
  • Oscar Mayer worked out an interesting deal with the supermarkets which would allow them to place beacons at the deli counter. This location helps them convince shoppers to buy the specials of the week while waiting at the counter.
  • it has decided to distribute free BLE beacons to about 150,000 gas-station convenience stores in the United States and Canada
  • Alex and Ani used beacons in all of its 40 stores to optimize store layouts and product placement. Contrary to popular belief that beacons are only for ‘pushing’ ads, the popular Rhode Island-based jewellery brand used beacons differently in its trial period without using them to promote flash sales and other discount promotions.
  •  
    the article gives examples of retail stores and how they use proximity marketing to promote their products
nicoleastete

The Soon To Be $200B Online Food Delivery Is Rapidly Changing The Global Food Industry - 1 views

  • Over the past 5-7 years, a slew of companies across the world appear to have zeroed in on a new (and now not so secret) magic formula; where earlier versions of online food delivery service were limited to a single restaurant or menu, it is now a veritable buffet, allowing customers access to thousands of restaurants and millions of dishes.
  • Hospitality partners are leveraging extra capacity in hotel kitchens to prepare meals that are ordered and delivered through online food delivery platforms. Companies in the automotive and transportation industry are looking to tap into the tremendous growth potential offered by last mile delivery.
    • nicoleastete
       
      The Major growth that online delivery platfroms have created for restaurant has developed into another source of income for many restaurants.
  •  
    This article explains the Major Growth that Online delivery platforms will achieve by 2025. Delivery platfofms such as Uber Eats, Doordash, Postmates, Grubhub, and Dominos have changed the demand of online food ordering and the software to create a different type of industry fully online with fulfillment done by store-fronts.
zihanwang

Data Security in the Hospitality Industry | CSU-Global Blog - 0 views

  • Restaurants, hotels, and other companies in the hospitality sector often have complex ownership structures in which there’s a franchisor, an individual owner or group of owners, and a management company that acts as the operator. Each of these groups may use different computer systems to store information, and the information can also frequently move across those systems.
  • Cybercriminals use this reliance on cards to infect point-of-sale (POS) systems with malware that steals credit and debit card information by scraping the data. In fact, it was reported in 2017 that out of 21 of the most high-profile hotel company data breaches that have occurred since 2010, 20 of them were a result of malware affecting POS systems.
  • Well-trained staff also know how to recognize social engineering attempts, and they understand an organization’s compliance requirements. The risk is that the hospitality industry involves a great deal of of seasonal work in which people might move on after only a few months, or they might be transferred.
  • ...14 more annotations...
  • This type of data risk is more subtle, and it involves employees selling data to third parties without the knowledge of the organization that employs them
  • Data security risks in the hospitality industry extend far beyond the reputation hit that a hotel can take if guests’ data is compromised. Industry and political regulators are becoming stricter in governing how organizations process and store personal data.
  • the job turnover rate in hospitality is as high as 90 percent
  • High Staff Turnover
  • From the perspective of cyber criminals, hospitality appears to offer an ideal target for conducting crimes, such as identity theft and credit card fraud, due to the existence of multiple databases and devices containing both Payment Card Information (PCI) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
  • Information security is a pivotal aspect of many industries
  • Complex Ownership Structures
  • Reliance on Paying By Card
  • Here are five of the biggest data security concerns in the hospitality industry:
  • Compliance
  • Insider Threats
  • Best data-protection practices for companies in the hospitality sector include… Always encrypting payment card information.Operating a continuous training program in cybersecurity to maintain a well-trained workforce.Always adhering to relevant regulations, such as PCI DSS.Use cybersecurity measures such as firewalls, network monitoring, anti-malware, and traffic filtering to protect against common threats.Conduct tests against your organization’s cybersecurity defenses in which you mirror the behavior of an actual hacker.Know where your data is and enforce the principle of least privileges to limit acce
  • ss to sensitive information.
  • organizations in the hospitality sector are better placed to implement a comprehensive information security strategy that entails the necessary procedures, processes, and people to improve cybersecurity within the hospitality industry.
  •  
    The article talks about cyber security threats in the hospitality industry. Threats range from high staff turn over so staff isn't trained thoroughly, to insider threats where employees can sell information to third parties, to Cyber-criminals who infect POS systems with credit cards.
  •  
    Data information security is very important to a business development.In my opinion, I think the relationship is inversely proportional. In other words, the more effective cyber security budget is invested, the less potential impact there is of customer information being stolen (being hacked). Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. These cyberattacks are usually aimed at accessing, changing, or destroying sensitive information; extorting money from users; or interrupting normal business processes.
Angelica Saez

Cocktail: Exploiting Bartenders' Gestures for Mobile Interaction: Social Sciences & Hum... - 0 views

    • Angelica Saez
       
      This is a great app for people to learn how to make new drinks for themselves at home.
  • Finally, we have designed interaction via SmartTable to support intuitive data transfer to stationary devices. SmartTable is a touch-screen-based computer system.
  • A user can transfer data from the mobile phone to SmartTable with the sprinkling gesture, i.e., by sprinkling the mobile phone above the touch-screen. An icon that represents the received data then appears on the touch-screen. In addition, SmartTable allows the user to transfer data from SmartTable to nearby stationary devices, such as a TV, printer, or computer, by dragging the icon in the direction of the target device. Details about the SmartTable interaction are given in Section 2.4.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • This paper presents ‘Cocktail’, a new gesture-based mobile interaction system that exploits gestures employed by bartenders for easy data sharing between co-located users. In our system, users can pour (transfer) multimedia data in their mobile devices to other friends’ devices in a manner akin to a bartender pouring a drink into a glass. Cocktail also provides an intuitive way of creating new content by mixing existing data with a shaking gesture. For example, users can make music videos with their favorite music and pictures in the mobile phone by selecting them and shaking the mobile phone.
  • This paper describes a gesture-based mobile interaction system, Cocktail, which is designed for intuitive data exchange between co-located users and content creation. Motivated by the analogy of bartenders mixing drinks to make cocktails; our system uses related gestures for mobile interaction: a user can pour (transfer) data in the mobile phone to another device, like a bartender pouring drink mix into a shaker.
  • Our system provides three types of interactions: (1) data transfer from a mobile device to another device (including both mobile and stationary devices); (2) creation of new content; and (3) data transfer from SmartTable to stationary devices. All three interactions are based on gestures used by bartenders.
nbakir

Reopened restaurants reveal dining's 'new normal': Masked waiters, e-menus and booth di... - 0 views

  •  
    Heil and Carman (2020) begin by highlighting the current changes in the restaurant business, where social distancing, protective gear, and reduced capacity are the norm as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The resulting effect is the limited interaction with customers, eliminating the warm, welcoming customer service nature of waiters and waitresses. The focus of the paper, in this case, is on Georgia, Alaska, and Tennessee, which allowed the reopening of restaurants and other eateries. Some of the provisions instituted include limiting the restaurant capacity to 25%, such as in the case of Alaska. Resultantly, with expected low revenues, only approximately 5% of restaurants in Alaska have opened. However, in Georgia and Tennessee, restaurant owners provide that they may not be able to implement safety guidelines among their employees, given the surprising nature of the reopening provisions. However, some businesses are prepared, instituting internal measures to couple the governmental regulations (Heil and Carman, 2020). However, those reopening are faced with logistic challenges, as issues such as storage space for extra furniture are required. Other costs, such as air scrubbers, which are expensive, may also be required in addition to the mandatory sanitizers, increasing the costs of operations. With regard to technological focuses by the restaurants, some have developed disposable menus, while others have generated QR codes for customers to get access to digital menus. On the other hand, restaurants have had to pay above minimum wages, as they seek to attract employees back to work despite the coronavirus pandemic. The creation of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is highlighted as the underlying survival of businesses during the pandemic period. However, while the pandemic appears as having resulted in a need for high adaptability, Heil and Carman (2020) provide that "opening at limited capacity means (ability to operate) at full force once normalcy
jasdhami95

CWT M&E makes small meetings easy with new global direct booking platform - 0 views

  • CWT easy meetings, a direct-booking platform for small meetings. The platform gives meeting organizers access to over 250,000 meeting rooms in hotels
  • unique venues & event spaces in more than 90 countries.
  • enables meeting planners to source and book venues,
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • most organizations still don't have any standardized processes or solutions to manage small meetings, the way they do for large events or transient business travel."
  • many of our clients spent up to 70% of their meetings and events budget on small meetings
  • aking the search and booking process simple and efficient for meeting organizers
  • The standard version of the platform, which is ideal for one-off meetings, is free for any meeting organizer to use and allows planners to easily search, compare and instantly book meetings.
  • Preferred venues and partners can be highlighted within the tool and made to appear at the top of the search results.
  • a customizable option for large companies looking to automate their meeting booking processes
  •  
    CWT M&E has created a new website platform to help hotels and other venues streamline the process of booking meetings and small venue events. This is a helpful tool for meeting planners who are able to access over 250,000 meeting rooms easily and be able to book and modify any meeting room reservations directly through this website, instead of going through a variety of different channels in the past. The reason why this website was developed goes to show the first kind of solution for small meeting bookings which represented over 70% of client's budget before the pandemic. My take on this is that once pandemic restrictions are lifted, there is going to be a huge surge in demand for these meeting spaces so it will be crucial for hotel properties to be able to list their availability on this website which would be reducing any additional costs that go into booking meetings.
khadija2050

Property management systems "failing" private accommodation owners | PhocusWire - 0 views

  • Property management systems continue to be a significant challenge for vacation rental managers
  • no single system sticks out as “most valuable” for managers
  • PMS software was also the top fix for vacation rental managers who were quizzed on their priority if they could wave a magic wand.
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • property management software still consistently fails on the hospitality side of things.
  • property managers with six or more listings appear to hedge their distribution bets saying they list across multiple platforms.
  • managers who counted one or more gaps in their PMS
  • fifth of respondents having between one to five listings listing exclusively on the service.
  • PMSs are mostly focused on helping property managers get the reservation
  • 58% of property managers unable to single out a technology that has most impact on their business.
  •  
    this article highlights the impact of property management systems on accomodation owners in the hospitality industry
nashalsiddiqi

What are the three big technology issues for the hotel industry? | PhocusWire - 0 views

  • The fragmented nature and location of hotel systems means a guest’s credit card number could exist in multiple systems in formats of varying security in locations of varying security.
    • kmira026
       
      1st technology issue for hotel industry
  • HTNG has set up a workgroup that will a framework that will enable hotels to concentrate the storage of sensitive card data in a single system, managed securely by a vendor or the hotel company.
    • kmira026
       
      Solution for 1st technology issue
    • nashalsiddiqi
       
      is this enough?
  • it has become critical for hotels to appear correctly and accurately in search results, as search engine sites have essentially become the gateway to travel research and inspiration.
    • kmira026
       
      2nd technology issue is Unique Global Identification Numbers. Something as small as a incorrect address can cause a problem
  • ...18 more annotations...
  • In both Europe and the US, regulations are being released and revised to provide support to guests with disabilities.
  • With the increase in electronic distribution of hotel information and transactions, hotels are working to provide better information and service to guests with disabilities.
    • torte003
       
      The three main technology issues hotels are facing are PCI, ID numbers , and support for best with disabilities.
    • torte003
       
      PCI is a main security threat that they face. Having a hotels cc system hacked and all their guest information stolen is an extreme nightmare. They have tasks forces that help educate hotels on how to protect and learn more about the procedures to keep that secure.
  • I can hear some of you now – what good can possibly come from creating an ‘association of associations’? Aren’t we just creating more overhead, more cost and more bureaucracy? In a word, no.
  • From my own perspective
  • I hate wasting our scarce
  • resources, and worse, wasting the resources of our members who volunteer their time to work for us
  • Other council member organization initiatives include a white paper authored by AH&LA, a payment technologies committee established by HEDNA, and the support by OpenTravel of needed XML specification changes as required by the industry.
  • thousands of companies worldwide provide hundreds of software applications to help hotels and hotel companies manage operations to provide better guest service.
  • three key technology issues that are having, and will continue to have, a direct strategic impact on the hospitality industry:
  • Search engine optimization is a great thin
  • PCI (payment card industry) complianceUnique identification numbers for hotelsSupport for guests with disabilities
    • torte003
       
      Having wrong information about your hotel or business can be such a negative impact on business. With everyone now on google or yelp having the right information is crucial.
  • ‘holy grail’
  • y company has become critically important for the financial stability and market credibility of the hospitality industry.Members of the HTSIC have addressed this issue in a coordinated
    • vanessavioli
       
      Cyber security is almost equal to climate change in the impact on the industry. As we move into being a cashless society, keeping guests information private is integral to the continued growth of the industry.
  • Initiatives specific to distribution include the creation of standard room definitions and descriptions, guaranteeing accessible guest rooms and removing the accessible guest room from inventory when booked. HEDNA has worked on creating this vocabulary, and OpenTravel has revised its hotel schema, annotations and code list to reflect these changes.
    • vanessavioli
       
      This is an extremely important issue for the industry. Creating an industry standard vocabulary to ensure that guests with disabilities receive the specific room and accommodations they need is a game-changer. The ease of mind that it would create for those customers is priceless.
  • And our biggest strength is our commitment to work together, to eliminate redundant work or conflicting positions, to be transparent and open in our dealings with each other, and to address the most important technological needs of the hospitality industry.
    • vanessavioli
       
      With the ease of current technology, concerns about many of the bureaucratic aspects of something like this can be quickly done or even potentially eliminated.
ldevaul

8 Disruptive Hotel Technology Trends to Watch in 2021 - 6 views

  • For those of us keeping an eye on technology in hotels, it can be difficult to discern what trends are here to stay and what trends are simply a marketing stunt.
  • Venture capitalists are finally starting to recognize the opportunity to invest in tools and platforms that allow hotels to capture new levels of hotel operations efficiency and revenue growth.
  • Cloudbeds offers an all-in-one suite of tools, including a property management system, channel manager, booking engine, and revenue manager, growing revenue and automating workflows at more than 20,000 properties.
    • ldevaul
       
      This is definitely something to look into. SaaS programs, nowadays, are super robust and offer so much data and opportunity for large and small businesses.
  • ...29 more annotations...
  • Despite being one of the largest and most dynamic segments of the US and global economy, penetration of cloud-based technologies in the segment remains incredibly low, and the vendor landscape remains tremendously fragmented on a global basis,” says Matt Melymuka, co-founder and partner at PeakSpan Capital.
    • ldevaul
       
      This is very interesting...one of the largest industries and they are the slowest to invest in cloud-based technologies. A lot of companies clearly prefer to print everything and leave an actual paper trail!
  • Life House, a tech-first hotel experience, shows proof-of-concept: that hotels that invest in technology drive higher revenue, better guest reviews, and a higher star-rating.
  • Hotels use Zingle’s messaging tools to deliver five-star service at scale; Medallia’s investment in Zingle gives hotels the opportunity to provide frictionless guest service and streamline time-consuming interactions, such as check-in.
    • ldevaul
       
      I'm sure companies who invested in this program during the height of pandemic were very thankful!
  • Hotels are catching on, adding convenience through streaming, voice activation, guest-room tablets, and food ordering tech.
    • ldevaul
       
      The guest room tablets that can order room service and manage the operating system in the room is a game changer. Hotel Mousai in PV Mexico has this installed in all of their suites and it was super impressive!
  • White labeling is a practice in which a product – in this case, hotel software – is manufactured by a third party and uses branding by the purchaser, or marketer, so that the end product appears to have been produced by the purchaser.
  • An API, application programming interface, is simply a messenger of data between applications. APIs allow your various hotel technology tools and programs to work together, connecting your RMS to a PMS, or your PMS to your upsell software, or your business intelligence software to your PMS. An API makes your technology user-friendly and efficient; when your tools work together, you capture each platform’s full capabilities.
    • ldevaul
       
      This is super useful! When all of your software can speak to each other it improves productivity so much!
  • For instance, feeding data from your PMS into a business intelligence tool leads to real, operational data to analyze trends and provide recommendations for better marketing campaigns, smarter staffing decisions, seasonal trends, and market competition. Hotels that are comfortable using APIs can automate tasks that take up much of their employee’s time with manual data entry.
  • On-demand convenience dominates our lives, and guests expect this level of ease from their hotel experience as well.
  • Oaky, one of the industry’s leading upselling tools, raised a Series A funding round of $9.5 million led by PeakScan Capital. Oaky’s appeal to investors stems from the app’s data-driven approach to driving incremental revenue. Their deep understanding of customer behavior makes Oaky one of the top-rated upselling tools on the market today.
    • ldevaul
       
      This would be great for hotels who are struggling to increase their revenue.
  • Hilton is taking a different approach, partnering with Netflix to allow guests to control their streaming straight from the Hilton Honors mobile app.
    • ldevaul
       
      This is genius! Definitely will be trying this at my next Hilton stay.
  • As far as voice-activation, Volara is leading the way in providing a thoughtful, Alexa-esque guest-room solution. Volara integrates with the most popular work order management systems so that guests can make requests and get confirmation when the item or service they need will be delivered.
  • And for savvy marketing managers, tablets provide a new channel through which to send targeted, automated messages generating $5,000 per month in additional revenue.
    • ldevaul
       
      This is great for hotel marketers! Proving their value and having the company invest in tech that shows an huge ROI. Love this!
  • 2nd Kitchen is a godsend for hotels without a kitchen on-site: guests can order room service from restaurants near your hotel, taking care of care of orders, menus, payment, fulfillment, and customer support for your property.
  • Hotels are a prime target for hackers. “Only about 25% of all U.S. businesses, including hotel operators, are fully compliant with current data security best practices. That means that three out of four are not and are potential disasters waiting to happen,” reported one cybersecurity expert.
    • ldevaul
       
      This is definitely worth exploring more!
  • Numerous high-profile malware attacks on the hotel industry have led to hundreds of millions of guests’ data being compromised and millions of dollars in damage. Just this February, MGM Resorts revealed they were the target of a massive data breach that compromised personal information for more than 10.6 million guests. Files leaked in the MGM attack included information on celebrities, chief executives of technology companies, reporters and government officials, according to Skift.
  • Expedia and Booking have taken some pretty big hits in recent months.
  • Why the dive in stock price? There are two factors outside Coronavirus that are impacting OTAs. First, hotels are getting better at capturing direct bookings. Hotel tech like direct booking platforms, metasearch ad managers, and messaging integrations help properties draw more visitors to their site and convert more direct bookings, circumventing the high OTA commissions in the process.
  • Secondly, Google has entered the travel market in a big way. Google has expanded from traditional AdWords to include hotels everywhere via its Hotel Ads product.
  • 5G may be getting all the buzz, but for property owners, WiFi 6 is much more relevant. WiFi 6 is the term used to describe the next iteration of Wifi, a faster, more efficient connection enabled through new technologies. WiFi 6 is about 30% faster than our current WiFi.
  • With WiFi 6, your property can leverage in-room technology to provide better service, driving positive guest reviews and repeat business. Smart thermostats, smart speakers, and smart locks will all perform better with the adoption of WiFi 6 over the next five years.
  • Investors in Oaky already recognize this next insight: data has become the world’s most valuable resource. The sooner you start to mine guest data for better customer insights, the better positioned your property will be against your competition.
  • Data can fuel smarter marketing campaigns, inform your pricing, and help you capture a higher market share than your competitors by knowing your guests on a deeper level.
  • Earlier this year, Revinate launched the hotel industry's first Guest Data Platform to aggregate, clean and deliver rich guest profiles for hotels and property groups of all sizes. The platform combines data from multiple sources to provide a complete picture of a hotel’s guests, delivering the information needed to increase guest satisfaction scores, direct bookings, and ultimately, profit.
  • Brands in the alternative lodging sector include Stay Alfred, Sonder, The Guild Hotels and to some extent groups such as Selina and OYO. 
  • The biggest distraction or barrier these next-gen hotels face is that they’re taking the wrong approach to tech. The companies that win will be the ones who stop acting like tech companies – using buzzwords like AI and virtual concierge – and focus on being more innovative and agile real estate businesses than traditional market players today. Those that succeed will be tech-enabled businesses; not tech businesses.
  • Smart hotel rooms use technology to allow guests to personalize their stay experiences.
  • Technology is becoming more important to hotel operations because it can deliver increasingly high value for hoteliers and guests.
  • The most important software in the hotel industry is the property management system, which acts as “mission control” for hotel operations. Hoteliers use a PMS to manage reservations, check guests in and out, and handle billing.
  • While exciting technologies present new options for hoteliers to enhance their offerings, these new innovations also mean hoteliers must focus on data security and continued training when implementing the technology that guests expect.
  •  
    This article takes a deep dive into the emerging tech trends in 2021. They briefly touched on how SaaS is slowly taking over the traditional PMS and how venture capitalist can't get enough of these programs. Another honorable mention in this article is the explosion of guest room tech such as streaming services, voice activation, and guest room tablets. OTAs that have traditionally been top dogs when it came to hotel bookings are slowly declining and big data is becoming super insightful to hoteliers. This article touches on so many avenues of tech and it's definitely a must read!
jblan183

Beyond: What the Metaverse is and How Hotels Can Take Advantage of it | By Simone Puort... - 0 views

  • "We," Zuckerberg stated in his keynote, "believe the Metaverse will be the successor to the mobile Internet. We'll be able to feel present, like we're right there with people, no matter how far apart we actually are. We'll be able to express ourselves in new, joyful, completely immersive ways. And that's going to unlock a lot of amazing new experiences. When I send my parents a video of my kids, they'll feel like they're in the moment with us, not peering in through a little window. When you play a game with friends, you'll feel like you're right there together in a different world, not just on your computer by yourself. And when you're in a meeting in the Metaverse, it'll feel like you're right in the room together, making eye contact, having a shared sense of space, and not looking at a grid of faces on a screen. That's what we mean by an embodied internet. Instead of looking at a screen, you're going to be in these experiences."
    • jblan183
       
      Zuckerberg is currently working on creating a "Metaverse Program," conveniently named Meta, which will connect all users to be a part of it, rather than simply on it.
  • the Metaverse is not only VR and AR, but also Mixed Reality. In a few years, we could be able to join our friends at a concert under the appearance of holograms, and enjoy the experience from our couch while our pals are physically at the gig. "The feeling of presence," as Zuckerberg highlighted, "is the defining quality of the Metaverse."
  • If the Metaverse can be (and will surely be) a goldmine for online microtransactions-centric industries (think of gaming: the console microtransaction market alone generated $2.94 Billion in 2017), on the other hand, VR traveling never really got mainstream, and this is something we all learned during last year's lockdowns.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • for our industry, the Metaverse can be (and probably will) be a fully functioning economy. "Individuals and businesses," Managing Partner of EpyllionCo, Matthew Ball, wrote on a series of must-read articles on the topic, "will be able to create, own, invest, sell, and be rewarded for an incredibly wide range of work that produces value that is recognized by others."
teresastas

Executive Recycling Company And Executives Sentenced For Fraud And International Enviro... - 1 views

  • xecutive Recycling, Inc. (a corporation) and Brandon Richter, age38, of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, the owner and chief executive officer of Executive Recycling, were sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge William J. Martinez for their roles in a fraudulent scheme related to the disposal and exportation of electronic waste to foreign countries,
    • cingram21
       
      This article discusses the penalties the CEO and COO of Executive Recycling received for violating the laws that were exposed on 60 minutes
    • teresastas
       
      Thanks for posting this...I was interested to see how this all turned out! Looks like it didn't turn out well for them!
  • Executive Recycling appeared as the exporter of record in over 300 exports from the United States between 2005 and 2008. Approximately 160 of these exported cargo containers contained a total of more than 100,000 CRTs.
  • significant portion of electronic waste collected by the defendants were Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs). CRTs are the glass video display component of an electronic device, usually a computer or television monitor, and are known to contain lead. The defendants engaged in the practice of exporting electronic waste, including CRTs, from the United States to foreign countries, including the People’s Republic of China.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • The defendants’ misrepresentation induced customers to enter into contracts or agreements with the defendants for electronic waste disposal. Each victim paid the defendants to recycle their electronic waste in accordance with the representations made by the defendants. Contrary to their representations, the defendants sold the electronic waste they received from customers to brokers for export overseas to the People’s Republic of China and other countries.
  • The defendants claimed to safely recycle e-waste in the U.S., but regularly exported obsolete and discarded electronic equipment with toxic materials to third-world countries,” said Jeff Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s criminal enforcement office in Colorado. 
kbroo026

Customer Acceptance of Use of Artificial Intelligence in Hospitality Services: An India... - 0 views

  • Scholars and practitioners alike, backed by strong empirical evidence, attribute this rising trend in the use of AI-related technologies to the fact that AI-driven applications and robots demonstrate superior information processing and enhanced, cognitive and task capabilities when compared to the ones that are demonstrated by traditionally used mechanisms
  • past studies have shown that the factors such as customers’ service quality features, frontline assistance, customers’ expectations of AI devices (Stock & Merkle, 2017), device aesthetics, appearance, perceived usefulness of AI devices and service robots and social capability (Song, 2017) influence the acceptance and adoption of AI devices and the related technologies.
  • customers are likely to accord much importance to the process of appraising AI devices and related technologies by comparing them with the services that human employees are likely to deliver
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • AI-driven technologies are considered to be intelligent devices; therefore, customers exposed to AI are not expected to learn many new aspects of these devises upfront so as to operate them effectively.
  • Notwithstanding the benefits of AI, it is also probable that an ill-planned transition into AI will lead to unprecedented levels of disruption in the sector if such transition happens without a clear understanding of what facilitates customers’ willingness to accept AI.
  •  
    This study looks at Indian hospitality consumers' willingness to accept AI and its associated technology. Being that hospitality consumers are most interested in "fun and indelible stay experiences," AI for hospitality must provide service as great as or better than human professionals. Over time, it is the conclusion that AI can be welcome by most consumers of hospitality products and services.
kyleemcroberts

Why Tablets on Restaurant Tables Are Here to Stay - Eater - 0 views

  • tabletops at numerous restaurants, from fast-casual burger chains to pillars of the casual-dining sector like Olive Garden and Chili’s.
  • Putting tablets on tables is intended to speed up service by enabling diners to perform various tasks such as ordering food or paying their check without having to wait for their server to appear. I
  • restaurants to turn tables more quickly and serve more guests
  • ...10 more annotations...
  • Outback Steakhouse franchisee in the nation operates more than 100 stores, said that the tabletop tablets enable their restaurants to cut labor costs by “one or two percent,” and run fewer servers per night who are each making more money.
  • 15 percent of diners use the tablets to play games during their meal, but all those small transactions add up — and mean that the tablets basically pay for themselves.
  • tablets are a valuable tool in their technology arsenal.
  • There’s been a fair amount of concern that tablets would put human servers out of jobs, but thus far Outback and other casual dining chains say they are using tablets as server’s assistants:
  • Human servers still interact with the tables and lead service, but diners can use them for common requests like ordering drink refills and closing out their tab.
  • tips have stayed steady or even increased, thanks to the ease of tipping via tablet:
  • automatically apply a tip of the industry standard 20 percent, which is easier than manually entering a smaller tip. Tips are likely also higher thanks to diners’ increased satisfaction with service
  • increased check averages when tablets are in use
  • tablets are also serving as a valuable data gathering tool.
  • restaurants with useful feedback on food and service, and in some cases guests who want to provide more specific feedback
  •  
    The rise of tablets.
  •  
    Tablets have become a success in faster casual and casual-dining restaurant and seem to be better for all around service. Customers like how fast they are able to order, servers are happier because they see a trend of getting more tips at the end of the night, and businesses are profitable because less servers on shift and more profit in business pockets. People tend to spend more money with games to play and ability to order more food in less time. There is a benefit for data collecting on experience at the restaurant as well that helps the companies out on what they need to focus on. Tablets are showing great promise and will most likely be on almost all casual dining tables.
tashaemunnings

Why the Adoption of Biometrics Will Rise - TheStreet - 0 views

  • Biometrics allows for automated check-in and re-check-in at any venue
  • The adoption of using consumer fingerprints or their faces instead of tickets comes with its risks.
  • "Biometrics is a double-edged sword when it comes to security," he said. "On the one hand, it’s a better and more reliable way to secure your identity or account, rather than having to remember a password and passwords get hacked all the time. Even two-factor authentication is proving to be much more vulnerable than many people thought."
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  • Another concern is that biometrics could also contain information about your health and genetics.
  • "The good news is that biometric data theft still has only a limited real-world potential, since it’s not easy to spoof somebody’s biometrics, although it is possible
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  • Several hospitality venues have already started using facial recognition, including cruise ships
  • Some cruise ships take a photo of passengers at embarkation and that data is used from contact tracing to selling consumers photos they appear in and ensuring everyone disembarks at the end of the journey.
  • "Hotels likewise have experimented, with Marriott planning to eventually use facial recognition across all their properties."
  • "This is easier and more cost effective than other forms of authentication, it allows for greater efficiencies and it’s better at preventing fraud,
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    Using biometrics to allow people access to events and keep track of their whereabouts is becoming more and more common across several industries including hospitality. Although seemingly helpful and more efficient that regular tickets or keys, there also seem to be concerns about the security. However, many believe that although these concerns exist, the use of biometrics is one of the safest verification routes currently.
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Walmart and Target Have a Big Problem They Don't Want to Fix - TheStreet - 0 views

  • Retailers and restaurants love to push work off on consumers under the guise that it's somehow better for them. It's like when you order a bagel and a cup of coffee at Panera Bread and you get handled, a blank bagel, frozen butter or cream cheese packets, and an empty coffee cup.
  • Letting me customize my coffee in an app as Starbucks (SBUX) - Get Free Report does is customer service. Handing me an empty cup and pointing me toward a carafe with a milk and sugar station is the exact opposite.Self-checkout is the same principle. If Target (TGT) - Get Free Report or Walmart WMT offers a few stations where people in a hurry can opt to check themselves out, that's very different than replacing your cashiers with automated checkout stations. That's not about convenience, it's about saving money.
  • And, yes, self-checkout has increased shoplifting, but it has also gone from being a convenience offered to customers to a cost-saving method for stores. It's automating an area where people do a better job in a lot of ways.
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  • sacrificed a chance to connect with your customers.
  • Human interaction and connection building can't be automated. Some tools may aid in that relationship, but ultimately people matter.
  • Automate the things people can't see and put as many human beings into helping customers and building connections as possible
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    This article discusses the controversial self-checkout model in major chain stores such as Target and Walmart and the cause and effect of labor issues and how other scenarios appear to be encouraging a time when this model replaces human checkout entirely. It was reported that Walmart loses 3 billion every year to customer and employee theft. For the most part, retailers have been thinking about self-checkout through a financial-savings and customer-experience perspective. But inherently, that means there's going to be less eyes on a transaction, less human interaction and more opportunity for shrink.
cnburke22

What role cloud computing is playing in the evolution of the hotel industry? - 2 views

  • What role cloud computing is playing in the evolution of the hotel industry?
  • Preparation starts when guests interact
  • Cloud services collect data from the moment a customer interacts with a company or service. For example, the hotel can keep track of which services or rooms the customer viewed and make recommendations for upgrades.
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  • information provides insight into customer preferences
  • Personalization continues with upsell offers that appear as the customer interacts with the company.
  • Avoids costly and painful installationsRequires minimal upfront investmentAllows software companies to focus resources on R&D/innovationEliminates negative depreciation (in fact, the software gets better with age, since updates can be made at any time) Offers the ability to cancel at any time. Apart from that, it has lower switching costs for buyers.Pushes software companies to consistently earn customer loyalty with innovation and great service.Eliminates the chances of tasks being derailed because operating the job is possible from anywhere at any time.Relive the risk of unsecured information.
  • Benefits of Cloud Computing
  • Cloud computing provides several advantages over traditional computing:
  • The cloud not only enables a frictionless checkout experience with no surprises, but it can also follow up afterward to nurture relationships and reward loyalty.
  • Build responsive infrastructure
  • Disruption can have far-reaching consequences. Suppose organizations need to work remotely, shut down or open up certain operations, change supply lines or alter operations in any way. In that case, cloud services allow a smooth transition with a central line of communication.
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    This post helped me better understand cloud computing and the benefits associated with doing so through an industry-focused lens.
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    Cloud computing continues to transform the hotel industry by providing the opportunity to reduce cost, improve experiences, build responsive infrastructure and personalize guest offers. Cloud-based software can save the industry money and seamlessly implement a new system without the lengthy installation process. A great way to meet hotel objectives and increase guest experience.
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    Cloud computing contributes to many different factors in hospitality. From the moment the guests arrive cloud computing is already playing a role in providing a better experience. By saving guest information and make it readily available to all members of staff, personalization is provided form the start. Cloud computing will also keep previous stay information which allows employees to see customer preferences. "Predictive maintenance can handle by cloud computing to reduce downtime, especially during peak seasons.The cloud offers a true end-to-end solution for hospitality, restoring the thrill of travel."
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