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IT investment are pushed forward now and days more so for guest satisfaction. A recent Motorola Solutions Inc has uncovered a study that fifty six percent of hospitality organization plan to increase their mobile investment and wireless technology with greater data volumes and high speed access. This will increase drastically competitive advantage for the business and customer experience. Some find it a challenge in convincing upper management to approve investing in to the latest technology. As well as demonstrating that a proposed technology investment will be beneficial for their business and will assist in continuous up to date trends and market competition. I highly agree that technology is a must in this industry, especially how fast it is changing. In order to stay within the competitive advantage and provide convenience for our guest it is necessary to invest and update into the latest technology. The initial investment might be extreme especially if you have been out of date from any recent technology however, with time the results will be returned with satisfied guest and fast paced PMS systems.

Information Technology is indispensable in the hospitality industry for several reasons. This article discusses how many hotels are increasing their investment in I.T because of its abundant advantages, especially guest satisfaction. It particularly states how mobile and wireless technology will aid in guests pleasure but ensure competitive advantage as well. They looked at a study of Motorola Solutions Market Barometer of 2011 where they fundamentally determine the emerging trends in the industry and opportunities. They then came to understand that businesses are investing more on hospitality information technology to not only assist in customer retention but to have an overall high-quality system that can manage their daily duties such as inventory, budget, and status of room reservations.

This article talks about how hotel companies are starting to invest more in information technology to provide a more enhanced guest experience. A survey done by Motorola Solutions found that 56% of hospitality companies are looking to invest in more mobile technology. While companies are looking to invest more in technology, it has been challenging to convince higher management levels to make the investment. Radi Karnib with Rotana Hotel Management said that it's important to demonstrate the benefits of the investment. Daniel Haijar with Layia Hospitality agrees and goes on to say that it's important to differentiate between what's an investment and what's an expense.

This article focuses on millennial's and how dependent they are on technology when traveling and/or exploring places to eat. It is highly encouraged by travel agencies and the food/entertainment indusrty to promote their services through apps and current technological trends. Millennial's like the ability to check themselves in the hotel, book reservations, pay bills, ect. at their convenience. More hotels are implementing radio frequency identification (RFID) key card, which only allows the electricity to be turned on once the key is inserted. This helps in decreasing hotel electricity cost. Not only does it reduce electricity cost, but it also saves energy from our planet. Hotels are targeting business travelers, millenial's, and leisure travelers due to proper mobile strategy in place, a study in 2016 showed that 75% from search and 51% of revenue come from mobile devices. SaaS is increasing in demand, especially from hotels and hospitality companies. Hotels are able to cut down on operating costs since SaaS is cheaper with no initial hardware costs and no need to hire full time IT staff to maintain the system, Hotels and restaurants are going paperless practicing sustainability and going green. Technology is helping elevate the hospitality and tourism world by providing more accessibility and exposure targeted to the specific demands of today's world.

This article states the differences in job description of both digital marketing manager and revenue manager, but LaRose focuses on the importance of having them work closely to best reach their goals. Basically you cant have one without the other and each position has something unique to offer to the hotels growth and popularity. Every hotel must sell a story and meet the demands of their guests, consistently adapting and changing, adding and subtracting when needed in order to maximize revenue and continue to be attractive to its consumer.

The new travelers are now the millennial generation and those that follow them. As a result of this hotels are making changes to attract and suit this new travel market. This industry is all about people and their experiences, hotels have to now ensure that travelers know they exist to encourage business for themselves. Digital marketing is very popular in all industries. In this age, marketing budgets are expended mostly on online marketing than traditional marketing. It is also noted than travel and accommodations are more affordable for everyone, therefore resulting in the everyday person traveling for countless reasons. Information is readily available to modern travelers and above average spenders who have high expectations in a very competitive market. Travelers have more freedom now then before and are now traveling to new destinations this is pushing the digital market strategies and driving hotels to use modern approaches in reaching guests. The article also elaborates on how you can stack up with your competitors. Competitors include modern travelers who want authentic and crafty experiences and will listen to others with information about it.

This article goes into detail on how information technology has grown to a critical level for the success of business operations. Tourism has grown in India to become the largest service industry for the country, providing 6.23% to the national GDP, and providing 8.78% of the total employment. It is estimate that over 5 million annual foreign tourists arrive alongside 562 million domestic tourists. The implementation of this information technology provides a multitude of benefits including reducing costs, enhancing operation efficiency, and improving service quality and customer experience. To list some of these components; The railway, car rental, and bus/coach systems are all computerized and information regarding tourist/passenger transit data is now readily available. Airlines have fully implemented CRS (Computer Reservation System) to help generate higher rates of occupancy and boarding the scope of the market. Though these systems have helped improve the India's economic growth, the current structure of the tourism industry has shown that businesses in the accommodation sector lacked direct access to travelers and consumers. It's thanks to e-business that suppliers have found technological solutions (GDS's) to direct traffic properly. The Ministry of Tourism's Plan channels over half of their budget to the development of destinations, circuits, mega projects as well as rural tourism infrastructure projects. The travel and tourism industry has revolutionized the travel plans and strategies for India, and it's thanks to the embracing of newly developed and effective information technology that has turned operations to running on a new level of efficiency.

This article discusses how many hotel properties are finally getting rid of their legacy property management systems (PMS) for more advanced ones which enable a more seamless experience for both guests and employees. These PMSs are huge data collection centers and being able to connect multiple facets of the hotel operations under one software is extremely advantageous. Many systems are now diverse enough to be used by departments other than Front Desk, Housekeeping, and Sales. Matter of fact, some PMSs now are been used for inventory management, group scheduling, and for other departments such as golf and spa. Adopting the right PMS is vital for a hotel's success. A full-service luxury resort will require a complex PMS being able to connect multiple departments, meanwhile, a limited-service budget hotel might still only require the most essential PMS functions.

Revenue Management is a practice that all hotels should have adopted by now, even small independent hotels. Revenue management used to be practiced by only high-end hotels who could afford to have a single job position titled "revenue manager" however, technology has allowed us to see the benefit of having a dedicated revenue manager. Revenue management has allowed hotels to have higher profits than ever, by simply adjusting their prices based on demand. Smaller, independent hotels will typically give the general or front office manager this title, which is where they are making their mistake. Living in this era of online sales, we have to be aware that there can be a lot of missed revenue if we are not educated and practice proper revenue management. Other factors contribute to revenue management as well such as: distribution channels, social media, and technology.

Twenty Four Seven Hotels has moved all their properties to Aptechs PVNG software. PVNG is a cloud-based enterprise accounting software. Aptech is a software company that has 100% hospitality specific software systems. Twenty Four Seven hotels has had no issue with this software as of yet they have only been seeing the positives of the software, the staff finds it very easy to use as well as the vice president of finance for the chain. twenty four seven hotels portfolio also includes Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt brands. this could see major hotel brands switch to more cloud based technology if this chain continues to be successful with it

This article talks about the best options for online registration systems by giving you their reviews of each method. They state the best software is Regpack which online registration software that allows any organization to create a unique onboarding process for their registrants. Examples of Regpack markets include Camps, Classes, Courses, After School Programs, Events & Conferences, Group Trips, Retreats, Workshops, Educational Tourism, And more! If you are a significant event with a big budget, Cvent is impressive. It's the one-stop-shop for every event management tool you need to execute substantial scale events successfully. Cvent provides, in addition to event registration, venue sourcing, and mobile event app technology. They also offer many integrations with other marketing tools for a full suite of event tools.

Every HR department needs to utilize software which meets the specific requirements of a company without overspending. Every organization is unique in nature, so there is no universal "best HR software" on the market.

A human resource information system (HRIS) is a software used for managing employee information while aiming to increase their engagement and productivity. Overall, an HRIS system is made up of the following components: a database, financials, time & attendance, recruitment, and training/development. The tools available in these allow for automated processes, data storage, handling of payroll, benefits, employee recognition programs, track work absences and tardiness, manage job applications, referrals, and interview requests, assist scheduling, employee communication, performance tracking, and goal setting. The costs involved when adopting a HRIS include software, setup, consulting, and support fees.

This article talks about the different types, components, benefits, and costs of a human resource information system. The two categories of HRIS are human capital management (HCM) and while the components include financial, time and attendance, recruitment and onboarding, employee management, company database, and training and development. The benefits include increased automation of human resource, employee self-service, centralized employee communication, and more important insights.

This article reviews ten tips on how companies can better prepare for event security. Based on recent terrorism attacks, threats, and natural disasters it is important to prepare for any type of emergency especially in events. This article offers insight on tips to navigate event security. For example, one tip is to document everything. In any type of emergency, it is important to document names of attendees and employees who were involved in the crisis. This way if insurance or any assistance is needed, companies have detailed information of who was involved or affected by the disaster. This article is very useful because some things can be forgotten however this can be used as points to discuss other security measures.

This article discuss the idea that cybersecurity has been neglected according to consumers and more emphasis should be placed on protecting their private information. It has been found that point-of-sale systems are the most common victims of these breaches, and most often at restaurants. Attackers are targeting systems with weak points and outdated software, making them at a considerably higher risk for breaches and cybercrime. Companies must start investing more in heightened security measures in order to retain consumer loyalty.

As we prepare for the potential spread of the COVID-19 virus, there are some precautions hotel managers and staff can take to improve guest and employee health and safety. Early evidence suggests that the virus that causes COVID-19 can spread more easily than the virus that causes seasonal influenza, and it appears that the COVID-19 disease is more deadly than seasonal influenza.

As we all know, GDS is an online system known as global distribution system, which delivers worldwide data, rates, inventory, offers, real-time availability of airlines, hotel rooms, car rental, bus tickets to bridge the gap between tour operators and travel bookers. The article has introduced the most popular GDS systems in the industry and their strong advantages. In addition, it also reveals the reasons why the industry still uses GDS and the importance of it. In one word, GDS is highly effective in alluring the international travelers with the development of information and technology. It enables the travel agents to make their travel services available to consumers globally where they might not be able to achieve efficient worldwide market penetration through direct marketing efforts.( The article has also given a future prediction about GDS. According to the statistics, GDS will rule the travel industry if it keeps continuing the ever changing needs of airlines and hotel industry.

GDS is very important in the tourism industry. Even if the company creates its own direct sales channels, the impact and benefits of GDS are considerable. Making good use of the advantages of GDS can create word of mouth and revenue for the company in the hospitality industry.

Module 2 Article Summary After reading this article, I found that it was discussing the topic of how hotel PMS technology is on a rise and beginning to take a change. Many hoteliers are looking for innovative ways to operate their hotels while making sure they are getting the needs of customers and providing great service. With that being said, studies have shown how many hoteliers are turning to a cloud based computing system. There were main benefits that discuss the incorporation of using this system such as it being more efficient. They see reverting to this cloud based system as a money saver. This can get rid of many things that are associated with traditional hotel PMS systems such as hardware costs and so forth. Using the cloud based systems, hoteliers are able to be more flexible and mobile. Utilizing the cloud allow for them to access and use the data whenever and wherever. Also, by using the cloud, hoteliers are still able to engage with guests. A lot of guest may have personal and special preferences while staying at a hotel. Having this information stored in the cloud can allow hoteliers to effectively accommodate their guests based on a guests experiences and habits. This form of technology is "easy to use and intuitive at the end user level." It won't take much to train employees on this type of technology and they'll have accessible information readily available for them to use at their fingertips. Overall, converting over to using a cloud based PMS hotel system is cost efficient, extremely manageable, and be able to allow hoteliers to interact with guest on a real time basis.

Older hotels have been reluctant to make the change to the new PMS's coming out on the market. They have been stuck in time with their outdated systems. However in the past few years more and more have been making the switch. The 5 trends of new PMS's are the cloud, mobility, guest engagement, endless integration and new sleek designs. Hoteliers are needing to make the change if they want to stay with the ever changing technology.

Hospitality executives sometimes are reluctant to switch to more modern PMS, sometimes because being old timers or being afraid of moving onto something else. The reality of the situation is that cloud businesses revenues are going up because year by year more and more hospitality industries are moving to all of the benefits of being a cloud based company. "cloud, mobility, guest engagement, endless integration and sleek design" are the top 5 trends in hospitality PMS.

This article talks about how companies make the grave mistake of thinking that cybersecurity is merely an issue that should be addressed by an IT team and that no one else is responsible for addressing risks and understanding them. Most C-suite employees don't understand what the risks are, and usually these risks vary from company to company. It is not that you should only consider that you can get hacked, but you should consider and identify what kinds of information can get hacked and why. The article denotes an example of an Asian automobile company that needed to implement a new system to mitigate security risks and in the process, ended up locking up other companies who needed to use their systems to find out about their products. So those companies started to create fake profiles to try and access the information -- all so that they could just do their job. This showed that people are more interested in just getting their job done than understanding cybersecurity and why certain systems are in place. The way of thinking up security systems should be creative and involve all parts of an organization. Departments won't know what their role is until they identify what information is important to them, what their purpose is in the company, and what is valuable to them. By identifying this, they can come up with ways to secure this information and monitor its delivery. Businesses don't look at cybersecurity as a risk of their business just as a shipping company would look at weather risks as a potential threat to their revenue. It is looked at as more of an abstract concept and this stops people from implementing successful strategies to keep their information safe. Cybersecurity shouldn't be viewed as "so impenetrable" that no one would ever understand it. This requires everyone to get involved and understand the implications of cybersecurity on their own work, specifically, and identify who their main adversaries may be.

The leader in the airline industry, Emirates airlines is collaborating with Sabre Corporation Technology to provide better services for it's customers, as well as receiving more in revenue. Studies have shown that customers enjoy customizing their travel plans and by working with this new type of technology partnership, the software is being developed that will allow the customers to customize every aspect of their trip. They can filter based upon price, miles earned, and date/time while then adding on any other options, but rather through just one airline, this software allows guests to choose from all airlines within the Emirates family. I think this type of investment technology is the future, because the airline industry has already changed the way we purchase airline tickets, by no longer including seat selection, checked baggage, and now even carry-on baggage. Instead of trying to make the customers feel like the airlines are charging for every littl thing (which they are), this type of technology can let guests feel like they are truly creating their own trip.