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In the article, "Hotel Lock Firm's Security Fix Requires Hardware Changes For Millions Of Keycard Locks," it talks about how Onity has a plan to fix a security flaw that allows hackers to insert a homemade device into the lock and open the door in a matter of second. The only problem with this new plan is that it requires hardware changes to every affected lock and it even might require it customers to pay for it. "Black Hat security conference by Cody Brocious, a Mozilla developer who showed that he was able to insert a device he built for less than $50 into the data port on the underside of Onity's locks, read their memory to find a decryption key, and use it to gain access to the lock's firmware and trigger its open command in a matter of seconds." It seems crazy that hackers can break in so easily, so maybe this expensive security could be worth it in the long run. The company responded with two different parts, first, it's issuing caps that cover the data port Brocious's hack exploited and the second more substantial: Onity will offer its customers new circuit boards and firmware that ostensibly fix the problems. Before reading this article I had no idea that it was so easy for hackers to get into hotel rooms, this really makes you think twice before you decide which hotel you will be staying at!

The hardware of hotel is the locker. This article showed us there is a new key card locker was discovered by Onity's. It is more security but it need to change all the affected lock. It is a lock built for less than $50 into the data port on the underside of the Onity's locks. The company's response to that epic security bug has two parts-a quick fix, and a more rigorous one, both of which it plans to make available by the end of August: First, it's issuing caps that cover the data port Brocious's hack exploited, which can only be removed by opening the lock's case. To further stymie hackers who would try to open the locks and remove that cap, it's also sending customers new, more obscure Torx screws to replace those on the cases of installed locks.The company's response to that epic security bug has two parts-a quick fix, and a more rigorous one, both of which it plans to make available by the end of August: First, it's issuing caps that cover the data port Brocious's hack exploited, which can only be removed by opening the lock's case. To further stymie hackers who would try to open the locks and remove that cap, it's also sending customers new, more obscure Torx screws to replace those on the cases of installed locks. The safe issue became the most important issue of the new products. It will cost more money of each hotel and it is really safe or not is still a question. 

Cloud computing has come a long way. The hospitality industry is quickly incorporating cloud computing services for guest satisfaction and productivity of employees. The article shares several real life examples where cloud computing were beneficial.

Cloud computing is the future whether businesses want it to be or not. With the growth of technology, we need to embrace one tool that is become very developed, cloud computing. It gives more efficiency to businesses who need to know more about their clientele and also can provide information and data that humans could never do. It gives a more personalized experience to each guest while organizing data much faster than on a excel sheet that stuff have to manually update. It improves experience and reduced cost for business as well. It allows information to be reached anywhere and business can be taken home or traveled with. It brings a new level of security to businesses and customers and allows more flexibility in service in the hospitality industry.

Cloud computing transforms hospitality by a offering seamless experience to customers while reducing obstacles to service from the staff side. It also offers individualized, quick solutions in an industry that is highly competitive.

In class you mentioned the high surveillance and passenger monitoring on cruise ships including the alerts of children going into non parental rooms. I found this intriguing because there are always a slew of people in the media that had the misfortune of going missing while on a cruise. In the last two years 41 people have gone missing and this does not include the Costa Concordia capsizing numbers. While the camera's might be rolling and the identification cards can track if passengers left the boat or stayed on I still wonder what the cruise lines do to cover up crimes. In Hospitality Law we learned that wherever the next docking country is that is where the crime that occurred on the ship will be investigated by. Most of these Caribbean Islands do not want to deal with missing persons or rape that occurred on a cruise ship so the cases get swept away. So despite the fact that cameras are supposedly on for safety here is an article with some interesting cases of missing people from cruise lines. I think a better technology would be to have the RFID enabled wristbands worn by all cruise ship passengers so that they can be located at anytime. This should be mandatory but disguise the tracking part by selling the fact that the wristband allows the passengers to make purchases with it.  Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas has this but it is voluntary and mostly requested by families who need to keep tabs on their children. They have only made 1000 wristbands and the article is accessible here : http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/view/7415/1

This article talks about the hotel industry and the inside scoop on their efforts to getting back out their and marketing themselves after COVID-19. There are a few things they need to consider while they are beginning to strategize their plan. One of them is timing. If the company remained staff, then they may begin marketing faster than those that furloughed employees. In that case, they may need to get that together before they invest in marketing. Another item to consider are their goals. Companies must think about what they can afford. They need to think about if they are able to have some leeway and able to take things slower, even if it means breaking even for a while or does your company absolutely need to be at the same profitability level pre-pandemic? Another consideration would be regions. Certain regions were hit harder than others. Therefore, recovery will be by a case by case basis. Some regions will be able to market and get back to business faster than others. Yet another consideration is channels. This refers to social media and other types of media in order to market. Travelers follow many travel pages on social media, therefore this should be a priority when trying to ramp up customer traffic again. All-in-all, the travel and hotel industry will make a comeback. Although it will be a slow comeback, the industry will prevail just as it has before.

On August 17th, 2012 Forbes Magazine wrote about Onity's security breach with hotels room doors that affected over 4 million hotel rooms across the globe. During a security conference, Cody Brocious, a program developer showed how simply he could insert a device into the data port to access hotel rooms. The cost of this device cost him $50 to build. The company responded to the security issues with a two part resolution. To avoid hackers from accessing the data so easily, Onity will be issuing the hotels new caps that will cover the data case on the doors. Onity is also protecting the equipment with obscure torx screws that will enable the hackers from accessing the panel. The second fix is more costly and challenging for Onity. The company has created a new circuit board and firmware that allegedly fix the security issue. However, Onity is asking hotel owners to pay a nominal fee to help with the fix. Onity could face many financial hurtle through the recall of the 4 million door locks that need to be replaced. The security and safety of many travelers are at risk if this issue is not resolved. Companies such as Marriott International, Starwood Hotels and Hilton utilize Onity's key system across the globe (http://en.onity.com/companyprofile/Pages/Hotel-Resort-Worldwide-References.aspx). These companies won't be affected by the cost associated with the fix; however the small and independently owned and operated hotels will be affected. The question Brocious wrote on his blog and I also ask myself; how many hotels will refrain from properly fixing the issue? Are the major corporations such as Marriott and Starwood given each hotel a deadline to complete such project? Since neither company owns the properly, they simply operate the hotel, how much money and how quickly are owner willing to get this issue resolved?

This article is a case about how digital menu helps the restaurant increase sales. There are several benefits by using digital menu. The most important one is that digital menu enable customers to better know the dishes. The restaurant could use full-motion video to show more details. Another advantage is the easier way to control the updating and changing of the menu. 

The main focus of my article is about the financial connection between India and the U.S. The article discusses a few key issues about India and their tech support in relation to the U.S. It tells us that "India's burgeoning tech sector is responsible for creating more than 400,000 American jobs, according to a report released Monday that prompted calls from leaders in both nations to reform business practices so the industry remains a bright spot in an often unreliable global economy". The article goes on to list some more interesting statistics. For example, "The new study from the National Association of Software and Service Companies, a trade group representing Indian technology firms, said business deals between firms in the two countries have generated $22.5 billion in tax revenue for the U.S. since 2011". I feel that these two statistics are important because in too many cases, Americans feel that "foreigners" are coming to the U.S. and "stealing" all of our jobs. That is clearly not the case with every situation, as the article points out. The article further explains that India is seeking to ease the process of coming into the U.S. to work. They feel that if they are providing their highly skilled techs to come work here and/or gain their American education here than the process of getting the visa should be much more lax than it is for other countries. I don't know if I agree with that one, but I understand their point.

All of the big three global distribution systems were still expanding as well as increasing productivity and revenue as of June 2014. Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport have each made significant moves in the hospitality industry, although primarily for airlines. Amadeus is by far the largest and currently most successful GDS with the highest profit, booking volume, and market share (air travel). As of 2014 Southwest Airlines was their biggest client, but they provide GDS services and access to over 100 other airlines as well. Sabre is second best to Amadeus. The company elected to go public in 2014 and since then their billable bookings, booking share and growth have all increased modestly. During the same year they gained American Airlines, newly reformed at the time, as a client. Presently, the company expects continued improvement in revenue. Travelport has made the decision not to compete directly with Amadeus or Sabre in that they have chosen not to provide "full passenger services systems to airline on a multi-host basis." However the company is still working closely with Delta Airlines and researching "add-on" features with their main focus being the continued growth of "beyond air" activities. Honestly, I was shocked that Amadeus is the largest and most successful GDS. I truly expected it to be Sabre. This belief was based on what I have personally experienced: every OTA I have used required a link to the Sabre GDS, but I can only recall one that required one to the Amadeus GDS. After reading the chapter 8 of D.V. Tesone's "Hospitality Information Systems and E-Commerce, along with the research report from our discussion forum I have changed my paradigm. Regardless, GDSs are still used widely in the hospitality industry. Different segments of the market prefer to book in different ways: via offline Travel Agents, OTAs, hotel websites or on the phone. Those that use either form of TA are using a GDS.

Leisure guests tend to book for themselves with rare exceptions including some forms of international travel and cruise travel. These guests use OTAs or intermediaries such as Travelocity (Owned by a GDS company) or TravelZoo. In the case of TravelZoo, a guest uses the TravelZoo website to access information such as availability and pricing that TravelZoo pulls from a GDS before making a selection and processing a transaction. On the other hand, business and corporate travelers are more likely to use an offline TA. An offline TA is better equipped to meet the needs of a customer whom is travelling for business. Offline TAs require less information when booking a hotel room then an OTA does, making it simple for a secretary to book the travel arrangements for the guest. In addition, offline TAs can work easily with a hotel to make special accommodations. The hotel receives contact information for the travel agency that booked the stay in case clarifications on requests are needed. In conclusion, as long as either form of TA is in the market, a GDS will be necessary to streamline bookings and ensure that each TA has the correct pertinent information when making a booking or completing a transaction. As a result, as new OTA options or hospitality enterprises enter the market GDSs are continuing to morph, merge and grow.

This article continues on our modules topic of offsite backups. It explains the need for them in case of emergencies, whether it be a breach or a natural disaster that compromises your systems. It mentions the the biggest services; Amazon S3 and also provides their opinion of top 10 options. It provides the benefits for each of the storage services and why they would recommend them. I personally found that Zetta was a great option as they are not only affordable but also very efficient and safe as it uses a push button. It concludes with information that can help a business decide which company is best for them and encouragement to choose one if you want to keep your data safe and readily available in case of an emergency.

Vizergy has quickly become an industry leader in eMarketing techniques and methods, as highlighted by their relationship with one of the fastest growing, most advanced data centers, Peak 10. Vizergy's proprietary cloud-based, hospitality focused marketing system has created proven strategies that set the pace in a fast-moving digital age, where time is truly of the essence. Its systems allow hoteliers and hospitality professionals to easily and efficiently maintain all aspects of their digital marketing presence. Peak 10's advanced technologies and infrastructure support only further Vizergy's superiority.

This particular article on hospitality and tourism accounting states that the global travel industry is expanding at an accelerated rate. Although there are high demands in corporate travel and high level of satisfaction in the economy, the ever growing industry is vulnerable to many risks given by its consumers. Just as much as the guests utilizing these hospitality services are becoming more pressing towards great prices and expressing concern in the quality of service they receive, hotel businesses are adamant about increasing awareness in cost and profit. To balance all these exclusive challenges, hotels are insisting on being educated and equipped with the most up-to-date technological advances to keep up with the ever demanding industry. With this in mind, the article states three methods to conquer the challenges faced today. The first method is to utilize a cloud based system to keep track of all the innumerous activities present to keep the business running. Due to the fact that a hotel is run by an overflowing amount of employees, all with different jobs and tasks, all using different systems respective to their departments, and require several types of pay (part-time, full-time, tipped employees) methods, it is a challenge to keep things efficient without a proper system. This is the reason why the article recommends using a cloud based system to keep track of the daily labor costs, overtime management, daily payroll transactions, and incorporate easy accessibility to reporting functions. The cloud based system will be beneficial in keeping everything in record beginning from the moment an employees clocks in to the end where they receive their paycheck, as well as, the ability to manage transactions. The second method is to centralize all the various sources of data. Hotels have a countless amount of data being stored. That can range from guest satisfaction satisfaction survey and comment reports, PMS data, to financial reports. With all these busy ac

The article discusses how hotels can overcome accounting obstacles. Firstly managing payroll is cumbersome, so a cloud-based reporting system can provide an easy way to monitor labour and manage overtime, and daily payroll transactions. Secondly, hotels have a difficult time to read data as data can come from a huge variety of sources: STR reports, PMS data, satisfaction surveys, comments. Hotels need a centralized dashboard which combines all critical accounting and performance data to assist hotels in making better decisions. Lastly, the article talks about hotels needing a back-up accounting team in case of disasters. In-house accounting teams may not be able to tackle on one-time event disasters and there must be a back-up team in place in times of urgency. The author, Scott Watson, executive vice president of sales and marketing at a cloud-based financial platform, sees that hotels are becoming more "cost and profit conscious" and I agree with him. Technology solutions are what hotels are craving right now to increase revenue, minimize costs, and maximize profits without sacrificing service quality.

This article helps guides hotels in how to overcome challenges when it comes to the accounting department in any situation that deals with staff tracking, how to decipher intricate data, and what to do in emergencies. The article details the usefulness of the Cloud and keeping track of staff members that are FOH and BOH that are both hourly and salary. That the accounting department could simply look them up in the cloud rather than searching through paperwork to understand exactly what their role is in the hotel and pay them accordingly. The article also goes over how having multiple centralized data sources can help accountants understand information from reports, guest satisfaction questionnaires, and other forms of reporting to pinpoint exactly what needs to be changed to become more efficient in the company. Lastly, the article covers how having back up accounting teams could be a definite positive just in case of emergencies (i.e. weather) so accounting can still be in progress no matter what situation occurs and the hotel can run smoothly.

This article is actually based on a case study on the implementation of e-marketing in the hotel industry. This article examines the level of implementation of e-marketing practice in the hotel industry. It is an empirical research article conducted in Istria County, the most developed tourist county in Croatia.

In this article, we can learn some cases of hotel green computing. The advantages of smart computing are showed clearly through these cases. Hotel with green computer technology has a better developmental prospect in the future.

This is an excellent article about redundancy and how to provide backups in the case of system failure. The article is not specifically targeted towards the hospitality industry but its recommendations for preparation in case of emergency are especially applicable to the service industry -- specifically to 24-hour establishments like hotels.

According to the article, two Romanian nationals have plead guilty for participating in an international, multimillion-dollar scheme to remotely hack into and steal payment card data from hundreds of U.S. merchants' computers, including a great number of Subway restaurants. The reality is that anyone with an Internet connection can search for, identify and target remote applications that businesses rely on. This case is a warning to operators utilizing POS systems to shore up their security by taking steps to make their accounts more difficult to breach and therefore less attractive hackers.

This article discusses the security issues with restaurants using remote desktop applications that are easily accessed by hackers trying to steal stored credit card information. The relative simplicity in which these hackers were able to steal the numbers should pose a real concern for restaurant owners in making sure their systems are properly secure from theft. They were able to crack simple password protected applications to gain access to private information. These remote applications used by restaurants are a not provided with enough security and therefore are easy targets for hackers.

To improve the efficiency of event managing, event managers need several technology. This article introduced GPS techology, which can used to track vehicle and participants. Barcode scanners are also the important tools that can be used in printing the credentials in advance and check it to the event faster. Because most of the staff and volunteers have smartphone, smartphone based technology such as Excel spreadsheets and google Earth can also useful in sharing information and siting address. In addition, supported by cloud technology, staff can access to their event data from anywhere, which bring huge convenience to event managing, and allow managers effectively control the large event.

There are countless forms of technology that can help event professionals do their job better. GPS technology is a huge time- and money-saver. In the old days, we had to print out hundreds of pages with directions to rest stops along our events. Barcode scanners make credentialing and other tasks much easier. Participants can print their credentials in advance and check in to the event faster. Checking participants in and out of rest stops and main sites is faster, too.Another potential lifesaver is the automated external defibrillator (AED), which can restore a normal heart rhythm in cases of sudden cardiac arrest.Besides being free, Google Earth is the most accurate tool for route planning and site scouting that we've tested.

POS go online nowadays. There are two online POS, one is through Facebook, and the other one is cloud-POS. When utilize properly, Facebook can act as a powerful sales and marketing tool because it enables word of mouth marketing. Cloud POS have many advantages: first, it is accessible from anywhere at any time. Second, it is cost saving. Third, it decreases the risk of losing data in the case of disaster. Cloud POS is the trend of implicating new technology in the hospitality industry, and it is accepted by more and more hotels and restaurants.

Cancun Resort was growing beyond past the ability to hand enter employee data. They needed a HRIS. They needed a system that could scale up with their growth but could not afford the expensive People Soft which based on my search of articles is a problem for most small to midsize companies. Typically companies buy a HRMS like Ascentis, Epicor HCM, People Strategy Inc or Sage Abra HRIS to name a few software companies. Its seems that HRIS systems can cost anywhere from a couple thousand to a couple million. Pricing costs increase with the number of employees. In this case study the Cancun Resort needed a reasonable priced system and Ascentis was their answer for a scalable system that was user friendly, produced automated reports like EEOC, sent employee birthday and anniversary alerts, automatic inputs of time and attendance, handled payroll benefits, and captured absentee trends. On the Ascentis website there are also other case studies and a video of the Mandarin Oriental HR director.

In this article we can see how "security" is a common topic of concern among the hoteliers and I found very interesting that IT experts warned hotel mangers that in many cases where personal data of guest is stolen, the source is not exclusevily obtained by hacking computers, but by the lack of procedures to properly store this private information. The other important topic in this article is the wake up call for hoteliers about the chinese market and their interest to visit the US. The articles lists some online marketing facts about the importance of social media to the chinese and how we need to utilize social media to approach that market.

Hotels are jumping on board the hypo allergenic train. Many hotels are transforming some of their rooms to allergy free rooms. Redesigning the rooms from the ground up is difficult, and quite expensive, but many hotels think it will pay off. The air filtration systems are the first to be replaced. The carpet is removed and mattress casings are put on the beds to remove any chance of bed bugs, dust mites, or any other allergy causing agents. At the Hilton in Chicago, one room renovation is about $12,000, and they charge an extra $25 a night. The cost of being healthy may be worth it. The recycled air and dust affect many people daily especially at hotels. If the pillows can be altered and little steps to increase the air quality, then I believe the payoffs will greatly surpass the initial costs.