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mmdmd99999

Compare WebRezPro to Hotel Technology Vendors - 0 views

  • Compare WebRezPro vs Oracle OPERA PMS vs ResNexus PMS Property Management Systems vendor comparison between WebRezPro vs Oracle OPERA PMS vs ResNexus PMS. Find out which Property Management Systems is right for you based on realtime data from 407 verified hotelier reviews across 55 countries.
  • ResNexus
  • WebRezPro
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  • Oracle Hospitality
  • Monthly Subscription - Yes ( $7/room/month - $10/room/month ) - Yes ( More than $10/room/month ) - Yes ( $3/room/month - $6/room/month )
  • ut too old tech stack and too much corporate complexity
  • ResNexus doesn’t have any recent company updates
  • Avoid if at all possible, poor service and sales
  • View all integrations (9)
  • View all integrations (166)
  • View all integrations (466)
  • imple to Use Inexpsensive PMS with a TON of Interfaces Available
  • WebRezPro Partners with Google to Help Hotels Drive Direct Bookings
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    Compare WebRezPro vs Oracle vs ResNexus and more to see pricing, reviews, integrations, and other options for each
berkley7

8 Best Hotel Management Software | Global Hospitality Portal - 2 views

  • What makes a hotel management software best in the business?
    • berkley7
       
      I have experience working with My Cloud PMS and compared to some of the other software systems I have experience with, such as Opera, this is hands down one of the most convenient PMS software I have used. It truly makes it easy for every department to edit, update and stay connected within the hotel and other departments.
  • There are a lot of hotel management software but myCloud PMS is trying to retain the innovative edge within the hospitality industry.
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  • A competitive hotel property management software provides you with financial and business reports regarding your hotel business. You can learn about room occupancy ratios, the duration of stay of your guests, payment collection methods, and similar statistical forecasts about your hotel.
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    Module 2: Hardware/Software (Berkley Alessandrini) The following article compares the current top/trendy management software programs within the hospitality industry - specifically within lodging operations. Obviously manually updating your hotel's information is no longer an effective way to do things. The following article breaks down certain software programs like; My Cloud PMS, Oracle, roomMaster, etc, and gives information on each that differentiates them. I can relate to the article because I have experience working with a few different types of software programs and I know first-hand how important it is to have a software that is convenient, organized, and user friendly. Depending on the program, they have the ability to be customised based on needs of the hotel and can even add certain features if necessary. After analysing the article, I believe that it is vital to compare the different programs available to find a PMS that fits best for your specific hotel. In some cases, maybe your property will not benefit from the "top" management software system; therefore you must compare and find one that will work best with your needs, requirements, budget, etc. It is important for the Lodging Industry to take full advantage of the technology that is provided to them and as technology is constantly evolving - you must (as a business) evolve with the changes and update your current technology to lead and stay ahead of the trends. Having a software that provides your hotel with the best features, availability, etc. is a must!
jazminesnyder

Guest Column: How Distribution Systems Are Like Seat Belts - Business Travel News - 0 views

  • global distribution systems use old technology
  • their interfaces aren’t quite as attractive as airline websites
  • they still do what they’re designed to do efficiently and affordably.
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  • agency portals
  • Are not designed to manage high transaction volumes generated by large TMCs.Do not offer comparison shopping on competing airlines.
  • Its strategy seems to rest in shifting distribution costs to corporate buyers.
  • Building out airline websites, keeping website content updated, investing in agent portals and investing in direct connect technology all come with significant capital expenditures or resource costs.
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    My article this week is about how GDS (Global Distribution Systems) can be compared to a seatbelt. The author opens the article discussing the main reasons we still continue to use seatbelts; even though they aren't the most comfortable or fashionable items to use, they still do their jobs in saving our lives when it comes to a collision of some sort. The author is in favor of GDS and makes the claim that like seatbelts, the GDS may not be the most up-to-date or may not appear to be as nice as other local systems to each individual airline, but they get the job done and there are no other systems out there like it that we know of (no other systems that do everything he GDS system does that is). The main topic of discussion that the article is concerned with is the recent decision made by the company Lufthansa to start charging its customers an additional surcharge for using GDS systems instead of going through its own system. The author clearly makes it know that she doesn't believe Lufthansa when they say they are charging this additional surcharge because GDS is the most expensive channel to go through. "Because there's no reason to think that an airline should expect to distribute its products without any cost, Lufthansa's recent gambit seems more of a tactic for increasing lagging direct distribution... Its strategy seems to rest in shifting distribution costs to corporate buyers" claims Rose, the author of the article. The author also points out some of the draw backs of using agency portals, the main reason being that a customer cannot compare rates of other competitors and that agency portals cannot handle high volume transactions like the GDS can. It is also made known that there are costs that come with other channels as well, like the prices you pay for building airline websites and keeping them updated. The author concludes that "Given the history of negotiations between airlines and GDSs, it's impossible to know whether Lufthansa is using DCC as
smaka004

Cornell Study: Sustainability Certification Boosts Hotel Performance - Business Travel ... - 0 views

  • Prior to certification, the LEED-certified hotels had an average daily rate that was $10 higher than the noncertified hotels. In the two years following the certification, that average premium jumped to $20, according to the study.
  • "The LEED hotels quickly made up the occupancy deficit recorded in the year prior to certification, and they outperformed competitors for two years following certification."
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    A recent study by the top-ranked School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University has found that certification by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, also known as LEED certification, actually provides a boost in revenue for hotels. The Council takes various factors into account prior to certifying a hotel, including "water efficiency, energy use, and indoor environmental quality. When compared to 514 non-certified hotels, the 93 hotels afforded LEED certification excelled in their gross income based on the average daily rate (ADR) standard. Over a time of two years, the LEED-certified hotels outperformed their non-certified competitors. In fact, LEED-certified hotels were able to match the levels of occupancy of non-certified hotels in a single year. Since LEED certification in the hospitality industry is fairly new, there is little empirical evidence to further back the conclusions of this particular study. Though LEED certification of hotels has actually declined since 2010, I believe that the more hotel controllers start to understand its benefits, the quicker we will see it adopted as an industry standard. It is worth noting that this study specifically focused on 93 upscale and luxury properties, but compared them to nearly five times as many hotels without certification. I think a more accurate study will divide up hotels based on their pricing category (budget, midscale, upscale, luxury, extended stay, etc.) and compare the benefits of LEED certification with that in mind. Lastly, it is unclear if the study found any higher level of consumer preference for LEED certified hotels. Instead, the benefits seem to come with the standards that LEED certified hotels must meet, in turn resulting in lower expenditures. Perhaps more sophisticated customers at luxury properties are more keen to environmental protection and stewardship, and thus take LEED certification into account. However, I believe that most of
cpaez007

Master the 5 Basics of Restaurant Accounting - 0 views

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    In this article we discuss the five basic principles of accounting in restaurants. Many people do not like the principle of accounting, and do not know much about it. With these basics, people can have a simplified concept of what they need to know for restaurant management. First you would like to have an accounting chart that discusses inflows and outflows, plus the liabilities and assets that your business has. This is a great way to monitor your finances. Next, is the cost of goods sold. These are the costs for the items that were purchased and then sold. You need to monitor this, in order to calculate the cost you are making per dish in compared to profit. Third, other costs that include fixed costs like operation and occupancy, or labor costs of course. You want to monitor this strictly, in order to see the areas where you might be spending a lot when it comes to employees. Then you want to compare it to the profits you are making. Forth, the prime costs. Prime costs are the total variable costs that you have. Variable costs are those that can be controlled, and you want to keep an eye on these in order to see what needs to be cut to optimize profit. Lastly, you have the cost to sales ratio. Larger restaurants might have higher costs, because they are creating larger sales. You really want to create a ratio of costs to your own sales, to see how well you are doing compared to the competition.
Yue Li (3011472)

HFTP Begins Development of a Global Hospitality Accounting System Users Guide - 1 views

  • "We are the only global association dedicated to hospitality finance and technology
  • To create a global resource for the hospitality finance industry, Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) has begun development on a global hospitality accounting system users guide.
  • The global guide will provide the industry with a comprehensive glossary of inventory terminology, charts of accounts and will benchmark common allocation for specific regions of the world. The project is planned as a three step process:
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  • HFTP is working with members of several organizations including, EHL, HFTP's Research Institute at the University of Houston, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Hospitality Professionals Association (HOSPA).
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    To create a global resource for the hospitality finance industry, Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals has begun development on a global hospitality accounting system users guide. HFTP is the only global association dedicated to hospitality finance and technology and our Global Board is investing heavily to create a benchmark that stakeholders can use to compile accounts, compare regional differences and define the value of a hospitality operation.
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    I agree that this will be a great resource for hospitality finance and technology professionals. I believe that the school doing the research should partner with industry focus groups as well.
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    This article focuses on a global accounting system. Their trying to make a generic set up that is user friendly for people worldwide. People are working on this and we will see what it has to offer the hospitality community here in the future.
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    This article speaks about a user guide that will "compile accounts, compare regional differences and define the value of a hospitality operation." To create this guide will take some time, and 3 steps must be performed. First the research needs to be conducted and gathered, secondly the collected data will be distributed to regional teams who will develop sample charts of accounts. Lastly, the team chairs will finalize the project by authoring a discussion on similarities or differences.
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    This article was pretty brief, but it stated that Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals has begun development on a global hospitality accounting system users guide. This would create a global resource for the finance industry. Frank Wolfe, HFTP's CEO, says that the company is the only global association dedicated to hospitality finance and technology. They are hoping to create a benchmark that stakeholders can use to compile accounts, compare regional differences and define the value of a hospitality operation. What I found interesting about this article was that it greatly involved final year bachelor students at Ecole Hôtelière De Lausanne in Switzerland performing research for this project. I also think that a global hospitality accounting system users guide would be beneficial, especially since many managers/employees do not have the strongest training or skills in a financial or technical area.
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    HFTP (Hospitality financial & technology professionals) begins developing a global hospitality accounting system users guide. This kind of users guide is totally new to the hospitality industry and currently there is no global resource like this. The global guide will provide the hospitality industry with a glossary of inventory terminology, accounting charts and other accounting-related information. This project is developed using technology that can provide users with a benchmark that stakeholders can use to compare regional differences and define the value of hospitality operation. This project is a three-step process. First, bachelor degree students from all over the world who are interested in this project will work as data collector. Second, the assembled and analyzed data will be processed into professionals in different regions all over the world to create new sample charts. Finally, the initial guide will be published in multiple languages and distributed globally. This new accounting system technology is predicted to help the hospitality industry increase the ability in financial management, accounting, cost control and the sharing of global accounting data sources.
Jia Kim

McDonald's Isis play pales in comparison to Starbuck's payments app - Payments - Mobile... - 0 views

  • the challenges with convincing consumers to pay via their mobile devices.
  • The level of employees not understanding mobile payments is much different compared to Starbucks
  • Streamlined payments
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  • get in and out of the stores as quickly as possible.
  • testing mobile payment in Salt Lake City, UT, and Austin, TX,”
  • Experiences should be seamless
  • mobile payments present to merchants and franchises with educating employees on how the technology works in addition to creating a strong infrastructure.
  • if it’s not a seamless experience, no one will use it
  • mobile payment test will also include a loyalty program, special offers and promotions
  • The big improvement to the commerce experience for quick-service restaurants is really about ordering ahead
  • Ordering ahead benefits consumers as it saves them time, and it also benefits the merchants because it allows faster through-put of customers through their stores,
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    McDonald's has been promoting mobile payments in the Austin, TX. Consumers' experience is not up to par compared to Starbucks mobile payments. Because the level of employees not understanding mobile payments is much different compared to Starbucks. In order to utilize the mobile payments, streamlined payments is the most important. Seconldy, experience should be seamless. Educating employees on how the technology works and creating a strong infrastructure would be necessary.
apate114

Top 5 risks and security challenges for hotels in 2015 - eHotelier - 0 views

  • 1. Identity theft leading to credit card fraud
  • Identity theft and credit card fraud is the new form of pick pocketing, but on a much larger scale. The number of compromised credit cards is expected to increase this year.
  • 2. Silent invasions
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  • 3. Longer or no security audit cycles
  • APTS are considered the most dangerous type of cyber-attack as they simply bypass the defenses that are in place.
  • Cyber-crime shows up on the security radar as the second highest risk the hotel industry is exposed to.
  • The gap between the low number of qualified security auditors worldwide and new hotels built is getting bigger and bigger.
  • Nearly 1.26 million hotels worldwide are dealing with all sorts of safety & security issues.
  • 4. Physical crime will remain an issue for hotels
  • Physical crime ranges from professional burglaries using nifty social engineering techniques to temporary drug laps in hotel rooms.
  • Holdups at night involving firearms have increased since hotels are easily accessible and less protected compared to other industries operating at night.
  • 5. Loss of competitive advantage after a major security incident
  • The recovery costs after a security incident, including the attention of the media, are often much higher than the investment in security and risk management.
  • Reputation is a vital yet fragile advantage that requires its very own security plan in a strong competitive market where guests nowadays love to make their booking decisions with the help of online travel review sites such as Tripadvisor & Co.
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    The article highlights the top five risks and security challenges in the hospitality industry. The following are the top five security risks according to the article. 1. Identity theft leading to credit card fraud - compared to other industries, the hotel industry is at more risk for credit card fraud and identity theft. This is because hotels are highly targeted by hackers. Hotel properties for the most part have credit card information for each and every guest that has stayed at a specific property. Hotels must be ahead of the technology curve when it comes to security however this is not always the case. 2. Silent invasions - This consists of all the cyber attacks that can affect a business by infecting the network. As discussed during the first module, hotels run majority if not all of their business using technology. If a hotel were to have their networks hacked it would leave them in a very bad situation. Since hotels operate their entire business using technology and multiple different systems, they would not be able to operate if they experienced a network breach. 3. Longer or no security audit cycles - Most branded hotels are required by the franchise to have consistent security audits done for each property. Independent hotels are deemed greater at risk for a security attack because they are not mandated to have security audits. These hotels sometimes skip audit cycles to save money. 4. Physical crime - This ranges from professional robberies to drug laps in hotel rooms. Hotels are at risk for armed robbery due to to lower chance of security compared to other industries that operate overnight. 5. Reputation risk - Hotels that experience a security breach almost always will see some sort of loss in competitive advantage. Nowadays with social media and the news travelers are more aware with what is going on and they would be more inclined to book their reservation somewhere else if they heard of the property having a security breach.
Shiyuan Peng

How to Compare HRIS Systems | eHow.com - 0 views

  • When comparing HRIS options, companies should consider the types of employee data and processes that will take place in the system.
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    According to the article, at first, every company has different needs. Some may require a system to handle payroll, while others may require a system to handle attendance or training. Secondly, establishing a budget is key because it determines how much money can be spent to purchase the HRIS. Costs differ widely depending on the number of employees and how much information the system will maintain. Thirdly, narrowing the list to four or five options makes it easier to compare those that have all the required functionality and are within the budget. Finally, companies should determine whether the system will be purchased using a site license or as software-as-a-service (SAAS).
Qianlin Wang

The Impact of IT Investments on Profits - 1 views

  • Investment in IT had a greater impact on a company’s profits than comparable spending on either advertising or R&D.
  • New research finds that investments companies make in information technology increase profitability more than investments in advertising or R&D do.
  • CEOs often struggle with some critical choices as they allocate their companies’ discretionary dollars among various categories of investments.
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  • Information technology can be used to increase efficiency and reduce costs, or it can be used to support sales growth through, say, customer satisfaction and customer retention strategies.
  • All other things being equal, executives should accord higher priority to IT projects that have the potential for revenue growth over those that focus mainly on cost savings.
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    This article talks about how IT investments related to the profits.The IT investments has a significant positive impact on profitability. Investment in IT had a greater impact on a company's profits than comparable spending on either advertising or R&D.  IT investments offer more room for creativity and innovation. IT investments were more effective in improving profitability by increasing revenue than by decreasing operating expenses.
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    In recent years the combination of new types of IT investments and increasingly constrained sources of revenue have conspired to place information technology investments under a scrutiny they have historically avoided. New research finds that investments companies make in information technology increase profitability more than investments in advertising or R&D do. CEOS often struggle with some critical choices as they allocate their companies' discretionary dollars among various categories of investments. Investment in IT had a greater impact on a company's profits than comparable spending on either advertising or R&D. Information technology can be used to increase efficiency and reduce costs, or it can be used to support sales growth through, say, customer satisfaction and customer retention strategies. Industries become more competitive, the effect of IT on profitability increases.
YU CHEN

iPad POS use rising among restaurants | Nation's Restaurant News - 1 views

  • Wishart said the most appealing aspect of the iPad is how it speeds up the ordering process in the restaurant. “The orders are in the kitchen or bar while the server is still at the table,” he said.
  • He said food and beverage notes can quickly be called up from the tablets’ built-in applications or third-party software by the wait staff to answer guest inquiries.
  • Wishart said he spent about $3,000 on the hardware — including around $500-plus for each of four iPads and another $900 or so for four wireless printers, two of which are in the kitchen, while the third and fourth are in the bar and dining room. That compares with the $12,000 to $20,000 upfront costs of some conventional POS systems, he said.
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  • Wishart said Trio has yet to suffer any significant snafus with the cloud service. He expressed confidence in the reliability of, and redundancy of systems in, the data centers operated by e-commerce giant Amazon.com, from which Lecere contracts for support.
  • He added that the cloud-based model’s elimination of store-level software maintenance further sweetened the deal for him
  • Lappert is among the iPad POS users or vendors that have adapted magnetic stripe readers for credit and debit cards for use with the iPads. Others, such as Wishart, are processing card payments with one or more free-standing readers, such as the one behind the bar at Trio.
  • “You don’t have to worry about servers coming back into the kitchen 10 or 15 times a night asking questions, and the recipes for all the bar drinks are there, too,” Wishart said.
  • Wishart said he spent about $3,000 on the hardware — including around $500-plus for each of four iPads and another $900 or so for four wireless printers, two of which are in the kitchen, while the third and fourth are in the bar and dining room. That compares with the $12,000 to $20,000 upfront costs of some conventional POS systems, he said.
  • the touch-screen device’s ease of use, among other benefits
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    The article, iPad POS Use Rising Among Restaurants, reflects the evolution and implementation of both hardware and POS software within the restaurant industry. The iPad is revolutionizing POS systems, helping to increase the efficiency for the restaurants. According to Chris Wishart, restaurateur of the Trio Restaurant & Bar, "You don't have to worry about servers coming back into the kitchen 10 or 15 times a night asking questions". This allows for the quicker and more efficient placing of orders that contribute to higher customer satisfaction, which is to an extent difficult to measure. As well, Wishart comments about the hardware cost an estimated $3,000, in comparison to the typical upfront POS system costs of $12,000 to $20,000. Including, the use of the cloud base technology has eliminated the need for store software upkeep. The iPad is a versatile hardware that has allowed POS software companies to benefit mutually along with restaurants.
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    This article introduces using ipad as a POS in restaurants. Customers liking ipad, this is a big advantage of using ipad to take the order. What's more, ipad can improve the efficiency for the restaurant and decrease the workload of servers. "You don't have to worry about servers coming back into the kitchen 10 or 15 times a night asking questions, and the recipes for all the bar drinks are there, too," And ipad POS can bring the benefit for the cost of the restaurants. In addition, it also has the reliability to assure users.
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    It is a revolution that tablet brings to restaurant industry. Taking orders, reservation, planning and inventory, all things are possible with iOS platform devices. Both restaurants and guests like new tablet POS because it improve experience and time efficient. Both servers and restaurant owners like it because it is cheaper to set up comparing with traditional POS.
Rui Zhu

Rackspace Private Cloud: Instant OpenStack - Network Computing - 2 views

  • While installing Linux and OpenStack isn't difficult--there's a complete set of instructions on OpenStack.org--Rackspace Private Cloud simplifies installation by pre-configuring most common options, reducing some 2,000 variables to 10 installation steps for the controller node and seven steps for the compute node. This allows a company to launch OpenStack faster, and also means Rackspace has a known configuration, which simplifies its commercial support.
  • Rackspace now has its OpenStack-based public cloud service, Open Cloud, and private cloud software. Work still needs to be done to achieve a hybrid cloud model that will allow an enterprise to manage public- and private-cloud resources from a single management station and easily move VMs between them.
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    Rackspace updates its Private Cloud system which is more accessible, powerful, and secure. It plans to deliver two versions of this system-enterprise with installation fee and private for free. All of the most updated applications are involved in this system such as KVM hypervisor, Opscode Chef, Image Service, and more. The only missing application is openstack storage, which will be available next season. Compared with previous version or other comparable products, new Private Cloud is more accessible, powerful, and secure. For example, new users can install this software within seven steps no matter what system they have. Then they can share more than 2000 applications from rackspace, most of which are free for individual clients. In my opinion, the most innovative output of this update is the hybrid cloud model. It allows an enterprise to manage both public and private resources based on a single platform. Moreover, it is quite convenient for them to move VMs between that multi-based clouds. We can make a positive forecast that this application will be more mature after getting connected with OpenStack Storage. Thus, it is a good alternative for both individual and enterprise users seeking for secure network environment.
laura kaczkowski

Why the Future of Online Hotel Marketing is Cloud-Based Utility Computing - 1 views

  • Technology advances incredibly fast, not least in an industry such as travel which has seen incredible levels of disruption across so many disciplines.
  • build a website, start a blog–but now we’re being told that a website is not enough!
  • Imagine no more: it’s called utility computing in-the-cloud and has been used by technology giants for years.
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  • Utility computing is a broad concept that encapsulates cloud computing and software as a service (SaaS).
  • “This time, it’s computing that’s turning into a utility. In the years ahead, more and more of the information-processing tasks that we rely on, at home and at work, will be handled by big data centers located out on the Internet.”
  • The concept of paying a subscription for a utility has gone online as well. Instead of setting up web servers in our home or office, we purchase a web hosting subscription. While interest in personal tax and finance consultants decreases, use of in-the-cloud-solutions like TurboTax and Mint continues to explode.
  • The current and future dominance of utility computing is evident, but even so, SaaS can be an intimidating concept for some hoteliers
  • By purchasing a utility, you own all benefits that come with it. You use it, consume it and master it – it is yours. Renting, on the other hand, demands a return.
  • When I rent a movie from Blockbuster, I have a limited selection (whatever fits in the store) and when I’m done with the video, I have to return it and rent it again to watch it again.
  • Netflix, I have open access to hundreds of thousands of videos that took billions to produce, which I can stream as much as I wan
  • When technology advances, SaaS companies pass those latest advances on to their client
  • Like Netflix, which delivers video content that took billions to produce, utility computing delivers web design built with an information architecture that took millions to produce.
  • This means that when you embrace SaaS, you gain million-dollar technology that never grows outdated instead of buying a static website built on thousand-dollar technology that can’t help but grow outdated.
  • My advice is to put in the tough work and choose a solution that delivers amazing results now and adapts to technology changes later, so you don’t have to go shopping again.
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    The article I read was called, 'Why the Future of Online Hotel Marketing is Cloud-Based Utility Computing.' In the article, it says that technology is moving super fast these days and companies are trying everything they can to keep up, for example building websites and starting blogs, but they feel that it's not enough. Up until now companies could not manage all of their marketing efforts from one place but now they can and it's called utility computing in-the-cloud. "Utility computing is a broad concept that encapsulates cloud computing and software as a service (SaaS)."Some hotel owners feel intimidated because a website does not seem as permanent as owning something. One example that I really liked that they gave in the article was, "When I rent a movie from Blockbuster, I have a limited selection (whatever fits in the store) and when I'm done with the video, I have to return it and rent it again to watch it again." Compared this to Netflix, where you have access to hundreds of thousands of videos and you can watch them as many times as you want and for any long as you want for no additional cost. When you embrace SaaS, you gain million dollar technology that never grows outdated, compare this to a website that is only built on thousand-dollar technology and can get outdated, and it sounds like a great investment!
Manali Rabari

Hotel Room Rates Undergo Closer Inspection by Corporate Buyers - 4 views

  • Corporate buyers will be able to gain greater control over hotel room rate negotiations and compliance with the inclusion of intelligent rate parameter data in their benchmarking reports. RateTiger’s introduction of rate filtering technology to its award winning rate data product, RTCorp, will provide direct hotel pricing comparisons in line with hotel product type.
  • Corporate buyers will be able to gain greater control over hotel room rate negotiations and compliance with the inclusion of intelligent rate parameter data in their benchmarking reports. RateTiger’s introduction of rate filtering technology to its award winning rate data product, RTCorp, will provide direct hotel pricing comparisons in line with hotel product type.
  • orporate buyers will have the business intelligence to match travel expenditure to their budgets and give travelers greater flexibility of hotel choice based on Best Available Rates (BAR).
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  • “Corporate travelers are noticing fluctuations in Best Available Rates (BAR) online and need to compare these public prices to their negotiated contracts to ensure they are getting the best deal
  • Corporate buyers will have the business intelligence to match travel expenditure to their budgets and give travelers greater flexibility of hotel choice based on Best Available Rates (BAR)
  • “Buyers need to shop rates that are comparable to their purchases, by setting simple filters that identify room types and meal plans, etc therefore making more accurate price comparisons. Crucially all filters are shopped regardless of the specific view defined. This allows the user to change the parameters after the shop without the need to shop again, making more detailed data available faster.”
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    As technology continues to advance, companies are looking into what works well for what kinda consumer. RateTiger is targeting corporate consumers, who want to be in control of room rates and have the ability to negotiate better deal based on services provided. RTC uses RPS, rate parameter shopping that searches thru hundreds of travel sites, hotel brand sites and GDS offeres corporate buyers, OTA's and travel companies the opportunities to build a rate around the best room rate for the perks and services, in comparison to what the public pays.
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    Excellent Article!...While corporate travelers are noticing fluctuations in "Best Available Rates (BAR)" I can only imagine that hotel owners and stakeholders are seeing a decrease of revenue caused by the ADR (Average Daily Rate). During the recession hotels had to re-shape their thinking and lower Corporate Room Rates to stay afloat; these changes caused the ADR to be lower than usual. As the economy improved, it has been harder for companies to re-negotiate corporate rates in an attempt to increase the ADR and profits for owners/stakeholders. http://www.bcdtravel.com/global/show_document.asp?id=aaaaaaaaaadsveg
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    This technology will provide business travelers the ability to compare hotel prices based on the type of rooms. This will help the customer in customizing their own needs during travel, while being price savvy. The traveler also has the ability to have default settings that will meet their own room specifications.
Adilen Alfonso

HFTP Begins Development of a Global Hospitality Accounting System Users Guide - Busines... - 1 views

  • our Global Board is investing heavily to create a benchmark that stakeholders can use to compile accounts, compare regional differences and define the value of a hospitality operation
  • will provide the industry with a comprehensive glossary of inventory terminology, charts of accounts and will benchmark common allocation for specific regions of the world
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    Hospitality Finance and Technology Professionals (HFTP) is creating an accounting system users guide to create a global resource for the hospitality finance industry. This is going to be a great resource for companies to use as a benchmark when compiling accounts, comparing differences with competitors and defining the value of their operation. Although it will not be used as mandatory protocol that all companies must abide by, it is a great tool to use as guidance. It will consist of a glossary, accounting charts and provide examples.
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    This article explains how the hospitality industry is taking their own twist on accounting. Similar to GAAP, the hospitality industry will use the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals' (HFTP) global hospitality accounting system users guide. HFTP is a global professional association dedicated to financial and personal in the industry. It is implementing a benchmark that stakeholders can use to gather accounts, compare regional differences, and set the value of operations. It will have a glossary of inventory terminology, charts, and benchmark specific regions of the world. HFTP plans to create this in 3 steps. The first step is to gather bachelor students at Ecole Hoteliere De Laudanne to gather data from hotel operations and assemble the terms. The second step is to distribute the data to regional teams that will create sample charts of accounts for the local areas. The third step is to discuss similarities and differences in allocations. I think this great for the hotel industry because will have a common accounting principle to reference to. It will allow hotels to better be indexed and compared to one another.
yoyohad

Caribbean hotels see 18.6% increase in net operating income - Travel Weekly - 1 views

  • The 2014 edition of PKF’s Caribbean Trends in the Hotel Industry reported that last year marked the third in a row that the region’s hotels saw double-digit percentage growth in net operating income, and it was the highest annual growth in operating profits since 2008.
  • Rooms rates accounted for 56.8% of total revenue, the largest source of revenue for the properties in the sample. Food and beverage sales accounted for 28.8% of total revenue, and retail and recreational outlets another 12.7%.
  • “Caribbean hotels have unique operating challenges that result in relatively higher expenses,” said Scott Smith, member of the Appraisal Institute and a vice president in PKF’s Atlanta office.
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  • lthough operating profits jumped 18.6% in 2013, the higher costs of goods, services and utilities in the Caribbean relative to the U.S. resulted in lower relative profit margins, according to the report.In 2013, Caribbean resorts registered a 16.3% profit margin, compared with a 21.4% margin for comparable U.S. resorts.
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    I believe that the increase in Caribbean hotel's net operating income indicates that more travelers are now traveling to these destinations compare to few years ago. Coming back from the economical downtime, the hospitality is now seeing increases of revenue after the depression since 2008.Caribbean is an unique place for travel, and often required air/ sea transit for travelers all over the world. Thus also encouraged the purchase decision for airline and cruise services. And by adopting technology to being green, the hotel is able to reduce the utility cost. And we are seeing more new hotels under construction in the Caribbean region.
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    Properties throughout the Caribbean have offered amazing deals for quite some time, but during the economic downturn, a Caribbean vacation was either unfeasible or seemed like an unnecessary extravagance for the average consumer. Despite incentives to visit, the $4/gallon fuel cost has hit us all in the wallet. This is reflected in an enormous increase in airfare and makes having a rental car that much more difficult. I wish the Caribbean hotel and tourism industry all the best, but I don't think we're going to see a full recovery for the next few years.
pelaez17

Why is GDS important to the travel industry? | TTS - 4 views

  • he Global Distribution System (GDS) is a primary reservation tool for travel agents.
  • GDS is a network/platform that enables travel agencies and their clients to access travel data, shop for and compare reservations options, and book travel.
  • Through such commerce platforms as the GDS Travelport, agents can access scheduling and inventory of hotels, airlines, car rentals, and (some) railway and bus reservations – in real time. GDS links all those services across the three primary travel reservation sectors (airline, hotel, and ground transportation, i.e., car rentals), and activities.
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  • The modern GDS system evolved from this early labour-intensive manual system, thanks to the collaborative team efforts of American Airlines (AA) and IBM.  The result of that collaboration? The first airline industry mainframe-based system, SABRE.
  • Promotional messaging to agents through GDS cores like the most prominent airline national distribution systems (Amadeus, SABRE, Galileo, and Worldspan) alert agents to special rates, fares, and travel packages – an effective marketing tool for passing savings on to agents, and from agents to their customers. 
  • GDS booking has increased worldwide over the past 4 years yet some industry observers suggest that GDSs may become nearly obsolete by 2020. But like many technology/software-based systems, GDS may evolve, instead.
  • GDS is probably not going to fall into disuse any time soon. Rather, it will continue to evolve as it did from the Lazy Susan system of the 1950s.
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    I found this article interesting as it talks about why the GDS is important and also gives some insight to how the booking process has changed over the decades. For instance, thanks to the internet we can book a flight within minutes while comfortably sitting on our cough. The article however states, what I did not know, was that back in the 50's, it took an airline reservationist 1.5 to 3 hours to book a single airline flight for the customer. At the end, the article also states that GDS most probably will not be going anywhere any time soon and still be around, at least for some time, and keep on evolving.
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    The Hotel industry has been trying to move away from Global Distribution Systems (GDS), because of the high cost associated with them; however, travel agents more than ever are turning to the global distribution system for their hotel and travel bookings. In a recent article written for Travel Technology & Solution they discussed why GDS is important to the travel industry. Educating the reading on what GDS is and how it works, the importance of GDS to travel agents and the future of GDS. According to tts.com "GDS is a network/platform that enables travel agencies and their clients to access travel data, shop for and compare reservations options, and book travel. This allows for the travel agent to provide the best option at the best price to their clients. Travel agents are in favor of this system as what once took hours to complete can now be done in minutes. An agent has the ability to receive messages through the system alerting them of special rates, fares and travel packages which in turned are passed on to their clients. "Not only is messaging through GDSs effective in promoting travel savings to clients, GDS providers are becoming fundamental to the supply of travel products to retailers in the online channel." With a large percentage of people still turning to travel agents to book their travels GDSs might be here to stay. Over the past four years the use of the Global Distribution System has increased, "yet some industry observers suggest that GDSs may become nearly obsolete by 2020".
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    This article discusses the history, importance, and future of GDS in a way that is simple and easy to understand. It use to take a long time to make a travel reservation until GDS came along, and it is now used by travel companies and their agents everywhere. It allows them to see a variety of airlines, hotels, transportation, and activities to compare pricing, in order to select the best of each one for their clients. They say GDS will become extinct in a couple of years but this article states otherwise. They believe it will become more sophisticated/developed into something greater.
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    The article describes the importance of GDS to the travel industry. The article describes GDS as "a network/platform that enables travel agencies and their clients to access to travel data, shop for and compare reservations options and book travel." The system is used globally as it helps in generating travel sales in billions of dollars. Travel agents use the system access scheduling and inventory of hotels, car rentals, airlines and bus tickets all in real time. The system achieves this by linking the travel reservation sectors of car rentals, hotels and airlines. The major GDSs in the world are Sabre, Amadeus, Worldspan, Apollo, and Galileo. The authors argue that GDS is important to travel agents as it helps the agents to make reservations in real time for their clients and can complete bookings for their clients within a short time. The end of the article proposes that GDS may become obsolete by 2020 due to technological advances. However, the authors argue that the system will evolve with the technological changes and will not fall into disuse anytime soon.
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    GDS I feel will always have an impact in the travel industry because it is what it was built for since the beginning. Yes, we advance with apps and direct booking but people will always use travel agencies and GDS I believe will always be the primary source for booking for travel agents because it is what makes them comfortable.
avila031

Cloud hotel software Vs. Installed hotel software - SabeeApp Blog - 0 views

  • But a hotel management system can be effective only if it provides a wide scale of features. This ensures versatile services that can fit the wider range of customers.
  • they are often not affordable for small and mid-size properties with limited budgets.
  • e very common stereotype is that after the change to cloud-based software all data will be easily accessible by “bad people”. In other words, data won’t be secure. But hoteliers should not forget that such systems are working with well-secured servers and have necessary certificates to protect sensitive data.
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  • For big hotels and hotel chains installed software might work perfectly as the business is pretty much going inside the hotel. But for smaller accommodation businesses mobility is value #1. Small hotel owners are managing everything by themselves. Therefore they need to have access to the system from any part of the world. During their holidays they must see if new reservation arrived or if they need to adjust the price. Apartment rentals most of the times don’t even have reception and has to follow up their reservations while being anywhere else. For such people and for such businesses cloud hotel software solutions are the key component for success. They can have professional technology that big hotel chains are using, just for more affordable price and better flexibility.
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    This is an article that compares the new form of cloud property management systems versus the original installed in the property PMS. It compares the features missing from both ends such as the fact the installed PMS can not get free upgrades but it does not require IT expertise. The article makes a great point in stating that both systems can be great for a small business, where as most people assume only an installed PMS works for a small business because it is the more affordable option but because of the fact that one person is usually running the small business they can benefit from having access to the PMS from anywhere which is only capable from a cloud PMS. It is also important to remember that when moving to a new system it can not be assumed to be exactly like the previous system.
kaseyfl9568

5 Reasons Why Request for Proposals Are Crucial to Your ERP System Search and Selection - 1 views

  • Rather than a web based demo, we advise you spend 1.0 to 1.5 days minimum looking at every aspect, and to schedule your various department managers into system functions affecting their responsibilities.
  • If the vendor isn't willing to spend the time on-site with you, you will never understand how the system is designed and how good the fit will be for your company, or what modifications might exist.
  • Experienced vendors often add great insight to the changes that their system will bring to your business environment, but also can tell you what changes will be required to take best advantage of their system.
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  • Forces You to Define Requirements
  • Allows for comparison of one system to another
  • Gets control of product demonstrations
  • Gets you thinking about Return on Investment
  • Produces an organized selection methodology
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    Anything worth INVESTING in that will assist in building your business is worth researching and looking into. Buying blindly is a very foolish thing to do. By doing your homework and comparing IT investments, you have the ability to see what is the best fit for your business. You can compare and customize what will be most beneficial for you and your company. This will force you to define what you need and see how it will benefit your establishment.
Maria Zuniga

The 5 Most Popular Hotel Management Software Solutions For Small Hotels Compared - Capt... - 1 views

  • For hotels, finding the right software fit is especially important, because without a suitable software solution, you’re wasting time and money—big things that take you away from your customers and keep you from providing a stellar guest experience.
  • Below, I’ve gathered the most popular hotel management software, specifically for smaller hotels.
  • Oracle also understands independent hotel needs, notably powering small hotels like the Ampersand Hotel in London’s South Kensington neighborhood.
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  • Oracle Hospitality’s OPERA Property is a comprehensive and scalable solution that comes in three levels (Premium, Standard, and Lite) and is also available for both cloud and installed deployment. Any property from boutique to chain hotels can make use of this popular solution.
  • InnQuest’s flagship roomMaster solution is for hotels of all sizes (great for flexibility if you see growth in your future), leading to their top three spot with 5,200 customers and managing more than 450,000 hotel rooms every day.
  • Charged for bookings processed through third party OTAs
  • Multi-Systems, Inc.’s CloudPM is fifth on this list with 5,800 customers in North America
  • This cloud-based property management solution has been around since 1990 and is great for hotels looking to keep costs down by bypassing the purchase of additional hardware.
  • RDP (Resort Data Processing) provides customized software for clients and says it can handle properties of any size, whether it be a small vacation rental or a huge resort.
  • For hotels, finding the right software fit is especially important, because without a suitable software solution, you’re wasting time and money—big things that take you away from your customers and keep you from providing a stellar guest experience.
  • Oracle Hospitality’s OPERA Property is a comprehensive and scalable solution that comes in three levels (Premium, Standard, and Lite) and is also available for both cloud and installed deployment. Any property from boutique to chain hotels can make use of this popular solution.
  • More than one million daily transactions in 104 countries happen across this hotel property management solution, resulting in 90,000 rooms managed across the globe. Ten years in the industry give eZee Frontdesk more than 4,700 customers and 70,500 users.
  • Because this solution was developed by long-time members of the hotel industry, you can be assured that roomMaster will satisfy all your needs out for a great hotel PMS.
  • This cloud-based property management solution has been around since 1990 and is great for hotels looking to keep costs down by bypassing the purchase of additional hardware.
  • Frontdesk Anywhere is based in the technology capital of Silicon Valley.
  • its special emphasis on helping small properties, even something as small as a timeshare, earned it a spot on this list.
  • Maestro aims to simplify things, enabling hotel managers to run everything from one dashboard.
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    Smaller properties such as independent hotels don't need an elaborate PMS (property management system). They can go by with some advanced ones without having to pay an outrageous cost. The ones listed in this article are Opera, Ezee Master, Roommaster, Hotelogix PMS, MSI Cloud PM, Frontdesk Anywhere, and Rozlynx PMS. The property's needs have to be compared with what the systems have to offer and from there, the management can select the best one. Larger properties that belong to corporate companies usually have their own PMS systems that they use at every brand that has their corporate logo. For instance, Hilton has OnQ PMS system, which whether you are at a large Hilton property such as a resort or a small Hilton property that is a franchised property, they will use the OnQ PMS system.
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    For the hardware/software article, I wanted to stay within the hospitality and tourism industry because we use a lot of softwares to have fast service and to keep the best guest experience. The name of the article that I found is " The 5 most popular hotel management solutions for smaller hotels". This article list 5 hotels management softwares specifically for small hotels and also their pros, their cons and most importantly their cost. The 1st that comes in the list is OPERA Property Management System (PMS) by Oracle. Oracle is usually known for big time budgets software but oracle also understands independent hotel needs like small hotels. Their pros are profile management, accommodation management, housekeeping management, multi- property configuration, multi- language and global currency support. Their cons are outdated online interface for some, can be slow during check-in/checkout process. The software comes in three levels ( Premium, Standard, Lite) is also available for both cloud and installed deployment.
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    UPDATE 3/28/2017: This post has been updated with new options and additional information. There are now nine hotel management software options represented as opposed to the original five.
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    This is a very important feature. Where the system can go either work off the cloud or can be installed.
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    This article compares the top 5 PMS systems for smaller hotels. Some of these software's are able to function on any size properties, but some are very limited. The most recognized PMS system, Opera by Oracle, is able to function through a cloud or it can be installed. This article provides pros, cons and costs for all PMS's and emphasizes the importance of finding the right match for a hotel.
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    I found this article to be very interesting. This article gives us a walk through 9 different software solutions for small hotels. This article made it very clear to me that in the hospitality industry it is crucial to find the right software that best matches your hotel. Software has an immense impact on the overall experience of the guests and that brings credibility and customer loyalty. The articles gives us the positive and negatives of each of these systems. This made me realize, that as an aspiring hospitality industry employee and manager, it is crucial to learn about these programs and use them properly.
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