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MICROS Systems recently incorporated its cloud-based technology in the Moran & Bewley's Hotel Group. This system will assist in delivering consistent service to customers and staff throughout its ten hotels located across Ireland and the UK. MICROS OPERA, known as the world's most popular PMS, will control room availability and ensure that guests experience a consistent, fast and easy check-in/check-out service. It will also support the sales, catering and website integration among all the properties. This technology will be beneficial to management in allowing it to control company functions and sales in all of its establishments from a remote location. The PMS was also upgraded and migrated to provide greater resilience, reliability and performance. It is a smart investment for the hotel company because it provides upgrades for all areas of the business and allows management to focus on other vital aspects of the hotel, such as customer service, instead of dealing with IT. This leads to significant and measurable operation and economic benefits. Restaurants and bars will now provide greater service with the point-of-service that was installed. Data will be better secured and collected with the fully hosted solution, which ensures reliability and consistently high performance.

MICROS Systems, Inc. , a leading provider of information technology solutions for the hospitality and retail industries, is pleased to announce that the Moran & Bewley's Hotel Group has invested in MICROS cloud-based technology to help deliver a consistent experience to customers and staff throughout its ten hotels in Ireland and the UK.

Cloud computer seems be becoming more and more the way hotels communication. It has been proven more realiable, consistent, and allow for easy check-in as well as check-out services for hotels. Management is benefiting from being able to control all aspects of the hotel without having to be on property using the the network.

Hertz Corp. has just launched numerous travel apps for 11 major US cities. These apps let customers plan a trip by browsing content which is cutomized to that city and having it wirelessly sent to the GPS system in their rental car. The apps complement Hertz's NeverLost Gen 5 GPS route-guidance system. While in the car, this service will deliver certain information based on which city they are in and can be taken with them once they leave the car as well. Hertz is using this as an attempt to reach out to potential customers and expand their clientele. In an effort to remain unique, each app includes six categories: Explore, Top Must See, Events, Favorites, Tours, and Neighborhoods. There is also a feature that allows you to track the weather as well as see the nearest restaurants and attractions by simply pointing your iPhone at the horizon. The first app purchased is free and each subsequent app can be downloaded for only $0.99. Hertz already has an app for making reservations and confirmations so these apps are being used to build upon that and take it to the mobile level.  This is smart as people who are renting cars are more likely to be unfamiliar with their whereabouts than when driving their own vehicle. Being able to take GPS voice directions and find specific attractions while outside the car is a step in the right direction for m-commerce.

Good for Hertz! They seem to be differentiating themselves from other rental car brands with this unique service to their customers. Its also a good way to capitalize on the immediate needs of their customers who are the perfect target market for this app. I wonder if you can 'hands-free' your mobile device and sync it with the rental car while on that would be extremely helpful!

This article talks  the new application that Hertz is introducing on the iPhone to allow customers to plan their trip that can be wires sly  delivered to the GPS system in their Hertz rental car .  This apps have been lauchend for 11 cities so far. Each city app includes six categories: Explore, Top Must See, Events, Favorites, Tours and Neighborhoods. So far the map can be downloaded  for free on the app store. Those apps on the iPhone give herts a chance to advertize  their merchandise to the user of iPhone with age varies .

here is my article on internet technology

This article explains the company, Ruskus Wireless, which has introduced a powerful Wi-Fi Wall switch, called ZoneFlex 7025, with elevated speeds of 802.11n, available for the United States' and European market. This product can offer hotels with the feature of multiple IP service over a single wireless at a minimal cost per room. According to Douglas Rice, Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Hotel Technology Next Generation: "the hospitality market sees enormous benefits that an IP-based network brings in delivering a better guest experience, new services that will lead to drive customer loyalty". This type of technology will allow for hotels to integrate their Internet enabled devices to connect to a single wireless network. Eliminating the limitations of Ethernet cables will improve the areas of guest services, and conference rooms enhancing the experience for guests. Multiple hotels do not have the infrastructure to provide the feature of wireless access throughout their facility, considering the current technological revolution; it has become more of a necessity for hotels to provide this option for their guests. This type of Wi-Fi wall switch will help reduce the cost and complications associated with implementing network services. Fundamentally, Wi-Fi is a common amenity that multiple guests request in every level of travel purpose, which many hotels should implement if their benefit will outweigh the cost.

This article discusses how CRM's use social media to promptly communicate with customers. I thought it was very interesting that 70% of the complaints made by customers via a sm outlet are not responded to. Examples are given as to how some companies use teams whose specific responsibility is to respond to customer complaints by text, email, twitter, and/or facebook. I thought it was cool that one guests tweet about loving cornbread, turned into a response by room service to deliver cornbread right to her room.

The article that i read on Marriott Link Two Data streams With Revenue talk about combined two management system into one. Marriott had a hard time analyzing revenue data and the marketing. MArriott noticed it was too expensive to operate a full service hotel with selected service or even the facilities. So what Marriott Howard Melnick senior vice president of information resourse decieded to do was use the System called One Yield. Howard combined two system iwhile he lowered the cost of staff by 33%. Marriott system One Yield has delivered the profit of 6.7million the first year and today it still increasing.

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!

The August Group NYC's selection of Agilysys Guest 360™ property management system and Agilysys InfoGenesis™ point of sales system for their Hotel Modern New Orleans was a service driven decision made with confidence. Although the systems premiered at another property the August Group NYC is excited to reveal these advancements at their newest property in the Warehouse-Arts district of New Orleans. The August Group NYC remained loyal to Agilysys because they trust the management information system representatives who performed their job functions of installation and support flawlessly in the previous property. The powerful, yet easy to use applications are designed to increase productivity and hence the ability to generate more business. Specifically, the unique service orientated architecture of Agilysys' PMS system includes a Guest Hub that records and stores a history of guest activity. The article does not specify whether the data is collected while staying at the hotel or dining in the restaurant but I can assume both sources would be valuable. By using data mining the Hotel Modern New Orleans can review the guest's history and make specific recommendations the next time they visit their property. I do however foresee possible user acceptance issues with these advanced technology systems and the environment it is housed. The Hotel Modern New Orleans prides itself on its historical location and precious antiques. How will guests who wish to experience 'Old World charm' receive this 'New World' technology? Will guests see the recommendations as thoughtful and helpful or scary and an invasion of privacy? Can technology be put in the same category as diversity?

I had trouble posting this for some reason; I was not given the option to share with a group when creating my original bookmark-so here is my original highlight from the article. "The combined power of our Agilysys property management and point-of-sale systems will give The Hotel Modern New Orleans the tools it needs to operate at peak efficiency, deliver highly personalized guest service and realize a competitive advantage."

The hotel Modern New Orleans utilized the Agilysys Guest 360 PMS and the Agilysys infoGenesis POS solution to smooth the operations and deliver personalized customer service. This PMS was built from the ground up to use service-oriented architecture. Its flexible platform was suitable for all sizes of hotel even multi-property operations. Combines powerful reporting and configuration capabilities in the back office, the Agilysy InfoGenesis POS system can manage any combination of dining, bar service and retail operations. Both of these POS and PMS will help the hotel to operate effectively meanwhile provide highly personalized service to the customers.

This is a new technology for hospitality employees to be able to communicate between each other. THis new handset is durable and substitutes multiple other devices including alarms. It also cents text messages and alarm notifications, so everyone is up to date.  This device color codes different departments so people do not get confused and deliver services promptly. 

I really like this new technology. Especially the color-coded function. It's like sending an order by colors to the staff. It avoids the misunderstanding from vague oral communications.The new handset's high quality audio system means that conversations can be heard more easily, even against a noisy background, while the built-in vibration feature means users can always tell when they are wanted, even if they can't hear the ring. This is really cool too. Communication is so important in hospitality industry. The daily function mostly depends on how well that each department communicate. This new device save people a lot of time and energy to worry about whether they receive the right order or not.

In Amazon's last quarter, net income dropped by 57 percent from a year ago. Sales for the three months before December 31 came out to $17.4 billion, lower than Wall Street expected over the traditionally busy holidy season. It is predicted that for the next quarter outlook, there could be anywhere from a gain of $100 million to a loss of $200 million. While Amazon continues to profit in sales of its best selling Kindle devices, there were a variety of factors that contirbuted to its losses. The flooding in Thailand slowed down production for many tech companies. Third-party sellers (which give a 13% commission to Amazon as oppsoed to 100% commission when Amazon sells themselves) were used more than usual. Promotions such as the Amazon Prime program which allows the customer to pay a fixed rate and get umlimited two-day shipping hurt the retailer hard over the busy holiday season with shipping costs. Other reasons were lower demand for skimwords

POS can energize the hotel service cycle. POS system offers an ideal opportunity to move from a manual system to technology that stores customer data, which can be mined for business intelligence and thus facilitates improvement and efficiency at customer touch points. POS system can be fully integrated with room service and front office to ensure accurate and faster billing. It is fairly easy to use, getting staff acquainted with the application and interface will help to ensure faster ROI on installation. Using POS software, hotel staff can spend less time on formalities and more on delivering better customer service. It is integral for both order generation and tracking inventory shrinkage. Proper implementation of POS functions increases business profitability by providing management with details on fast moving products, time of sale and profitability. Now apps with Android market enhanced the use of POS. In the future, POS systems are going to get smarter, faster and better.

When the Valentine's day is so close e-business gives us a new way out if you have forgotten to buy a gift and yet have no time to do it. The main feature - speed. E-commerce start up is going back to basics with the oppotunity to order flowers online. This website is an international venture working 24/7, partnering with thousands of local suppliers all over the world. Flowers as a product of daily need when widely distributed with no time boundaries can be a good deal for you and a segment of market which still has a lot to innovate. At the same time the website has an oppotunity to be dedicated not only to various plants but to gifts of all kinds which is fantastic because every day of a year is a holiday for somebody.

Yes I have ordered flowers online before through 1-800 Flowers because I needed flowers delivered in another state and I was not familiar with the florists in the area. I trusted the Teleflora company (1-800 Flowers) to have the same quality of flowers in all locations but this is simply not true. I was very disappointed on several occasions by having wilted old flowers in small arrangements delivered. Not only is it embarrassing but it is frustrating to the consumer having paid so much money and not been happy with the product. I do not use these online companies anymore. I go to the florist websites and go by word of mouth which is time consuming (something I was hoping to avoid by using the online florist in the first place). That is why I bring up the question of how this FloristAdvisor differs from other companies and how are they succeeding? Bing I like to go to the supermarket and make my own arrangements if they receiver of my intended bouquet is close by. Fresh Market has excellent flowers, a bit pricey but they are great quality and last.

Actually while browsing the website I couldnt find any information about the guarantee... And the prices are unexpectably high which shows that this business has yet a lot to improve. I ve never ordered flowers online and your information, Melissa, was really helpful for me.

Hilton Hotels have invested $500 million on smartphone technology that allows guests to book their stay, check in from their cell phone, pick a room from ones that are available and request additional amenities be delivered to their room upon arrival. The biggest opportunity for guests is the ability to log on the day before their arrival and choose which room they want. They not only choose a type of room but they also choose the location.

While is may seem like the future promised to us on shows like "The Jetsons" may have never really arrived, we might be one step closer to seeing the gadgets and gizmos of the cartoon world become a reality in the hospitality industry. Starwood's Aloft Hotels, an upscale, modern hotel line that appeals to Millennials, recently introduced Boltr - a check-in and delivery robot. This machine was created by Savioke - a Silicon-Valley design firm. Like other startups, Savioke aims to minimize unnecessary work and increase efficiency. There is no reason an employee needs to be paid to walk back and forth to deliver items when a robot can do the job. Royal Caribbean has also introduced its own robot, specifically for bartending, in its new luxury cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas.  Hotel staff unions see robots as a potential threat to their member-employees. Nonetheless, robots replacing employees is not just unique to the hospitality industry. 

Very much like the computerized bartender we've already studied, when does automation become too much? We are a "high touch" industry that relies heavily on our guest relationships. The human wait staff can make the guest feel welcome and spoiled (isn't that why we go on cruises in the first place?), the robot cannot. Let the machine prepare the perfect drink, then let the bartender add a smile and place it in the hands of the guest. It'll keep them coming back for more.

Technology has taken a huge toll on society and business now a day. If our business is keeping itself updated with technology, could mean we are at the top of our game. This article briefly  demonstrates how Beacons can help improve your business by providing how, when and where are customers behaving. For example, Beacons allow customers to order-ahead of time. It attracts a different clientele and allows us to gain others because of a shorter or no waiting time. Like an express line. But  it may become a challenge if the business doesn't know how to ensure a time-effective preparation before customers arrive. Beacons also allow customers to know exactly how much people are at that exact time at the restaurant or business, and thus waiting time, if any. Another advantage would be "push-customized notifications". I believe this is one of the most challenging for businesses. Customers (as myself) hate when we get attacked by too much notifications.  If it were useful in any way or if it called my attention every now and then, but companies apparently don't pay attention to how customers may feel.  It is very important to use the access wisely and give out information customers really want. Offer what they are looking for, by personalizing. It also helps to attract customers by promoting events or special offers and notifying via beacons. People like a place they can see as happy and fun. Also, who doesn't like discounts? A fifth advantage, and as I believe to be one of the best ways to retain and gain customers, is to reward the customer who passes by every now and then, with personalized dishes, and reward first time customers by attracting them with discounts specifically for them. And finally, another must consider, is that beacons help keep track of everything (all happening at a specific given time) to better improve employee wages and specifics of customers that are out-and-about.

Technology has taken a huge toll on society and business now a day. If our business is keeping itself updated with technology, could mean we are at the top of our game. This article briefly demonstrates how Beacons can help improve your business by providing how, when and where are customers behaving. For example, Beacons allow customers to order-ahead of time. It attracts a different clientele and allows us to gain others because of a shorter or no waiting time. Like an express line. But it may become a challenge if the business doesn't know how to ensure a time-effective preparation before customers arrive. Beacons also allow customers to know exactly how much people are at that exact time at the restaurant or business, and thus waiting time, if any. Another advantage would be "push-customized notifications". I believe this is one of the most challenging for businesses. Customers (as myself) hate when we get attacked by too much notifications. If it were useful in any way or if it called my attention every now and then, but companies apparently don't pay attention to how customers may feel. It is very important to use the access wisely and give out information customers really want. Offer what they are looking for, by personalizing. It also helps to attract customers by promoting events or special offers and notifying via beacons. People like a place they can see as happy and fun. Also, who doesn't like discounts? A fifth advantage, and as I believe to be one of the best ways to retain and gain customers, is to reward the customer who passes by every now and then, with personalized dishes, and reward first time customers by attracting them with discounts specifically for them. And finally, another must consider, is that beacons help keep track of everything (all happening at a specific given time) to better improve employee wages and specifics of customers that are out-and-about.

Creative and a bit scary application of existing technologies. Much like Facebook Messenger, when do we cross the line between convenience and forfeiture of privacy? As part of the industry, the responsibility falls to us to manage the line in favor of our guests. They will know when it has become too much, and we will know very soon after when business evaporates. Provide friendly, targeted service without being too invasive. Remembering orders and having them ready on time is fine. Sending a pop-up message every time the guest passes by in a cab may be a bit much. Consider how many Starbucks messages you could receive in any major metropolitan area. Without proper care, we could be giving a whole new meaning to the word Spam.

Jason Bradbury a technology expert and futurist spends a night in the Eccleston Square Hotel in London. He states how its a fine example of how smart technology can greatly enhance a hotel stay. Bradbury describes the rooms many technological aspects and reviews his stay entire stay. He states how technology will deliver what the future guest deires which is aunthenticity.

StayNTouch which is a mobile hotel PMS technology provider, is partnering with Ruby Hospitality. The owner, Jerry Dicker, chose StayNTouch because it fits in with their mission to deliver a unique high quality product with amazing service at a great value as well as their commitment on forward-thinking innovation.

CHMWarnick has become the only third-party hotel asset management company providing full owner-entity accounting capabilities as it has expanded its accounting services available to asset management clients. It's ownership accounting include several services that have proven to further elevate the firm's asset management in delivering value for hotel owners.

This article describes how one company named ShopAdvisor set themselves apart from the others by delivering specific marketing messages and advertisements in a store instead of generic ones.

My article is about the Halogen software and its features in the hospitality industry. Halogen software delivers service brilliance, with HR software that empowers hotel and services employees to achieve performance. Halogen improves productivity, it can also reduce errors and maintain compliance.