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This is article is about how many merchants either didn't like or liked their POS system. There are different options that allow many merchants to transition to the new cloud based POS. With the development of cloud-based POS systems, it allows the vendors to be more responsive to the merchants and their needs. Instead of paying for different hardwares, the cloud based POS help businesses save money by having a fixed monthly charge that they can later invest back into their business.

I found this article to be very interesting because it gives us an example of a specific Property Management System. It is crucial to know the importance of all the "add-ons" and features that different PMS's have to know which one is the best. There might be a numerous amount of options for your company, so it is good to research a few to know which one fits best for your needs. It is interesting to see how there are different PMS programs being tested. This proves that there is a lot of competition.

Bunkhouse Group adopted a mobile PMS to seven of its hotels. Their hotels offer unique experiences that differ from other places. The properties really work together with the communities they are in and include locals, and dogs to come together with their guests. Adopting StayNTouch is a great way for bunkhouse to evolve as a group. With further research done, the hotels really gain attention from millenials whom are always up to date with the newest technology. By installing this new cloud PMS it will allow guests to check in and out easily and quickly. The PMS will also help cut costs in properties owned by Bunkhouse by reducing training and optimizing work done by front desk and housekeeping.

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.

The Maestro PMS has a new feature, called the single guest itinerary, that lets hoteliers give guests a more personalized experience. Since each guest is different, and would have different preferences in terms of activities, the feature allows the operator to create an itinerary that would have the guests reservations for things such as dining reservations and spas. It updates in real time if a guest wants to move things around, so that the guests can see what their new itinerary looks like as soon as they make any changes. This feature is included in all Maestro systems, both cloud and on-premises.

E-commerce has made a huge difference when it comes to how the tourism industry has grown and developed. With the introduction of marketing techniques such as virtual tours, virtual views of popular landmarks, and ideas on things to do in town, tourists have an easier time deciding where and if they want to visit different destinations. Mobile apps have also made it easier for tourists to access important information, such as their flight and hotel reservations, any itineraries they may have, and food delivery services, all of which would make their stay easier and more comfortable. E-Commerce has made traveling more cost effective for travelers by allowing online travel agencies the ability to provide deals for cheaper hotels and flights.

You may perceive the name Eric Lundgren. In 2017, he was everywhere throughout the news for making a $13,000 DIY electric vehicle with a 380 or more mile extend, effectively besting a Tesla. His LA-based organization worked in overseeing e-waste from regular electronic gadgets like cell phones and PCs. He's committed a huge number of hours to recuperating batteries, engines, and circuits from disposed of things reuse in wheelchairs, vehicles, or even different PCs. At 19, he began an organization to refurbish and offer PCs given to him by corporate customers like Dell, Asus, and Lenovo. At the point when a PC is sold or scrapped the Windows license accompanying it is legitimately transferrable to the new proprietor, making reestablishing non-working PCs and exchanging them a generally simple process. With a real Windows license, everything necessary is introducing the working framework from a reestablish circle and connecting the license key to demonstrate it's a legitimate install. The license key was frequently shown on a sparkly sticker along the edge or base of a PC. The certificate of realness, and the license key, is all you'd have to authentically introduce a working rendition of Windows on a non-running device. Those that didn't have the sticker, Lundgren told the Los Angeles Times, he rejected, pitching the parts to be utilized in different machines. Yet, it's here that Lundgren kept running into inconvenience. In the wake of aggregating exactly 28,000 restore discs, similar discs that used to come included with a bought PC, in any event before makers began getting rid of optical drives, Lundgren endeavored to dispatch them to his accomplice, for use in reestablishing non-working gadgets. After Microsoft and Dell caught wind of the plan, Lundgren was issued an indictment and fines

This article is introducing the new self-serve kiosks on National Restaurant Show. It mentioned some highlights from the shows. there are many different kind of kiosks used for the different restaurants.

ISS facility management company is partnering with IBM's Watson to increase the service aspect of different places. ISS is a group that focuses on different services that include cleaning, catering, property services, etc. IBM is a technological company that has its own form of artificial intelligence called Watson. ISS has a plan to place a multitude of sensors all over the interior of a building. This can mean doors, chairs, desks, etc. These sensors are going to monitor everything in the area around them, and report all of the data it obtains using ambient intelligence, or technology that is able to learn from its surroundings. This data will be logged on a blockchain ledger, and analyzed by Watson. With this data, Watson can text guests about the things they need in a room, turn off unused equipment, and calculate how many utensils or plates that guests in a room may need. The focus is not to only lower costs, but improve service as a whole. ISS has already implemented this into their Copenhagen headquarters, and they plan to spread it to over 20,000 more locations.

The article reads about the new HR management software that is being adopted by different companies, including Trivago, to manage HR responsibilities. This software can be buit to fit the company's needs and help managers and employees have HR information and processes right at their fingertips.

The article addresses a big issue that we are currently facing worldwide, what to do with all the electronic waste? This Time article focuses on 20 different ways that can revert this situation and help to reuse some of the precious metals and parts for future electronic devices. Algae biofuel, thin-film solar power, smart meters, new electric cars, and rooftop wind power are just some of the examples the article shares on how green technologies are already being used to help us make the life on our planet to last longer. Extensive research has been done on many different areas and now it's just a matter of countries and companies to enforce such technologies, in order for us to preserve our natural resources.

This article introduces the 2016 Smart Decision Guide to Hotel Property Management Systems, which analyzes imperical data collected to determine the best PMS system to use to ensure a successful hotel business.

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!

The article heavily emphasizes how reliant mega events are on successfully recording and analyzing data across several different sectors. The paper aims to examine the overall network infrastructure required in order to broadcast large scale sporting events such as the super bowl, world cups and the Olympics. Many different factors come into play during these events and the use of accurately recorded data and efficient technology is key. Monitoring attendee flow, as it pertains not only to attendance numbers but foremost security shall remain a priority for any event - large or small.

The topic of the article is about the use of Chatbot within the industry and how it could be valuable to e business. Chatbot is a messenger tool that allows for customers to communicate with someone to provide a more personalized and better customer experience when booking online. The article mentions that Chatbot is used on a variety of hotels, airlines and even booking agents to provide a different way of booking trips and experiences. It focuses on providing images, prices and descriptions to enhance the "online shopping experience." (Knight, 2018) The way Chatbot seems to operate through different partners by providing the guest with requests, transportation, last minute reservations and up to date information regarding hotels, airlines, etc. Knight takes into account the potential that Chatbot has in the future to help the hospitality industry grow earnings while positive service. Although, Chatbot seems like the newest way to appeal to those guests that are within the technology wave, i feel like apps like these are already implemented. It is convenient to have the information coming from one source, but hotels brands like Marriott have the mobile app and GXI where you can communicate with someone in assist with creating reservations, add requests and also create a profile that gives the hotel an idea of what someone expects at the hotel. The same goes for those airline apps such as American and Delta, providing similar services. What i do take into consideration is that bots like these where it be a direct bot or Chatbot are being used more and more daily to enhance the experience a customer receives which helps to increase sales for the industry.

This article is about how a lot of business are relying on the online platform to keep their businesses running. This article touches base when Instagram and Facebook both experienced an outage and prevented businesses from using their resources to reach consumers at a large scale. Which is why having different resources and not trusting one party to hold all your information is important when running a business especially if it is primarily online. Therefore, the article was just bringing the overall situation to light and heeding companies to explore different options as a whole so that if an outage ever occurs again, then they are prepared and their business will not suffer completely.

This article discusses the functions of Global Distribution Systems, along with examples of these systems in todays industry. This article stated that GDS's "facilitate transactions between travel service providers and travel agent." This is backed up by the fact that GDS's allow travel agents to gather and store information in real time, essentially improving efficiency and customer service.

The hotel industry is highly competitive and it is important to maintain an appeal to your customers and gain a competitive edge. Smart technology strategies is a way for a hotel to be able to ensure business and remain relevant to the target audience.

The lodging industry is one of the most popular in the hospitality industry. Bed and Breakfasts provide an alternative to hotels and motels by providing a literal home away from home experience. Unfortunately, the advertising and marketing of a bed a breakfast, according to this article, needs to upgrade. Email marketing would be a great addition to this sector of the industry to promote deals, updated breakfast menus, and etc. Giving customers an email blast every now and then can help. This can also increase customer loyalty. According to the article, it is a great way to keep customers engaged and up to date. The article promotes StreamSend, which is an email marketing software that helps with marketing by including vibrant imagery, videos, surveys, and other interactive elements (StreamSend). This is also said to be affordable and dependable, making it ideal for any industry including a bed and breakfast. I think this is a great start, specifically for those in the bed and breakfast sector of hospitality. The bed and breakfast brings airbnb and a hotel together with different amenities and not just another place to stay for the night. So it makes sense for the innkeepers to jump into email marketing to promote their business in different ways and to have more access to guests in regards to promotions.

The obvious initial measure hotels take to reduce energy cost and become more "green" are by replacing lights bulbs with LED, switching to paperless options, and other small tasks. The most cost efficient though is the conversion of their central air conditioner and heater, as this makes up a large percentage of costs for the hotel, which is also a burden on the environment due to the excess use of gas and electric to power the system. The new Energy Policy Act that was put into effect helps hotel not only save on long-term costs in the HVAC department, but also get a tax credit. This credit can range from $0.60 to $1.80 per square footage of the hotel. This is helping to encourage hotels to make the switch. This type of technology allows the air to be controlled by different zones in the hotel, which can be each individual room, floor, or however the hotel sets it up. This also prevents the air constantly running in the hotel room when it is unoccupied by hotel guests.

This article explains the booking trend of hotel in 2017 and afterward. Even though online booking tools such as website, mobile apps have made tourists easier to book the hotel in the world, in hotel's perspective, GDS is still the main contributor to increasing bookings and enhancing the hotel revenue. According to the article, GDS booking increased by 11.6 percent between the year 2015 and 2016, and around 60 percent of bookings at hotel were made through offline sources including CRS, walk-in, call or GDS. Among these, the major tool was GDS. Furthermore, the change of economic and political environment has caused hotels to have the right tools to decrease the loss. Thus, hotels should be equipped with the technology platform to monitor and support inventory and distribution channels. Every hotel has different situation and different booking channel. For example, when I was working at reservation department, our main booking source was an online. In other words, each hotel should find out what their main booking channel is, and based on that, suitable strategy to improve revenue should be developed even though this article emphasizes the importance of GDS booking.