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Hui Chen

What's global distribution system? - 5 views

  • A global distribution system (GDS) represents a computerized system used for managing different transactions within the air travel and hospitality industry. At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved. As a direct consequence to this fact, GDS’ were also implemented for hospitality industry use.
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved.
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved. As a direct consequence to this fact, GDS’ were also implemented for hospitality industry use.
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  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved. As a direct consequence to this fact, GDS’ were also implemented for hospitality industry use.
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved. As a direct consequence to this fact, GDS’ were also implemented for hospitality industry use.
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved. As a direct consequence to this fact, GDS’ were also implemented for hospitality industry use.
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved. As a direct consequence to this fact, GDS’ were also implemented for hospitality industry use.
  • However, due to the fact that GDS’ were originally created to distribute plane tickets, their database structure was specifically designed to store information about this product.
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved.
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved.
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and mor
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved.
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved.
  • However, due to the fact that GDS’ were originally created to distribute plane tickets, their database structure was specifically designed to store information about this product.
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved. As a direct consequence to this fact, GDS’ were also implemented for hospitality industry use.
  • The first major impact that GDS had on the travel market was that the number of flights was increased. This led to an increase of competition and therefore travel industry prices fell. Travel agencies were accustomed with receiving a fixed fee (usually 10%) from everything they managed to sell, so once the prices started to fall, they felt threatened with the loss of their earnings. In order to counter this, travel agencies began to offer complimentary products such as car rental, hotel and other related forms of accommodation, bus tickets, vacation packages, yacht rides and even flowers and champagne. This was the first major step towards GDS’ being used within the hospitality industry.
  • As mentioned before, one of the first products distributed by GDS was hotel accommodation. Hotels have loaded the information related to their different types of rooms, description and price categories within the airline reservation system database. When this information became available online, thousand of clients started making bookings all around the world. This fact was advantageous for each participant. Hotels benefited from distributing their products to a larger audience, travel agencies had the opportunity of booking more products through their computerized system and GDS benefited from a growth in booking volume, which helped them to lower operating costs.
  • The first major impact that GDS had on the travel market was that the number of flights was increased. This led to an increase of competition and therefore travel industry prices fell. Travel agencies were accustomed with receiving a fixed fee (usually 10%) from everything they managed to sell, so once the prices started to fall, they felt threatened with the loss of their earnings. In order to counter this, travel agencies began to offer complimentary products such as car rental, hotel and other related forms of accommodation, bus tickets, vacation packages, yacht rides and even flowers and champagne. This was the first major step towards GDS’ being used within the hospitality industry.
  • The first major impact that GDS had on the travel market was that the number of flights was increased. This led to an increase of competition and therefore travel industry prices fell. Travel agencies were accustomed with receiving a fixed fee (usually 10%) from everything they managed to sell, so once the prices started to fall, they felt threatened with the loss of their earnings. In order to counter this, travel agencies began to offer complimentary products such as car rental, hotel and other related forms of accommodation, bus tickets, vacation packages, yacht rides and even flowers and champagne. This was the first major step towards GDS’ being used within the hospitality industry.
  • The first major impact that GDS had on the travel market was that the number of flights was increased. This led to an increase of competition and therefore travel industry prices fell. Travel agencies were accustomed with receiving a fixed fee (usually 10%) from everything they managed to sell, so once the prices started to fall, they felt threatened with the loss of their earnings. In order to counter this, travel agencies began to offer complimentary products such as car rental, hotel and other related forms of accommodation, bus tickets, vacation packages, yacht rides and even flowers and champagne. This was the first major step towards GDS’ being used within the hospitality industry.
  • The first major impact that GDS had on the travel market was that the number of flights was increased. This led to an increase of competition and therefore travel industry prices fell. Travel agencies were accustomed with receiving a fixed fee (usually 10%) from everything they managed to sell, so once the prices started to fall, they felt threatened with the loss of their earnings. In order to counter this, travel agencies began to offer complimentary products such as car rental, hotel and other related forms of accommodation, bus tickets, vacation packages, yacht rides and even flowers and champagne. This was the first major step towards GDS’ being used within the hospitality industry.
  • The first major impact that GDS had on the travel market was that the number of flights was increased. This led to an increase of competition and therefore travel industry prices fell. Travel agencies were accustomed with receiving a fixed fee (usually 10%) from everything they managed to sell, so once the prices started to fall, they felt threatened with the loss of their earnings. In order to counter this, travel agencies began to offer complimentary products such as car rental, hotel and other related forms of accommodation, bus tickets, vacation packages, yacht rides and even flowers and champagne. This was the first major step towards GDS’ being used within the hospitality industry.
  • Nowadays global distribution systems interconnect almost everything within the hospitality industry, from hotels to car rental companies and travel agencies. There are four major GDS available: Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre and WorldSpan. Some of the advantages provided by GDS are their availability (99,9% of the time), their response times (up to a fraction of a second), their multiple booking capability, as well as their top of the line architecture. On any given day, a GDS will be capable of accessing over 50000 hotels and approximately 1000 airlines. Through GDS systems, people are able to book various hotel rooms, tours, airline seats, cruises and even limousines.
  • The working idea behind a GDS is this: any GDS provides services to an electronic shop for all information related to travel and reservation-related needs. In other words, the GDS has become a very important distribution channel for any product sold through travel agencies. Basically, if a vendor wants to be sold through travel agents, he must be listed on a GDS
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    The first products distributed by GDS was hotel lodging reservation system, such as different types of rooms, description and price categories with the airline system. GDS has been increased on the travel market, such as number of flights. Travel Agencies (TA) also use GDS to offer complimentary products, such as car rental, hotel and other related forms of accommodation, bus tickets, vacation tickets, yacht rides and even flowers and champagne,That means, GDS has become more important distribution channel for nay product through TA. Also TA had more opportunity of more products their own system and GDS system from increase number of booking volume with lower operating costs. It was the first and major goals of GDS being used in the hospitality industry. Even though hopitality ingustry use GDS system, there are few problems, such as show only simple structure. For example, there are 4 different kinds od room and 3 categories od comfort, it means they have 12 different kinds of combination. Because of the GDS database structure, only there 12 combination could be displayed. It took a while to fit all the multiple types of comport rates, rooms and services in GDS standard database structure. Instead of choosing GDS system, they cans choose other alternative system with develop several computerized system to make a database structure closer to product specification. Nowadays, GDS using all of the hospitality industry from reservation hotel rooms to car rentals and Travel Agencies. Through GDS as globally, people are able to to book different kinds of hotel rooms in different destination all around the world, tours, airline seats, cruises and eeve limousines.
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    Global Distribution System were develop and meant only for the airline reservations. The impact of the GDS on the travel industry is that it increase competition, more flights were available and this reduce cost. With the increase and cost reduction travel agents start to see decrease in their earnings they received from airline sales, so with the GDS they were able to book other services such as hotels and car rentals with airline reservations. With GDS it is much easier and convenient to make a reservation from flight, hotel and car rental because everything is link together.
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    Summary of a global distribution system (GDS) A global distribution system (GDS) represents a computerized system used for managing different transactions within the air travel and hospitality industry. Historically, GDS' were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved. As a result, GDS' are now implemented for hospitality industry as whole. The first major impact that GDS had on the travel market was that the number of flights increased which led to increase competition among the players and this brought down the overall prices. The main purpose of a GDS is to provide services to an electronic shop for all information related to travel and reservation-related needs and one of the first products distributed by GDS was hotel accommodation. Hotels throughout the market uploaded the information related to their different types of rooms, description and price categories within the airline reservation system database. When this information became available online, thousands of clients started making bookings all around the world. This fact was advantageous for each participant. Hotels provided GDS with a challenge of fitting all the different sizes, styles, amenities, and etc. It took a while to fit all the multiple types of comfort rates, rooms and services in a GDS standardized database structure. A general strategy was therefore needed. Rather than loading hotel products inside the GDS, the accepted solution was to develop several computerized systems with a database structure closer to product specifications. Nowadays global distribution systems interconnect almost everything within the hospitality industry, from hotels to car rental companies and travel agencies. There are four major GDS available: Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre and WorldSpan.
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    Looking at these numbers it becomes very clear how important GDS are to the hospitality industry, more rooms booked means increased revenues and more jobs for hospitality professionals. I am sure that this technology will evolve and transform so it is important to stay current and understand how to get the most out of it.
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    What's global distribution system? This question is kind of cliché in our group, but this article gives a very good introduction about GDS and it's quite easy to understand comparing to many other articles introducing GDS. This article tells us: How GDS develops from being used only in airline industry to being generally adopted in hospitality industry; What is the working idea behind the GDS; Four major GDS including Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre and Worldspan; Advantages provided by GDS.
mjbengo04

How technology is changing the way we plan and experience events - 4 views

  • Old models are falling away and technology is giving both planners and event participants an opportunity to grow and revisit the underlying ideas about how event spaces work.
  • Old models are falling away and technology is giving both planners and event participants an opportunity to grow and revisit the underlying ideas about how event spaces work.
  • She's talking about app and online tools that allow for text-to-screen and text-to-moderator communications, so that moderators have more control over what questions are being asked and who's asking them while on the podium.
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  • The ways attendees' expectations have changed is due largely to technology in the event space.
  • "The expectation for attendees is that they can be engaged. From the easy stuff — polling, contests, social curation — to environmental changes, such as how IBM has changed their product-demonstration approach at events, or a recent augmented-reality experience we created for UPS … to nuances like RFID tags that personalize digital signage, people expect to see themselves as part of an event."
  • With that as a given, now comes a newer drive on the planner's side: To place more control of events in their audience's hands.
  • planners can use the tech-augmented action to direct traffic to spots and programming that they want to emphasize.
  • "We started using apps for all of our events: No paper, no welcome book, no paper agendas — everything digital. That way no one has anything in their hands, which encourages them to interact."
  • "We use live polling at our events via social media. In our workshops, we tell people to tweet at the speaker or use a hashtag when they ask a question. That way the speaker can constantly receive and answer questions in real time."
  • already key to the personalized experience is the advent of beacon technology within the event space. In essence, beacons detect attendees' mobile devices and then push relevant information to those screens
  • Old models are falling away and technology is giving both planners and event participants an opportunity to grow and revisit the underlying ideas about how event spaces work.
  • From on-site wristbands that allow participants to capture moments and information — say you like a sample of a dish at a food event and the wristband can send the recipe to you — to BYOD opportunities surrounding devices such as Google Glass, we're at the front end of a potentially profound shift toward hands-free tech at events.
  • Mobile-app usage in the messaging and social-media space increased some 203% last year. Recently, this kind of functionality is "becoming geo-enabled," says Shackman, "which helps attendees enhance their experience based on their location at a given moment.
  • "While GPS and geocaching are still popular for scavenger hunts, augmented reality has proven to be a huge step forward in location-based mixed-reality games for corporate team building," Shackman says, regarding how AR intersects with event activities.
  • Using an app during the events, she says, makes everything more seamless.
  • Camera drones are becoming an incredible technology used in various industries, and the event space is one that will soon take full advantage.
  • "With this kind of technology, attendees can now ask unlimited questions, and moderators can quickly filter out ones that don't make sense or that disrupt the flow. Furthermore, because speakers can clearly see the questions being asked, they do not get lost among the noise of status updates."
  • Old models are falling away and technology is giving both planners and event participants an opportunity to grow and revisit the underlying ideas about how event spaces work.
  • "When anyone who has a Bluetooth-enabled device walks past the hotspot, it automatically triggers some sort of video, push notification or message. It's particularly great for welcome tables, so you can send a welcome message, or if you want to announce a retail opportunity, like a special product on sale, somewhere at your event."
  • "Instead of playing on a [map layout], you can walk around in the real world as you look at your screen. And you can do more than simply collect items: You can take over territory, collect virtual items and use them to become more influential."
  • Wearable tech
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    Events and event planning are evolving into new, dynamic formats. Old models are falling away and technology is giving both planners and event participants an opportunity to grow and revisit the underlying ideas about how event spaces work. "It's been fascinating watching just how fast things have changed," said Brian Solis, principal at Altimeter Group, at a New York conference this year.
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    This articles shows the dramatic shift in technology for event planning. Customers' expectations are high; they want something interactive and fast. Audiences want to be engaged with the event and with technology such as wifi, mobile devices and tablets everyone can communicate in real time all at once. Social Media is also playing a big part in events. Not opnly can an organizer promote their event prior to it taking place but they can also communicate through social media during the event. As an event planner myself I can tell you how important this is. It has taken some time to adjust to this new time consuming demand but the payoff for the event is worth it. Some other trends mentioned in the article are: Data personalization, augmented reality on the floor, wearable technology, mobile apps and my personal favorite Drones. The Drone technology allows an event planner to see their event from a bird's eye view which allows them to know how the setup of traffic flow went, where they need to add attractions and/or vendors, what time was the busiest at the event and analyze why people are gravitating to certain locations of the event. It is also a great marketing tool; to show the entire event all at once is a great way to showcase the event.
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    Technology is taking over all aspects of the hospitality world especially event planning. Not only does it change things for the event planner but for the attendees as well. One of the biggest changes with technology and event planning is having engaged attendees. Before attendees were thought of as very passive but now with technology it is easy to participate in contests and polls. Another big technology game changer is wearable tech. Attendees can wear wristbands that allow you to gather information about the event you are attending. Disney is a great example with wearable tech with the wristbands that connect everything including payments to your trip. As you can see tech and event planning has come a long way. Technology effects every step of the event planning processes including planning and post event.I feel this is just the start of options the technology world will provide for the hospitality industry.
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    This article talks about the ways that technology is changing event planning and events themselves. Event attendees are now looking for more engaged experiences, rather than the old way of merely attending an event passively. Social media plays a huge role in how attendees interact with and even plan an event. Participants can interact with and engage with event speakers now more than ever, with participants sending questions to the speaker via social media or other technology that allows for the speaker to answer audience questions in real time. Data personalization allows for event attendees to receive information about the event, allowing them to be involved in the planning process and during the event itself, whether it's through Bluetooth or geofencing technology. Event attendees can take advantage of augmented reality technology to engage in activities. Wearable technology is becoming increasingly popular, as it allows attendees to get information quickly and easily without any real input on the attendee's part. Mobile apps are now becoming more commonplace for events, as it's easy, efficient, and convenient. Drone technology is now being used at events, whether to take pictures or to stream the event to people who could not attend.
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    As the world has moved forward with technology, so to has the world of events and event planning. Planners are able to connect with the guests on a whole different level and events have the technology to be able to keep the attendees engaged and interacted. From flying drones to social media, technology has helped selling events a much easier process.
markh283

As New Turnaround King, Is HP Better Than Apple? | Tech Buzz | TechNewsWorld - 2 views

  • In the cases of IBM, Apple and HP, the widely held beliefs that they couldn't be saved from their respective problems were false. IBM just needed someone to step in and make the hard decisions. Apple needed someone who understood the company well enough to fix it, and who had a vision. HP needed much the same.
  • HP may top Apple,
  • Companies tend to wax and wane. IBM was the king of tech in the 1980s, but in the 1990s it was the king of turnarounds, after almost going under but managing to come back from a negative brand equity.
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  • HP is the new turnaround king -- but is it better than Apple?
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    IBM, Apple, and HP are all major companies in computer hardware. While IBM used to be the major player, that position has been overtaken by Apple. HP, on the other hand, has had its ups and downs. This article discusses the possibility that HP will make a comeback. I was more intrigued with the fall of IBM and if it will come back. It is interesting to note how quickly things change in this industry. IBM has fallen, but will Apple follow suit? Apple, without its founder, may be in the position to fall if its I-phones fail to keep pace. I believe that Apple is about to become the next IBM, which is out-of-date and fails to keep up with the latest developments. I'm not sure if HP will replace Apple, but I think that without its founder it is likely to rapidly lose its current standing.
Ryan Jove

Headline Story | equities.com - 0 views

  • tw telecom CEO Keynotes COMPTEL PLUS Fall 2012 Convention & EXPO
  • called for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to embrace "smart, forward looking competitive telecom policy with price and service quality rules where incumbents have market power, regardless of technology used."
  • "The FCC should establish technology-neutral policies, a principle that is central to the Telecom Act of 1996 and competition policy,"
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  • "The industry is moving from a physical infrastructure to a logical one. We're moving from circuits to services. Innovation is driving our success as a competitive indu
  • stry." 
  • Intelligent Network
  • Intelligent Network
  • "We as an industry must adapt to new technologies and capabilities as our customers adopt IT strategies for cloud services and solutions. And we must convince the FCC to update its competition rules to accommodate these changes.
  • "Competition drives innovation. Innovation grows the market,"
  • The company's fiber optic networks directly connect more than 16,300 buildings across the United States
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    This article outlines the discussion about whether the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should change their policies that were enacted in the Telecom Act of 1966.  At the COMPTEL PLUS Fall 2012 Convention and EXPO, Larissa Herda, the Chairman, CEO, and President of tw telecom urged the FCC to adapt to the new competitive technologies.  She emphasizes the importance of change going forward and discusses the Intelligent Network as an example.  She calls for the adoption of new IT Strategies for cloud services and solutions.  Above all, this article discusses the convention as a platform for the discussion of change in the tech world.
bbguy09

PaaS: Using Beacon Marketing In UK Hospitality | PYMNTS.com - 0 views

  • British merchants are not rushing to adopt the services, instead taking a cautious approach to introducing new payment technology and solutions into their businesses
  • if merchants fail to offer payment solutions that appeal to customers, they could risk frustrating and ultimately losing long-term visitors
  • [The merchant] can specifically pick out age, first time [at establishment] and gender and create a group around that … and then push out a special offer.
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  • “It’s the sexiest thing in marketing that I’ve come across since email,” he said. “Really. It’s a game-changer when utilized correctly.”
  • “Consumers are demanding these sorts of conveniences in their everyday purchases now and with everything they do.”
  • U.K. merchants have been slower to adopt to these solutions than their U.S. counterparts
  • “We’re more of a conservative nation,” he said. “We’re a very skeptical people. We like to wait longer than others.”
  • Some business owners, he said, can get commitment-phobic because some solutions require years-long contracts with software and hardware suppliers.
  • urges merchants to take steps to make sure their business operations fall in line with consumer expectations.
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    Lee Nazari is the CEO and founder of a payment solutions company in the UK. He provides his thoughts on the tendency for British hospitality merchants to be slower at adopting modern technologies, particularly in the point-of-sale category. Nazari exalts the power of beacon-based advertising and marketing tied to these technological solutions. He illustrates a scenario in which even a micro-business can affordably increase visibility in the marketplace and, consequently, foot traffic and revenues. In particular, Mr. Nazari describes the shifting expectation of consumers to integrate convenient, highly visible technological solutions into hospitality interactions and implores British operators to move past their concerns regarding the initial investment in the technology for the sake of their long-term success. He warns that operations that fail to "fall in line with consumer expectations" will "be left behind".
khadija2050

MGM Resorts falls victim to data breach | PhocusWire - 1 views

  • MGM Resorts International is the latest travel brand to suffer a security attack involving customer details, in an incident that took place last summer.
  • Details of the incident were uncovered last week by ZDNet, which says the personal details of more than 10 million customers were shared on a hacking forum.
  • “unauthorized access to a cloud server.”
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  • He adds that companies should also monitor for leaks of the data.
  • “confident that no financial, payment card or password data was involved in this matter."
  • a dark web monitoring specialist, says this kind of incident can be avoided by regularly checking who has access to cloud-based servers:
  • “This incident also highlights the importance of speed when mitigating digital risk; watermarking data with unique synthetic identities can enable organizations to detect these threats immediately and be the first to find out if their data is available online, before someone else does. Setting up email listeners for these watermark identities can detect a breach before the data is shared online, if the hacker is testing for valid addresses.”
  • advises that the same security levels for data on premise need to be in place for what is stored in the cloud.
  • It’s a near-universal challenge for enterprises: the move to hybrid environments and more complex, fragmented networks makes it even harder to keep control. Without consistent policies you can pretty soon have a tangle of security gaps and compliance violation
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    MGM Resorts falls victim to data breach last summer, more than 10 million customers' information were leaked out. It was took place through "unauthorized access to a cloud server." However, specialist said this breach can be avoided by regularly checking and monitoring. Also, specialist advised that MGM also need to take same security levels for data on premise in their could.
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    It was reported that MGM Resorts fell victim to a data breach on a cloud server but not much critical guest information was leaked out. Experts said that this kind of breach can be avoided by checking who was able to access the server regularly. Also, the company needs to monitor data to find out the leakage earlier than anyone else. Monitoring the data stored on the cloud should also be as important as those stored on-site.
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    the article gives details about a data security breach that the company was a victim of and how information of 10 million customers were shared .
anonymous

The Evolution of a Hotel CRS | Travel Tripper - 0 views

  • It starts with rethinking the entire concept of a CRS.
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    The central reservation system plays major role in the hotel industry. It's a system that is used to store and receive information and handle transactions related to air travel, hotels, car rentals and even activities. It all started in the 1950's according to travel tripper by the following decade hotels begun using it world wide. However, with the internet constantly growing and inventing new distribution channels and booking methods. It's making it harder for hotels to keep up with this ever changing market some have left their most profitable booming channel fall behind. In my findings after reading this article, the central reservation system must find ways to evolve to compete with online travel agencies. Because many travelers are using third party distributors that offer better user experience and hotel are seeing a slimmer profit margins as their share of direct bookings shrink.
Jeremy Fairley

MediaPost Publications Travel Sites On Facebook Deliver Mixed Results 02/15/2012 - 0 views

  • Compete argues that the number of Likes a brand collects via Facebook is a common but potentially misleading measure because it’s cumulative rather than current. Using a weather analogy, it compares the obsession with Likes to looking at how much snow has fallen in total over the past 10 years versus how much is falling now or this winter.
  • Compete argues that the number of Likes a brand collects via Facebook is a common but potentially misleading measure because it’s cumulative rather than current. Using a weather analogy, it compares the obsession with Likes to looking at how much snow has fallen in total over the past 10 years versus how much is falling now or this winter.
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    Trying to go beyond the limitations of the "Like" as a standard metric for social media, a new Compete study combines a variety of measures to assess the success of online travel brands on Facebook. While the analysis focuses on the travel category, the approaches taken could apply to other industry verticals on Facebook.
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    Article discusses ways in the the practice of measuring social media success based on likes canbe misleading for travel sites and brands. The argument made is that the like is a cumulative metric rather than a current. Meaning You have an indication of what people think of your brand in general, but not at that moment. Unique visits is a metric that is a better indicator of engagement as it lends to give you an idea of how users/travelers are reacting towards your brand on an ongoing basis...
Melissa Krajewski

The Trump Organization Announces the Purchase of Miami's Legendary Doral Hotel & Countr... - 0 views

  • The Trump Organization plans to make a major investment in the resort and golf courses with the intention of restoring Doral to its former grandeur.
  • “When Doral first opened, it was considered the best resort in the world,” stated Donald J. Trump, chairman and president. “The combination of the property’s incredible location in the heart of Miami and our very significant investment in upgrading the resort will enable us to return Doral to its former glory if not surpass it. When completed, Doral will be the finest resort and golf club in the country.”
  • “Our ability to create value through the development process combined with the strength of our brand and our unsurpassed hotel and golf management capabilities make us the ideal owner of this iconic asset,”
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  • Earlier this month, TRUMP HOTEL COLLECTION announced it had been selected by the U.S. General Services Administration as part of an exhaustive and competitive RFP process to be the developer of Washington, D.C.’s The Old Post Office, the most sought-after hotel development opportunity in the country.
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    It was recently brought to my attention that Donald Trump has expanded his portfolio with the $150 million dollar purchase of Miami's Doral Hotel & Country Club. I was casually watching the coverage of the 2012 World Golf Cadillac Championship on NBC and saw Ivanka and Donald on the screen but just brushed it off because of their well known passion for golf. To be honest, it was more exciting for me to see Watson fall to Rose after missing a birdie putt in the playoff round. Anyways, after searching Market Watch for 'IT Investment' and 'RFP' I stumbled upon this article and it all made sense. I am now pleased to summarize the exciting $200 million dollar investment Mr. Trump made with intentions to "reposition all aspects of the resort" resulting in a "greatly enhanced guest experience." Although not explicitly stated, I assume this investment will also include a 'renovation' of the current IT structure of the hotel and country club to increase productivity, revenue and ultimately ROI. Linda Robertson, from the Miami Herald, reported on March 8th that Mr. Trump stated, "to have 800 acres in a city like Miami -that opportunity will never arise again." It will be interesting to see how The Trump Organization follows through on their investment and achieves their goal of making Doral a "world-class facility benefiting of the resort." This article also mentions that The Trump Hotel Collection had been selected by GSA as the preferred developer for Washington D.C.'s The Old Post Office after an "exhaustive" Request For Proposal review. After researching the topic I could not find for what exact reasons he won, besides money. I will take a further look into the news. A lot of exciting new developments for The Trump Organization in the recent few months.
Ted Rood

New Hotel Owners Who Relinquish Control to Management Companies Are Putting Decision-Ma... - 0 views

  • Lawrence Cohen, Executive Consultant and Hospitality Group Leader at Ne
  • w York-area accounting and consulting firm Marks Paneth & Shron LLP, has published a commentary examining the conflicts of interest and dangers hotel owners face when hiring a third-party management company.
  • hotel ownership requires strategic and operational decisions to be made in real time. As such, critical day-to-day decisions that can make or break a hotel's success are often not in the hands of ownership but rather within the purview of the third party management company.
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  • The hotel's management staff may not be loyal to the hotel itself but to their employer, the management company -- The owner-franchisor relationship can be a conflict of interest between cost-effectiveness and guest satisfaction -- Hotel owners can benefit by building a team that has relevant hospitality experience and is loyal to the owner
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    Lawrence Cohen, an Executive Consultant and Hospitality Group Leader recently examined the conflicts of interest that hotel owners face when hiring third party management companies. According to Cohen, owing a hotel requires both strategic and operational decisions to be made in real time. The problem occurs when real estate owners go from owning commercial property to owning hotels and are not used to making decisions on a daily basis. As a result, the most critical daily decisions that determine the success of the hotel do not fall into the hands of ownership but rather to a third party management company. These third party relationships may result in hotel management staff being loyal only to the management company rather than the hotel itself. Hotel owners could benefit by building a team with experience in the hospitality industry and hiring individuals loyal to the owner. 
Yunfan Wu

How Much PMS Do You Really Need? - 1 views

  • Several vendors are developing new systems, though none have yet approached the rich functionality of older products with years of enhancements built into them.  At the same time, many multiproperty brands are looking to replace their existing standard property management systems, but as their strategic emphasis has shifted from central reservations (CRS) to customer relationship management (CRM) they’ve been wondering whether the new PMS really needs to have as much functionality as the old one.
  • Some brands developed their own PMSs, such as Marriott’s FSPMS and FOSSE, Starwood’s Galaxy and Hilton’s OnQ; others standardized on third-party systems. However, in all cases they mandated only the PMS and left it up to the individual properties to decide what to use for their other operational areas.  As a result, several vendors who concentrated on chain-hotel business focused on producing pure PMSs, with functionality covering the traditional core of individual and group reservations, check-in/checkout, folio charges, housekeeping/rooms management and the all-important CRS interface. MSI, RoomKey, Galaxy, SkyTouch and Infor’s epitome and HMS are examples.
  • Other vendors looking more to the independent and resort market expanded their PMSs to include sales and catering, spa/golf/activity management, CRM and sometimes even POS, both retail and food and beverage. For this segment of the market these integrated PMS applications (from vendors such as Agilysys, IQware, NORTHWIND and PAR Springer-Miller Systems) became their most strategic system. A few companies (including Cenium, IDS, Indra and Prologic First) have taken it even further, extending out into full ERPs that cover every operational area including financial and supply chain operations. MICROS falls between the two camps, offering a well-integrated PMS/S&C/CRS suite but relying on third parties for guest activity management and financial systems.
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  • If you’re an owner/manager of a new-build property, there’s a great deal in favor of having as comprehensive a system as you can get, even up to the ERP level of one system managing the complete operation.  If you’re the owner or manager of a franchised brand property you have no say in which PMS to use anyway, though you’ll get the best results if all your other management systems are as well-integrated as they can be amongst themselves as well as interfacing with the PMS.
  • The real world being what it is, properties seldom fall into one segment or the other. Commercial city center hotels often need sales and catering systems, and many have added spas or other guest activities. Pure PMS vendors therefore developed good interfaces to link up with the third-party vendors’ systems typically used to manage these areas. Conversely, properties in the independent and resort world often already had existing point solutions in specific areas, and so vendors typically made their systems very modular and developed interfaces to link to the other vendors’ products until such time as they could, perhaps, replace them with their own modules. 
  • Given the varied demands of the different market segments, there will always need to be a mix of vendor approaches, but whatever else it’s attached to, a well-designed, intuitive and well-interfaced PMS module is still the core of operational success at every property.
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    It gives a discription of how nowadays'  hotels develop and use of their PMS. Some brands develop their own PMS such as Marriott and Starwood; some look more to the independent and resort market expanded their PMS. It seems that we don't need so much kinds of PMS and so many function. According to the analysis of the market and demand, it comes the conclusion that a well- designed, intuitive and well-interfaced PMS module is still the core of operational success at every property.
Amanda Alvarez

MobileDemand and Peak-Ryzex Begin Partnership to Offer Ruggedized Tablet PCs to Supply ... - 2 views

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    MobileDemand and Peak-Ryzex have recently announced that they have partnered up to enable Peak-Ryzex to integrate MobileDemand tablet Pcs into their portfolio of supply chain and mobility solutions. MobileDemand is a worldwide provider of tablet PCs. They are better known for their ruggedized products. Peak-Ryzex is one of the top providers of supply chain and mobility solutions. This partnership allows for companies to make business decisions and complete business transactions in the mist of it all. With the tablet's special design, it has the potential to last longer than others with daily use. The tablet is built with the user in mind; specialized docks allowing for better productivity. Tools such as a tablet made to withstand harsh conditions is a particle and mush needed product in the hospitality industry, more so in the Food & Beverage industry. A ruggedized tablet would allow a chef to focus more on the meal they are creating rather than the tablet falling or breaking.
Endrich Reveil

IBM Security Tool Can Flag 'Disgruntled Employees' - The CIO Report - WSJ - 0 views

  • A new International Business Machines Corp.IBM -0.15% security tool uses Big Data to help CIOs detect internal and external security threats in new ways—and can even scan email and social media to flag apparently “disgruntled” employees who might be inclined to reveal company secrets
  • The new tool, called IBM Security Intelligence with Big Data, is designed to crunch decades worth of emails, financial transactions and website traffic, to detect patterns of security threats and fraud.
  • the new platform, based on Hadoop, a framework that processes data-intensive queries across clusters of computers, will allow CIOs to conduct sentiment analysis on employee emails to determine which employees are likely to leak company data,
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  • flagging workers who may be nursing grudges and are more likely to divulge company information.
  • The platform also helps companies protect against hacker attacks and fraud by allowing security personnel to look for patterns in past attacks
  • More and more companies are using Big Data to discover the pattern of security lapses as they struggle to keep up with emerging threats.
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    I believe every business, especially if it is a huge corporation, should protect and control their company's data. A company's data falling into the wrong hands can be a huge drawback for the company, especially if it comes into contact with a competitor. This article explains how IBM have introduced a new security tool with Big Data to identify any suspicious internal and external security threats as well as flag any company secrets from displease employee's emails and their social medias. The new system can alert any frauds and risks from decade worth of emails, financial transactions, and websites. CIOs will be able to conduct a sentiment analysis on employees to see which worker is the most likely to expose company's information. Some can argue that employees have the right to post anything on their social media's accounts but if an employee still is employed by the company then it should be all bets off. The company should have all rights in making sure their information does not get leaked out by an employee who is simply having a bad day.
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.
  • 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.
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  • 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.
  • 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.
hannahamorton

Marriott Breach Exposes Far More Than Just Data - 0 views

  • for about 327 million victims, compromised data may include names, addresses and passport numbers
  • "they should have been able to isolate hackers back in 2015."
  • Currently many companies opt for inadequate data security because it's cheaper than the consequences of a data breach,"
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  •  "The Consumer Privacy Act fixes that and would hold companies accountable."
  • The CCPA — which gives Californians the right to know what personal information is collected about them, whether and to whom it is sold or disclosed, as well as the power to prevent such sales — takes effect in 2020 and, while it may sound like reasonable legislation, has already faced a grueling uphill battle.
  • Fancy Bear, which has been tied to Moscow's military intelligence service GRU, was found to be using the leaked NSA hacking tool Eternal Blue to hack victims via their hotel WiFi connections.
  • This is much more than a consumer data breach. When you think of this from an intelligence gathering standpoint, it is illuminating the patterns of life of global political and business leaders, including who they traveled with, when and where. That is incredibly efficient reconnaissance gathering and elevates this breach to a national security problem.”
  • Hotels are easy targets, constituting 92% of all point-of-sale intrusions in 2017, and hotel mergers are only expected to accelerate.
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    Marriott's data breach in 2018 exposed the information of over 500,000 guests including names, addresses, and passport numbers - leading to a class-action lawsuit and falling share values. The California Consumer Privacy Act, taking effect in 2020, gives Californians the right to know what information is collected about them and where this information goes. Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Uber, AT&T and Verizon are lobbying against the CCPA, but data-security regulations are being enacted regardless to protect customers against these breaches.
sbarr011

InnQuest Software - How Future-Proof is Your Hotel Property Management System? - InnQue... - 0 views

  • To be as future-proof as possible, your PMS most also offer revenue management capabilities, staff scheduling, guest loyalty features and a channel manager that provides you with access to a world of potential booking sources.
  • When the provider monitors your hotel PMS 24/7 and it is cloud-based, you’ll lessen your hotel’s IT security burden because you’ll only need a Web browser and Internet connection to access the PMS. This also allows you to benefit from the latest server security updates to deter attackers.
  • Link a PMS to the right external systems, and you’ll reduce duplicate workload, all but eradicate human error and be able to provide new guest services in high demand.
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  • Your hotel property management system software is the heart of the hotel’s technical operations, but it will benefit significantly from integrations with third-party systems
  • If your current provider seems uncomfortable divulging information about either its PCI compliance or preparations for the GDPR, then it might be time to look for a replacement.
  • A hotel PMS that is not GDPR-compliant can cause a hotelier to face potential legal and liability issues. Hotels must obtain, store and process personal data to provide the best possible guest services.
  • To process guest credit cards securely and in a manner that makes your hotel compliant, you’ll need a hotel property management system which has embraced the PCI standard.
  • A cloud-based hotel PMS enables the housekeeping & maintenance staff, for example, to receive room cleanings and maintenance requests in real-time with powerful desktop and mobile tools.
  • If you can’t access your PMS with a mobile device, such as a tablet, or a laptop computer with a WiFi Internet connection, then it’s missing, perhaps, the most important piece of future-proofing required.
  • The Hotel Property Management System (PMS) is essential for guest satisfaction and business success.
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    This article discusses the importance of a hotel being up to date with their PMS system and all the features a PMS system could have. The article states that cloud-based PMSs accessible to hotel staff via Internet through a phone, table or laptop is essential for the future of PMS and will enable the staff to stay up to date in real time. Additionally, a PMS system that is PCI compliant is necessary to protect guest personal information and will allow the hotel to provide better guest services and satisfaction. Another feature listed was to ensure the PMS is integrated with third-party systems such as two-way OTA interfaces and credit card processing platforms. This will help eliminate human error and lessen workload so employees can concentrate on delivering the best guest experience. Also mentioned was the fact that a cloud-based PMS offers security updates that will always be compliant to the latest standards of cyber security. With staff scheduling and revenue management capabilities, PMSs are a much more integral and important part of hotels success than ever before. It is imperative for a hotel to be up to date with their PMS so they don't fall behind their competition.
afigu115

Mobile Communication Trends Within the Hospitality Industry | News | Hospitality Magazi... - 0 views

  • Now devices are evolving to keep up with the ever-increasing introduction of specialized mobile-applications for every field, particularly hospitality.
  • Push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) has already impacted wireless communications and hardware development with the introduction of Bluetooth equipped two-way radios, transitional gateways for hybrid systems and smart phone adoption.
  • Mobile apps are being developed daily to fulfill sector-specific needs and are easily accessible over internet (Wi-Fi)
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  • PoC is a more affordable communications method than traditional land mobile systems,
  • Lately, new software technologies are acquired as fast as they’re launched.
  • Consequently, manufacturers are creating devices that look exactly like radios on the outside, but are really 4G phones on the inside.
  • Hardware devices that control multiple communication outlets at once, yet are smaller than ever before will soon emerge.
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    Push-to-talk over celluar (PoC) has impacted wireless communications and hardware development globally in the hospitality industry. There is a growing rend toward the use of mobile messaging apps among hotels, casinos, stadiums, and other venues. The Internet of Things (IoT) has ultimately been the forefront of wireless innovations and mobile apps are being developed on a daily basis to satisfy sector-specific needs. Being easily accessible over Wi-Fi or broadband networks allow great reach and consistent connectivity. Manufacturers are staying relevant through developing joint solutions with other companies to meet end user demands. For example LMR radio and smart phone makers have been working with PTT app firms as well as network providers to satisfy the amount of PoC demand. The trend on replacing two-way radios with smartphones has been seen; however, some are reluctant to change. Some manufacturers have created devices that look like traditional radios but ultimately are just 4G phones on the inside. As soon as safety, productivity, and response time are improved and stable, this transition will become commonplace. In the very near future, through the use of Bluetooth technologies, hotels will send keys directly to smartphones for guests who wish to skip the check-in process.
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    This article reflects on how communication is now being done through our mobile devices. With so many innovations occurring with technology there are new ways to communicate. The introduction of wireless bluetooth has impacted the push to talk. It's important to keep up with the new innovations in order to stay relevant and not fall behind. The idea of merging devices, in regard to radio is the next big thing. I believe it's important to continue the trend of technology because it helps improve communication and customer experiences. Mobile-applications will at one point be assigned to a certain job and that's how communication will take place. For some it may be a bluetooth piece for others it may be a small microphone attached to the clothing.
afigu115

Council Post: Technology Is The Key To Hospitality Success - 0 views

  • In today’s world, it’s imperative that companies and businesses constantly evolve
  • here are two different groups of people that you need to cater to as a business: your guests and your investors.
  • technology has helped my business grow and improve exponentially.
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  • If implemented correctly, it can help optimize everyday procedures and render them more efficient.
  • The program not only provides our investors with a more convenient and transparent experience; it also allows us as a company to be more efficient.
  • It seems pretty obvious to combine service with technology, but it’s actually relatively uncharted territory in the hospitality industry.
  • I firmly believe that the future of the hospitality industry is heading in this direction,  and I encourage leaders in the industry to explore, test and implement these systems and see the benefits for themselves.
  • So go ahead and implement all of the cool, high-tech systems you want.
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    Information technology has become extremely important to the hospitality industry. It has helped with customer service, financial status, and in many other ways. With so much changing with information technology it is vital that companies keep up with all these changes in order to not fall behind. As stated in the article if information technology is implemented correctly it can help a company become the most efficient it has ever been. This has also helped improve the communication between companies and their investors, now communication can be done via email or call in a matter of seconds. As I stated above it has also improved guest service and communication, this includes apps, messages and allowing guests to have immediate assistance with any of their needs. When you improve customer service and create an open window for communication, it brings in more guests to want to stay with your company and give their business to you. Not only this but, technology has helped companies save money by needing to provide less staff. This is why information technology has helped so many companies succeed financially.
balle028

Ford's adding Amazon's Alexa to 700,000 vehicles this year - Roadshow - 0 views

    • balle028
       
      As many cars are embracing smart features, Ford an American vehicle is implementing the smart feature as well, at one point on star was prevalent however applications have emerged
  • Amazon's popular Alexa voice assistant is about to hitch a ride in a lot more Ford vehicles. On Thursday, the automaker announced upcoming over-the-air software updates will bring Alexa to 700,000 vehicles this year. Millions of other vehicles will gain access in the coming years after Ford inked a deeper "strategic engagement" with Amazon for the next six years.
  • The strategy includes the possibility of releasing Alexa skills (Alexa's equivalent of apps) specific to Ford vehicles. Maybe Alexa will be able to flick on Ford's BlueCruise hands-free driving system. That'd be pretty cool. For now, though, the goal is to simply put the voice assistant into Ford vehicles via "Power Ups," as Ford calls its over-the-air software updates.
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  • They'll first land in the new Bronco, Edge, F-150, Mustang Mach-E and Super Duty this fall. Do note, only vehicles equipped with Sync 4 will be eligible for the OTA update.
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    As we look at capital expenditures in technology vs income we see that many vehicles are implementing apps. On star was thriving at one point and available in many American made cars however due to the sudden fall off, other replacements have come up. Ford has now emerged to put in place amazon Alexa in over 700,000 of their vehicles. this will offer an Alexa skill that coincides with the vehicles smarts features and offer a much easier use of car adjustments and car controls for many ford owners.
ggara004

Travel Tech Execs Take Shine Off Cloud Computing by Highlighting Hidden Perils - Skift - 1 views

  • Moving travel company software to the cloud has proved tricky, some travel technology executives said this week in moments of candor. Absent strategic thinking, shifting systems from mainframe computers to public internet-based services from Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure can waste resources
  • he executive bluntness is a counterweight to recent industry hype about cloud services
  • The travel industry is behind the retail and financial sectors when it comes to tapping the maximum benefits of the cloud, which includes being able to make use of sophisticated services like machine learning techniques for data analysis, said Nicolas Nelson, chief information officer of Air France
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  • Advertising campaigns have promoted the cloud’s potential cost savings for companies as they switch from investing in, and maintaining, servers to buying the computing power as they need it. But they ignore some practical challenges. Travel executives have found that they must shift their services over to the cloud in stages, and the phased shift can lead to escalating cost
  • Some retailers, like Home Depot, have gone further by migrating their warehousing and operational data to the cloud, which lets them use analytical tools to more effectively manage their inventory and processes,” said Strong. “That’s a next wave opportunity for travel companies
  • Amadeus, for example, plans to move its applications to run on the public cloud across multiple regions
  • Cloud systems can be more elastic and flexible, said Rafael Achaerandio, head of Azure development advocacy and app innovation cloud sales at Microsoft. The cloud can let an airline or online travel agency deploy its applications around the world with the tap of a button, which was virtually impossible with its legacy data center
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    This article references the hidden costs of cloud computing. It advises how retail companies such as Home Depot have been successful in their transition to cloud computing however the hospitality industry falls behind. Businesses such as Expedia try to educate their engineers of the cost of cloud services and advises them to use it wisely. It appears to be that the hospitality industry still lags on the technology wave, as it continues to "remain a hybrid of newer and older technology".
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    This was an interesting read! I didn't realize that the data from servers had to be moved in shifts. So maybe it's not as cost effective as thought to be. Hopefully the travel industry makes progress in becoming more "cloud friendly" as it can be very beneficial.
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