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The La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club in California has had many problems with time cards for their employees over the past several years. They used to use swipe cards with bar-codes to tell when people were coming in and out of work but there are a lot of problems with that technology. If people misplaced their cards or knew they were going to be late so gave it to a co-worker to punch them in is not a very smart thing to have in the hotel. After a lot of problems with this system management finally went in a new direction. They decided to move to newer technology and go with Biometrics. The hotel now has a hand reader system that makes every employee get there hand measured to clock in. This technology measured length, width, thickness, and surface area of the hand to store in the system so it knows each persons hand every time they go to clock in any time there after. When going to clock in the system asks for the employee number and then is ready for your hand on the little screen for your scan. The entire process of this takes under 1 minute. This technology of the HandPunch 3000 not only allows the employees to clock in but also allows management to collect data for pay codes, tips collected, and to allow the employees to go back and view their past times in and out. This system is a very green way to go in the hotel industry because there is no paper for records of clock in times, and there are no swipe cards that need to be made for clock in times. Ever since this hotel got the HandPunch 3000 they have not had issues of other employees clocking in other people. The system of course had some glitches to it in the beginning but they were fixed immediately while the staff was there installing it. My only question to this article that is not answered is : since it is a machine that has to be plugged in, what happens if the power goes out? Can employees still clock in to work because the hotel still is functioning?

As it happens, the restaurant industry is leading the way in IT innovation. A UK-based online reservation provider called Livebookings will soon be rolling out a software package that will allow restaurants to manage their bookings, promotions and customer feedback in real-time. This allows restaurateurs instant data analysis of customer trends and behaviors, and gives them the ability to develop timely strategies to draw in new customers.  Before cloud computing, the need for a significant investment in IT meant restaurants were hesitant to use computing to interact with their customers. Now all they need is access to the internet. Going hand in hand with this new infrastructure is the development of mobile apps, which ultimately put the power in the customer's hands, or pockets, as it were.

This brief article is really good at helping a person understand the pros and cons of the PMS system within hotels, especially on smaller hotels. It is said that the PMS will help saves heaps of time by doing a lot of the work for the admins, freeing up time to do other back office tasks. On the other side of this however, one needs to be ensured that the PMS is a smoothly used system so it doesn't create more work for the employees. With the saving time goes hand-in-hand with saving money as well. Once you save time, obviously you can get more work done. It also helps integration onto other sites. On the other hand though, a PMS system will cost money, so that needs to be taken account for while making new budgets. Additionally, the PMS will put everything in one central location for both the employees and outsiders to view. All in all, the PMS will be beneficial if the hotel finds one that will specially benefit them, these things are not made for everybody.

This article is about the future of POS systems and what we as consumers can look forward to in the near future. In this article, Emily Engle discusses the current talks Amazon has to implement scans of user's hands to receive payment instead of a physical credit cards, cash or phone systems during your point of sale transaction. Although, just an idea for some retail giants, some retailers in other markets such as China and India use biometric features during point of sale transactions. To get things started, Amazon believes that customers will enter their credit/debit card and scan your print during this initial process. After that you will never need your card again. It is said that since Amazon owes Whole Foods, they will begin the testing period there. Using this new method of shopping, if it comes to fruition, could useful for frequent visitors.

In the article, "Travel Agents Increase Use of GDS to Book Hotel Rooms," it talked about how the leading global provider of revenue is generating solutions for hotels, it shows how important GDS platforms are to travel agents. "84 percent of respondents indicated that they were using their GDS platform the same amount or more often than in the past, with 35 percent stating that they are using GDS more." Back in 2009, when the last study was conducted, about 26 percents of travel agents said that they used their GDS platform more often than in the past. This study also states that the annual GDS shopping displays will be over $50 million in 2011, which will increase more than a million bookings compared to 2010. There was another survey that was done and they surveyed different travel agents from across the world that were subscribed to a major GDS system. In the survey the travel agents indicated that promotional messages are effective and often prompt bookings. Out of the travel agents they surveyed, 66% said that they were aware of the "promotional messages requested addition information by looking at the screen attached to he promotional message." From this survey it showed that promotional messages are an excellent way to reach travel agents and from reaching the agent, they also reaching the customer, it's a win-win reaction.

I enjoyed the part about brand and promotional messaging, that is always a lure for me. When I see an attractive offer, evern If I'm not interested in booking or going to the destination, I often click on it anyway just to see the offer. It is a very effective marketing tool.

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. 

This article makes me see in a way how biometrics is actually a better idea than keycard systems or just old fashioned keys. Only the person who booked the room will be able to open it because you never know who is in possession of they card key or the key. With biometrics, you can either tell the guest to tap 2 or 3 fingers or a whold hand. I think that is respecting their fingerprinting privacy, It could be dangerous in away if anyone wants to fake finger prints but that is why a system should be set up in which the guest chooses what finger they want to use. I think its a better idea. Working in a hotel I see alot of key cards being lost and its a hassle just to get them to show their ID or they might be in the room but not registered. If they loose the key and the room number is on the envelope it is easy access for whomever found the keycard. ith Keys, they are always loosing keys. The safe keys in our hotel is always getting lost. I think its better to use biometrics for unique access only

This article is strongly opinion based by an event manager's perspective on the "new" technology that is being presented for event management. Though the opinion seems negative at times, the author mentions that many of the mobile and web based technologies are helpful in simplifying the event management process. She mentions technologies like Eventasaurus. "which gives the event manager one single tool from which to run all event related event listings across multiple platforms". Nevertheless, the author still believes that the technology being used for event management can be improved. The mobile apps are better for event management because there is not a separate technology that the event manager has to use. The mobile app must work well with the purpose of the event. In all, the author states that event management is a time-consuming hands on profession, however, technology can help a few aspects of the process. In my opinion, I believe that all technology needs to be tested. When it comes to event management technology, it needs to be fast and efficient. It must be able to make the planning process easier. It must also make the collecting of information effective. The author talks about the mobile apps as being better and innovative for the event manager, which is the overall purpose of technology.

They can work together. Based on this article, this can be beneficial for all industries.

Robotics, virtual reality, and augmented reality can work together to create cutting-edge solutions for diverse businesses. Businesses use robots to increase efficiency while also ensuring employee safety in potentially dangerous situations. Virtual reality and augmented reality, two contemporary technologies, have provided an immersive platform for media and gaming. People can explore strange environments both indoors and outdoors with the aid of AR and VR. The "Three Amigos" can be augmented reality, robotics, and virtual reality when they work together. Robot control using immersive technologies like VR and AR is possible. Business executives need to be aware of the potential benefits of combining virtual reality, robots, and augmented reality. Robots can be programmed to do a variety of jobs using virtual reality and augmented reality. There are two different kinds of neural networks: imitation networks, which attempt to comprehend demonstrations and examine how actions are executed, and visual networks, which use images taken by the robot's camera to understand the current state of an object. Dual neural networks can be used by organizations to enable robots to learn new tasks by monitoring and dissecting several behaviors. Robots that use artificial intelligence (AI) are exposed to a wide variety of data, which helps them learn how to distinguish between distinct objects, group related objects together, and recognize new objects that resemble what they have already seen. The expense and effort needed to gather data and real-world items can be reduced by trainers and developers. Robots can also be taught to recognize certain biological structures in the human body using 3D models. Virtual reality can be utilized to construct teleoperating robots that can function with the help of many sensor displays by employing hand controllers. The homunculus concept of the human brain, which postulates that there is a miniature human inside the brain that controls movement

The Schlage HandKey-2 has many possibilities in the hospitality industry, guests will not be hesitant since fingerprints are not recorded or used as an identifier. It also has the advantage of having an antimicrobial coating on the contact surface which will limit the spread of germs. It can be a great advantage to hotels since it will eliminate completely the use of key cards. This technology can be costly, there is no telling whether it is here to stay.

Communication technology is constantly evolving around us in everything we use. Nowadays, we no longer communicate face to face. Instead, we use our cellphones, tablets, computers, etc., to communicate with one another. This in turn affects the tourism industry immensely by providing them with a range of possibilities to successfully and effectively communicate with customers. Due to the increase in new technologies, customers now have easy access to tourism companies and what they have to offer. This benefits the industry by providing exposure and easy access to the things they offer. All in all, it's important that the industry evolve hand in hand with technology in order for the industry to embrace all the opportunities that technology has to offer. 

This article gives a brief summary of Blue Mountain Networks offering new clod telephony management system software, which will enable Metaswitch's MetaSphere platform to bring carrier-grade VoIP services all the way to the hotel guestroom.On the one hand, this new technology will provide a robust suite of hospitality features and interfaces that enhance the carrier's portfolio by providing new cloud-based capabilities for the hospitality market. On the other hand, it extends beyond software to enable its ILEC and CLEC Carriers to offer "Pay-As-You-Go" occupancy based rates for the hotel sector as well.  This unique feature gives hotel properties an economical path to purchase state-of-the-art communication services as well as utilize a robust hotel feature set based on Metaswitch Networks' MetaSphere platform that enables hospitality to reside in the cloud. Besides this new benefits, it also innovate the PBX systems, which expands their services portfolios with a new set of revenue-generating services geared toward the hospitality industry. As general analysis from author, we can clearly see how dramatic that the technology influences our hospitality industry, every second, things goanna be changed and this new trend will put more weight on hotels' revenue related to unique features set of the industry.

"When you go to SignUpGenius.com, you'll find services catering to the needs of eight different groups. There are schools, looking for help with organizing parent-teacher conferences, class volunteers, and events such as book fairs. Churches and temples can get help with scheduling nursery workers and greeters. Nonprofits can organize donations and fundraisers. Other groups are clubs and groups, sports, business, family and college. The idea is to attract a range of users, from parents organizing car pools to businesses coordinating employee training schedules. "By going broad, we still haven't scratched the surface," said Angel Rutledge, who is married to Dan and is the chief marketing officer. SignUpGenius' users are 78 percent female, and 80 percent are between the ages of 25 and 54. "Our primary user is a mom with kids," says marketing strategist Kate White. "Most people tend to find us through their kids' activities." Monthly fees range from free to $49.99, where users can get additional features such as cloud file storage and access by multiple administrators. These subscription services were significant, Dan Rutledge says, "because we jumped into the organizational level, from coach to league, from teacher to school." While the Rutledges don't disclose specific financial information of the private company, other numbers illustrate its growth. Revenue in August 2015 increased 225 percent over August 2014, according to the company. Between 120,000 and 190,000 events are organized per month, with a groundswell in August and September, when the school year begins. In 2014, SignUpGenius says 1.4 million new sign-up pages were created. Traffic rose 35 percent last year, to 39.9 million visitors. And the company has grown from 13 employees this spring, to 20 now." This article illustrates the idea of on the event planning and I.T. programs working handing in handing. As an example, the article uses the company SignUpGenius wh

1. IT The hot-button issue within the realm of hotel-information technology is mobile and cloud technology.A company could have tens of thousands of smartphones or laptops in the field at any given point-each a potential gateway to hackers and other criminals. To the problem the core principle is to provide end-to-end data protection with looking at cost and benefit and how it's supports the business. 2. Terrorism Ironically, one of the main reasons terrorism tops the list is because it has become less of an issue in recent years.Hoteliers need to keep their staffs and travelers mindful of possible threats, but they don't want to scare them. 3. Skimmers A related threat is that of "skimmers," or devices that catch credit card numbers when consumers use them for payment.The best prevention measure is to have an investigative team or third party on hand and making that known to employees. 4. Liability and insurance fraud These two related issues can double, triple, quadruple and quintuple corporate insurance premiums in the blink of an eye. The advisement is hoteliers to educate themselves on the issue, consulting with an attorney, if necessary. 5. Security as taboo "Security" still is something of a taboo in the global hotel industry.Hoteliers need to do a better job of "turning on the light" by talking about security openly and regularly at staff and association meetings, and hotel executives should insist their GMs make security a priority

1. ITAccording to the article, most mobile devices that are used for business are unprotected. Meaning that the devices if the device even have a password and if it does the password is not very complex. There could be thousands of employees accessing company information via the cloud through unprotected smart phones or other mobile devices. This could organizations at risk to hackers and other criminals  2.  TerrorismAlthough terrorist threats are less of a concern nowadays, that does not mean hotel managers should discontinue stressing the importance of security within their establishments. Keeping employees aware and diligent can prove to be a delicate assignment but it is a necessary of part of maintaining a safe work environment in the twenty-first century. 3.  SkimmersSkimmers are devices that steal credit card numbers when consumers use them for payment. Unfortunately, it is most commonly an employee on the inside who is committing the crime.  A third party investigation team will be needed to prove who is stealing from the establishment.  4. Liability and Insurance FraudCombined, these two issues could sky rocket a company's insurance costs through the roof. It is crucial that hoteliers be aware of the legal system and educates themselves on issues concerning liability. Both patrons and employees alike could potentially file claims against an establishment and entitlements can quickly get out of hand.    5.  SecurityDespite the best security measures, there is always the possibility of unforeseen danger. This fear of the unknown is a concern for hotel workers. To confront this fear of the unknown managers must regularly and openly discuss security with employees.  Security should be held as a top priority. 

This article discusses five main concerns brought on by the current state of hotel security. I must say that some of this information surprised me. Something that especially surprised me was learning that mobile devices that are used for business hardly use passwords. The article states, "Amplifying the problem is the sheer number of devices, he added. A company could have tens of thousands of smartphones or laptops in the field at any given point-each a potential gateway to hackers and other criminals." This piece of information is very unsettling to me. How could such valuable information not be protected? The article suggests the solution to this problem is PCI DSS. Terrorism as number two on this list also surprised me because that is not something that would first come to mind for me. The article states that it is ironically on the list for becoming less of an issue. I suppose this reminds hoteliers to never let their guard down when it comes to issues of safety and security within the hotel. However, "skimmers" and liability on this list does not really surprise me. The article suggests that hoteliers be educated about these issues to protect the hotel against them.

ITG Networks provides multi-product technology solution at the new Residence Inn by Marriott on Pittsburgh's North Shore. Wexford, PA April 15, 2010 - Kratsa Properties awarded ITG Networks a multiple product contract to install and support Kratsa's technology solution for the new Residence Inn by Marriott, a 148,500 square foot, extended stay hotel offers luxury suites on Pittsburgh's North Shore, within walking distance to Heinz Field, PNC Park and a variety of bars and restaurants. Adjacent to PNC Park's home plate entrance, on the corner of West General Robinson Street and Mazeroski Way, this 10-story hotel will provide an array of the latest digital amenities. When the hotel opened its doors on April 5th guests had mobility with a business-class, wireless, high-speed Internet access (HSIA) solution throughout the property. This solution provides secure, plug n' play access. Wireless is available throughout 180 suite-style rooms and all common areas. Wired Ethernet is also available in all guest rooms. Each desk is equipped with a convenient pull-through desk hub and 10' Ethernet cable. For added convenience, the hotel lobby offers a large social laptop table with twelve built-in Ethernet and power outlets. With a complete understanding of the Marriott requirements ITG was able to engineer the overall network to use common networking gear for both Voice and Data. Kratsa Properties now has a system that will both cost less to operate and offer the features and functionality the company requires to meet its customer service goals. Summary: This company provides mobility internet throughout a property, and in this case is the Residence Inn Marriott with 180 suites. ITG Network works hand in hand with different companies to integrate the property management system. Nevertheless, ITG is a full service management development company whom helps with the maintenance of the hospitality industry properties

This article talks about how more and more people in the hospitality industry are using a POS based-cloud instead of hardwire systems. According to some experts in some years most of the hospitality industry would have change into using the cloud. For now most of the users of the cloud are single unit restaurants as it is an easy system to adopt and cost efficient. On the other side for chain restaurants to make this change can be costly; therefore it is believed that it will take some time for them to change. Still some people believe that this can be an unreliable and unsecured system. Some of the reasons for this are: -The lack of privacy; as the data will be in the hands of somebody else. -This system relies on the internet so when a connection problem occurs a downtime would take place creating complications for the restaurant operator. According to experts and users both of these ideas can be debated. Leaving the data handling in the hand of experts can bring advantages and lower the costs. On the other hand when the internet fails if the correct backup measures are taken it has no difference with the hardware system.

This article talks about the benefits of POS in cloud, and eliminates some misunderstanding about its downtime and security concerns. The author start selling POS in cloud by pointing out the trend that it is becoming more accepted. CEO and president of the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA) says it will be mainstream in the next two to five years. Though POS in cloud would be a easy set up and cost saving solution for a starting up single-unit,"Large chains are more likely to turn to cloud applications for business intelligence solutions first because there is not as much investment or change in infrastructure compared to the POS" says Dave Matthews. But since multi-unit chains have already invested lots of money in the old POS, they are going to wait for those POS pay back before they switch to POS in cloud. Then author switched to what concern people most about cloud computing, downtime and security. A cloud based POS can have as reliable backup plan as a hardwired system. Although POS in cloud does not have backup servers in the location which should be provided by vendor, it can have several connection backups, like wireless, 3G or 4G, phone line. And about the security concern, just ask yourself is you have the security system than a technology vendor.

Nowadays, M-commerce and mobile marketing provide great opportunities in the hospitality industry. Hotels can utilize mobile commerce to hold reservations, promote hotel events, and also can increase general awareness of their rates and services. Currently, mobile technology continues to expand throughout Africa. A large amount of people use smart phones and 2G phones of low cost that allow consumers to surf online. Therefore, an increasing amount of people in Africa are using mobile technology to book reservations and make transactions. Some hotel brands aim to control this market and increase profit. For example, France base hotel group Accor has yet to enter the mobile competition in Africa and start to make a difference. Actually, there are lots of advantages to promote mobile as a channel. On the one hand, it brings lots of convenience to the customer to access all the hotel information and make a reservation wherever and whenever they are. On the other hand, it brings benefit to hoteliers too. The mobile booking process in fact saves online travel agency commissions. Guests can directly book from the hotel instead of from a third party. It can help hotels gain more profit, reduce cost and allow for easy access to hotel reservation website.

E-business is taking over one business segment at a time. In the last few years, hospitality and e-business have been going hand and hand. Hospitality is always trying to stay on top of trends and even more with e-business. E-business does not seem to be slowing down but only getting bigger with our industry. Most of our hotel and restaurant reservations are all via Internet. As well, most people search to find the perfect place to travel and book a hotel by using the Internets search engine. Hotels need to find the right channels on the Interest that our guests are using in order to get the most out of our e-business world.

In contrast to the notion that the use of a travel agent is outdated, Millennials are actually more likely to use a travel agent than other demographics. This trend seems to go hand in hand with the increase in experiential marketing we see geared towards Millennials, and the fact that they often want more extreme or unique experiences. While in some ways Millennials are a spontaneous generation, they also appreciate a well planned trip that allows them to make the most of their time.

Noreen, I loved the points this article made. One might assume with the millennial generation they would use travel agents less as they would view them as outdated, but it is the opposite. Because the millennial generation are more adventurous and use travel to learn about themselves, they are consulting with agents who have perhaps been to the destination and can fill them in on the really great places to visit. Thank you for sharing!

This article is extremely important. I feel like everyone should read it because it goes hand in hand with what we have learned this week in class. The topic of cyber security is something that people need to shift paradigms. This article brings us great points about the digital era we live in. since everything we do in business now a days has to do with technology, it is important to have security and trust in this. With the increase reliance on this technology comes a higher risk. The article brings up that awareness levels of cyber security and data privacy issues are growing at a steady pace. It is extremely important that in the hospitality industry, Businesses think about trust, confidence and brand health and reputation. This highlights the fact that it doesn't matter if security systems are costly, in the long run if something goes wrong that will end up being the most costly. The article mentions that there will be a regulation established by the EU called General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The purpose of the GDPR is to put people back in control of their personal information and to improve how entities look after personal information while it is in their custody. In conclusion, this gives companies a competitive advantage.