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Through a partnership between a tech company and a hotel association, a new HRIS specific to the needs of hospitality has been born. The system is cloud-based, providing full accessibility in a 24/7 industry. Not only does the system house compliance, training and employment files but it also provides templates for letters, contracts and policies. The system promises to enhance efficiency and streamline processes.

I think that it is very important for hotel to go green. Many top hotels are the members of green hotels. That means go green is a trend. Go green could makes the hotel cost savings, competitive advantage, employee retention, customer loyalty, regulatory compliance, decrease risk and it's the right thing to do. When I went to New York, Key West and Boston, I found the hotels where I lived are all green hotels. They use retrofitting light bulbs instead of regular bulbs. But in China, green hotel is not popular. I think that it will be the trend in the future all over the world!

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

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

With the rapid growth and increased use of the Internet over the past 2 decades, industry professional Andrey Smirnov gives 7 tips to other industry leaders on maximizing their presence in e-commerce and in consumer minds: (1) make your website quick to download and easy to find; (2) organize content by prioritizing information; (3) when offering promotions, clearly reflect it with a call to action; (4) distribute 'fresh' content on different channels (i.e., photo galleries, press releases, etc.); (5) maximize on mobile marketing; (6) embrace social media; and (7) continually improve by testing new things.

The internet is constantly changing, the way we communicate and they way we do business. The hospitality industry is always quick to capitalize on new technologies. However, the e-commerce growth in the hospitality industry has created an urgent need for simple changes to companies' presence online. So when every hotel is involved in e-commerce, why is it so important today? It is simple. Today, the internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking channel. As well as now, most travelers are searching and making hotel reservations online. Lastly, social media and online hotel reviews are increasing and have made an important decision factor. Now, hoteliers need to keep focus on what information customers are seeking and what they are looking for online. There are a few basic strategies that will help drive usage from the internet world. Some of those are: vave a search-friendly website, focus on usability and conversation taking a holistic approach and prioritize information, and lastly make websites compatible for mobile phones. If hoteliers can use the full potential of the internet, they will maximize their return on investment in e-commerce. The hospitality industry needs to constantly learn and look for ways to use the new developments and trends.

Andrey Smirnov in his article "E-Commerce for the Hospitality Industry highlights how the internet has changed the way business is done not only in the hospitality industry but as a whole. He stresses the importance of e-commerce in the hospitatlity industry and why hoteliers must utilise strategies to ensure they make the most of the marketing and sales opportunties the internet provides. There are a few things that hoteliers must do to make the most of what the internet provides. They include: (1) Search Friendly Website Design - "site download speed is one of the most important ranking factors in organic search" says Smirnov therfore hoteliers must ensure that their site is properly designed and compatible across any browser, any items that causes the site to perform poorly shoud be eliminated as internet users similar to hotel guests tend to only visit sites where they can receive the best experience yet. (2) Improve conversion and Usability - content on website must be properly organised and users must not be bombaded by information. (3)Search - Hoteliers must focus on Paid searches as well as Real time search to increase traffic. Paid searches ensure that your targeted traffic are directed right to you. Whereas with a great web design with strong content that is also timely the natural ranking of the oranisation website can be increased thus increasing tracffic to it. (4)Mobile - Mobile devices have become a popular means of conducting e-business related activities for consumers therefore the hotel that ensures that their online services are accessible from mobile devices will be putting themselves ahead of the game. (5) Embracing Social Media - According to Smirnov 93 percent of social media users expect companies to have a social presence and 85 percent of social media users want companies to interact with them on social sites. With this being said one can see why a social media presence is one that cannot be overlooked. It is important that co

The term known as a Point of Sale (POS) has evolved greatly in the past couple decades. From an actual human being in a ticket window, to instant mobile ticket sales, we've come quite a long way. Technology has given us the ability to purchase things on both a leisure and business level instantly. From a business standpoint, POS helps optimize inventory, cash flow, expenses, and revenue. And from a leisure standpoint, it just gets consumers what they want faster. This article focuses on the importance of today's POS in small businesses. Stripe, Venmo, and Square are just a few POS applications that help small businesses. This allows the company user-friendly access to invoices, billing, taxes, inventory, payroll, purchase history, etc, etc. Venmo, for example, allows instant payments to either individuals or companies with a few touches of a mobile device, without the presence of the actual card. This third-party POS system verifies and then stores your account information. Prior to these tools, many companies had to resort to only taking cash, or incurring overwhelming credit-card transaction fees. Although evolving POS systems are an asset to small business, there is still a risk of compromising confidential information. For example, WingStop had four locations' POS systems compromised. This results in a lot of bad press and a lot of upset customers.

The Aptech is a financial and operations technology solutions and service company which include 2500 properties to leading the hospitality industry valuing the human relationships and solve business problems by their understanding of the financial operational data. The newest Profitvue enhanced productivity ,reduce the expenses, provide professional training and increase profitability for more than 1000 properties. Many companies choose the Aptech by their previous experiences. They thought the Aptech keeps their financial processes running smoothly which include the revenue and expenses for rooms, F&B outlets, spa, and gift shop. The Gold Eagle Lodge also selected the Profitvue because the extremely stable make it become the best system to automate our accounting processes for the company and with accurate, same-day financials to guide business decisions. .

This article describes the importance of investing in training between front of house personnel, and the IT department. While maintaining the efficiency of both of these departments is half the battle, it is also important to make sure they understand each others roles and needs in challenging situations. Cross training for both of these departments enhances the guest experience, and helps both teams understand the other more.

This is a great article highlighting the cons of of cloud-based PMS. In India, the infrastructure is not developed enough for hotels to rely on a cloud-based PMS. While the hotel industry is slowly adopting things such as mobile check-in, there is great hesitation to adopt the cloud-based PMS. The Internet in India is not reliable therefore it would not be efficient for hotels to send all their data to the cloud. In the event of an outage, the hotels would not be able to operate. There are also many concerns over data security; Indian hotels are worried about transferring secure information to an "unknown" place. Yet, individualized properties are looking forward to centralizing PMS and perhaps embracing cloud-based PMS in the near future. Only time will tell how long it will take the Indian hotel industry to become more technology oriented. 

Timing and mobility to conduct business is the key. Mobile devices can make transactions fast and seamless. In the customers point of view, hospitality is all about experience and meeting expectations. Utilization of appropriate technology can create personal service and success.

By reading this article it is clear that customers want mobile POS systems. 69.6% of business drivers that influence the restaurant industry believe that mobile POS systems are needed. Mobile POS system are the hot new item in the restaurant industry. They allow the customers to take control of their experience and make it ask quickly or slow as they would like. We are living in a world of instant gratification and the technology in hospitality is no different. It sounds absurd that we can't wait on a human being to take our order or pay our check but it is true. The rate that people are working in today's time does not allow down time while dining so to add in some extra time we are using the assistance of technology. When asked about the top features in a POS system the highest was mobile phone integration at 45.8%. This comes as no surprise, we now do everything on our mobile devices. They are more than just phones or tablets anymore, they store and control our lives. We can pay bills, order items on the internet, make reservations, check the weather etc… all with a touch of a button so why shouldn't dining be any different. It will be very interesting to see what technology comes about in the next two years and if our way of dining out will be totally transformed.

Information systems typically include all computerised systems which are used to gather data continuously both for use internally and externally. Information technology has influenced every sphere of human life in the last few decades in a tremendous way. The tourism and hospitality sector has been a key beneficiary as it has allowed the contemporary traveler to enjoy a plethora of options. Information systems play a crucial role in the hotel industry as they facilitate planning, management, overall operations of the hotels as well as policy making.

This article identifies five hotels that are using smart technology in a way that is beneficial to the company and the guests. Luggage storage, voice controlled rooms, robotic butlers, streamlined check-in and entertainment with compatibility with smart phones and a digital concierge are all examined. The future of the hotel industry is going towards a hybrid of human and artificial intelligence systems to service guest needs.

The hotel and hospitality industry has become aware of the green revolution. Hotel guests are now leaning towards hotels that are environmentally friendly. This has lead to hotels establishing environmental programs, growing their our fruits and vegetables for use in the hotel restaurant, non- daily towl and sheet cycling, etc. There has also been an increase in eco-tourism. If the hospitality industry wishes to capitalize on the green revolution they should follow the trend closely.

This article discusses the advantages of having a "green" hotel and how much it impacts the guest experience, in a positive way. From not using chemicals and growing food on site, they have capitalized on a new type of traveler and will find these guests to most likely refer business and be a repeat guest. These travelers know they are participating in "experiential learning" that benefit the environment and provide a more local experience. They are also generating revenue as guests are staying on site and enjoying the local fare, such as food grown on site.

With technology constantly updating and hotels getting larger and obtaining more employees, it is important to have a system that is keeping up with the times, and makes bosses work a little easier and more efficient. With the time tracking software it does all of that. The software allows managers to have available employees cover shifts, it ensures there will be no time theft, it keeps track of overtime, pay rates, absences and more. The system is cost effective because it does not hold up the employer in the office all day, and with the watches out for the time thieves. This system does everything a manual tracker can do and more. It is extremely efficient.

This article goes into details about the new technology emerging in the hospitality industry and how it is that hotels are able to stay ahead of the cutting edge trends of today.

I found this article interesting as it is closely related to the discussion board topic for this week. It touches on the point that guests expect the same level of convenience that they can experience at home when they are travelling. Voice recognition devises are on the rise and this new technology is affordable enough to be a regular house-hold item. It's difficult for hotels to have a competitive edge while trying to stay one step ahead of the game. Maintaining excellent customer experiences while avoiding unnecessary touch points for the guests is the goal for many businesses. The article mentions that Hilton as a technology "test" property, where all new technology is transparently tested on staff and guests and valuable feedback in derived. I think this is an excellent idea that more hotel brands should incorporate.

This article is about how guests prefer the use of technology when they stay at a hotel. According to the article, 64% of guests say that investing in hotel technology is important. Everyone uses mobile devices each and every day and they expect to continue using them while on vacation. "A third of guests are interested in using a complimentary hotel tablet provided in guest rooms. Forty-one percent of guests want a message to their smartphone when their guest room is ready. About 21 percent of guests want the ability to stream content onto the in-room TV." Although excessively using technology has decreased human interactions, while on vacation travelers rather have the information given to them on a device rather than having to go to the front desk for everything. Smart phones have made trips more convenient from start to finish.

This article reflects on this weeks topic of e-menus. It refers the different companies that have started this trend and the birth of this technology. It explains the pros of having this and what encouragements are embedded in order to grasp the user and influence them to play. AS mentioned in the summary, not all restaurants will adopt this as their are many risks involved with this type of technology.

This article was very interesting as it analyzes whether combining technology in the restaurant industry will appeal to customers. The debate of using tablets to replace paper menus has been considered by different restaurant segments. Its advantages include the ability of updating a menu continuously and offering clients additional advantages such as the option of viewing images of the dish. One of the benefits it offered is that guests can use tablets for more features, such as playing a game and competing with another diner in the same restaurant. I personally feel that not all restaurant segments will appeal to this. With regards to etiquette, fine dining establishments prefer to offer a well- designed paper menu. A tablet is quite distracting and it is an expensive investment if each guest is to have one. I believe this is only useful in a fine dining establishment while reading the wine menu as it can be updated frequently. For other restaurant segments such as a casual restaurant, this can be appealing. While technology can always be beneficial, some establishments are better off with traditional approaches to dining.

As i have mentioned in all of my posts this week, e-menu is believe is the future of the restaurant industry. Throughout this article you read about the positives of electronic menus as well as how difficult it might be to get the electronic menus might struggle to hit the ground running. It is a very interesting and educational article.

In December 2018, the FBI warned that unpatched devices on networks were exposed to hackers through an open port used to communicate with control systems.

One last, often-overlooked vulnerability is an aging BMS. Many buildings still have legacy BMSes installed that could be subject to simple attacks, although some of the older systems are analog-based and are not as easy to hack as modern, Ethernet-based systems. Regardless, the old systems may have default passwords that can be found on the internet and that cannot be changed or patched. These old systems may also have open ports that cannot be blocked unless you install a major -- and expensive -- upgrade or retrofit.

Building management system is an intelligent microprocessor-based controller network installed to monitor and control a building's technical systems and services. they can be directly integrated with a broad range of building services, including access control, security, power, lighting, fire systems, elevator and escalator controls, smart whiteboards, and clinical systems. Hackers are becoming more savvy to BMSes. As a resullt, businesses must spend time and resources to patch any vulnerabilities.

Technology is providing travelers novel experiences and interactions. The new technologies include: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), connectivity, and other technology. Artificial intelligence is currently being integrated into chat bots for phone calls, but there are far greater uses. Facial scanning and voice recognition is starting to gain traction. It offers more secure, faster, ad better customer service. Some hotels have even added Amazon Alexa devices for their patrons. The internet of things features hotel guests to unlock the door to their room using only their smartphone. Blockchain and cryptocurrency transactions eliminate the need for third-party mediators. As a result, hotels that utilize blockchain and cryptocurrency can offer better rates to the consumer without affecting profitability. All of the emerging technology frees up the preexisting staff to provide and maintain excellent customer relationships. "Over the last few years, travelers have been meeting robot butlers and concierges in hotels like Hilton's Connie, powered by IBM Watson AI technology." "SoftBank Robotics' Pepper, a humanoid robot developed with IBM Watson, has been introduced at Munich Airport and Václav Havel Airport Prague, where the robot not only informs but entertains passengers by dancing and offering to take selfies." "Gartner predicts that 85% of customer interactions will be managed without a human by 2020." "At Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland, face scanners enable guests to verify their identity at check-in, pick up a digital room key and gain access to the dining room at breakfast." "Two Roads Hospitality has partnered with Amazon and Volara to develop a customised Alexa for Hospitality platform that facilitates daily tasks for staff, such as identifying maintenance problems or signaling that a room is ready for check-in." "Luxury hotels like The Plaza New York, Aria in Las Vegas, The Torch Doha in Qa