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This is an article that compares the new form of cloud property management systems versus the original installed in the property PMS. It compares the features missing from both ends such as the fact the installed PMS can not get free upgrades but it does not require IT expertise. The article makes a great point in stating that both systems can be great for a small business, where as most people assume only an installed PMS works for a small business because it is the more affordable option but because of the fact that one person is usually running the small business they can benefit from having access to the PMS from anywhere which is only capable from a cloud PMS. It is also important to remember that when moving to a new system it can not be assumed to be exactly like the previous system.

This article is talking about how the hotel cybersecurity keeps guest information data secure and why is very important. Most of the hotel has a really big database of the guest's personal information. Thus, it's easy to have security problems happen in the hotel. Hospitality organizations have to understand their vulnerabilities and always have to make a plan about how to protect hotel guest's data. This article also introduced 4 key areas cybersecurity teams need to focus on. First of all, instill security as a Cultural Norm. When the customer chooses the hotel to stay, which means they trust this hotel, they feel the environment is safe and they trust the digital assets as well. They will connect the Wi-Fi with their personal laptop or smartphone. Therefore, hotelier have to train their employee about provide the safety environment for their guests is necessary and everyone have to focus on it. Secondly, Think Beyond the Credit Card. Every billing system need to be protect customers personal and financial information, the hotel need to think about the multiple endpoints. Third, Be Smart About Responses. When the cybercrimes happen, they need to be reported responsibly and they have to know this thing at the first moment. Hotel have to keep training their security teams and be aware of some bad things happen. The last one, Don't sleep on Insider Threats. There is one thing that hotel have to focus on that the employee may steal data to sell it to other company.

This article mentioned how hotels do not have as many transactions as popular stores have but their transactions are typically more than grocery transactions. Hotels have a lot of personal information for many people and that information should not be leaked, never. It was mentioned that hotels need security as it is a cultural norm, you have to think beyond the credit card, be smart about responses, and don't sleep on insider threats. "Hotels are vulnerable to cybercrimes through a variety of avenues that break with the traditional physical security measures deployed across the hospitality industry. Keeping guests and their assets - both physical and digital - safe is paramount to preserving both the image and financial security of hotels."

Module 8: "Everything in the business world is about the bottom line, and the accounting department of an organization is the keeper of that bottom line's flame." The following article, Accounting and Bookkeeping For The Tourism Industry gives and inside look and new perspective into the accounting and bookkeeping within the hospitality and tourism industry. The following are a few topics that are required in order to successfully run financial aspects within the travel industry; cash-flow, operation & cost budget, pensions, foreign currency, accounting system integrity and accounting & reporting standards. I was interested to read all of the possible job opportunities that are available in accounting and booking sides of the travel industry; for example - opportunities to travel to exotic locations, work/live abroad, possible events, etc. It is clear to read that employees in both accounting and booking are vital today and their role continues to play a major role in the overall success of the industry. "Just as the history of the tourism and hotel industry has grown and evolved into the mega economic force it is today, so has the bookkeeping necessary grown into a mega accounting career that the tourism business could not live without."

Hotel industries have been under attack from excessive hacking, as seen with Hilton being targeted for private financial information from guests. In 2014, it was noticed that hackers had been targeting Hilton throughout the course of 17 weeks. They state that the industry itself has not really focused budgeting on cyber security. It seems that the process is done by integrating a virus into these hotels POS system. The virus was actively attacking the Micros program, which was being used in more than 300,000 hotels and resorts. An ultimate treasure chest for information, some of which was not even encrypted. In addition, the virus appears in the system as a legitimate software, and then it obtains over 90 percent of stored information. This hacking is being conducted by organized groups, who moved from the retail industry because it had indeed improved its cyber security. With hotels it seems that the concept has not been taken as seriously. There are many hotels susceptible to such an attack. As long as there is a sales software, then someone is looking to get into it. A person could be sitting inside of your location, and infiltrating a guests' wireless internet, and they would not even know. In order to engage this threat, locations must be proactive in attempting to stop what is occurring. The only question is, how much are they willing to invest in cyber security?

This article provides 8 tips on how to email marketing. Email marketing which is a part of e-marketing is a great way to reach customers, the service is also cost effective and time efficient. The main ways to optimize emails are to get a an organic list of contacts to make sure they do not end up in the junk bin. Next the emails should be functional they should be mobile friendly and the links should work. In regards to the content it should contain more than just rate specials they can contain events or insider city tips and they should be targeted at the correct audience. Finally the sender should test it out by receiving one first.

The following article gives and inside look to the importance of Global Distribution Systems and how they're important for the success of hotel firms. The systems works as a tool to reach customers easily and gives the information needed to allow travel agents to access the best prices provided. Although the hotel industry would prefer for their customers to book directly through their website so that they do not have to pay the fees associated with Online Travel Agencies - GDS is still a beneficial platform to gain attention and promote their business. Once they have returning/loyal guests, this is when the hotel industry strives to encourage them to book directly to their site to increase overall revenue.

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.

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.

Information security is absolutely crucial within the Hospitality industry. There is so much important guest and customer information that is submitted via technology. This includes, credit card details, addresses, and phone numbers, with so much of this information being sensitive companies need to install security systems. The hospitality industry depends strongly on credit card as a form of payment which is why the POS needs to be secure. It is also extremely important that staff members are trained to gather and store guests personal information. The industry overall has become stricter in the ways that information gets gathered and processed in order to avoid cyber attacks. The last thing that companies must keep an eye on are insider threats, a lot of the time it's the employees from the company that are giving away valuable and confidential information to third parties. This is why I believe that technology has had a great impact on this industry but there needs to be strong security systems in order to avoid cyber attacks.

According to this article, the hospitality industry has one of the highest numbers of security breaches. Due to the nature of the business, credit card fraud and identity theft crimes seem to be an ideal target for cybercriminals. Humor error, high turnover rate, and insider threats are just a few primary factors for security breaches within the hospitality sector. The consequences of data breaches can have a long lasting impact on the company, including, customer trust, tarnished brand reputation and legal and financial problems. As we all know, hotel owners and operators do not want anything to impact their revenue. Encryption of credit card information, operating a continuous training program in cybersecurity, adhering to relevant regulations, using firewalls, and a detailed response plan in the event that a data breach should occur are a few practices the hotel sector can implement to mitigate a cyber attacks.

This article predicts the future of networking and the internet, which is a challenging thing to do, considering how complex this technology is. Among some things predicted are that web site address space will eventually run out and the domain names will crash as human recognition will be able to navigate through web pages. The most interesting thing I found is that broadband routers will soon disappear due to multiple internet capable devices will be able to solely communicate with each other, meaning our phones, watches, and computers will all be connected without a router. It also goes deeper into the possibility of a future without an internet network. It's hard to predict that we will also be able to fight against cyber attacks and spam and keep our internet at use. Imagine a future with no internet! What will be the next big thing then?

This is one of the astonishing software I have come across. The Chinese tourist town in Wuzhen, have started using this software in many of its hotels, even at the port of entry on the airport. The software senses the face of the individual and authenticates it with the proof identification shown by the individual. The software has huge amount of data stored inside it, this makes the check in procedure easier for the hotel. The software recognizes the faces of the individual accurately, research shows that the software so far has an accuracy of 99.8%. This software is about to substitute the finger print software, which was time consuming. The software is believed to be more secure and safe than the finger printing.

This article talks about how hotels can use mobile event apps to attract event planners. Hotels can use these apps to not only add value to their offerings, but also set themselves apart from the competition. These mobile apps provide information on the meeting agenda, speakers, and hotel details to all attendees. Mobile event apps are beneficial to the event planners because the apps help facilitate communication, offer networking opportunities, and improve the overall digital experience. Hotels are able to move away from traditional meetings and offer planners something more, something intangible that will contribute to the event's overall success.

The article introduces the benefit of using mobile event apps as a marketing tool. It is not a usual practice to mix technology promotion by hotels yet but it is becoming more mainstream. Destinations and properties can use mobile offerings as a marketing and sales tools to attract more event planner. It makes easier to organize the event more effectively and enhance the networking opportunities for attendees. Thus, properties will gain benefits greatly in terms of positioning and promotion of the services or facilities inside the business as a marketing tool. For example, mobile app can include the information about event and property service details, which will facilitate on-site communication and advertise hotel services via the app. It will, in turn, make the overall digital experience for attendees outstanding. As a measurement of success, properties can monitor ROI for new technology through feedback from attendees and event planners, and the number of events adapting mobile app.

The article describes how the pandemic accelerated the adoption of technology for many people and how it shifted the needs of people looking for short-term/hotel stays. Companies that thrived during the pandemic were the ones that offered things that began trending as people needed to stay away from others and inside for large periods of time: contact-less experiences and apartment settings rather than traditional hotel rooms. As we move forward from the pandemic and travel begins again, hoteliers will need to re-evaluate their technology and invest in guest experience software tools so their hotels can compete with the new trends in hospitality spaces.

This article talks about how we have seen technology in restaurants change in the past year as well as what to expect moving forward. Restaurants have begun to see how new technologies like contactless pay are allowing them to expedite services and benefiting their businesses. It also discusses how even though things like QRs have become more common they won't replace aspects of service experience that are crucial to hospitality.

This article talks about the hotel industry and the inside scoop on their efforts to getting back out their and marketing themselves after COVID-19. There are a few things they need to consider while they are beginning to strategize their plan. One of them is timing. If the company remained staff, then they may begin marketing faster than those that furloughed employees. In that case, they may need to get that together before they invest in marketing. Another item to consider are their goals. Companies must think about what they can afford. They need to think about if they are able to have some leeway and able to take things slower, even if it means breaking even for a while or does your company absolutely need to be at the same profitability level pre-pandemic? Another consideration would be regions. Certain regions were hit harder than others. Therefore, recovery will be by a case by case basis. Some regions will be able to market and get back to business faster than others. Yet another consideration is channels. This refers to social media and other types of media in order to market. Travelers follow many travel pages on social media, therefore this should be a priority when trying to ramp up customer traffic again. All-in-all, the travel and hotel industry will make a comeback. Although it will be a slow comeback, the industry will prevail just as it has before.

IT security is a set of cybersecurity strategies that prevents unauthorized access to organizational assets such as computers, networks, and data. It maintains the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive information, blocking the access of sophisticated hackers. IT security includes Network security, Internet security, Endpoint security, Cloud security, and Application security.

the article gives examples of retail stores and how they use proximity marketing to promote their products

The article talks about cyber security threats in the hospitality industry. Threats range from high staff turn over so staff isn't trained thoroughly, to insider threats where employees can sell information to third parties, to Cyber-criminals who infect POS systems with credit cards.

Data information security is very important to a business development.In my opinion, I think the relationship is inversely proportional. In other words, the more effective cyber security budget is invested, the less potential impact there is of customer information being stolen (being hacked). Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. These cyberattacks are usually aimed at accessing, changing, or destroying sensitive information; extorting money from users; or interrupting normal business processes.

New apps are being developed for digital menus. Pros and cons and tablet menus and traditional menus. Many restaurants around the world are already implementing this type of technology.

The apps are searching within several options. Apps are various while somebody is searching. I like the example to show on menus that wine would offer grape variety and climate zone. There are more offerings on iPad about food suggestions. While clients are taking an option inside, everyone should take an insight. They are going on SmartCeller for e-digit selling. Even some of the groups are keeping software digital menu inside. How many more options are keeping to get papers and get owners. Data source are concerning more about processing like reservations online due to everyday data source. If there are more current contents. I would like to be offered more about networks and payments solving via cards no matter member cards or savings cards.

This article helps us to understand the benefits of eMenus. The main point is that eMenus do not replace waiters or waitresses but help them. For example, it lets people see the actual pictures of the dishes so they are more willing to order something new and maybe even something more expensive than usual.