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On my previous article about Oraculo, the world's first predictive algorithm for hotels, I described how personalization in hospitality is no longer a trend but an obligation. By posting this new article I wanted to dig a little deeper into tailoring guests needs through e-commerce. In 2015, American Express Travel reported that 83% of millennials would not object to have their habits tracked if they get a more customized experience. This strong message has prompted the hotel industry to develop and implement website personalization technology that suggests, intuitively, specific room categories or packages to online lookers. Since building loyalty is an investment, improving the direct booking ratio is now the main goal of the industry. From experience, when I travel I try to stay at the same hotel and book directly from the hotel website. The most important thing to me when I shop around is furniture and bathroom. Although these are not generally specified in detail in room descriptions, the brand I'm loyal to is usually very consistent with my needs. If new technology would give me a more personalized stay somewhere else I would definitely change my membership. I have friends who don't travel much except for vacation and long weekends. They are lookers who go to online travel agencies (OTA's) and bounce from site to site trying to find the perfect place. The article explains this newer technology will be crucial to prevent lookers from bouncing to other websites, and encourage them to book directly from the hotel and avoid OTA's. The idea is to make it so personalized that it will be appealing on the spot. These new technologies not only can tailor room types and resort packages based on IP addresses, but it can customize your TV programming based on your web history. Personalizing the guest experience during the stay is no longer enough. Data shows that in order to build loyalty and make the customer return, personalization has to begin in the booking pr

This article describes how personalization of eCommerce can bring better profits, because it is helping guests personalize how they would like their stay. This is more efficient for the guests because it is ensure they get what they want, like if they want to be around certain theme parks, or if they want their rooms a certain way. They even have options where you can fit guests language barriers, like if they speak only spanish they can change the language so spanish speakers can also ensure they have their preferred stay.

This article explains the importance of website personalization. Here, vital information is stored for current and future use of consumers. It is important for industry professionals to have access to this information but protect it from reaching outside entities.

This article is related to IT security in hotels. Around six months back a panel of IT executives from Starwood Hotels, Hilton and other lodgings operators met at the LodgeNet's Customer Technology Symposium in Chicago to discuss on how protecting customer data is becoming their top priority. This type of situation was brought to a head earlier this year when marketing services giant Epsilon experienced a massive breach to its email systems. According to a SecurityWeek report, among those impacted by the breach were several hotel operators, including Hilton, Ritz-Carlton and Marriott. According to a 2010 Wall Street Journal report, the most common security vulnerability in hotels is point-of-sale software. Often, hotels do not require employees to change the default names and passwords of these programs, making it easier for hackers to break in and steal customer information. To overcome some of these and other concerns, McBeth said hotel operators are applying the best practices detailed by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which aims to address data security for businesses that handle payment cards. However, he admitted that the task of ensuring protection throughout an organization is difficult, given the number of channels where vulnerabilities could be uncovered. This being the case, it is encouraging to see some hotels are making moves to lock down their data security practices. There is clearly a great deal of work that needs to be done, but if a hotel can demonstrate it is capable of protecting customer information, it may be more likely to inspire confidence in consumers, which, in turn, could afford the hotel a competitive edge.

Its a tough task to monitor this, because at the end of the day, the responsibility is at the property level to ensure that data is secure across the board. So training employees on the importance of data security and what a breach means could go along way.

With privacy being a concern in the hospitality industry, hotels are incentivizing a customer sharing information with a heightened personalized experience. Customers are willing to share personal data to earn loyalty program benefits, receive special discounts and offers, and will shop more often with those brands that personalize their communications.

Even though we are aware that generally, individuals are more inclined to do things when there are benefits to them, this new exchange of data for access to certain benefits has now placed that transaction at the forefront of my mind. This is because schemes are not being applied to secretly obtain customers' personal data, but rather the customers are willing to share them. This exchange is beneficial to guests since they earn travelers' consent, unlock richer experiences, better service, and high long-term loyalty. In my opinion, this is a fair trade. Thanks for sharing this article on "How Hotels Can Drive Increased Revenue and Loyalty By Offering a Reciprocal Value Exchange with Guests."

Hospitality employees are faced every day with multi tasking which can lead to human error. AI has many benefits in making the majority of these tasks automated. Hatboxes will take a guests information, and record it into the database which will allow the staff to make the stay more personalized with information at hand.

The article simply describes the ways in which AI is apart of our everyday lives and how it has not only impacted us as individuals but in the hospitality industry. Years ago, when we thought of AI we would think of big robots but now AI is as small as a chip in an iPhone, or as intangible as data on a software. AI has enabled a deeper level of personalization to guest experience as well as added close to maximum efficiency in the data and intelligence realm. It allows for multiple processes to be happening at the click of a button, lessening the potential exhaustion of our human resources in these businesses. In my opinion, AI has brought exponential convenience to our everyday lives and although sometimes intrusive, it makes life easier. Being able to rely on a piece of technology to remember certain patterns and trends is convenient and efficient.

In this article, the author thoroughly discusses how artificial intelligence has severely impacted the hospitality industry. The author begins with a short description of what AI really is, stating "The term "AI" doesn't have to refer to an autonomous robot that handles the cleaning in your home. It can just as easily refer to the algorithm used to personalize the marketing emails you receive". They then go on to explain how AI can be and IS extremely helpful to the operations side of the hospitality industry. For example, when the front desk phone rings, AI can be implemented to intelligently reroute incoming calls to the correct department's line, alleviating some of the work off of the front desk staff who would've otherwise needed to stop what they're doing to answer the phone for something as simple as a transfer to a different department. Next is a section dedicated to how AI can personalize the guest experience. By collecting data on guests while they're using your website, you can show them offers and amenities at your hotel that are tailored to them. The example in the article states "You might make special offers that speak to their unique needs, such as child-friendly rooms, all-inclusive stays, or experiences that include a room at the hotel, but also tickets to events or shows in the surrounding area". All in all, AI is vital to the hospitality industry. It not only helps guests have the best experience they possibly can, but it also helps the staff with providing the best service they possibly can to the guests.

This article talks about a new brand campaign which was launched by Expedia, an online travel site that helps users plan and book travel. This campaign, called FIND YOURS, is about content photos and videos and stories from everyday consumers include Personal Storytelling, Travel Blogger Integration, Social Media and NFFTY which are all about travelers' daily travels to give an image to show travelers' personalities and get personal touch back to business. As we know, information technology steps big forward to the future quickly. Nowadays travel agents turn its most businesses into online due to the less cost and more convenience. By doing the huge business and getting large numbers of information from expanding to the internet, travel agents get a big profit over the last 3 decades. But the personal touch is getting less and less due to this radical change on the internet; humanity is becoming mechanized and electronized and far away from actual contacts. So in my opinion, I am strongly agreed with this campaign and I think Expedia did a good job to make the electrical business to be personalized and more humanity which should be the nature of the business initially

Changes are coming for New York City hotel workers. A proposal between the Hotel Association of New York and the New York Hotel Trades Council would equip hotel staffers with personal panic alarms. Employees like house keepers are calling for the extra safety measures for fear of being assaulted in a guest room. Concern is also circulating outside New York in places like Sacramento, California. The personal security devices were tested on students at California State University at San Marcos last year. I believe hotels will begin to implement more measures like this in large cities like New York. Similar to airports and large department stores, safety is a major concern. I believe the personal panic button is a great idea for any hospitality space that accommodates a large number of people.

I think this new proposal may draw people's attention to employees' safety issues within the hospitality industry. It is also important for hotels and restaurants to make sure that their employees work in an environment that is danger free and threats free. The panic button can provide the instant location of the staff and once if something goes wrong, the time for rescue will be shorten. It is really a beneficial proposal for the entire hospitality industry.

Pending approval, personal panic alarms would be carried by staff members in all New York City hotels. These panic buttons would be carried by the staff member during their shift so that they are easily and quickly accessible should something happen. Fox News in Sacramento, CA reported that house keepers voiced their desire for more saftey measures to be put in place. Assaults on house keepers may be more common than people think. House keepers tend more often to be women and they tend to work alone or with only one other person. Hotels host many events in which guests may be drinking which in turn creates the potential for violent or inappropriate actions. Not only is the safety of guests important to the hospitality industry but safety of employees is paramount as well. Having personal panic buttons would give house keepers and workers alike more peace of mind should they encounter any uncomfortable or unsafe situation.

Technology has taken a huge toll on society and business now a day. If our business is keeping itself updated with technology, could mean we are at the top of our game. This article briefly  demonstrates how Beacons can help improve your business by providing how, when and where are customers behaving. For example, Beacons allow customers to order-ahead of time. It attracts a different clientele and allows us to gain others because of a shorter or no waiting time. Like an express line. But  it may become a challenge if the business doesn't know how to ensure a time-effective preparation before customers arrive. Beacons also allow customers to know exactly how much people are at that exact time at the restaurant or business, and thus waiting time, if any. Another advantage would be "push-customized notifications". I believe this is one of the most challenging for businesses. Customers (as myself) hate when we get attacked by too much notifications.  If it were useful in any way or if it called my attention every now and then, but companies apparently don't pay attention to how customers may feel.  It is very important to use the access wisely and give out information customers really want. Offer what they are looking for, by personalizing. It also helps to attract customers by promoting events or special offers and notifying via beacons. People like a place they can see as happy and fun. Also, who doesn't like discounts? A fifth advantage, and as I believe to be one of the best ways to retain and gain customers, is to reward the customer who passes by every now and then, with personalized dishes, and reward first time customers by attracting them with discounts specifically for them. And finally, another must consider, is that beacons help keep track of everything (all happening at a specific given time) to better improve employee wages and specifics of customers that are out-and-about.

Technology has taken a huge toll on society and business now a day. If our business is keeping itself updated with technology, could mean we are at the top of our game. This article briefly demonstrates how Beacons can help improve your business by providing how, when and where are customers behaving. For example, Beacons allow customers to order-ahead of time. It attracts a different clientele and allows us to gain others because of a shorter or no waiting time. Like an express line. But it may become a challenge if the business doesn't know how to ensure a time-effective preparation before customers arrive. Beacons also allow customers to know exactly how much people are at that exact time at the restaurant or business, and thus waiting time, if any. Another advantage would be "push-customized notifications". I believe this is one of the most challenging for businesses. Customers (as myself) hate when we get attacked by too much notifications. If it were useful in any way or if it called my attention every now and then, but companies apparently don't pay attention to how customers may feel. It is very important to use the access wisely and give out information customers really want. Offer what they are looking for, by personalizing. It also helps to attract customers by promoting events or special offers and notifying via beacons. People like a place they can see as happy and fun. Also, who doesn't like discounts? A fifth advantage, and as I believe to be one of the best ways to retain and gain customers, is to reward the customer who passes by every now and then, with personalized dishes, and reward first time customers by attracting them with discounts specifically for them. And finally, another must consider, is that beacons help keep track of everything (all happening at a specific given time) to better improve employee wages and specifics of customers that are out-and-about.

Creative and a bit scary application of existing technologies. Much like Facebook Messenger, when do we cross the line between convenience and forfeiture of privacy? As part of the industry, the responsibility falls to us to manage the line in favor of our guests. They will know when it has become too much, and we will know very soon after when business evaporates. Provide friendly, targeted service without being too invasive. Remembering orders and having them ready on time is fine. Sending a pop-up message every time the guest passes by in a cab may be a bit much. Consider how many Starbucks messages you could receive in any major metropolitan area. Without proper care, we could be giving a whole new meaning to the word Spam.

The importance of personalization for hotel guests is becoming increasingly popular in the travel industry and a simple step to improve direct conversions. You will learn about how to create a unique experience for hotel guests, mapping your target audience and crafting personalized campaigns for your target audience.

As per the article, I agree that personalization & the development of unique experiences will be driving factors within the industry moving forward. The hospitality industry has some catching up to do here as well.

The personalization or customization of the guest experience is extremely high in demand within the hospitality industry. It will be very interesting to see how hotels in particular are able to accommodate this new trend. It is important that the industry finds eco-friendly ways to address these needs. So hotels do not create additional, waste, since the product is 100% personalized for each guest.

This article introduces the role of PMS(property management system) to increase ancillary revenue. PMS encourages hotels to be competitive with high-end technology, and to provide the service beyond guests' expectations, which in turn, increases the top line revenue. The first role of PMS can be related to room upselling. With cloud-based hotel technology, hotel staff can know the guests' preferences, so before check-in, they can figure out the guest preference, and based on that, they can offer upselling. This tactic will be helpful for both guests and hotel because hotel can make ancillary revenue by upselling, and guest can get personalized service. Second, PMS system can track the guest journey through the previous visiting record. PMS has personalized record depending on the guest. It means hotel is able to offer the most attractive journey to guests. Third, PMS helps to solve the problem instantly, which increases guest satisfaction. The Internet and lots of applications at hotel deliver the instant responsiveness, and improve guest gratification. It will be related to better reviews and loyalty toward the hotel. As can be seen here, adopting the developed technology helps the hotel to build a good relationship with guests, and increase the number of loyal guests. Lastly, by having employees use mobile devices to check-in guests and solve special requests smoothly with other departments, it enables to build the strong personal relationship with guests, and enhance trust. Depending on the personality of guests, they might or might not like personalized services. However, it is obvious that hotel should offer the right service based on their need or want, at the right time, without giving any pressure to them. It can be the way to drive ancillary revenue by using property management system properly.

This article provides a detailed account of the variety of ways that E-Commerce can be used within the hospitality industry. With the advent of the Internet and new and improved technology, it has become much more imperative for companies to remain competitive in this space. From VR to targeting, as well as online tracking, there are a variety of tools that hospitality firms can employ to attract customers via the Internet. As the Internet is the primary resource that people utilize to shop for hospitality products such as hotel rooms, airfare, etc... it is incredibly important for companies to remain on the cutting edge in regards to their marketing online and attracting and retaining customers.

The hospitality industry is faced with numerous responsibilities when it come to the satisfaction of guest. with the tremendous acts of growth within trends it is often difficult for vendors to keep up with the trends. some of the new trends that are being introduced include personalized features which is playing a major role today. Another major trend is now called virtual reality. I think this trend is a great addition to the industry because it allows customers to virtually place the item in their home to see if it fits their style. Also with the pandemic situations with can help with the idea of social distancing .

The innovations of e-commerce with application in hospitality is becoming a growth trend for this industry. Many more guests are interested in the experience of personalized attractions and the creativity of what brands has to offer. Many merchants are creating a tool that allows the software to remind shopper/guest about what left in the carts to reduce the number of missed sales.

Amadeus is working with travel agents to ensure their clients get the most personalized experience possible while booking their vacations especially, airfare. After a study done by Amadeus with Frost & Sullivan, the found that many travelers would respond to messages that they can relate with their interests. Also, they found out that travelers would respond to offers related to their locations. The article summarizes that GDS were not providing the most conclusive and personal content to travel agencies. Amadeus has developed 'fare families' for airlines. These fare families are able to combine options and services that appeal to consumers and give travel agents the ability prepare targeted offers with the GDS in place. Additionally, using consumer relationship management data, like spending patterns and social media, will lead to better customer response. Travel agents rely a great deal on global distribution systems. Amadeus is going in the right direction in giving travel agents the proper tools to succeed in a market that is increasingly booking directly with suppliers. This new personalized offers that Amadeus is bringing to the table may actually give travel agents an advantage over the competition.

This article is about the concept of proximity marketing that supports sales and marketing development in business operations. First, the idea of this marketing strategy is to reach out to the right consumers based on mobile techs and GPS techs. Second, the four types of proximity marketing are by components, application, geography, and key players in general. Third, the benefits of proximity marketing are enhanced experiences for the guests. Applicational utilization. Cost-effectiveness on the mobile marketing, then the guest relationship improvement will be one of them to benefiting the company's business growth.

In these days of technology advancement, proximity marketing is one of the best ways for marketing. The only disadvantage is potentially using someone's information without permission. As long as permission is granted, it would be fine.

Proximity marketing is a mode of location based marketing that uses the customers location to their advantage when distributing advertisements for their business. There are several different types of proximity marketing solutions that can and are currently being used by the most popular brands right now. There is wifi proximity marketing, radio frequency identification proximity marketing (RFID), near field communication proximity marketing (NFC), GPS based, beacon based, and QR codes. Using these methods of marketing hold benefits including enhanced customer experience, app utilization, cost effectiveness, and customer relation boost. There is an option for everyone in terms of cost and many industries are using them more and more, inclusive of the hospitality/tourism industry. In my opinion, the previous ways of advertising are becoming obsolete and the market for competition is growing and growing and growing. We all have likely encountered one or more forms of this type of marketing, and we likely will continue to in the future.

This brief article is taken from Forbes and in it Paul Dunay offers 10 Predictions (or expectations in some cases) for the year in e-commerce. It has been seen that e-commerce has grown year to year, specifically on Cyber Monday which shows people are spending more online. The predictions range from consumer expectations to the use of personal data collected by companies. In my opinion the predictions are very straight forward and almost assumed in today's technological world in regards to customer expectations. The prediction of companies using data they have collected to help improve their e-commerce experience is very intriguing however, and suprising that this is not common practice already. It will be very interesting to see if & how these predicitions develop, especially with social media and the use of personal data. Overall it's an interesting article and provokes some good thought on e-commerce.

This article is basically the rules and regulations of how to write an email. Netiquette is important because if you make yourself seem professional, the people whom you send these emails to will reply and treat you with respect. Especially if its a business email. The article teaches you about how to write a subject line and the difference between cc and bc. It also teaches you not to use lol and thesmiley face emoticon unless the email is personal. This article also teaches you on how to relax on the punctuations. Too many exclamation marks might seem like your going crazy screaming at someone. It also teaches you about how to properly send signatures. I think everyone should read this article to perfect their emails. Especially students because now and days , there is no need to go to your teachers office. You just shoot your teacher an email and it will make your life easier.

This article is about the basic rules of netiquette. It breaks down from everything from the subject to the signature. It shows you differences of writing a business email and a personal email.

The article highlights new advances in technology trends that has captured the attention of numerous businesses in the UK due to the significant reduction cost and savings that can be achieved. The trends include cloud computing which businesses view as a low initial cost or capital investment to undertake. Eliminating the need for hard drives storage, maintenance, and giving way to quick upgrades and updates of an It system. A company's main goal is to provide the best products and services at the lowest cost, and if cloud computing creates this ease of burden without compromising the quality of products and services offered to guests then transitioning to this new technology remains one of the best and newest innovation as the savings will undoubtedly add to the company's bottom line. Smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices has definitely revolutionize the way people communicate and hotels in the United States, China the UK and other parts of the world are capitalizing on this mobile trend as a way to improve customer service. Whether it may be making reservations, or checking in and out of hotels from any location without having to wait in long lines at the front desk. Mobile computing is definitely a way to save cost, and time. It's important to note that this trend does not only benefit huge companies but it's a viable option for small businesses who definitely wants to position itself as a company offering the best and most unique service. Social media is extremely paramount for business exposure and that's why hospitality companies continued to capitalize on this growing phenomena. From Trip Advisor which informs potential guests about the facilities, products, and services to Facebook or Twitter which not only help to market or promote the company's products and services but these are great resources and tools for companies to capture and address comments or concerns that can potentially put the business in a negative light.

This article discusses hardware and software trends in the hospitality industry. Article discusses six points that are having a major effect on the hospitality industry. The first area is the definite shift from software held in-house to software used in the cloud. The article estimates that around 85% of all inquiries are from companies that are looking to use the cloud for software needs. The second item article discusses his mobility. The use of devices such as tablets and smart phones are revolutionizing the way people interact with technology this is also revolutionizing the hospitality industry. The third area that the article discusses the social media and the profound impact it has had has had on the hospitality industry. Article points to trip advisor who has become one of the major sources of information for people researching holidays travel, hotels and leisure facilities. The fourth area in which hardware and software is changing hospitality industry is the feeling of a personalized experience. People are expecting that their experience within the hotel to be personalized and technology is helping the industry personalized their experience. The fifth area is the integration of the hardware and software from the many specialized facilities within a property. Traditionally golf spas have operated their own individual software system now that software system is integrated into the overall properties software system. The last area of hardware and software trends that is changing industry is an area of globalization. Properties will need to adapt their two different management approaches to survive in high levels of economic uncertainty. Consequently, brands with large chains must look at their business from a global perspective.

An unssuspecting person check into a hotel like any normal person would. The ever so common exchange, credit card for room key took place. The only difference was that the person that checked had done so with other intentions. The "guest" utilized an IP Telephone that was in this hotel room to hack into the hotel credit card database and steal credit cards, transmit them to a foreign country and then have money transferred to his offshore bank account. This happened but at the hands of Jason Ostrom, aa Vigilar senior security consultant. Ostrom was able to unplug teh telephone in his room, plug in the phone's ethernet canle into his laptop and hack away. Of course, he did this as part of his job in testing a company's security agaisnt viral hackers. His company offers free security testing using a downloadable software called VolP Hopper This article was extremely interesting because as a frequrnt traveler as well as a perosn in the hospitlaity industry I was very shocked at the ease that the credit card information could be stolen. When it comes to credit card security it is of the utmost importance for companies to be PCI compliant and spend whatever it is necessary to safeguard the information of their customers. The detrimental damage that a security breach can have on a person can be debilitating as leaders in the hospitality industry we must do everything possible to prevent attacks like this from happening. made me become extra cautious about using my credit cards.

This article gives us a glance at six different technological trends being used and "revolutionizing" the hospitality industry. The six trends are cloud/software services, mobility, social media, personalized systems, integration, and globalization. The trends are all seen across the board in hospitality nowadays and are making huge changes in the industry. We have been talking about cloud computing and the pros and cons of using a cloud to store information and even with all the controversy, companies are investing and using the cloud. The use of tablets and smartphones has changed the way we interact with technology and the hospitality field is not staying behind. They are developing mobile sites and apps to help customers look at pictures and reviews about a place, check in and check out or make other arrangements. Social media is also revolutionizing hospitality by creating a reputation for businesses whether they be positive or negative. People can freely post about whether they enjoyed their stay at a certain hotel and helps build the online reputation of the company. In addition, more and more companies are looking to become more personalized experience. When I think about this part, I think mostly of the new systems rolling out at Disney World that scream personalization, guests can select their Fastpasses ahead of time, can use MagicBands to purchase things, get into their hotel, get into the park as well as to utilize the Fastpass system and every time a MagicBand is scanned at a touchpoint, the cast members know the person's name and whether they are celebrating something. With integration, customers and staff can access information from different departments all on one system and with globalization companies are trying to use systems that are global and used worldwide. 

Technological developments continue to have a great effect on all aspects of our lives, the hospitality industry not being an exception. Calum McIndoe in his article "Six Technology Trends Revolutionising the hospitality industry" outlines areas of technology that managers within the industry need to take advantage of. Cloud technology, though this concept is fairly new it can provide great financial benefits to companies as it cuts cost greatly due to the fact that it eliminates the heavy hardware requirements traditional technology offered. Mobility, the fact that portable devices can add a competitive edge to the service offered. Think traditional services being provided on the go away from a fixed station. Social; the popularity of social networking sites have changed the face of hospitality and tourism marketing completely. Properties are now forced to monitor social networking sites to learn about customer demands and to also learn about the image their company has out there and how they can improve it. According to Mr. "for any hotel to not at least monitor social medis is tantamount to willingly flying blind." Personalized systems; value for customers within this industry has to do greatly with the personal touch added to the service delivered. These merged systems allows properites to use data to ensure that guest needs are met. Integration; the joining of isolated systems used in all areas of operations on the property. The use of integrated systems allows for the pulling of data from the different departments thus ensuring proper management of services delivered and revenue management. Globalisation; It is important that hospitality companies adapt to changes and trends brought about by globalisation. Whether the current global outlook is taken into consideration when considering how a company operates can greatly impact the final product.

((NOTE: The author already highlighted the article in yellow when I found it, my personal highlighting is in PINK. Sections 5 and 6 are not highlighted in pink because I agree with the parts that the author highlighted yellow in those sections; Diigo toolbar will not let you highlight over something that has already been highlighted.)) This article mainly focuses on the technological changes in the hotel industry in pertinence with storing hotel information versus the traditional method(s) used by hotels that involved little to no technology at all. The article lists six different points or examples and states that businesses, especially small or upcoming businesses, need to follow by these six trends. The part of the article that stood out to me the most when reflecting on the lectures and power points for this week is the first trend. The first trend speaks about a "cloud" software (which I am not really familiar with so excuse me if my explanation is not 100% sound) and announces that "around 85% of the queries we see from hospitality companies and hotels include a serious look at cloud computing". The author lists a few reasons why such a high percentage of hotels are doing it this way. He basically says that you do not need special staff or special training to maintain the system; the system maintains itself so you can have more time to focus on your guests and trends in their patterns. Also, as far as the cost is concerned, "upfront investment is lower with the cloud as there are no initial hardware costs or associated expense…". Even though I am not very familiar with this service just yet, I like the idea of freeing up employee time to go and interact more with the customers; attending to the customers' needs is the most important thing in my eyes. The article goes on to list mobility, social media, personalized systems, integration, and globalization as all equally important parts to this revolution of technology pertaining to the hospitality industr

Summary: The variety of gifting options has grown from a simple plastic gift card to virtual cards delivered by email, text, debit/credit cards and more. The prediction for 2013 will exceed a billion dollars of digital gifting for the holiday season and continue to grow. Digital gift cards have made giving easy due to the convenience of redemption. Paper coupons have proven to be successful to draw in consumer activity, but the digital revolution in virtual gifting is expected to explode as people are so connected to their mobile devices. Even with the convenience and growing popularity of digital gifting comes barriers and security issues. Such issues include personal banking security and privacy. Some small to midsize businesses may not be able to participate in digital gifting due to cost barriers or lack of technology. Due to electronic process, paper receipts will be obsolete. Computers aren't perfect so how does one resolve dollar discrepancies. One benefit of virtual giving is the bar codes/QR codes. Companies are able to collect and retain additional information of givers and receivers by scanning the bar code/QR Code. Often people are reluctant to provide contact information, but in this case they aren't being asked, they have no choice. This is a benefit to the companies because they can make other promotional offers to engage and possibly retain both parties, thereby increasing sales. There are a variety of methods of virtual gifting and redemption. One example is Giftly. Giftly adds the value of the gift to the recipient's credit or debit card which can be used anywhere. This is super convenient for many people and they are able to choose whatever they wish rather than receive a gift chosen for them. This is certainly the digital age version of sending a check via mail to a loved one. Other corporate examples that have impacted the transition from plastic gift cards to virtual gifting are Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, Applebee's and Starbu

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.