Group items tagged

The nation's largest Army Reserve training post is "going green" . A new

Valued investors are seeking a sense of opportunity in the stock market and have found it in investing in technology firms. Many of the major and most famous names in technology are becoming a valued investment to big shot investors. The article relates back to 1999 and the 2000's, technology firms were not considered a valued investment. Today companies like Google, Cisco Systems, and Apple are yielding high profits, paying dividends, and have strong balance sheets. The author also points out the faults in investing in the wrong technology company. Examples like the Palm Pilots, Motorola Razor, and now Blackberry that are all obsolete or close to it.

With technology fast growing, it is because part of our everyday life in everything that we do. And as for the hotel sector, IHG wants to stay ahead of the game. On the verge of releasing a series of technologies to be used in its hotels, IHG is keeping customer satisfaction as their main priority. 

This article discusses how proximity marketing is a new technology trend and the many benefits it has for both the consumer and the business. However, there must be a balance. After learning about this type of marketing in this week's module, I wanted to do more research. This article gave three real life examples of completely different scenarios that show how well this marketing can work and how beneficial it is to the consumer. It is especially beneficial to consumers who like deals and who do not like to make decisions.

The article discusses the aspects where technology is applied in the hotels. First, it is argued that although the hotel industry is considered to be among the slow adopters of technology, still the hoteliers are monitoring the innovations that can increase their efficiency. With the millennials constituting more than a half of all travelers by 2025 the industry should be ready to accommodate their needs for effective service with the help of technology. Bookings are made not only through traditional websites or OTAs but also via Twitter or Facebook. Online check-in process on a mobile device allows the guests select the exact room they want and open the door with the keyless access without stopping at the reception. The hotel rooms design is also changing to provide high connectivity opportunities. Traditional phones are substituted by tablets enabling guests to control the room features and connect with the hotel staff if needed. Internet of Things (IoT) is also considered as a way to improve the guests' experience and hotels efficiency. Finally, every guest now may have a great impact on the hotels' reputation through the social media. I believe that the article highlights the spheres where technology is applicable in the hotel industry and emphasizes the technological issues that should not be overseen by the hotels in order to remain competitive.

Air Canada's new platform, NDC Exchange, which works outside of the GDSes, allows the airline to manage the way its bookings appear on travel agency registration systems. The system was created by ATPCO (Airline Tariff Publishing Co.) and SITA, the latter of which transforms the data while the former provides the data services that make it have the ability to run,. Recently, several GDSes, such as Sabre, Amadeus, along with other entities like Verteil Technologies, Serko, and more, have also began to utilize their own NDC Exchange program.

H.I.S., a Japanese travel agency, cut the amount of human workers at its Huis Ten Bosch amusement park, and its neighboring hotel, Henn na Hotel, significantly wherein only 1,200 workers still labor at the park while the others will be reassigned to other branches within the group. Instead of human workers, H.I.S. has replaced with with robots that handle a wide variety of tasks severely limiting the amount of employees that have to work there. Among the tasks that they accomplish, there is a program which collects garbage in the park, as well as cleaning and landscaping. H.I.S. also plans to add customer service robots, an electronic payment system (hoping to go "cashless" in the future), as well as a new wing to the hotel, that will be an energy-independent generator made from film-like solar cells and plant-based storage batteries.

Before hotels had the same number of tv channels, but now it's a race to see what hotel can bring more technological advances to the table to increase ROI. Hilton worldwide has adopted an AI-driven concierge in 2016 at a property which is powered by IBM Watson. The article also talks about 5 top emerging hotel technology trends. The first one is Smart guest rooms, the second one is obtaining more data, third is energy conservation. The fourth one is VR and AR which can show people special maps of guest rooms, while the fifth one would be mobile technologies, such as mobile key, room service request.

Airbnb wants to invest in Africa due to the many touristic attractions that bring in people from all over the world. Additionally, through this technology, they will boost people-to-people tourism in Africa, building a new economic engine for local families and their communities.

Innoviti Payment Solutions announced that it will start extending its cloud-based reconciliation technology to full-service restaurants, that need payments to be collected at a customer's table with automatic reconciliation with the bill. Innoviti processes over US$ 6.5Bn of payments annually from over 1000+ cities in India and is backed by major financial investers like Catamaran, India, Bessemer Venture Partners, USA, and SBI Venture Capital, Singapore.

This article talks about how Oracle has hired a new CEO who is trying to grow their hotel property management system (PMS). It currently has a 16% share of available hotel rooms globally. However, the article talks about how Oracle is facing competitors who are adopting cloud-based services with subscription models. Oracle is hesitant to do so because company executives believe that it will affect their hardware sales and upfront license fees. Oracle's customers also complain about the lack of integrating ability of their programs with other existing programs. The CEO says it is a priority that they improve on this but denies that there is a prevalent existing problem. The article talks about one of their competitors, Protel, which is actively using the cloud in its programs. Protel has become very popular because its open to integrating the cloud in their systems, along with other start-ups that have been successful as well. The CEO seems determined to defend the company and not admit it's defects. He won't even say he's turning the company around. He simply says that he is continuing to implement the same priorities that Oracle had before. This seems a little ignorant. But it was cool to examine how PMS systems with cloud integration have become increasingly popular in the hospitality industry.

This article explains how due to Covid-19 more and more companies for developing and investing in contactless technology for customer experience.

This article discusses the new trend of booking entire planes for private events in order to increase comfort and ease of travel for the attendees of the specific event. In the article, the author discusses a specific company called Freespeed that plans the entirety of the trip from the plane and pilot to meal and beverages been offered. This allows for complete customization of the air transportation experience.

The article talks deeply in NDC from the past to now and is very clear about how it works. NDC can help airlines to know the need for customs and without the commission. I think one day, NDC can instead of GDS, but it still needs to take such a long time.

In 2017, Shake Shack installed it's first self-service kiosk, but quickly removed it due to customers unsatisfaction. A year later, Shake Shack re-installed the sef-service kiosks, but also offered walk up cashiers for those that had trouble with the technology and also wanted to order with a human...plus now they could cash versus credit card only. With increased minimum wage, restaurant labor costs are rising so more self-service kiosks may help restaurants keep those costs lower.

This article is giving the reader a look into the new check in procedures being implemented by hotels across the world. This "speedy check-in" allows for guests to by pass the traditional front desk check in and instead opt for check in via kiosks located in the lobby or even checking in before arrival. The automatic check in trend began as a way to relieve guests from having to wait in long lines when arriving at their hotel to check in . The option for speaking with front desk associates is still there but would rather serve as more of concierge, with suggestions on restaurants and questions regarding any leisure activities within the city or hotel itself. Some hotels are also taking the approach of personal greeters who approach the guest upon arrival, making the check in process more like a welcoming into a friends home. Overall I love the idea of being able to bypass hotel lines, especially during holidays when lines tend to get quite long or when arriving to a hotel fairly late in the night. Being able to arrive and head straight to the room allows for smoother check-ins and more efficient use of front desk associates. The personal greeters also provide more of an at home feeling. Guests can feel like they are personally being cared for as opposed to just being another occupied room. 

As we move into a technology focused society hotel needs to follow the trend of what travelers want and how to streamline using technology. This article describes how hotels are implimating kiosk in their lobbies to offer their guest a quick and easy way to check-in without having to make the line at the front desk. The hotels goal is to leave the "hotel embassador" and/or front desk for guests that have special requests or questions about their stay. They reference a hotel in Boston that has taken the electronic checkin a step further. They email the guests prior to arriving at the hotel two codes. The first code is to be used at the front door to enter the hotel, and the second code to enter into their hotel room keypad. They interviewed President and General Manager of NCR Corporation's travel business about these types of services. He stated that they offer travelers the same speed and quick services as ATM machines at banks or kiosks at the airport for quick checkin. He went on to say that they expect that type of service when traveling. Mr. Craig even touched on how a travelers feedback is even more important due to social media. One bad review can affect the hotel instantly after they tweet, post, etc. In the article they also interviewed Glenn Haussman, editor of the online trade magazine Hotel Interactive. He stated that with the use of the kiosk and express check-in the front desk staff can offer a more personal experience by doing other tasks. For example they mentioned a late check guest might want a snack or something to relax after a tough flight. By the staff not needing to check them in can go get the guest a coffee, or something to eat; this making the experience feeling more personal. The article states the Hyatt chain has implemented their kiosk in almost all their properties in major cities. They still offer a more traditional check-in as well. They went on to say some chains are using greeters with ipads to check guests in as they ente

One investment that seems to be going well is the use of keyless entry at hotel properties. We already use our phones for more that just the traditional phone calls and texting, so might as well throw room access in there, as well. Hilton Worldwide has introduced this feature through their mobile app and they seem to have much success with it. They found that with this process being implemented, guests are at the front desk for less time and the conversations with front desk associates are "more conversational and less transactional". Hilton plans to expand this keyless entry feature throughout all of its brands through 2016, with more than 170,000 rooms expected to be upgraded. Of course, with it being a technology, flaws are bound to exist. The first fix that is being worked on is the ability to use the keyless system even in the event of a power outage. Also, properties are looking into how to go about extending the battery life of the technology in the doors to prevent any inconveniences for guests.

TVs are the largest contributors to electronic waste. Electronic waste recycling solution is urgent because the waste is toxic. LG partnered with Hilton Hotels for a recycling program to efficiently recycle their old TVs without sending them to a landfill or somewhere overseas. Through the program, recycled TVs were replaced with newer 43" Energy Star certified LG flat screen TVs.

This article details the technological innovation that Burger King began in order to adapt to the changing food service climate during the covid 19 pandemic. The article also talks about how Burger King is utilizing unattended POS systems as well as contactless QR code systems to add to the ordering experience and make guests feel safe at their operation. The article details that at the time, these technological innovations were somewhat of an experimental trial, however now it is much more of the norm.

This article emphasizes how imperative it is for hospitality businesses to stay on the cutting edge of technology as a part of their business design and strategy if they want to survive in today's competitive market and remain in it, in the near future. The author expresses that today's hospitality market is being driven by Millennials' "the largest generation in the country's history" who patronize businesses that are socially and environmentally responsible. Armed with this information to capture their targeted market, more and more hotels are now incorporating from inception within their physical blueprint infrastructure that is environmentally sustainable and cost-effective. As well as obtaining Green certifications and implementing sustainable software to reduce waste and minimize leakages. This concept has also been adopted by cruise ship operators to reduce environmental impact through the use of technology.

This article introduces the different initiatives that the hospitality industry is taking with regard to technology in order to align with their target market or a large segment of their market. As being perceived, millennials are sought to be the largest generation in the country's history which leads companies to infer that they have a massive amount of buying power in their hands. Hospitality companies are now making strides to become more environmentally conscious. Some of these initiatives is incorporating LED lights throughout the facilities to reduce energy waste and cut down on costs. Another initiative is incorporating new systems in the guest rooms that enhance the stay while keeping it green like systems that adjust temperatures in the rooms, remotely powered shades, etc. Other companies are even using systems as a tool to help track, measure, and reduce food waste for more sustainable and effective restaurant/bar operations. It is no secret that technology is ever-evolving, and it will continue to develop as new features are discovered.

Article discusses millennials as the largest generation in U.S. history, and the speed at which technology progresses. In addition to paying attention to millennials' purchasing decisions, other industries must also meet their financial expectations. Many brands are taking steps to become more sustainable in the hospitality industry despite its reputation for producing massive amounts of waste.