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Can Disney's Magic Bands be Hacked? - MouseChat.net - Orlando News & Reviews | Disney W... - 0 views

mousechat.net/disney-magic-bands-security technology RFID hospitality security
shared by glope143 on 11 Jun 18 - No Cached
  • While it is still certainly possible to potentially clone a MagicBand (and thereby gain access to protected resources by impersonating the original band holder), the fact that the band operates on the 2.4 GHZ frequency inherently presents some challenges to any would-be malicious users. Admission to the parks is fairly expensive (Fig. 5) and the cost of the hardware required to conduct such a cloning attack far exceeds the cost of a legitimate day pass. For the attack to even be considered economical, the malicious user must clone many passes over time.
    • glope143
      glope143 on 11 Jun 18
       
      This paragraph brings up an interesting point when it comes to the security of Disney's RFID MagicBands. The primary information on the Band itself that could be most "easily" accessed if cloned is a ticketed theme park entrance. The author believes the chances of this happening are slim to none given the amount of theme park entrances that would needed to be stolen in order to justify the cost of expensive RFID cloning hardware. For arguments sake, should a hacker clone a MagicBands individual RFID code there are still a variety of hurdles to cross before being able to walk away unnoticed. Since every RFID code is individualized, should the Band that was hacked enter the the theme park prior to the duplicate, the duplicate will be stopped and questioned by security. There are also bio-metric scanners in the front of each entrance that require the scanned fingerprint to match that on file. Should the fingerprint scanner fail, a cast member with access to the original MagicBand owner's photograph will deem the duplicate band a fraud.
  • Part of the MagicBand system allows guests to make purchases with the band at specific registers provided they have tied a credit/debit card to their account via an external process. This can be seen as a very big convenience to guests who do not wish to continually use their cards to make purchases while in the parks, or for those who find themselves wishing to buy merchandise when they had not initially anticipated in doing so and do not have their wallet/purse/money clip in their possession. Yet in order to make purchases, a user must first swipe their band against a specially designed reader (Fig. 6) and subsequently enter a matching PIN number. Even if our malicious user had an RFID token that was a working clone of a legitimate one, it is somewhat unlikely he would be able to successfully guess the matching PIN number within a reasonable number of tries in one sitting before the cashier would begin to get suspicious.
    • glope143
      glope143 on 11 Jun 18
       
      One of Disney's star features for their MagicBands is the ability to go hands-free throughout their vacation by having everything necessary stored on one device, including credit card information. This gives guests the ability to make purchases across the Resort without the additional moral barrier of having to remove their wallet from their purse or pocket. Should a MagicBand be misplaced, or duplicated as in the context of this article, a four digit code is still required to make purchases with the credit card on file. This code is not available for viewing on the band and cannot be changed though any means besides visiting the front desk with property identification.
  • While multifactor authentication certainly adds to the security of the system in a significant way, biometric  hardware is not flawlessly reliable. Florida is a rather humid place [5] which inevitably affects the performance of sensitive electronic hardware like fingerprint readers. To address this issue and counteract the likelihood of the system presenting users with false negatives, it would be fair to assume that the fingerprint readers themselves are configured to fail open (ie, when in doubt, allow entry). This gives malicious users the potential benefit of knowing that they merely need to intentionally cause the reader to malfunction to be granted access. Social engineering could also potentially play a factor in the exploitation of the MagicBand system by using Disney’s own customer-service policy against itself. Suppose our malicious user is successfully stopped dead in his tracks at the gate. He has been beaten to the entry gate by his victims and has lost the calibration race; there is no hope the machine will accept his cloned band. Yet he scans it anyway, and is denied access immediately. He knows he will not gain entry, but he continues to scan it. The employees at the gate attempt to help him, scanning his band for him, fiddling with the machine, etc, all to no avail. Yet a large line is beginning to form behind him.
    • glope143
      glope143 on 11 Jun 18
       
      This article does a great job at playing devil's advocate in the situation of MagicBand cloning and creates a sound argument at what could happen should a hacker attempt to enter a Disney park with a previously used RFID code. As someone to frequently visit's the Disney theme parks, I would not be surprised if a cast member simply waved a guest through in order to avoid a line back up, especially during peak season times.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Despite the inherent arms-race between malicious users and system security mechanisms, overall the MagicBand system seems to hold up under scrutiny and is fairly well designed. The high cost of the hardware required to compromise the system via an RFID cloning attack combined with the multifactor authentication process provides sufficient layers of systematic defenses; even the most judicious adversaries may still fail to successfully thwart system security.
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What is Proximity Marketing? How Does it Work? - 0 views

www.avsystem.com/...proximity-marketing
shared by aquin206 on 20 Jul 22 - No Cached
  • Proximity marketing is a marketing technique whereby recipients are targeted with marketing messages based on their vicinity. Simply put, it’s when you send ads to people who are close by your venue
  • WiFi-equipped smartphone these days and logs into public hotspots, meaning that you only need the right software to collect customer data and advertise to them using your guest WiFi.
  • The way it works is that when a customer logs into your guest WiFi network, you collect data about their device (specifically the MAC number of the device), based on which you can “follow” the customer around the venue and later identify them when they return
  • ...24 more annotations...
  • QR codes
  • Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
  • NFC stands for “near field communication
  • pay at the store with your phone
  • QR codes are scannable barcodes
  • 5 proximity marketing technologies you need to know
  • An example would be when you enter a store and get a push notification on your phone with a discount for your shopping, or when you scan a QR code at an event to download promotional materials.
  • How to best use proximity marketing?
  • How does it work?
  • One of the easiest, yet most versatile ways to implement proximity marketing in your venue is to use WiFi.
  • This platform should have indoor positioning features, so that you can easily locate your customers, and WiFi marketing features, so that you can effectively communicate with them when they are nearby.
  • This is a somewhat antiquated method compared to the other ones we’re discussing in this article, but it has its benefits.
  • This solution has been making waves at various conferences and events.
  • it requires extreme proximity (we’re talking millimeter to centimeter range), so it’s less versatile than the other technologies discussed.
  • even though most people can turn on Bluetooth on their devices, they don’t necessarily do that. And even if they do, that’s only half your road to successful marketing with BLE.
  • Similarly to BLE, geofencing with GPS requires the user to turn on the location services on their phone, as well as have a medium of communication with you
  • What is proximity marketing?
  • sales
  • if you notice that someone visited your store several times
  • but never made a purchase, it’s time to act! Pop in their mailbox, offer a discount,
  • loyalty
  • behavior analysis
  • indoor navigation
  • gamification
  • mmdmd99999 on 20 Jul 22
     
    wifi, QR codes, NFC, BLE, GPS
  • ...1 more comment...
  • smend120 on 25 Sep 22
     
    This article discusses how marketing technology is utilized for proximity marketing. By targeting recipients with marketing communications based on their proximity, proximity marketing is a marketing strategy. It uses many technologies, like WiFi, BLE, NFC, or GPS, and can be done for a variety of reasons, including advertising, feedback, and customer service, to deliver advertisements to individuals who are nearby your location. An illustration would be if you scanned a QR code at an event to download promotional materials, or if you entered a business and received a push notification on your phone with a discount for your purchases. One of the simplest and most adaptable methods to use proximity marketing in your venue is through WiFi. You gather information about a customer's device when they sign into your guest WiFi network. Although a fairly outdated technique, QR codes have several advantages. It is incredibly simple, affordable, and quick to install. This compromises its effectiveness, although, for some applications, it will be adequate. The user is directed to a certain website by these scannable barcodes. At numerous conferences and events, the QR code solution has generated a lot of buzzes. Exhibitors utilize it to provide background information about their brand that cannot otherwise be given in the booth because it is so subtle and affordable. You can use your phone or smartwatch to make a purchase at the store using near-field communication (NFC) technology. NFC is less adaptable than the other technologies since it demands close contact and is not as widely used as WiFi or QR code readers. Although it's a less well-known technology, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) access points perform similarly to WiFi access points. Although the majority of individuals can enable Bluetooth on their devices, they don't always do so. However, you need a medium, such as an app that they have downloaded, and you need to put BLE beacons at your location to communicate with g
  • smend120 on 25 Sep 22
     
    This article discusses how marketing technology is utilized for proximity marketing. By targeting recipients with marketing communications based on their proximity, proximity marketing is a marketing strategy. It uses many technologies, like WiFi, BLE, NFC, or GPS, and can be done for a variety of reasons, including advertising, feedback, and customer service, to deliver advertisements to individuals who are nearby your location. An illustration would be if you scanned a QR code at an event to download promotional materials, or if you entered a business and received a push notification on your phone with a discount for your purchases. One of the simplest and most adaptable methods to use proximity marketing in your venue is through WiFi. You gather information about a customer's device when they sign into your guest WiFi network. Although a fairly outdated technique, QR codes have several advantages. It is incredibly simple, affordable, and quick to install. This compromises its effectiveness, although, for some applications, it will be adequate. The user is directed to a certain website by these scannable barcodes. At numerous conferences and events, the QR code solution has generated a lot of buzzes. Exhibitors utilize it to provide background information about their brand that cannot otherwise be given in the booth because it is so subtle and affordable. You can use your phone or smartwatch to make a purchase at the store using near-field communication (NFC) technology. NFC is less adaptable than the other technologies since it demands close contact and is not as widely used as WiFi or QR code readers. Although it's a less well-known technology, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) access points perform similarly to WiFi access points. Although the majority of individuals can enable Bluetooth on their devices, they don't always do so. However, you need a medium, such as an app that they have downloaded, and you need to put BLE beacons at your location to communicate with g
  • aquin206 on 07 Feb 23
     
    This article explains what proximity marketing is and five different ways it is used through. Proximity marketing is used through WIFI, QR Codes, NFC (near field communication), BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) Beacons, and GPS. In addition to going in detail about all those, this article also explains how proximity marketing helps the company. It can help by boosting sales, retargeting, building loyalty, behavior analysis, indoor navigation and gamification.
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Green Computing | University of Puget Sound - 0 views

www.pugetsound.edu/...green-computing computing; university; green Puget Sound;
shared by amoon008 on 20 Feb 22 - No Cached
  • Technology Services (TS) supports sustainability in several ways. Examples include: Purchasing from Environmentally Committed Companies Participating in Electronic Recycling Programs Deploying Virtual Technologies Limiting Printing and Recycling Paper
  • Responsible handling of electronic equipment is critical in order to minimize the university’s impact on the environment. TS purchases campus computers from Dell and Apple.
  • Dell also banned the export of their electronic waste to developing nations. They offer a strong trade-in program for used equipment. Dell focuses in every way on being environmentally and ethically responsible corporate stewards.
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  • Dell supported a multi-stakeholder group in developing the Electronics Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT). All Dell computers purchased by the university meet the EPEAT standard
  • Outdated Apple equipment is processed through Apple’s Trade-In Program, often for purchase credit. Apple either refurbishes the equipment or recycles it in an environmentally safe manner.
  • All electronic waste on the Puget Sound campus is recycled in one of the following ways:
  • Apple focuses on a comprehensive strategy for their machines, with specific goals for each phase of product development, use, and disposal. Every computer Apple sells has earned the highest rating of EPEAT Gold.
  • Other outdated equipment is processed through the university’s recycling partner, GreenPC Electronic Recycling. Such equipment is then refurbished and resold to other users.
  • By employing virtualization technology for servers and desktops, Technology Services promotes sustainability while also improving services!
  • Through PrintGreen, instituted in Fall 2012, students were allotted 750 free prints each semester - an amount that the majority of students did not exceed based on past usage records.
  • The ultimate goal of PrintGreen is to provide students with better information on the environmental impact of their printing and to promote the sustainable use of campus resources.
  • Recycling bins are placed prominently in all computing labs, Print & Copy Services, and TS offices.
  • amoon008 on 20 Feb 22
     
    This article talks about what the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA is doing regarding green computing on campus and how their students can also get involved.
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Greening your IT infrastructure | Green IT Best Practices - 1 views

www.appliedtrust.com/...reening-your-it-infrastructure green technology Hospitality software
shared by lvela051 on 07 Jun 18 - No Cached
  • Incident
    • lvela051
      lvela051 on 07 Jun 18
       
      Ways to make office spaces more "green."
  • going green makes good business sense because it cuts costs in many areas.
  • Many forward-thinking organizations have already developed strategies to incorporate green IT factors into their everyday business decision-making processes. Stretching far beyond just facilities and information technology, leading companies are creating holistic green IT plans that include the Finance, Purchasing, and even Human Resources departments.
  • ...29 more annotations...
  • Chances are that your IT department is directly and indirectly one of the largest power consumers in your company.
  • The benefits range from lower costs to happier employees:
  • Reducing environmental impact.
  • Lower operating costs.
  • Improved morale and workplace health.
  • Improved company image.
  • Lower capital costs.
  • Consolidate
  • Rightsize.
  • The five principles of green IT
  • use devices that perform more than one function so that you only have one device to power.
    • lvela051
      lvela051 on 07 Jun 18
       
      Multi-purpose device helps with reduction of excessive amounts of IT systems.
  • Virtualize.
  • Virtualization is one tool you can use to consolidate multiple workloads onto a single server while making it easy to move them from server to server in order to balance workloads or take systems offline for maintenance or replacement.
  • “Where to start?” You start by taking a baseline measurement of where you are today, making incremental improvements, and measuring the impact you’ve had.
  • Manage your waste stream
    • lvela051
      lvela051 on 07 Jun 18
       
      Always make sure to reuse before recycling. If it comes to recycling, make sure to dispose properly where no environmental harm is done to the community.
  • Your network connections (and power) come in at the top, meeting a core router that’s probably in your data center. (You may have a data center, or you may have a closet, but you probably have some place with a set of central switches, servers, storage, and backup devices). The tree gets wider as your network fans out to your offices, where you may have an IP phone and workstation in each office, plus copiers, fax machines, and printers in common areas.
    • lvela051
      lvela051 on 07 Jun 18
       
      Important to know how everything connects to be able to see what is really needed.
  • Techniques for greening your office space.
  • Use one PC per employee, and size the machine to the task being performed.
  • LCD monitors are the norm today.
  • Set up sleep schedules on your PCs and your monitors;
  • Consider the waste stream that office equipment generates.
  • Measure.
  • Measure your energy consumption
  • Set goals
  • Make incremental changes
  • Measure again to evaluate
  • Repeat.
  • Control.
  • Get Experienced Help.
  • lvela051 on 07 Jun 18
     
    The article explores the concept of "Green IT" to help reduce the amount of energy and e-waste and make it more sustainable. The five principles mentioned in the article are to: Rightsize, consolidate, virtualize, measure and manage e waste, all used to be able to operate a better IT system that works efficiently to reduce energy consumption. Also providing a visual representation of an IT infrastructure to break down how it works and providing ways to reduce power and purchase of each structure. Some ways mentioned where to create a new data centres, installing new printers and purchasing energy-efficient equipment to reduce consumption and also cost of energy. The idea is to become more aware of how to start change and be able to control and monitor the IT used to make it more sustainable and minimize "ecological impacts." Based on the article and the quick evolution of technology, i don't think we can stop the use of IT systems but there are ways to reduce and monitor the amount of IT systems. One point that was not mentioned was "cloud computing" which seems to be an effective strategy set in place to reduce the amount of IT systems used within business. Not only does it reduces the hardware costs but also saves energy from having several systems to locate information.
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Social, mobile marketing build personalization - 0 views

www.hotelnewsnow.com/...arketing-build-personalization social mobile marketing personalization
shared by Franc Pulido on 01 Oct 12 - No Cached
  • As travelers continue to demand unique, well-thought-out hotel experiences, hoteliers must keep pace with the speed of innovation to leverage opportunities in the mobile and social space
  • The mobile platform is an ideal channel to build loyalty
  • Travelers are making their decisions to buy a trip in less than 60 seconds
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Hoteliers must keep in mind that they have a short time to capture a would-be guest’s interest
  • Franc Pulido on 01 Oct 12
     
    Within the past few years, social media and mobile apps have become an essential eMarketing tool in the hospitality/tourism industry.This article discusses how the personalization of apps have provided hoteliers with the ability of targeting specific travelers and retaining them for future business. Consumer purchases are persuaded by rich,visual content in conjunction with word of mouth. Therefore, the combination of these features will either make or break the overall guest experience - since they may provide customers with the motivation to "click and book" or with the discouragement to purchasing the service.
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How to Compare HRIS Systems | eHow.com - 0 views

www.ehow.com/2223_compare-hris-systems.html hospitality Technology software
shared by Shiyuan Peng on 27 Nov 12 - No Cached
  • When comparing HRIS options, companies should consider the types of employee data and processes that will take place in the system.
  • Shiyuan Peng on 27 Nov 12
     
    According to the article, at first, every company has different needs. Some may require a system to handle payroll, while others may require a system to handle attendance or training. Secondly, establishing a budget is key because it determines how much money can be spent to purchase the HRIS. Costs differ widely depending on the number of employees and how much information the system will maintain. Thirdly, narrowing the list to four or five options makes it easier to compare those that have all the required functionality and are within the budget. Finally, companies should determine whether the system will be purchased using a site license or as software-as-a-service (SAAS).
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High-tech hotels a hit with geeky guests - CNN.com - 0 views

www.cnn.com/...index.html hotels software technology travel green
shared by Michelle Munne on 19 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • the Andaz hotels, guests are greeted by a host bearing an iPad,
  • produce a room key via the iPad en route to the room.
  • keys that unlock the room door when flashed over a sensor
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • to control audio and video and play files from their MP3 players or laptops through the room's 40 inch flatscreen TV.
  • investing in apps for the mobile market, which allow users to find nearby hotels and check their
  • which allow users to find nearby hotels and check their room rates.
  • Michelle Munne on 19 Jan 13
     
    Hotels have been lax on keeping up with the technological advances that have come about in the past few years. This article talks about how a few different hotels all over the world are starting to use these technologies to their benefit. Some hotels have hosts greeting guests with an ipad and making room keys etc.. while they have a drink at the bar. Others have given their guests capabilities to play the movies or music they've purchased on their ipad or iphone directly on the room TV as opposed to purchasing movies from the hotel. It seems like hotels are starting to grasp what their guests really want which is quick, paperless and technilogical convenience.
  • Michelle Munne on 19 Jan 13
     
    Hotels are catching up with the technological advances
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Hardware subsidies for POS systems? - 0 views

pointofsale.com/...subsidies-for-pos-systems.html Technology
shared by Dongyun Oh on 20 Feb 13 - No Cached
  • Dongyun Oh on 20 Feb 13
     
    Subsidizing a product to get a long-term use commitment from a consumer base is nothing new; it existed before high tech hardware was made affordable by software or service agreements. Think about the razors you buy, assuming of course that you're not a fully bearded male. The initial cost of the razor isn't all that expensive, but replacing the razors for a month costs upwards of twice the razor itself. And if you've shopped for a printer lately, you know the same strategy applies here. The printer itself isn't the greatest expense over the life of the asset; the ink, which is required and usually specific to the device itself, is where you will spend the most money. The most well known form of subsidization, or at least most glaring, comes from the coupling of cell phones and cell service providers. An iPhone, for example, costs a lot more than most people actually pay for it. The new iPhone 5, the basic version with 16GB will run you $649. Not to mention the cost of new adapters, chargers, cases, etc. However, if you commit to (or renew) a two-year service contract with AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint, the phone itself costs $199. How does this work? The same way the printers and printer ink work. The service providers (i.e. AT&T) subsidize the majority of the cost of the phone in order to lock customers into a contract that ends up costing much more in usage and data charges over the life of the contract. The idea is to make the cost of entry relatively cheap. Then, the cost the company loses at the initial purchase is recouped through purchases, or service charges, over the long term. Unscrupulous? Not really, although some would say so after receiving their phone bill. But that has more to do with not being aware of the stipulations of the contract you sign to get the cheaper phone at the outset. Although I personally find it annoying, I try to look at as something akin to amortizing the asset, and remember that, at least for me, a monthly fee
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Tools That Keep Online Customers Coming Back | E-Commerce | E-Commerce Times - 0 views

www.ecommercetimes.com/...55706.html tools technology software customers e-commerce
shared by cmogu001 on 11 Sep 16 - No Cached
  • More than 44 percent of firms currently use Web analytics to evaluate customer behavior, researchers found.
  • Companies personalizing home pages and delivering targeted content are the ones realizing the most value from their analytical evaluations, the report suggests.
  • 59 percent of industry-leading retailers list keeping pace with competitors as a top driver for their online initiatives.
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • Businesses will differentiate themselves on the uniqueness of their products, competitive pricing and the quality of their service operations.
  • As customers demand more from their e-commerce Web sites, their preference for consistency while shopping online must be satisfied.
  • What's interesting here is that 53 percent of best-in-class merchants list Web 2.0 technologies on their road maps for development initiatives in the next 24 months.
  • Forty-two percent of all retailers strive to improve data integration processes by centralizing databases and sharing information throughout their enterprises, according to the study.
  • Leverage the use of analytics to determine online customer behavior, buying patterns and habits
  • Adoption of online tools should facilitate interaction by customers -- e.g., interactive product imaging and site search.
  • Effective personalization and use of analytics as a dynamic function can lead to increased customer conversions, higher customer satisfaction and strengthened brand loyalty.
  • cmogu001 on 11 Sep 16
     
    This article expounds how customers demand more from their e-commerce web sites and how their preference for consistency while shopping online must be satisfied in order for any business to remain successful. The article points out and elaborates on how e-commerce is really an all encompassing strategy that companies could use to sell their products and services, both online and offline to potential customers. The article also mentions how consumers are more likely to purchase any products or services from companies that leave them feeling more informed and secure in their purchase decisions. Most e-commerce platforms facilitate the integration of multiple applications such as online storefronts, POS systems, real-time inventory tracking and customer analytics into a single management platform. Lastly, because online shoppers are empowered with an abundance of competitive advantages it is important for retailers and other hospitality businesses to strive to improve data integration processes by centralizing databases and sharing information throughout their company.
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The Independent Hotelier's Guide to Property Management System Selection - 1 views

www.propertymanagementsystemguide.com PMS
shared by ying jiang on 13 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • ying jiang on 13 Feb 12
     
    This article explain the importance of have the evaluation team to value the property management system before purchase.  A good property management system could help the hoteliers operate their property efficiently and make better business decisions. However, some hoteliers don't ever see the demonstration of the product, or purchase just based on price. 
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The Ecommerce Revolution Is All About You | TechCrunch - 0 views

techcrunch.com/...ce-revolution-is-all-about-you ecommerce technology Business revolution techcrunch
shared by Marla Baldomero on 02 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • there is a whole world of social data, and even more-in-depth purchase data that can be mined by retailers to help increase sales.
  • Personalization will be the differentiating factor in e-commerce and digital commerce going forward, especially for multichannel retailers and new entrants online.”
  • the goal is to be able to deliver personalization without being predictable
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • the toughest hurdle is to have enough data on an individual to actually help personalize the experience
  • There is tremendous potential in developers and retailers being able to mine this data from ‘boughts’ and wants’ as opposed to the open-ended ‘like.’
  • Marla Baldomero on 02 Feb 12
     
    This article discusses the importance of ecommerce becoming a more personalized experience for customers. It talks about how Amazon and Netflix do a great job in finding items their customers may be interested on based on their past purchases and recent searches. I found it interesting how social networks such as Facebook are being targeted to assist with ecommerce. Companies want to take what Facebook members put on their page and use it as data for when they visit their website. That way they already have some information on the customer before they even visit. Companies are being challenged in the way they maintain this data. Many companies are having issues figuring out how to store the data they receive from their customers. I think it's a great idea and absolutely love when online shopping sites show me items similar to what I was looking at. A majority of the time I click on what was suggested and purchase it or at least like it. I agree that ecommerce needs to become more personalized because it is the future of shopping. Many people are lazy and find it easier to just purchase items via the Internet than actually visit a store. The internet needs to find a way to provide that customer service feeling that customers are provided when they visit a physical store.
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Travelport agent survey finds support for GDS ancillary sales - Travolution.co.uk - 0 views

www.travolution.co.uk/...t-for-gds-ancillary-sales.html GDS ancillary revenue travel agents
shared by Melissa Krajewski on 04 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • Corporate and leisure travel agencies can expect more technology to help them sell airline ancillaries after a global survey found high levels of support for this service through GDSs.
  • Agents understand that as the airline product continues to evolve and ancillaries form an increasingly significant role in the purchase decision and buying process, travel customers continue to look to agents to support them in purchasing itinerary solutions.
  • Melissa Krajewski on 04 Feb 12
     
    This article discusses what travel agents think about the enhanced ability of both corporate and leisure based travel agencies to sell airline ancillaries because of improved Global Distribution Systems' technologies. Ancillaries are products and services that airlines sell to gain additional revenue on top of your ticket price. Ancillaries have become increasingly popular in the airline industry because of the sky rocketing price of jet fuel. To keep ticket prices down airlines are "unbundling" items from the overall experience. This presents them with an opportunity to turn a profit by charging fees for bags (carry on, checked, additional), on board food and drink, credit card purchases, headphones. It seems like everything you encounter from when you arrive at the airport to when you disembark the plane has a fee. This phenomenon is especially present in Low cost carriers such as Spirit, Air Tran, Jet Blue, etc. However there are consumers who disagree with this additional costs as is apparent in Southwest's continuous marketing campaign. I'm sure everyone has seen the commercials with Southwest representatives 'flagging' down unnecessary fees in order to promote their 'bags fly free' campaign. Anyhow the reason I am explaining ancillary revenue is because travel agents are now starting to sell more ancillary products such as hotel accommodations, travel insurance, rental cars because of GDS technologies. They can track the sale of fees through EMD (Electronic miscellaneous Documents) which is the current industry standard. In the article some agents state that the EMDs are hard to understand and use. I believe until the EMDs become "seamless and easy to use" there will exist some hesitation to sell airline ancillaries. However on the other hand the article states that Travelport is working towards a simple and uniform platform called Travelport Universal API/Desktop. Once this comeplete perhaps more agents will feel comfortable selling ancillaries. This is a goo
  • ...1 more comment...
  • Melissa Krajewski on 04 Feb 12
     
    Diigo keeps cutting off my descriptions... This is a good start to acknowledge the opinions of travel agents using GDS to sell airline ancillaries but the arguments were confusing and hard to follow. From reading the article I would address ethical concerns that airline agents may have in selling ancillary revenue for commission since 44% of those polled did not impose fees for attaining the additional products and services. I understand the airlines need to stay in business with the increase of jet fuel prices but there must be some way to avoid imposing the fees besides raising ticket prices and laying off employees (American Airlines announcing 13,000 layoffs).
  • Ligia Elizondo on 04 Feb 12
     
    I still remember when most airlines used to include breakfast or dinner for their passengers including alcoholic beverages well that doesn't happen any more. I believe when Travelport Universal Desktop becomes available it would become more clear to travel agencies the transaction process and for the consumers what products and services they are ofering.
  • Melissa Krajewski on 04 Feb 12
     
    I too miss the days of free sodas and peanuts. "Sigh-" sometimes its the little things in life that bring the most joy. I agree I think the new Travelport Universal Desktop will be a valuable tool if utilized correctly.
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TRUMP HOTEL COLLECTION(TM) Utilizes MICROS OPERA and MICROS POS at its Newly ... - 1 views

www.marketwatch.com/...ral-golf-resort-spa-2012-06-18
shared by Leann Taylor on 20 Jun 12 - No Cached
  • MICROS Systems, Inc. /quotes/zigman/75481/quotes/nls/mcrs MCRS -0.09% , a leading provider of information technology solutions for the hospitality and retail industries, is pleased to announce that the esteemed TRUMP HOTEL COLLECTION(TM) has selected the MICROS OPERA Enterprise Solution (OES) as its hotel management software
  • point-of-sale system for its recently acquired property, Miami's iconic Doral® Golf Resort & Spa
  • has implemented the OPERA Property Management System (PMS) and OPERA Customer Information System (OCIS) to manage customer profile data.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • individual attention is delivered to each customer from personal or grocery shopping to meeting planning and scheduling.
  • with our customer data integrated into the same system, providing a full view of our hotels and customers' information and preferences in one secure database
  • Over 330,000 MICROS systems are currently installed in table and quick service restaurants, hotels, motels, casinos, leisure and entertainment, and retail operations in more than 180 countries, and on all seven continents.
  • Leann Taylor on 20 Jun 12
     
    Trump Hotel Collection has just purchased Doral Golf Resort and Spa. To enhance the appeal and functionality of the well-known hotel, Trump Hotel Collection has teamed up with MICROS to gain outstanding benefits from their operating system and pos system. Benefits are having all customer data in one place while allowing customers to make purchases at ease.
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News & Headlines - Beverly Hills Hotel Celebrates 100th Anniversary with Bold Eco Programs - 0 views

www.elitetraveler.com/news_detail.html
shared by anonymous on 21 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • Included among the hotel's list of extensive green initiatives are participation in "Clean the World's" soap donation program, a Three Key Rating with Green Key Global's Eco-Rating Program, green purchasing practices, and energy efficient lighting upgrades.
  • This exciting time in our history has us further developing a program that aligns with Dorchester Collection's Corporate Responsibility model while remaining inclusive of components that reflect the unique heritage of our iconic property,
  • The hotel's commitment to green purchasing practices includes a partnership with Proctor & Gamble and ensures that almost all of our cleaning products are environmentally friendly.
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  • This, combined with a comprehensive recycling and composting program that includes E-waste items such as batteries, computers, telephones, radios and other electronics, yields a 92% waste diversion rate.
  • These efforts to protect the environment extend beyond the hotel, as employee teams support the California Coastal Commission and participate in Heal the Bay beach clean-ups.
  • anonymous on 21 Sep 12
     
    The hundred year old, Dorchester Collection's Beverly Hills Hotel participates in various green initiatives within the hotel as well as around the world. The hotel purchases only green products, donates partially used toilet paper, donates soap and amenities to local and global shelters and organizations. Most importantly they participate in proper e-waste of electronics.  I think this Beverly Hill Hotel sets a great standard for all hotels. Not only does their hotel practice green initiatives but they take that extra step and their employees participate in beach clean ups. 
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Get a Grasp on Guests with Hospitality Industry Marketing Analytics | MaassMedia | E-Ma... - 0 views

maassmedia.com/...industry-marketing-analytics-2 guests hospitality marketing analytics
shared by Yunfan Wu on 14 Nov 13 - No Cached
  • 55% of all leisure and business reservations are expected to be made online for 2013 (PhoCusWright), which means measuring and optimizing a hotel’s digital marketing is more important than ever before.
  • The average conversion rate for hotel websites is about 2%. In other words, approximately 98% of visitors to a hotel’s website leave without making a reservation. This suggests that the hotel industry could be doing significantly more to capitalize on visitors’ interest. It is imperative that hotels utilize the right data in the right way to paint a clearer picture of how their audience interacts with their marketing.
  • Hotel franchisors can also capitalize on trends in their data. For example, if there is a substantial increase in searches for a particular destination, brands can recommend that their franchisees in that location raise their rates because of the spike in demand. This could substantially improve the revenue that the franchise’s website generates.
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  • Many independent hotels haven’t implemented any data analytics on their websites. Without even a basic implementation, hotel owners are missing out on important insights about their clientele. For example, most hotels offer some assortment of packages to their guests, but if hotels aren’t using analytics, they can’t know which packages are most and least popular with certain types of visitors. By tracking purchases only, they miss out on seeing how many guests viewed the package but chose not to purchase it.
  • Similarly, if the hotel offers services like banquet halls or catering, web analytics can shed light onto visitors’ level of interest and the best ways to market those services online. Are guests searching to sign up for loyalty membership? Do they want to book meetings or events in a particular city or region? Are they more or less price sensitive? Analytics enables hotel brands to gather data that can answer these questions. If utilized correctly, it can be a tremendous asset to improving a revenue management and building a customer relationship management (CRM) system.
  • Yunfan Wu on 14 Nov 13
     
    The article give a specific description of the importance of marketing analytics in hospitality industry. It can provide a ways to better understand guests' purchasing and staying behavior, as well as audience engagement across a variety of marketing channels.
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Evaluating Hotel and Hospitality Management Software | By Ahmed Mahmoud - 0 views

www.hospitalitynet.org/...4067672.html software hotel hospitality management technology business
shared by delaneyverger on 27 Aug 16 - No Cached
  • The growth in the world economy and the hospitality industry has resulted in a clutter of new Hotel Management software companies vying to increase their footprint around the market. This has not only started a price and promise war amongst the new entrants, but has also been creating immense doubt and confusion in the minds of the IT Managers and decision makers in order to differentiate between many. Besides this, the assumption that the value of a Hotel Management Software is obvious and can be rarely defined either in abstract or practical terms fuels the confusion further.
  • For all hotels, resort or Inn and in order not to get confused when deciding to purchase any management software please consider the below 12 steps:- Select the Project Manager. Determine the budget and get sign off. Select the Evaluation Team. Define the property type and identify who the guests are. Identify business needs and identify guest needs. Drill down and identify specific needs in relation to the property management system. Research property management system vendors that offer the majority of features that match the needs assessment. Create a potential vendor list. From the potential Vendor list, break it down to a short list of 5 or less PMS Vendors. Arrange and participate in system demonstrations by Vendors from the short list. Make the decision. Ask for references and contact them.
  • Once you have a good business case with regard to ROI, conducting a TCO analysis helps to conclude the analysis. A thorough TCO analysis will pinpoint where the differences are in solution costs, over a multi-year timeframe. This two-pronged approach ensures that you will not only get a good return, but that you ultimately will work with the most cost-effective solution.
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  • In this rapidly changing industry, hoteliers should always look for property management tools that will ease operations, automate procedures, reduce the risk of human errors and give hoteliers enough time to attend to guests.
  • When evaluating the TCO of software, one should not restrict the calculation to the initial cost of purchase, but should also calculate the cost of managing the software to its complete life and should incorporate the following points in their calculations. Cost of initial deployment and employee training. On-going fees for maintenance, software updates and upgrades as well as help-desk support. Costs associated with downtime Cost associated with the business process re-engineering.
  • As technologies advance, the old clears a path for the new. Some individuals may be inclined to hang on to what they are comfortable with, but they won't advance if they don't make room for the best and brightest
  • delaneyverger on 27 Aug 16
     
    This article talks about how important software is in the hospitality management industry and the different types of software that particularly businesses may use to best serve their needs. Property Management Systems provide a whole host of functions for hotels, including keeping track of guests checking in and out, monitoring room charges, and supervising the housekeeping of rooms. Because this software is so vital to the hospitality industry, there has been an upsurge by software companies trying to make their mark in the industry, which has led to a market fragmentation due to the numerous options available. This also puts a strain on managers, as there is much confusion about which software is best and the most cost-effective. There is a system to determining which management software best suits any particular company. Two key features in this process are the ROI, Return on Investment, and TCO, Total Cost of Ownership. ROI provides a cost-benefit analysis of a particular software with regards to the speed with which a company will make the money back that they invested in it, as well as the numerous features that a company would need from the software. TCO is an analysis that companies use to accurately ascertain the costs of the software. Companies should seek a lower TCO and a higher ROI when making any software purchase decisions. Because the technology market is ever changing, companies must stay up-to-date with the newest software in order to provide the best service for, and to keep up with the demands of, their guests. This can be exemplified with the recent trend in cloud-based PMS.
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Green IT | Green Hotelier - 1 views

www.greenhotelier.org/...green-it green technology Hospitality
shared by galca008 on 07 Feb 18 - No Cached
  • With the world becoming ever more reliant on IT, from computers and laptops to smartphones, the issue of how you make it more sustainable, in terms of reducing energy requirements and electronic waste, becomes ever more pressing.
  • In 2010, it was estimated that 360 million computers were manufactured. A computer is one of the most resource-intensive pieces of equipment, requiring over 10 times its weight in fossil fuels to make
  • The production of a computer requires 22kg of toxic chemicals, 240kg of fossil fuels and 1,500 kg of water. 80% of life-cycle energy use is accounted for before we even switch a PC on for the first time. Computer Aid International About 2% of the world’s total energy is consumed by building and running computer equipment. BBC Office equipment is the fastest growing energy user in the business world, consuming 15% of the total electricity used in offices. This is expected to rise to 30% by 2020. In the UK, the cost of running this equipment is estimated to be around £300 million annually and rising each year. Carbon Trust 200 million computers and 550 million mobile phones reached the end of their life in 2008.  Computer Aid International 50 million tons of e-waste was generated worldwide, but only 13% was recycled. US Environmental Protection Agency Reusing working computers is up to 20 times more energy-efficient than recycling them. Computer Aid International
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  • A data centre is a facility used to house computer systems and their components, and it can be far and away the biggest contributor to an organisation’s carbon footprint. A data centre’s life expectancy is relatively long so it is imperative it is built to the highest standards in terms of efficiency as any excess energy use will lead to significant cost implications over the years.
  • 1. Build the most energy-efficient data centre possible. This will save energy and costs over its lifespan. 2. Only get the data storage capacity that is currently required and forecast for the lifespan. Many data centres have excess capacity that burns energy (and therefore costs) unnecessarily. Don’t have servers or equipment that will not be used. 3. Cooling data centres. Traditionally cooling has been done by air circulation, which is very inefficient. Larger data centres already use other technologies to cool more efficiently, such as water cooling. 4. Virtualisation technology. Improve your system’s resource utilisation through virtualisation technology. Virtualisation is the creation of a virtual (rather than actual) version of something, such as an operating system, server, network, etc. and allows a single user to access several physical devices on one terminal. A computing device dedicated to an individual member of staff or allocated for one software application is highly inefficient and expensive. Virtualisation consolidates resources, requiring less power and cooling. 5. Consider cloud computing. This is a location-independent IT service, typically available over the internet, where shared servers provide resources, software and data to computers and other devices on demand, increasing IT capacity and capabilities without an organisation having to invest in new infrastructure. Keeping data virtually, or “in the clouds”, means less information stored on IT systems and therefore less energy being used to run the systems. Systems such as BT’s Virtual Data Centre, a hosted data centre that enables businesses to create, deploy, monitor and manage their own service through a self-service portal, claim to offer savings of up to 40% of the total cost of running one’s own data centre as well as reducing the space required, the level of emissions produced and the power consumed.
  • 6. Measure and monitor power usage. Once you know what’s using the power, focus on why and whether it’s possible to reduce consumption.
  • 1. Upgrade. Before buying new, investigate options to upgrade with the latest energy-efficient components to extend appliances’ working life and efficiency. 2. Green labels. Look out for the certification labels denoting more energy-efficient equipment, from Blue Angel in Germany to TCO in Sweden and Energy Star in the US (see below). 3. Screens. Opt for flat screen monitors, which reduce energy use by over two-thirds. 4. Get the right equipment. Consider your information technology needs against the tasks required. For example, laptops may be a better option in some circumstances because they have been developed to be energy-efficient and generally match the computer to the task required. Remember: not all staff have the same needs. 5. Consider running costs. Look at the life cycle costs, not just the purchase cost. Take note of running and standby costs of equipment. These can vary enormously.
  • Top 10 Tips to reduce running costs of office equipment (source: Carbon Trust) 1. Computers. Activate energy-saving features. In fact, most office equipment will have these features, so make sure they’re activated. 2. Standby features. Introduce a policy to activate standby features, don’t assume employees will do it. 3. Turn it off. Buy seven-day timers. These can save up to 70% on energy costs. 4. Monitor and manage the equipment that is peripheral to computers, such as speakers, printers, etc. and consider installing intelligent switch-off solutions. Printers can consume 30%-40% of their peak power demand when idling between printing and standby modes, so minimising this can produce cost savings, reduce heat output and increase its operating life. 5. Educate your staff. Consider a screen saver with an energy-saving message. 6. Rationalise your equipment via networking to reduce the number of printers (for example) in any office area. 7. Printers Use only black and white for internal documents and colour only when absolutely necessary. Consider the benefits of inkjet printers v laser printers. Inkjet energy use is much lower than that of a laser printer. Encourage staff to use print preview functions. Set default printing mode to double-sided. Use lower-specification printers, such as inkjets, for internal documents and encourage staff to use these for day-to-day use.
  • 8. Photocopiers High volume copiers use more energy so should be used sparingly. Use low melting point inks (available from stationery suppliers). Encourage staff to copy in batches to increase standby time. Stick to black and white copiers and only use colour when absolutely necessary. Set default copying to double-sided. 9. Invest to save and purchase only what you need. 10. Don’t forget to motivate staff. Keep repeating the message of the importance of energy saving in ways that they can understand (for example, a computer monitor switched off overnight saves enough energy to microwave six dinners).
  • WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), or e-waste, is the term used for old or disposed electronic equipment. It covers both the toxic and valuable materials found in appliances. The most important lesson is to reuse, not recycle. With so much e-waste, and electrical devices such as computers and flat screens often being replaced well before the end of their shelf life and ending up in landfill, it’s imperative that the most is made of these materials by reusing them productively.
  • Options to investigate when trying to reduce e-waste are: 1. Can you upgrade your equipment with new energy efficient components? 2. Can it be used by someone else in the company? 3. Can it be given to a charity? (Note: charities must be registered to take WEEE.) 4. Will the manufacturer take back the old equipment and reuse parts in new products?
  • Developments on the horizon include: 1. Smaller, more efficient processors. The continuing development of microprocessors means a mobile phone can have around the same computational power as the average desktop computer back in 2000. 2. Memristors. Electronics giant HP is in the process of developing “memristors” (see photo above), which have greater memory storage capacity while requiring less energy and space. They are due to be on the shelf in about three years. 3. Specialist data centre design. Siemens recently launched its transformational Data Centre Solution, a groundbreaking strategy in data centre energy-efficient design and operation. It claims the system, which uses virtualization and efficient power and cooling, offers many benefits for businesses, including up to 50% energy savings through ground water cooling and IT costs reduced by 30%. 4. Outsourcing. Hotels of all sizes are starting to view IT outsourcing as a viable option to gain flexibility and reduce short-term costs and increase transparency of cost structures and processes. 5. Optimisation of resources. This will become a necessity either through virtualisation, networking or cloud computing. 6. Water cooling. IBM is currently working on a supercomputer that is cooled by water (a given volume of water can hold 4,000 times more waste than air), which claims to be 50% more energy efficient than the world’s leading systems. The Aquasar stacks many computer processors on top of each other with cooling water flowing between each one. IBM’s Dr Bruno Michel told the BBC in November 2010: “We plan that 10 to 15 years from now, we can collapse such a system into one sugar cube — we’re going to have a supercomputer in a sugar cube.”
  • galca008 on 07 Feb 18
     
    This is a great article that provides tips on how to use green practices within the IT realm. It starts by giving statistics on how much energy can be consumed by equipment, and also how much electronic waste can be done when not reusing or recycling such equipment. There is tips on how to increase efficiency with your technology and also providing tips on how to properly purchase needed equipment. Another set of tips covers reducing the running costs of office equipment and reducing e-waste by the 'reduce, reuse, and recycle'. Lastly, developments for green technology and equipment are provided for us. My opinion is that this article is very informative and should be read by all hoteliers to look into and apply the tips given. Showing the statistics paints a great picture for the reasons why we should be going green with technology.
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Environmentally Friendly Computers and Monitors Hit the Market | GreenBiz - 1 views

www.greenbiz.com/...puters-and-monitors-hit-market IT technology software business solution green
shared by kteme001 on 08 Feb 18 - No Cached
  • Compared to traditional computer equipment, all EPEAT-registered computers have reduced levels of cadmium, lead, and mercury to better protect human health.
  • EPEAT products are identified as EPEAT-Bronze, EPEAT-Silver, or EPEAT-Gold depending on the number of optional environmental criteria incorporated in the product.
  • EPEAT also makes it possible for individual consumers to review environmental considerations before making their own purchases.
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  • The three-tiered EPEAT rating system includes 23 required criteria and 28 optional criteria.
  • 100 representatives from environmental groups
  • “We recognize the potential human health impacts associated with the materials found in traditional computers. As a result, we are very pleased to be one of the first private sector companies to use the EPEAT green computer standard, in addition to other environmental criteria, in our computer purchasing practices.”
  • Having a consistent standard makes it easier for customers to evaluate the environmental features of the technology they purchase,
  • Dell is pleased to be one of the first manufacturers to register products with EPEAT.”
  • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, using very conservative assumptions, estimates that over the next five years, purchases of EPEAT registered computers will result in reductions of: More than 13 million pounds of Hazardous Waste More than 3 million pounds of Non-hazardous Waste More than 600,000 MWh of Energy - enough to power 6 million homes
  • kteme001 on 08 Feb 18
     
    This article talks about the efforts computer companies are making to reduce the negative environmental results of traditional technology equipment. There are more than 60 electronic devices from companies like Dell and HP that are becoming apart of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This is a funded project called EPEAT that has the goal of identifying environmentally friendly computer equipment that still outputs the same level of performance for the customer. This new "green" certification system even provides a list online of the products that meet the standards. EPEAT allows customers to rank computer electronics by their environmental. There are 23 required criteria and 28 optional criteria involved in the rankings. The optional criteria determines if the product is EPEAT Bronze, Silver, or Gold. These standards include having lower levels of lead, mercury and cadmium as well as being more energy efficient so they reduce emissions put into the atmosphere to help reduce the levels of greenhouse gases. These products are also more simple to upgrade and have recycled… businesses actually have to provide safe ways to recycle the products they sell when the customer can no longer use them. Manufacturers think having an even playing field for the customer to be able to view their products by environmental aspect is better and are proud to be apart of something so beneficial to the environment. The EPEAT program was expected to reduce 13 million pounds of hazardous waste and 3 million pounds of non hazardous waste.
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What Are the Accounting Procedures in the Hospitality Industry? | Bizfluent - 1 views

bizfluent.com/ures-hospitality-industry.html Technology Hospitality Accounting
shared by sliu043 on 26 Feb 18 - No Cached
  • Recording Revenue
  • For both restaurants and hotels, revenue is earned when the meal or the hotel stay occurs. It is important to note that reservations often include a deposit for the first night's stay.
  • Payments received for deposits are considered deferred revenue until they are earned.
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  • Costs of Sales
  • Common operating expenses in the hospitality industry are rent, insurance and non-client service salary expenses.
  • Operating Expenses
  • Non-guest and patron costs of the company are reflected in the company's operating expense accounts.
  • Major costs in the hospitality industry include costs of food and labor. Food costs, depending on the type of restaurant or resort, can be nearly half of a company's expenses. Costs of sales should be recorded in line with revenue recognized.
  • Capital Purchases
  • Industrial linen washers, stove tops, mixers and computers are all viewed as capital expenditures. These items, which benefit more than one accounting period, are recorded with a debit to fixed assets and a credit to cash at the time of purchase. Over the useful life of the equipment the item is depreciated.
  • The accumulated depreciation and the fixed asset account offset each other on the company's financial statements, so the equipments' value is always reported as cost less accumulated depreciation.
  • sliu043 on 26 Feb 18
     
    Not everyone may not familiar with the accounting journal entries that happened in restaurants and hotels since food sales and staying at a hotel are not quite the same as normal goods being sold in a retail sore. In this article, the author has introduced the accounting records and record journal entries which restaurants and hotels set to keep track of business transactions. The whole process includes four main parts: recording revenue, costs of sales, operating expenses, and capital purchases.
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Applying e-commerce principles to hotel websites | Travel Tripper - 0 views

www.traveltripper.com/...erce-principles-hotel-websites Hospitality e-commerce tech
shared by galca008 on 29 Jan 18 - No Cached
  • If hotels want to succeed in a digital economy, hotel managers and marketers will need to embrace the key principles of e-commerce and apply them to their hotel websites. These principles include user experience, conversion triggers, and the travelers’ booking journey.
  • One of the first major principles of e-commerce for hotel websites is perfecting the user experience. This isn’t just about having a pretty website—it’s about how the user utilizes and interacts with your website.
  • Mobile bookings have increased tremendously in the last few years, making it crucial to have a mobile-friendly website and booking engine.
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  • The power of personalization also plays a hugely important role in improving user experience. In a study conducted by Infosys, 86% of consumers stated that personalization impacts the purchases they end up making.
  • One of the biggest things that hotel e-commerce managers can learn from OTAs is their mastery of conversion triggers, which are powerful tools used at pivotal points in the booking process that convince travelers to hit the “Book” button.
  • increasing the desirability of a product and making it appear limited in supply is a powerful conversion tactic that helps drive more bookings.
  • Consumer confidence and behavior is also heavily influenced by social persuasion. According to Econsultancy, 88% of customers look at reviews before they make a purchase.
  • From the homepage through to the booking page, reviews are clearly visible and strategically used to boost conversion rates at every stage.
  • Direct bookings are the most profitable revenue source for hotels, so having a healthy direct distribution channel through your website is an important part of any revenue management strategy.
  • bdolman on 29 Jan 18
     
    I found this article very useful because it focus on the common complaint of hoteliers when it comes to paying commissions to OTA's. In order for hotels to attain direct bookings, they need to have a deep understanding of ecommerce and digital marketing. While online travel agencies (OTAs) have continued to flourish due to their understanding of conversion optimization and user experience, many hotels still have not adapted to this mindset. Therefore, if hotels want to compete and succeed in the digital economy, it is important to acknowledge key principles of e-commerce and apply them effectively to the websites. First, mastering user experience includes creating simple yet intuitive design including a clear navigation, easy to find information and a strong call to action. Next, constant A/B testing, which is a process that compares different versions of the same page to measure with converts best, helps hotels understand how to maximize the user experience. Personalization is another useful tool to elevate user experience, since 86% of consumers reported that personalization impacts their purchases. OTA's have been efficient in this area as they have been able to amass booking data and convert this to improve the shopping experience thanks to embedded cookies and marketing automation systems. Also, employing conversion triggers are powerful tools used at pivotal points in the booking process. Just as OTA's have been able to master these conversion triggers, hotels should learn from them to increase direct bookings. For example, creating a sense of urgency on the website, such as "only 4 rooms left", will appeal to customers. Social proof, which entails social persuasion, is a decision making tool, where customers can book their stay thanks to quick access to reviews. Best rate guarantees help boost bookings as well, since customers have the peace of mind that they do not have to sure elsewhere. Lastly, understanding the travelers' booking journey, such
  • galca008 on 05 Feb 18
     
    This article researched the efficient strategies that OTA's use when getting customers to book through their site. The purpose is to give tips for improvement to hotel websites so that they can use their site appropriately to drive more bookings directly. My opinion is that the strategies used by OTA's outlined in this article are a perfect direction for a hotels' website to configure itself in the most efficient manner.
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