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During 2008, Ernst & Young has conducted a report regarding eco-friendly issue of hotels & resorts ' policies and practices in eight regions including: Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, India, Latin America, the Middle East, Oceania and the U.S.. According to the report, the "greening" trend has been a top priority of hotel industry; they are making development and operational strategies from time to time to maintain the sustainable environment around. Every hotel industry in the world share the common goal but the practice and government concern are different according to each region.  For example: in Asia, the "environmental harmony" has been implemented; China has set 10,000 hotels by 2010, and the world's first zero-carbon, zeo-waste city idea was developed in Middle East, etc. And the report has pointed out some key point for hotel industry to take into account for a green environment like: energy efficiency, conservation, management; or waste water management; or design for sustainability, or partnership for sustainable development, etc.  Due to the fastest growing of the green trend in all industries in the world, this report has been very helpful for anyone who are in the hospitality and tourism industry which believe green trend is a key point to not just to outmatch their competitors but to build a sustainability society as well. 

As the world is facing a numerous of impact which is mostly concern with sustainable environment. Being green is not just all about environment around the hotel but also cut many cost for a business as well. For example, replacing fluorescent bulbs, ceiling fans, linen cards, lights out cards, motion sensors for public rest rooms, meeting rooms have proven to a much lower electric bill. And being green will promote a health & wellness issue for all the guests, employee and community around; this will not only bring back your customers but making the employee enjoy more of their workplace and contribute more of their work.

In a report generated by Trustwave Global Security shows that about 94% of POS hacks are contributed by weak remote access. The hospitality industry seems to have taken the hardest hit. We know of the grueling schedules that come with working in our industry and how we all can't be there seven days a week. So when management are in the comfort of their relaxation area and remotely access the POS systems, they seem to be leaving the doors open for hackers to enter, as well. "In a breakdown of types of IT environments most frequently compromised, POS systems and assets were associated with 95 percent of breaches in the food and beverage industry" (Pham). One popular hospitality establishment that has reported a breach is the New York location of Eataly. The thought process behind why these hacks are happening has not been figured out yet, but the idea has been tossed around that it is because of the credentials used to remote access. The temporary solution is to create a double layer security system, also known as two-factor authentication. By doing it this way, you can log in using your credentials, but then have a second login that needs to be verified by way of sending codes and authentications to technologies that you would have in your possession (cell phones, emails, etc.) so no one else can access that information.

"A new report by Colliers International, has found that personalisation of Artificial Intelligence can increase hotel revenues by over 10 per cent and reduce costs by more than 15 per cent. The report which was conducted for Arabian Travel Market 2019, stated that hotel operators were expecting technology such as voice and facial recognition, virtual reality and biometrics to be mainstream by 2025. It added that further to this, about 73 per cent of manual activities in the hospitality industry had the technical potential for automation, with many global hotel operators including Marriott, Hilton, and Accor already investing in automating elements of their Human Resources." While automation is forecast to replace a large number of jobs, between 39 and 73 million in the United States alone, according to a study by McKinsey Global Institute, the report also stated that innovative technology would not be a purely negative disrupter. The report stated that looking to the future, the use of robots within the hospitality industry was becoming more commonplace with Colliers predicting the global sale of guest relation robots to reach 66,000 units by 2020. "Deployed to improve guests' overall experience in a hotel, these robots offer a range of uses from artificially intelligent chatbots designed to assist with the customer service process, through to robot concierge and butlers which have the ability to deliver luggage, handle check-in and check-outs and deliver meals 24/7 to guests efficiently," it said. It added that in 2015 the world's first robot-run hotel opened in Japan, saying that Henn-na Hotel featured a multi-lingual animatronic dinosaur at reception that helped with check-in and check-out as well as robot porters and a giant mechanical arm that stored luggage in individual drawers.

"Curtis stated, "Hoteliers have been cautious of technology taking away the human touch from the guest service and experience. However, by giving guests the power to choose every part of their hotel experience, hoteliers can learn the right balance between staff interaction and AI-powered, automated customer service."

SUMMARY: Hospitality is the business of selling experiences. AI innovations are evolving daily within the hospitality industry. Currently, there are innovations that offer guests the ability to express both satisfaction and grievance. The influence of these AI innovations and the usage of social listening tools are expected to become standard in a decade. An artificial intelligence robot may not smile but, it can recognize faces, remember names and most importantly remember guest preferences, characteristics and behaviors.

This article speaks about three big advantages on why organizations should consider having a human resource information system (HRIS). As technology grows, so have the number of organizations that have made digital transitions to their daily task systems. Which now should include HRIS. This system allows for individual employee and dependent contributions to be calculated and presented by the system, saving the HR department a lot of time. The system also helps with varies ACA reports, such as proof of health coverage and offer of coverage. As well as, track when they have been opened, or digitally signed. Lastly, the HRIS system contains various amounts of employee and plan data, which can be collected into a numerous amounts of reports. Overall, making it a much simpler process for not only the HR department, but also the organization itself. 

For recent years, the operators in the hospitality industry are looking for the suitable solutions that allow them to break down the tableside ordering barriers, such as the mobile phone-based POS. In the annual report analysis for the POS Software Trends, the hospitality industry takes a look at industry-wide innovation priorities for this system. Among the talking with the developers for the enhancements for POS software in 2011, many developers focus on launching new options for mobilize operators.In this year, social media, cloud computing and mobile solutions are the three top and will continually growing in 2012. A trend for 2012 POS purchasing plan is, more investment in the year ahead. It is a full reversal of the results of this survey. Greatest number of operators plans to add new functionality and features to their current POS software in the year ahead. A third of operators plan to expand the installation base of the POS software they currently use. Researching and testing new POS solutions for possible future deployment will be the focus for 20.5% of hospitality industry.

This article introduces the trends of POS in hospitality industry. It lists some data to show the hospitality operators consider mobile phone-based POS instead of tableside ordering devices. It also list the information about the hospitality operators plans to add new functionality and features to their current POS software.

The points of sale have changed over the years. The hard wires, all in one unit are being replaced by mobile devices. As the article mentions, hospitality operators have been looking for solutions to break tableside ordering barriers. After motorola released a tablet, the software community has been working in developing applications for both consumers and employees. The POS software developers are been asked about the improvement happening in the technology. Social media, cloud computing and mobile solutions are growing trends. Hospitality operators were asked which POS platform innovation are they looking for. The POS features in demand are: Online POS Mobile phone based POS ordering Enterprise wide centralized POS Table side POS ordering Cloud computing Software as a service Open source There is an increase in investment for POS development. The POS features purchasing plans: Add new functionality features and modules to POS Test and research new POS solution for possible implementation after 2011 Install POS on a wireless network.

This article covers a study performed on various hotels to determine management's level of IT knowledge and security implementations in relation to the hotel's IT security budget. The article discusses four types of technology impacting the hotel industry and how management responses to trending technology can affect a business, particularly in terms of a data breach and overall security. The study finds that an alarming percentage of hotel managers are not adequately informed on the risks and procedures of IT management and security, and many do not have proper IT security measures in place despite having an appropriate budget.

Accounting trends in the hospitality industry are always evolving with technology. Hotels are looking for technology that will catch their data and analyze it all while delivering it in a more user friendly app. Apps, Automation & Analytics are the A's of hotel accounting and technology.

Accounting cannot be without data. In my opinion it is mainly about data analysis. With automation and analytics, it will be more reliable and descriptive. Apps helps mainly in its portability and time efficiency.

The article talks about three future trends called A's - apps, automation, and analytics. It makes examples of their function and works. In my opinion, the A's can use in any industry, not only in hospitality. They can help us work more efficiently and shorter working hours.

This market report from Hospitality Ireland shares the story of CBE, a Dublin and Mayo, Ireland-based firm that is offering cutting-edge point of sale software systems to a broad variety of hospitality businesses as the Irish hospitality and tourism industries are experiencing a resurgence after several years of recession. CBE's flagship technology suite is the PAR PixelPoint POS solution which vertically integrates more than 200 information systems and solutions (e.g. kitchen order displays, online reservation systems, guest loyalty programs, online ordering, pay-at-the-table solutions, invetory/purchasing management) that would usually operate independently. The integration of all of these systems has allowed CBE to develop customized solutions for clients ranging from small pubs to restaurant chains and hotels. Their high-profile clients value the efficiency offered by the integrated systems. Because the systems responsible for monitoring and reporting in multiple areas are able to share data, the PAR PixelPoint solutions act as more than check-printers and payment-takers. They work together as an automated MIS manager. Cross-area reporting allows large, complex operations like "the Louis Fitzgerald group to make informed, proactive business decisions to drive revenues across their organization". The CBE systems are hailed as being intuitive and streamlined. Their customized service is also lauded, and they continue to innovate (e.g. cloud storage of POS data) in the interest of offering more robust, timely solutions.

This article describes accounting software functions within the Hotel industry. The article states that "Accounting software is used to track the profitability of hotel operations and identify trends in the hospitality industry". It is said that when selecting accounting software, you must identify what results you are looking for from the software; and also the functions that you are able to receive. You must also understand the needs of your property, and industry. The article also discusses various decision criteria, which is a part of the selection process. Some of these criteria's that you must look out for are: annual revenue, budget, location, multiple sites, national or international locations, in-house verses outsource operations. I love the fact that this article also discusses the functions of hotel accounting software. Some of those functions that were stated are: account payable, account receivable, and payroll. The article also brought up some trends about hotel and lodging accounting software. One of the trends that stand out to me was the fact that some companies hand over their entire accounting responsibilities to major accounting companies or, accounting firms; this is referred to as outsource. Having a accounting software is a very beneficial asset for a company.

The hospitality industry has had steady growth, with increasing demands for internal controls and financial accountability. Accounting software is crucial in measuring and tracking the hotel's profitability. Accounting software is used to track the profitability of hotel operations and identify trends in the hospitality industry. So it's important for hotel manager to choose the suitable accounting software. This article tells how to select hotel accounting system properly. Including the decision criteria used in selection process, areas of functionality in hotel accounting software and standards used for accounting and auditing in hotel industry, etc.

Hotel managers are often faced a lot of problem to deal with the accounting system. Now hotel manager can manage all of the accounting responsibilities by use hotel accounting technology. Using Web-based hotel accounting software can save your business money . The functions covered in all of the accounting systems.

Statistics on credit card fraud to support why PCI compliance is important to protect consumers

This article summarized the advantages and disadvantages of using human resource information system. An HRIS is used for employment actions such as applicant tracking, performance management, attendance, compensation and benefits management, work force analyses, and scheduling. A very popular use of HRIS is employee self-service. There are a lot of advantages of HRIS, such as it is monitored by qualified specialists who know technology and HR functional and tactical processes can manage compliance with federal and state laws, streamline processes for recruitment and selection, and produce analyses, data and reports for internal and external use. What's more, it is easy to use for qualification computer technology specialists, accuracy of information and the ability to perform HR audits using any combination of parameters. It saves a lot of time. The disadvantages included that HRIS may involve human error during information input, costly technology to update the system and malfunctions or insufficient applications to support the human resources needs. There should be a qualified specialist with human resources functional area knowledge to manage this system. The cost to hire an HRIS specialist may be far above the average salary for a computer technology specialist.

With the development of high-tech management system, HRIS is no long strange for us. The HRIS is a software or online solution to data tracking, data management, or all of the data needs of the company within the human resources department. The reason why HRIS is becoming  more popular is that it has some useful functions such as the employee self-service through which employees can find answers to common questions by themselves while not ask a human resources representative. This system can help to save time and money for the company in certain aspects. But in this article, the author compares the advantages and disadvantages that HRIS brings to the company.The disadvantages can be that it may involve human errors during information input, costly technology update and so on. So if a company wants to apply this system, it should also look at these disadvantages, compare them with the advantages and then make a final decision in order to avoid suffering from the bad sides of the system. 

The HRIS is used for applicant tracking, performance management, attendance, compensation and benefits management, work force analyses, and scheduling. HRIS can be also used for employee self-service. The human resources department staff can find answers to common questions they would have asked a human resources representative from the HRIS. HRIS has many advantages. It can help organization manage compliance with laws, streamline processes for recruitment and selection, and produce analyses, data and reports. The ease of use for qualified specialists, accuracy of information and the ability to perform HR audits using any combination of parameters. However, there are still some disadvantages, such as human error during information input, costly technology to update your system and malfunctions or insufficient applications to support human resources needs. In addition, the cost of hiring an HRIS specialist is also a problem for the small business.

ince its founding as a hotel management company in 2003, Ascenture Hotel Group has evolved into a full-scale development firm with 10 properties in five states and more on the horizon, including a five-star resort in the Dominican Republic. To meet investor expectations and track profitability targets, Moffa relies on Profitvue enterprise accounting and financial planning software from Aptech Computer Systems to calculate and communicate crucial business data on his assets data each day. Ascenture's brands include Hilton, Holiday Inn, and Comfort Suites. One reason his company chose Aptech is because Profitvue accepts performance data from all brands and systems, regardless of flag, and easily creates centralized daily property reports and consolidated financials and delivers them online or by e-mail. Ascenture's move to Profitvue also saves it money. Ascenture has only two people in its accounting office for all its assets. "Aptech creates a more efficient operation so we save about $80,000 in additional salaries," says Joseph C. Moffa, Ascenture president. Moffa's team monitors each hotel's operation against budget with a flexible set of metrics that show property financial health. "Our partners and investors are in business for a profit," explains Moffa. "A hotel is a different investment with a different return than an office building. It is a 365, 24/7 living, breathing business that never closes. We use Aptech to keep our investors and partners informed. I want them to be the smartest owners in the hotel business and understand how we manage their investments to increase value. We use Profitvue reports to show how we manage costs down to the smallest amenities." Profitvue also enables his management team to monitor property performance while they are traveling, explains Lisa Zifer Ascenture's director of operations. "Aptech makes our company and its services portable. We access data remotely us

This article points out that there is a big growing of mobile bookings in the hotel property management system market. Leading the way, mobile apps play a major role of making the successful business. So integration with major social media channels and customized marketing strategies will be more focused and improved. As the top two ranking in the vendor landscape report, Infor and MICROS both are doing such a great job for this. Other hotel property management vendors keep on an eye in this report as well and try to evaluate this to share the markets.

This article is about the innovation in the back office arena. When many managers are still doubting back office technology efficiency, at Tropical Smoothie Cafe, based in Destin, Fla. with 275 franchise locations, operators there are adding up money saved by setting up RedPrairie's Performance Management (RPM). Benefits could be like control labor cost and food cost, especially for those franchise companies with hundreds of hotels or restaurants throughout the country even the world, RPM will provide a complete compared among different locations reports in a few minutes. Besides, back office begins to meet iPhone, which make it possible to see real-time information about what was going on in the restaurants, including open checks, servers logged in or out and even sales for the managers. Another sign that technology is changing is the ability to combine accounting, inventory and point of sale into one solution without the old challenge of interfacing disparate systems. In a word, it is really convenient to get the back office intelligence.

This article introduced POS which is the tool to increase sales rate. The author pointed out that the POS management software can help the hotel analyze consumer demand and increase the rate of sales based on analyze. The author thought it is very easy to manage multiple activities when the hotel is small. However, if the business is big, then it is very hard to manage. The POS software can help for those businesses and it is very efficient in calculations. Also the hotel can make use of this software to get daily periodic reports. These reports can assist them to assess properly whether the customers are satisfied with their service or not. Based on the analyze, the hotel can make specific strategy to increase the sales rate and the system can enhances the customer service.

This article talks about one successful third-party property manager company Prospera Hospitality and the accounting system it chose Profitvue which is provided by Aptech Computer Systems company. Prospear Hospitality has 18 branded and independent hotels and resorts as customers, each one of them has different requirements, so chose a powerful accounting system which can generate all kinds of financial reports is very important, and obviously Profitvue system is qualified. Besides providing detailed and flexible reports, another success secret of Aptech computer Systems is Side-by-side comparisons. With the information of comparison report, property owners will have a idea that how they are doing compares with other peers and can also identify issues which put them on disadvantage positions of the industry. Another benefit Profitvue provided is its cloud-based feature. Small business owner can also enjoy excellent service of Aptech computer systems company although they may can not afford on-site system installation, by accessing Profitvue's cloud-based platform. Yes, another strong example that cloud computing is a growing trend.

Terrorism attacks on international hotels have turned the industry's focus on security issues. No doubt about it, both government and hospitality entrepreneur pay more attentions on security after September 11, 2001. It is important for hotels enhance security by using technology. Hotels use Vehicle Management System to tab all vehicles entering the property. This VMS also can be tagged with the guest information, drivers' information and vehicle number. Hotel should use the guest history modules to store the information about every guest especially for those 'first time guest'. The information includes the copy of passport detail of the international guests, guests' flight detail, an emergency contact number and copy of photo registration cards. The house keeping module makes report of Sleep-out guest. This system can share the occupancy reports and nationality wise occupancy report automatically with local police. Also the incoming call can be tracked. Hotel should have a stringent recruitment procedure in place. Hotel can use biometric access to restrict employees only allowed access their working place. The gate-pass system, vehicle management system and biometric access control system ensure only authorized staff and vehicles are allowed into the property. The online central passport and ID card verification mechanism can automatically verify the document against data available with the security agencies. The communication engine can send message to stuff, supervisors, in house guests and authorized external security bodies about the emergency like suspicious guest, fake passport and so on. Effective use these technology can save the hotels from the worse that can happened.

This article gives us some tips on how technology could help enhance security at hotels. By summary the article, we can find out that the technology can help enhance security at hotels in maintaining copy of passport or ID card of all guests, noting an emergency contact number always, storing data at an off-site location for easy access in case of mishap, installing a biometric access control system for in-house and supplier staff, scanning baggage and maintaining baggage count of each guest and cross-verify on check-out, and monitoring sleep-out guest report closely. By using these simple technology, hotels can save a lot, and make hotels secure.

The hospitality industry is hassled by the terror attacks at luxury properties, so it is important to use technology to protect the guests. A Vehicle Management System can be used to keep watch on all vehicles entering the property. The property management system is used from check-in to check out to verify the baggage and guests. A stringent recruitment such as biometric access can prevent unauthorized staff or guests step into the specific area. Also, there is an online central passport and ID card verification can verify the guests' identification and give an alert on a fake ID or passport. All these measures can help to prevent worst things from happening.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has indicated that the Philippines is lagging behind in tourism travel due the lack of business environment and infrastructure. There were four millions visitors in 2011 to the Philippines; but based on a Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report in 2012, by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) the Philippines is behind in tourism and one of the reasons is the information and communication infrastructure. It is behind countries like Malaysia and Indonesia ranking very low. The Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez, Jr. indicated, by text, that the figures don't match the growing tourist arrivals and they will improve their countries' competitiveness in all areas.

This is interesting since this country is very familiar with the English language, something Americans prefer when traveling, and the travel by Philippine Americans back to the Philippines is frequent for business purposes, but it seems that helping to build a better communication infrastructure is not on the top of there business agendas.

This article introduced the new website of the Four Seasons Hotel, what the new functions are added to the new website, and how the new website help the hotel attract new customers. There are some differences between the old hotel website and the new one. Six key features of the new website can respect the strengths of the new website which are Ease of booking, On the go, Access to review, Every property has a story, Location and Personalization. Four Seasons Hotel also unveils its Four Seasons Luxury Trend Report. Some of the insights from the report include: Luxury is back, Branding moves to the social sphere, E-commerce is king, The rise of the iPad. Nowadays, most customers choose to use website to get to know a hotel, so the website has a great meaning for the hotel. The website not only needs to have enough information, images, but some unique functions to attract customers and provide better service through the internet. Like the Four Seasons Hotel's new website, it allows for multi-destination, multi-hotel, and multi-person reservations, it will paint an authentic picture of the local culture, and it will collect guests' personal interests, related content and recommendations, this information will become available on a guest's next visit and over time, delivering a completely personalized experience. Four Seasons Hotel notices that E-commerce is the king, as Seventy-eight percent of the affluent participate in social networking sites, with more than half using social media to connect with a brand. The luxury consumer is increasingly going online to research and make purchases. It is important for the hotel the keep up with the latest technology such as the iPad. According to the Four Seasons Luxury Trend Report, One-third of wealthy consumers own a tablet or e-Reader. Four Seasons revenue generated from the iPad and other tablets has grown 200 percent from 2010 to 2011. The new technology has a close relationship with the hotel and the e-business.