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This article focuses on the technology innovation regarding electricity in hotels. The article states that the total energy consumption costs for hotels will continue to rise. Luckily, there is an energy saving technology that is worth investing in. Cogeneration, which the article states is known as "combined heat and power (CHP), helps minimize the heat and power from a single fuel source". It takes natural gas and converts it to electricity. This helps the hotel use heat for areas of their operation. This technology supplies 95% of the electricity needed for a standard hotel. Besides helping the hotel's electricity, heat, and power system be more efficient, the CHP helps with financial costs. According to the article, investing in a CHP will bring a payback in about 3 years and this time expected to decrease. This means hotels will receive a return on their investment in a shorter period of time. In my opinion, this is great technology to invest in. It not only helps with financial savings but it is also better for the environment. The business will benefit from it because it helps with operations. Also, consumers will be more likely to want to stay in a hotel with an energy efficient system. It goes hand in hand with the Go Green initiative that has proved to be successful and consumer driven. In all, investing in technology is a risky business. For this specific energy saving technology, I believe it is worth investing in. The cogeneration would be ideal for "hotels with 100 or more rooms, high electric rates, hot water heating system, and high use needs".

In southern Africa the hospitality industry is shifting to become more green with the use of solar power and they aren't only doing this for the image, but because it return on investment is very fast and hotels can power many departments with the rise of new solar technology. Not only do they install solar power panels, they use a new technology that tracks the sun movement so that the panels are shifted so they can gain the most energy possible. According to one hotelier they are able to power their laundry and restaurant at 92% fully with the solar power created. This technology has many advantages as not only will it improve the image, it has a ROI within 5 years and the panels could last 25 years when running on 80% capacity.

this article is about the increasing demands of cloud computing, and is also leading to a rise in dollar spending. Remote working has been the drive for the increasing demands of cloud computing but as the result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the slow down of large business advising led project. The concern is that while the demands are going up, the actual growth of cloud computing is not.

The article talks about the use of GDS and its importance in the current Hospitality World. It shows a study which refers GDS as the most important booking tool for travel agents, citing record numbers in booking in 2017

Based on the reading GDS assist and has raise the profit margin for hotel across the board. Hotels are more profitable due to this feature .

This article is about technology trends in the event industry. It talks about what event planners are doing to implement more technology in their events; it gives examples such as audience using smartphones to interact during the meeting, events, conference, etc. Now event planners use technology to collect information in real time, which helps them to adjust their event at the moment, this is a very smart strategy.

This article contains information about the expected event trends this year that will possibly increase ROI. The list of expected trends all surrounded the technological advancements that are enhancing event planning. The advancements include the increased use of smartphones to conduct business. This technological increase will also reduce company costs. It is also expected to improve company value. I agree with technology improving company value. Technology is advancing majorly throughout the world. It is also making it easier for companies and consumers to interact. Smartphones, alone, are very popular in today's economy and are a great example of technological advancement. Being that people already use their smartphones to check emails, save event dates and contact other people (whether over the phone or by video), conducting business will be somewhat simple to adapt to. Increasing company technology to reduce costs is a good move. However, the companies should keep in mind that losing one cost will only open the door for another one. When dealing with technology, there are always risks (usually malfunction risks). So, companies should keep in mind that there is a possibility that expenses will incur for the technological maintenance that will be needed to keep the technology operating.

The Great Recession has been come to end point; therefore, expected corporate and event spend will begin to rise from 9 to 20 percents in next two years. The author has scooped out 5 major trends that will rapidly increase Return on Investment (ROI) for 2013 and future. 1. Smart Events will take center stage: in 2011, 205 million people attended 1.8 million events cost more than $263 billion in direct spending in the U.S alone. But only 25 percent of organizations see its effective, in 2013 organizations will choose smart event technology to help them operate more effectively 2. Automation will help event planners reduce expenses: Strategic meeting management ( SMM) technology can help event planners adapt to new methods to identify event-related functions and reduce costs. 3. Planners will achieve greater efficiency through solution consolidation: In the future, organizers will lay out their workloads by choosing consolidated solution, saving time and freeing up event planners to focus on making event better and well organized. 4. Event  organizers will engage audiences with smartphones: New all-in one apps will help organizer to provide all the information needed for attendee about the event. 5. Meeting planners will leverage technology to gather in-dept attendee information: focusing on the need of attendee is a crucial part of event planner, to be able to get requirement of attendee in real time will help organizer to adjust their plan, strategies on the fly and increase ROI. Increasing the need for events in 2013 and future requires event planner to be able to get familiarize with new event trend and technology to minimize the cost and maximize the ROI for an organization.

Unattended POS is growing global trend which industry leaders will soon have to adapt in their business place. Quick service restaurants are quickly adapting to this change as it reduces wait time and increase in customer return rate. Other key benefits for businesses are the decrease in labor costs & minimal errors when processing guests' request. Ideally, merchants must speak with vendors to customize the self-service kiosk and to ensure they are in compliance. In the end this will expand revenue and efficiency.

Unattended POS machines hit a global growth of $9.22 billion in 2018 from 2017, and is still climbing. The unattended POS machine has shown to be particular popular in the quick service restaurant sector. McDonald's has announced a plan to put 1,000 self-service kiosks in their stores per quarter. Taco bell and Subway have also announced they will be adding the kiosks in their stores as an initiative to offer a heightened customer experience. The machines have come with the benefits of reduced wait time and faster customer turnover. POS growth is attributed to aligning with today's consumers' expectations. Customers value their time and rising labor costs can be eased with the machine as it expedites transactions and covers tasks not relied on by human interaction.

In this fascinating article by hospitalitynet.org the future of property management systems and new technologies are discussed. New PMS systems are being developed to integrate other softwares to make the experiences for both guests and employees more pleasurable. These new integrations allow for better forecasting models, pricing models, and better guest satisfaction. The future is in artificial intelligence as hotels are now implementing the use of mobile phones for check in and keys, robots and chatbots to help check in guests and deliver them things they might need, as well as the use of technology like robots to help implement a 24/7 customer service experience. This technology makes it easier for employees especially for busy times and night shifts as well as robots can now serve the same purpose as humans in terms of delivering products and service. This leaves the simpler jobs for the robots and humans can now do more managerial positions and focus on customer service or help when in need.

This article is about PMS and how the rise of technologies will help the industr]y

The hospitality industry had changed a lot over the past few years. Innovations have changed how a hotel advertises to its customers. A new look at PMS will keep hotels on top of the technology game.

To summarize, during the projected period, the hotel and tourist industry is estimated to account for a worldwide distribution system market share. In 2021, the global distribution system [GDS] market is expected to be worth US$ 4.7 billion. During the forecast period, from 2022 to 2031, the global distribution system [GDS] market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.3%.The digital revolution has resulted in tremendous data saturation in many industries, and identifying patterns or trends to optimize business operations is expected to lead to an increase in the use of global distribution system (GDS) software across a variety of sectors, opening up new opportunities.

The article talks about the switch companies are making from in-person to virtual event platforms. With the current pandemic and the increase of remote working, virtual events are gaining in popularity. They are convenient and allow attendees to network and connect with sponsors, performers, and exhibitors digitally. Virtual event platform companies are using the cloud to integrate customizable solutions for clients. They are also engaging in collaborations and strategic partnerships with innovative companies to incorporate new technology solutions such as AI and Deep Learning into their platforms. This technology also enhances data collection from your attendees that businesses and organizations will use to identify consumer sentiment and deliver customized and improved solutions on future events. Vendors will use this data to develop new strategies for technology enhancements and modifications to their virtual content to adapt to businesses' changing needs. This technology isn't just being used in the hospitality industry. End-users in many different sectors such as banking, financial services, healthcare, and academia, are using this technology to stay connected for high profile meetings and share information to provide better research on COVID-19. These businesses are partnering with networking and connectivity providers to gain technical support and collaboration. This will be a trend that will significantly impact events in the hospitality field as it provides convenience for attendees and cost savings for the companies as they do not need to spend on venues, F&B, and hotel accommodations.

A recent study from Motorola, a part of Motorola Mobility offering business and mission-critical communication products and services to enterprises and governments, finds that IT spending in hospitality industry is increasing, mainly driven by the need to improve guest experience. However, hotel technology managers will face the challenge to convince the top management to approve investment in the latest technology. To overcome this challenge, technology managers need to present the business case for new technology procurement to senior management, according to Karnib The research concludes that smartphones, tablets and mobile applications are the new trends moving into 2012 in the hospitality industry.

This article is about a new application: Monscierge that launched in December for the iOS (apple) and Connect for the Android in January. The software allows all of the amenities of a hotel to be available to guests via smartphones. The app is completely customizable for each of a brand's specific hotels. This is an excellent idea for both hotels and guests with the recent rise in smartphone and tablet technology. Guests who may not be as comfortable requesting things in person or over the phone would now have the option to do so digitally. Research of 1,000+ hotels and resorts worldwide was conducted over 3 years and found that the majority of questions to the front desk, bellmen, etc. were related to: services, local information, and recommendations. This app seeks to improve that by making those inquiries easily searchable on a smartphone or tablet, also allowing guests to input their own comments. With this finding it should be expected this kind of technology would be very well accepted, which it was. In respect to benefits for the hotel the app is completely customizable down to specific hotels to suit their image needs. With the use of this application it would also allow staff to be more effective, negating redundant questions. By allowing guests the ability to send digital postcards bearing the hotels brand it gives the company more exposure. These benefits are significant for a company looking for new technologies to give them an edge The benefits of this application are numerous for both the customer and hotel. Hotels may also see benefits moving into future years with easier training due to familiarity with this type of technology and customers with easy-to-use technology. For hotels and consumers attempting to plan completely customized experiences, trip-planning functionality is built into the app providing many possible uses. This app to me seemed to be very logical in the current progression of technology. The majority of people today

"A New Meeting Frequency" discusses near-field communication (NFC) and its gaining popularity with the meeting and event planning industry. This form of communication enables smart devices to have communication between each other; one acts as the writer, the other as the reader. According to meeting tech consultant Corbin Ball, "NFC marks the next step toward a cashless and paperless society".  Barclaycard and Chase, just to name a few, have adopted ISIS Mobile Wallet which lets customers make payments and collect rewards. "Industry professionals are beginning to see adoption in interactive events and business-to-customer trade shows", and are present in some current NFC applications. Contactless payment, automated ticketing, social networking, exchange of information (maps, business cards), registration, attendance access and control are some of the major ways this technology is utilized presently in the industry. Usage is slowly on the rise, particularly with regard to corporate networking events, and potential is huge.  NFC technology is extremely innovative, saves money and can be a great marketing tool.

This article caught my eye because I think we can relate to the hotel projections for Miami this year. It basically states that everyone wants to be in Miami, and I can see why. I also agree with the topic the article touched up on: Miami is a melting pot. It is, as it states, a "...commercial hub linking the United States to Latin America..." I think that the rising tourism in Miami can help increase revenue and can eventually continue to market Miami is such a positive light. Yes, every city has its flaws but I think Miami will continue to bring in tourists and hopeful residents. 

This article is based on the new trend of traveling & what the travel agents need to stay aware of. Climate change and global warming is on the rise and the majority of the people are starting to make a change. Yes, people are switching vehicles to fuel efficient but are starting to recycle a lot more but people are also changing their traveling motives. Instead of spending a week in the sun at a luxury resort, travelers are wanting more of a cultural experience and yearning to learn about other ways of life. There is a shift in activities which people are starting to take up. A more personal and low key tour of a family or small village is the ideal excursion now. Travelers are also taking into account the carbon emissions they are producing while traveling to their destination. Traveling by train or boat is making a come back instead of flying or driving.

Here BusinessWire, via The National Post, discusses the Inaugural Conference for the travel industry's leading travel advisors. The conference was hosted by ULTRA Luxury Exchange, which is led by a staff of global travel industry experts with decades of experience in the luxury travel industry and event management. Behind the ULTRA Luxury Exchange, is Questex Hospitality + Travel who developed and curated the conference. Questex Hospitality + Travel is the world's largest multinational media, event and eCommerce company which serves the global and hospitality industry. The multi-day conference brought together the "greatest minds in the luxury travel advisor community," according to Ruthanne Terrero of Questex. New travel trends were discussed through key-note speakers, presentations and moderated panels. Topics included, "Capturing and Capitalizing on the Millenial Luxury Travel", "The Art of Customer Service", and "The Rising Trend for Butler Service in Luxury Hotels." The millenial generation was the main topic for discussion with a growth in buying power in the luxury travel industry. The privileged conference attendees will have exclusive access to the formal research presented in the conference to reference for the future.

Hotel wifi connection can be an easy access for identity thieves to stole personal information. Several surveys have show that there are many potential risks to get attacks through hotel internet.  WiFi Hacking Crimes Are Easy to Commit The security of hotel witless networks is a big issue and can be easily attempted by hackers. People may illegally use the internet access by staying in the nearby area of a hotel. Fake access point can also cause consumers in the hotel to lose their personal information such as credit card, banking or other confidential information.  The article also offers some solutions to avoid hackers. 

Reading your article brings us back to some topics that we covered in this weeks reading. The security of hotels is important in that industry, especially when guest give out important information. Like you mentioned for example, credit cards and other confidential information that hotels need and use to process the guests into the systems. It is important that hotels protect their guests by affirming that all systems they use are well protected.

Today's online space is more complex and more fragmented. There is a tremendous amount of growth in the mobile research and booking space, which in turn is leading to shortening booking windows.The rise in importance of the mobile channel garnered much attention at PhoCusWright. There are OTAs that are helping solve a problem hoteliers could not do on their own and there are OTAs that are maliciously attacking hotel revenue with large margins. Search-engine marketing, particularly with new parameters introduced by Google, is making it harder to promote and sell hotel rooms.