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smend120

Benefits of Global Distribution System | GDS Booking System - 0 views

  • a central reservation system that allows travel agencies and their clients to access travel knowledge, buy and compare reservations choices and book travel
  • connects the travel service suppliers or vendors to the travel agencies in real-time, by providing a centralized service that covers the bookings of airline tickets and more.
  • The leading global distribution systems are Amadeus, Sabre, Galileo, and Worldspan.
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  • Travel Agencies have historically relied on GDS for services, products & rates to produce travel-related services to end customers.
  • The GDS system is one of the most necessary tools for the travel business
  • OTA (Online Travel Agent) can access the inventory of airlines in real-time. Users can book and process the travel offers that best work their needs.
  • Amadeus GDS helps to distribute the services in order that the audience or clients may get the specified result out of it. In the world of travel, Amadeus API Integration is one of the ancient and trusted technologies.
  • Galileo is one of the global suppliers of travel product within the world and that they currently provide the Galileo Global Distribution system. Galileo is an application program interface (API) that permits customers to make an interface like a website, connected to the Galileo.
  • Sabre Global Distribution System is one of the leading suppliers of travel reservation systems with over 55000 travel agencies. Sabre is an efficient and cost-effective distribution channel that helps airlines and travel corporations to extend their market reach to leisure and corporate traveler.
  • travel agents to search, price, book, and ticket travel services provided by airlines and tour operators. Sabre provides users with schedules, availability, pricing, policies, and rules, yet as reservation and ticketing capability for travel suppliers.
  • Travelport is a leading Global Distribution System, that operates in 170 countries including globally accepted and allows Worldspan and Galileo GDS platforms. The Travelport network consists of 400 Airline partners serving to travel corporations increase revenue, lower value and efficiency reach leisure and company travelers globally in each continent and channel.
  • Worldspan GDS System provides data-rich solutions that offer travel buyers and suppliers distinctive insights into their operations that facilitate to manage your travel business, reducing prices and improving revenues. Worldspan travel software acts as a single source for providing travel deals and information all over the globe.
  • he integration of Worldspan travel software permits the travel agents to boost the client's expertise by providing information like rates, inventory, discount and description that is finished on a real-time
  • market your latest sales message, special offers, and discounts directly to travel agents. 
  • A single global travel distribution system is connected through B2B, B2C, B2E and B2B2C websites.
  • OTAs have greatly improved the travel shopping experience & convenience for consumers and have increased pricing transparency.
  • GDS systems deliver worldwide data, rates, inventory, offers, real-time availability of airlines, hotel rooms, car rental, bus tickets, and many more to make the travel industry more informatics and sophisticated.
  • Benefits of Global Distribution System Global distribution systems are widely responsible for the growth of travel industry and stepping stone of most internet based travel services.
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    Global distribution systems work by connecting travel companies (airlines, car rentals, cruise lines) to travel agencies (online or human) who then connect with the interested traveler. By this chain, the travel agent is able to offer real time availability from the companies to the traveller. The benefits of this system are the ability to deliver tons of information direct from the relevant companies, it is convenient for those that use them and easy to track travelling trends and interests. To me, it works like a mass marketing strategy. The content is generated by the owners and instead of enlisting their own man power, they utilize the efficiency and convenience of remote technology to mass distribute. The intended consumer receives the information without ever having to think where it's coming from, but inevitably trusts its reliability. The productivity of this system is something that those in the hospitality industry cannot ignore because this represents moments of the first interaction between the interested consumer and your operation. In order for the information to reach them in a convenient medium. In summary, GDS's help information get from the travel company to the consumer everyday in real time via global networks.
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    Global Distribution Systems (GDS) are largely responsible for the expansion of the travel industry. They provide the foundation for most internet-based travel services offered globally, and they link the providers of travel services in real-time. To make the travel business more complex and informatics, the GDS system provides global data, pricing, inventory, offers, and real-time availability of flights, hotel rooms, car rentals, and even bus tickets. GDS enables travel agencies and their customers to access travel information, purchase and compare options for reservations, and schedule trips. One of the most essential tools for the travel industry is the GDS system. Global Distribution Systems are server-hosted web platforms that offer worldwide discounts on the booking of travel-related goods like airfares. Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport are the three main GDSs in the market, and they are connected to more than 650,000 travel agents. Travel agencies depend on GDS's assistance to maximize their own profits because GDS is a direct seller of airline tickets. To increase their revenues and their ability to offer tickets to customers, travel agencies enter into an agreement with GDS and gain access to a listing of fares.
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    " Benefits of Global Distribution System Global distribution systems are widely responsible for the growth of travel industry and stepping stone of most internet based travel services. Benefits of Global Distribution System for Travel Agents and Tour Operators GDS systems deliver worldwide data, rates, inventory, offers, real-time availability of airlines, hotel rooms, car rental, bus tickets, and many more to make the travel industry more informatics and sophisticated. How Travel GDS Marketplace Is Reshaping the Travel Industry GDS stands for Global Distribution System and it's essentially a central reservation system that allows travel agencies and their clients to access travel knowledge, buy and compare reservations choices and book travel. functions across the world and connects the travel service suppliers or vendors to the travel agencies in real-time, by providing a centralized service that covers the bookings of airline tickets and more. permits travel agents to access, in real-time, availability, feature and costs for airlines and extra travel services worldwide. The leading global distribution systems are Amadeus, Sabre, Galileo, and Worldspan. This permits users to buy tickets from various suppliers or completely different airlines. GDS can link services, rates, and bookings that combine a spread of products and services in travel sectors: e.g., airline bookings. Independent travel agents, travel agencies are now using an increasing sophisticated GDS system to seek out the best travel and accommodation and rates for their clients. Travel Agencies have historically relied on GDS for services, products & rates to produce travel-related services GDS system is one of the most necessary tools for the travel business the system will yield results with real-time pricing and availability comparisons There are 3 major GDS within the market- Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport here are over 650,000 and travel agents connected via a GDS system Systems enable users to bu
Donald Wojciechowski

Aloha POS System Review for Restaurants - Gourmet Marketing - 1 views

  • Aloha Point-Of-Sale software is one of the industry leaders in restaurant POS systems and most restaurant owners have some familiarity with the system.
  • Critics of the software feel that the costs are too high, and customers must pay for every upgrade.
  • Large operations and chain stores gain many benefits from Aloha software, but smaller restaurants might consider other options or buy limited versions of Aloha for their immediate needs.
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  • Most POS systems make it easy for staff to learn how to use them, but Aloha surpasses industry standards by offering more than 300 training modules to educate employees and management teams.
  • System tools track frequent diners, store customer-feedback information and analyze in-store and online ordering statistics to help managers craft better advertising campaigns.
  • Ordering strategies prove critical to restaurant success because perishable foods have limited shelf lives, and this software helps to develop restaurant specials to use highly perishable ingredients within acceptable time guidelines.
  • Faster processing speeds empower real-time seating strategies, incorporate customer requests and give more accurate waiting-time estimates.
  • Technology advances create increasingly affordable POS options such as wireless devices that might offer easier transitions for small restaurants. Many smaller operations find the cost of Aloha systems a significant obstacle.
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    This article gives a good short look at the pros and cons of the Aloha POS system. The system is one of the most popular POS systems used in the industry. Aloha is currently used by small independent restaurants, local franchises, and national chains. The system is said to be a blend of many systems. NCR recently purchases Radiant Systems the developer of Aloha. The system includes both hardware and software. Some of the benefits of the system include the large number of training modules. Operationally the system has a "intelligent tracking system including on-screen dashboards that update in real-time to assist in management decisions in both FOH and BOH areas". In addition, the system can "personalized service by identifying repeat customers, remembering their preferences and keeping track of VIP guests". Back office features that are included with the system are labor assignments and work schedules. The systems also can keep track of maintenance, cleaning schedules, and daily duties. On the management side the system is said to provide "complete system control". Some critics of the system say the disadvantages are that the costs are too high and that restaurants pay for every upgrade. The quality of service depends on the quality of the local vender. Hardware may need to be changed with new upgrades is software adding to the high costs than expected by customers. After reading this article my feeling is that for an small independent restaurant the Aloha system might not seem like a good choice after considering the total cost of the system. Smaller, less complex systems seems like the way to go.
Krystal Jost

Are Independent Hotel Operators Leading the Way in Driving Property Management System E... - 0 views

  • Maestro empowers hundreds of high-touch independent operators and hotel groups to grow their business and stay ahead of the competition with innovative technology backed by the industry’s most reputable Diamond Plus service.
  • Lodging Hospitality Management (LHM) uses flag-mandated PMSes for its Hilton, IHG, and Marriott properties, but it relies on NORTHWIND’s Maestro System for its independents.
  • Maestro empowers hotel groups with enterprise-wide system solutions that deliver true centralized management controls on a single database. This enables closer property coordination, cross-property booking and upsell capabilities, and consistent guest recognition at all touch points for all properties.
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    This article focuses on the benefits that Maestro (a property management system) offers to hotels and how it has been benefitting hotels that currently use their system, more specifically, smaller, independent hotels. Most chain hotels and large facilities are required to utilize a flag-mandated property management system. However, independent operators are not linked with these mandated systems, and have a choice as to which system to utilize. Maestro claims to offer Northwind, a service that allows Maestro to be utilized in a cloud-based system, enabling it to host multiple properties and save the establishment money by not requiring them to purchase servers and security, whereas a traditional PMS would have done so. The president of Northwind also states that they strive for their clients to succeed and that it is more of a partnership with those who utilize their service, and their goal is to make a hotel's operations more profitable and efficient. The article continues on to explain the uses and functions of the Maestro system, including being fully-integrates and offering operators loyalty program benefits and the functionality to compete with programs that were solely available to chains. It also tracks points earned and redemption stays as well for those loyalty programs, and claims to minimize errors and save operators money. It also allows integrations that provides social media outlets through the property management system, allowing the user to operate their business simultaneously through different systems. Maestro also boasts that the utilization of their property management system allows hotels to increase their direct bookings through the property for a lower cost than if they were to utilize a different system in which it was not flawlessly and seamlessly integrated with a global distribution system. It seems to be a property management system that enables users to complete many tasks at once, from one location, without having the hassle of
kteme001

I.T and E Commerce of Hospitality Industry - The WritePass Journal : The WritePass Journal - 0 views

  • There is a great demand for information from customers and hospitality service provider so hotel industry stared adopting computer based IT facilities to enhance its operational efficiency, control and reduce costs, and improve service quality
  • A new Internet-based procurement system which is considered flexible and user friendly has been implemented by IHG group. 
  • Problems with Micros 1)       When the systems crashes down then the checks has to be manually posted which is like duplication of work and time, there are even discrepancies sometimes and in that the company loses the revenue. 2)      If there is a crash, it needs to be done by the help of a main server computer. But if the problem prevails there is a need to contact the vendor for his service. 3)      The micros system sometimes get frozen which affect the overall performance of the server and the team.
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  • One of the key elements of this research involves the “user friendliness” of the system.
  • Technologies used at Marriott Hotel Company website Point Of Sale-Micros Property Management System-Opera Central Reservation System-Marsha SAP for accounting and Payroll Fire Panel Door locks CCTV Blue Cube -Time Clock (Employee attendance) Cetral Reservation System
  • Professionals want the latest technology at their fingertips, from fax machines to Internet services
  • The new system has enabled the IHG group for excellent quality control.  In this respect, IHG claims that they are able to obtain high quality products at low costs via the Internet.
  • Marriott’s early commitment to high-performance processing, scalable storage and business continuity made the transition to an integrated reservations/Web solution error-free.
  • Now is the time for hospitality companies to take advantage of the opportunities available in creating a new value added customized online travel shopping experience for customers.
  • This travel bot will create a custom experience that suits the particular customer needs offering a range of services including hotel rooms, restaurant tables, airline seats, and rental cars.
  • However, there is still much room for improvement in speed, reliability, and adaptation to new technologies
  • If data is managed properly, the technology can assist hoteliers and restaurateurs in projecting the lifetime value of guests, creating increased loyalty, resulting in an increase in market share. 
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    This article helps us to better understand the information systems being utilized, why they are important and what difficulties they bring about. In the Hospitality Industry, customer service is put at the top of the list of must haves. With customer service comes knowing information about your customer and without Information Technology services put in place, these expectations will never be met. Having a computer based IT is crucial because it allows the employees to work more proficiently which in turn creates a better experience for the guest. Multiple hospitality leaders have been applying fully Internet based technological systems within their organizations. IHG group has implemented an easy to use system so it is simple for every position within the hotel. For a company like IHG with over 500 hotels, it was imperative they eliminated the manual system to provide better quality control. Because of this system they can get better quality products at lower costs. Although this new system is much more user friendly, the overall cost involved is still not confirmed but this system is still predicted to have positive impacts long term. For example at Marriott Hotels, they use a company website, POS Micros, Property Management System and Central reservation system just to name a few. On top of stellar service and quick/ easy information submissions, guests are looking to have the best technology at their disposal to use. Things like computers with full internet access, printers and fax machines to make sure they can still be functional while displaced. An advanced system called MARSHA is being used as a reservation system and stores the rewards system information for Marriot guests. Micros-Opera is a popular property based system provider and has become common within the hotel industry. Vendors usually use this since it gives them the ability to connect to other vendor's applications. MICROS 9700 HMS is the most popularly used point of sale system. There are some
kelseybarton

What is Point of Sale (POS) Systems? Definition of POS with Examples - 0 views

  • A point-of-sale (POS) transaction is what takes place between a merchant and a customer when a product or service is purchased, commonly using a point of sale system to complete the transaction.
  • In its most basic definition, a POS system is a combination of POS hardware and POS software to create a POS machine for processing a transaction and payment.
  • a POS terminal is the electronic equipment performing the sales transaction and processing the credit card payments. Used in most storefront businesses, a computer terminal combined with the POS software helps to manage everyday sales transactions and operations.
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  • The hardware components bundle will typically include a POS terminal, receipt printer, credit card reader, cash drawer, barcode scanner, kitchen or bar printer (for restaurants), and possibly even an on-site computer server for older legacy systems
  • The primary reason you need a point of sale for a restaurant is to accept cash and credit card payments. In addition to receiving payments, you need to be able to track all your financial and tax data.
  • A restaurant management system is recommended if you’re a restaurateur and want to be competitive in the business. Many types of restaurants need to utilize a POS like full-service restaurants, quick-service restaurants, fast food, take-out only, cafe’s, pizza shop, etc
  • Recipe costing is just one example of features a restaurant computer system can provide. Some other features and services you’re going to need potentially are restaurant marketing, customer management, online ordering, loyalty program, server sales performance, new versus repeat customers, invoice purchasing, menu performance, employee management, and sales reporting.
  • The only negative to implementing a new restaurant management system is the training time and challenge of learning new software. But that’s only temporary,
  • The main features to look for in bar software is preauthorization (or “preauth”) of payments for tabs management, bar and liquor inventory and control, speed functions like reordering rounds, bar prep printing, fast checkout, and quality 24/7 support. For the reporting side, you’ll want to see your labor costs compared to sales, product reports, and all your sales and tax reports.Additional register features to consider for nightclub and bar point of sale software is employee management, inventory management, customer loyalty, recipes, tab management, quick reorder rounds, and quick customer checkout. Reporting is critical as well to keep track of your food and beverage taxes. Also, you’ll want to have online access to see your labor costs and sales reports
  • Retail businesses can have some particular requirements and features that other programs will not have. They can have retail shop features such as color and size matrixing, inventory tracking, employee commissions, gift registry, customer database, layaway, and purchase orders
  • If you’re not processing an enormous amount of volume and speed isn’t as critical (like in a restaurant or bar), then a mobile POS could be just the answer to save you some money
  • A cloud-based POS system is a point of sale platform that stores information on the cloud. Cloud-based systems typically don’t record much information on your terminal device. Instead, all data is stored in the cloud and synchronized across multiple terminals.
  • Nail and hair salon POS systems can sometimes crossover for other business types like barber shops, gyms, fitness clubs, beauty schools, massage parlors, pet grooming, tattoo parlors, to name a few. That is because these other business types will especially require an appointment calendar and may need retail functionality with inventory control, and not every software program has those features
  • In this POS guide, we discussed everything related to POS systems, including the meaning of POS, the definition of mPOS, what the difference is between a cash register and POS, how a point of sale system work, and the different types of systems with examples
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    (1 of 3) POSUSA had originally published an article in 2017 about the definition of Point-of-Sale (POS) and a guide to understanding POS more in depth. This article was updated in May of 2021 to represent the ongoing challenges in the hospitality industry due to COVID-19. The article begins by defining a POS transaction as "what takes place between a merchant and a customer when a product or service is purchased, commonly using a point of sale system to complete the transaction." The original idea of a POS system was that of a cash register, but what is in the system make up today is far more complex. A POS system and a POS terminal are one in the same, as the terminal is the physical piece of equipment that processes the information for the POS. The system is composed of many different components as with any piece of technology. "The hardware components bundle will typically include a POS terminal, receipt printer, credit card reader, cash drawer, barcode scanner, kitchen or bar printer (for restaurants), and possibly even an on-site computer server for older legacy systems." These systems continue to make advancements that evolve with the times and can keep up efficiently with the business they are working with.
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    (2 of 3) The article continues on to discuss the many different types of POS systems and how they can be used for different types of businesses. The restaurant POS system, for example, is the most complex POS system and is the most commonly seen system in the industry. Through the restaurant POS, a business can have a restaurant management system, which helps them run the business efficiently through features such as recipe costing, customer management, reporting, and many other features discussed. Bar, nightclub, retail, small business, salon, and spa POS systems all have very similar features, but are catered to each businesses specific operational need. Cloud-based and mobile POS systems are also discussed in the article as a way to store all POS information in the cloud. The advantages of mPOS were discussed in depth as this can be accessed through an application, making mobility much easier in our ever-advancing technological world.
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    (3 of 3) The article also provided an introduction of how POS systems work, as a basic understanding is necessary when considering purchasing a system. Through understanding how the POS system works, we see that a POS transaction is "simply any transaction that occurs within a business." POS payment is "when a customer and merchant exchange products or services completing a POS transaction aka point of sale purchase," which can sometimes be referred to as point of purchase, or POP. Finally, the article discusses how POS systems have played a role during the pandemic. While online POS systems have been used for many years to keep businesses on their feet, during the current state of the world this has become even more necessary. The article discusses how important it is to keep the payment process simple, yet secure so that the business may rely on this as a way to make income and customers can enjoy a seamless experience. This article does a very good job of explaining in-depth what a POS system is and how it is relevant to every line of business in the hospitality industry. As online sales continue to grow and as the state of the world remains uncertain, POS system popularity will only continue to rise and advance to create the best possible experience for both the businesses and consumers involved.
Theodore Moore

POS: Emerging Technologies | HotelierMiddleEast.com - 3 views

  • increase revenue
  • New technologies can only enhance these qualities, so suppliers are quick to incorporate new technologies into their POS systems as soon as they emerge in a bid to stay ahead of the competition.
  • shifting towards empowering the customer through iPad-based interactive systems and kiosk-based self-service systems
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  • More importantly, a good POS system is capable of improving the efficiency of the F&B operation and increasing the productivity of employees.
  • A good POS system should let you focus on your customers, not your POS system,
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    This article discusses how new demand of customers within the hospitality industry is driving current point of sale systems such as micros to re-term their systems to focus more on customers. It includes several factors that are potentially driving POS systems to be revolutionized. The possibility of POS systems becoming more "from the palm of your hand" is growing each day as more POS systems are converging with wireless devices. As other outside factors influence hoteliers to emerge and update their POS systems, the development and progress of having the most profitable POS systems requires close examination of what works best for each company. One example the article touched on was the change from regular cashier systems to IPad based interactive systems and interactive kiosks. In addition, the enhancements of POS systems overall seem to be increasing F&B profit-a section of the financial statement that was historically less profitable. As with all technology, It is best to refrain from making a large capital investment into emerging systems, starting slow and monitoring how the bottom line is increasing and specific areas such as Room revenue or F&B revenue is the ideal choice.
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    *This article has 3 pages* Once you scroll to the bottom you select 2,3, and 4
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    Such a great article I forwarded it to my client. Working in the corporate food service industry, my location lacks the technology of a POS system. Yes, we still use a Sharp cash regristar which makes sales tracking nearly impossible. The potential to drive sales with the use of a POS system and other technologies that continue to develop would be of great benefit. A POS system that tracked, sales, comps, discount, high and low seller would be great from the management side but a cashless system or a intergrated CC machine would increase speed of service thus satisfying the customer.
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    Excellent Article! POS systems are becoming more user friendly than before. The systems allow companies to track revenue and inventory at the same time. The Walt Disney World Resort tested a POS system that allowed hotel guests to simply flash their room key and the charges would go directly into the POS system then PMS. Hotels have added POS systems to spas, recreation locations and retail stores...(http://www.restaurant.org/nra_news_blog/2012/04/pos-systems-must-accommodate-new-secure-payment-technology.cfm).
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    Theodore your article proves a great point on the benefits of POS technology. Having a POS system adds more value that will cover its initial cost. Handles greater product volumes. Makes complex business logic possible. Provides more management possibilities of your daily operations such as sales tracking, refunds, time clocks, menus, pricing, revenue maximization, etc.Provides advanced functionalities such as reservation and table management for restaurants, hotels, bars, and any business in the food service industry. Realizes enhanced savings with greater efficiency. Delivers better workflow for staff. Improves customer service and increases customer through-put. Easily manage large numbers of customers and groups. Allows restaurant businesses to combine multiple services into a single invoice (hotel room, meals, events, services). Graphical management of store assets such as table, rooms, bar, etc. Delivers superior reporting and analysis features. Streamlines inventory management. Back Office integration. The purpose of POS system is to accommodate your employees and your customers. If you have happy employees this results in customers having a smile. You have to spend money (POS SYSTEM) in order to make money.
Hui Chen

What's global distribution system? - 5 views

  • A global distribution system (GDS) represents a computerized system used for managing different transactions within the air travel and hospitality industry. At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved. As a direct consequence to this fact, GDS’ were also implemented for hospitality industry use.
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved.
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved. As a direct consequence to this fact, GDS’ were also implemented for hospitality industry use.
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  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved. As a direct consequence to this fact, GDS’ were also implemented for hospitality industry use.
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved. As a direct consequence to this fact, GDS’ were also implemented for hospitality industry use.
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved. As a direct consequence to this fact, GDS’ were also implemented for hospitality industry use.
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved. As a direct consequence to this fact, GDS’ were also implemented for hospitality industry use.
  • However, due to the fact that GDS’ were originally created to distribute plane tickets, their database structure was specifically designed to store information about this product.
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved.
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved.
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and mor
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved.
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved.
  • However, due to the fact that GDS’ were originally created to distribute plane tickets, their database structure was specifically designed to store information about this product.
  • At first, GDS’ were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved. As a direct consequence to this fact, GDS’ were also implemented for hospitality industry use.
  • The first major impact that GDS had on the travel market was that the number of flights was increased. This led to an increase of competition and therefore travel industry prices fell. Travel agencies were accustomed with receiving a fixed fee (usually 10%) from everything they managed to sell, so once the prices started to fall, they felt threatened with the loss of their earnings. In order to counter this, travel agencies began to offer complimentary products such as car rental, hotel and other related forms of accommodation, bus tickets, vacation packages, yacht rides and even flowers and champagne. This was the first major step towards GDS’ being used within the hospitality industry.
  • As mentioned before, one of the first products distributed by GDS was hotel accommodation. Hotels have loaded the information related to their different types of rooms, description and price categories within the airline reservation system database. When this information became available online, thousand of clients started making bookings all around the world. This fact was advantageous for each participant. Hotels benefited from distributing their products to a larger audience, travel agencies had the opportunity of booking more products through their computerized system and GDS benefited from a growth in booking volume, which helped them to lower operating costs.
  • The first major impact that GDS had on the travel market was that the number of flights was increased. This led to an increase of competition and therefore travel industry prices fell. Travel agencies were accustomed with receiving a fixed fee (usually 10%) from everything they managed to sell, so once the prices started to fall, they felt threatened with the loss of their earnings. In order to counter this, travel agencies began to offer complimentary products such as car rental, hotel and other related forms of accommodation, bus tickets, vacation packages, yacht rides and even flowers and champagne. This was the first major step towards GDS’ being used within the hospitality industry.
  • The first major impact that GDS had on the travel market was that the number of flights was increased. This led to an increase of competition and therefore travel industry prices fell. Travel agencies were accustomed with receiving a fixed fee (usually 10%) from everything they managed to sell, so once the prices started to fall, they felt threatened with the loss of their earnings. In order to counter this, travel agencies began to offer complimentary products such as car rental, hotel and other related forms of accommodation, bus tickets, vacation packages, yacht rides and even flowers and champagne. This was the first major step towards GDS’ being used within the hospitality industry.
  • The first major impact that GDS had on the travel market was that the number of flights was increased. This led to an increase of competition and therefore travel industry prices fell. Travel agencies were accustomed with receiving a fixed fee (usually 10%) from everything they managed to sell, so once the prices started to fall, they felt threatened with the loss of their earnings. In order to counter this, travel agencies began to offer complimentary products such as car rental, hotel and other related forms of accommodation, bus tickets, vacation packages, yacht rides and even flowers and champagne. This was the first major step towards GDS’ being used within the hospitality industry.
  • The first major impact that GDS had on the travel market was that the number of flights was increased. This led to an increase of competition and therefore travel industry prices fell. Travel agencies were accustomed with receiving a fixed fee (usually 10%) from everything they managed to sell, so once the prices started to fall, they felt threatened with the loss of their earnings. In order to counter this, travel agencies began to offer complimentary products such as car rental, hotel and other related forms of accommodation, bus tickets, vacation packages, yacht rides and even flowers and champagne. This was the first major step towards GDS’ being used within the hospitality industry.
  • The first major impact that GDS had on the travel market was that the number of flights was increased. This led to an increase of competition and therefore travel industry prices fell. Travel agencies were accustomed with receiving a fixed fee (usually 10%) from everything they managed to sell, so once the prices started to fall, they felt threatened with the loss of their earnings. In order to counter this, travel agencies began to offer complimentary products such as car rental, hotel and other related forms of accommodation, bus tickets, vacation packages, yacht rides and even flowers and champagne. This was the first major step towards GDS’ being used within the hospitality industry.
  • Nowadays global distribution systems interconnect almost everything within the hospitality industry, from hotels to car rental companies and travel agencies. There are four major GDS available: Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre and WorldSpan. Some of the advantages provided by GDS are their availability (99,9% of the time), their response times (up to a fraction of a second), their multiple booking capability, as well as their top of the line architecture. On any given day, a GDS will be capable of accessing over 50000 hotels and approximately 1000 airlines. Through GDS systems, people are able to book various hotel rooms, tours, airline seats, cruises and even limousines.
  • The working idea behind a GDS is this: any GDS provides services to an electronic shop for all information related to travel and reservation-related needs. In other words, the GDS has become a very important distribution channel for any product sold through travel agencies. Basically, if a vendor wants to be sold through travel agents, he must be listed on a GDS
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    The first products distributed by GDS was hotel lodging reservation system, such as different types of rooms, description and price categories with the airline system. GDS has been increased on the travel market, such as number of flights. Travel Agencies (TA) also use GDS to offer complimentary products, such as car rental, hotel and other related forms of accommodation, bus tickets, vacation tickets, yacht rides and even flowers and champagne,That means, GDS has become more important distribution channel for nay product through TA. Also TA had more opportunity of more products their own system and GDS system from increase number of booking volume with lower operating costs. It was the first and major goals of GDS being used in the hospitality industry. Even though hopitality ingustry use GDS system, there are few problems, such as show only simple structure. For example, there are 4 different kinds od room and 3 categories od comfort, it means they have 12 different kinds of combination. Because of the GDS database structure, only there 12 combination could be displayed. It took a while to fit all the multiple types of comport rates, rooms and services in GDS standard database structure. Instead of choosing GDS system, they cans choose other alternative system with develop several computerized system to make a database structure closer to product specification. Nowadays, GDS using all of the hospitality industry from reservation hotel rooms to car rentals and Travel Agencies. Through GDS as globally, people are able to to book different kinds of hotel rooms in different destination all around the world, tours, airline seats, cruises and eeve limousines.
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    Global Distribution System were develop and meant only for the airline reservations. The impact of the GDS on the travel industry is that it increase competition, more flights were available and this reduce cost. With the increase and cost reduction travel agents start to see decrease in their earnings they received from airline sales, so with the GDS they were able to book other services such as hotels and car rentals with airline reservations. With GDS it is much easier and convenient to make a reservation from flight, hotel and car rental because everything is link together.
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    Summary of a global distribution system (GDS) A global distribution system (GDS) represents a computerized system used for managing different transactions within the air travel and hospitality industry. Historically, GDS' were only meant for the air travel reservations but as years have passed, GDS systems became more and more evolved. As a result, GDS' are now implemented for hospitality industry as whole. The first major impact that GDS had on the travel market was that the number of flights increased which led to increase competition among the players and this brought down the overall prices. The main purpose of a GDS is to provide services to an electronic shop for all information related to travel and reservation-related needs and one of the first products distributed by GDS was hotel accommodation. Hotels throughout the market uploaded the information related to their different types of rooms, description and price categories within the airline reservation system database. When this information became available online, thousands of clients started making bookings all around the world. This fact was advantageous for each participant. Hotels provided GDS with a challenge of fitting all the different sizes, styles, amenities, and etc. It took a while to fit all the multiple types of comfort rates, rooms and services in a GDS standardized database structure. A general strategy was therefore needed. Rather than loading hotel products inside the GDS, the accepted solution was to develop several computerized systems with a database structure closer to product specifications. Nowadays global distribution systems interconnect almost everything within the hospitality industry, from hotels to car rental companies and travel agencies. There are four major GDS available: Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre and WorldSpan.
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    Looking at these numbers it becomes very clear how important GDS are to the hospitality industry, more rooms booked means increased revenues and more jobs for hospitality professionals. I am sure that this technology will evolve and transform so it is important to stay current and understand how to get the most out of it.
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    What's global distribution system? This question is kind of cliché in our group, but this article gives a very good introduction about GDS and it's quite easy to understand comparing to many other articles introducing GDS. This article tells us: How GDS develops from being used only in airline industry to being generally adopted in hospitality industry; What is the working idea behind the GDS; Four major GDS including Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre and Worldspan; Advantages provided by GDS.
xsun015

The Future of Hotel Security - AOL Travel Ideas - 0 views

  • With futuristic systems like scent and iris scanners and digital facial-recognition, hotel security is being taken to the next level. #plain_module { width: 590px; height:170px; border: none; float:left; margin:0px; font-size:12px;} #plain_module img {border:none; width: 13px; height:14; border: 0px; margin:0px; } #plain_module .mini_main { margin: 0px; padding:0px; width:585px; height:220px; repeat scroll 0 0} #plain_module .mini_item_header {padding:10px 0px; margin: 0px 0px; font-size:16px; color: #555555; border-bottom:1px dotted #CCCCCC;} #plain_module .mini_item {padding:5px 0px; margin: 0px 0px;} #plain_module a { color: #49A3CA; text-decoration:none; } #plain_module a:hover { color: #F98419; text-decoration:underline;} span.gray {color:#949494;} .mini_main li{list-style-type: none;background-image: url(http://www.aolcdn.com/travel/bullet);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: 0 1px;padding-left: 10px;}
  • The new thing is contact-less Smartcards and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) cards that need just be waved to allow room access.
  • But travelers worried they will constantly have to traipse back to reception every time they lose their card need not despair. Security systems in some hotels do away with cards altogether.
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  • "I think that you will begin to see more hotels going to RFID and smartphone entry before using biosystem recognition," says Wolfe. "These systems are expensive, and there are many consumers who just don't want this information stored somewhere -- for a variety of reasons."
  • Systems that track the other qualities that make each human unique are in development as well.
  • Yet more card-free security systems are on the way.
  • Many industry watchers are keeping an eye on Houston's largest hotel, the vast 1,200-room Hilton Americas–Houston. The hotel has a facial recognition system that can identify and track guests, employees, and even suitcases. With 700 employees and an annual $16 million payroll, the system offers benefits such as employee time-theft monitoring and prevention for the hotel. But travelers aren't that concerned about employees taking an extra cigarette break. What it means for you is that the system includes alerts if unwanted people are on the property and a response time of mere seconds if there's an incident. Customer service is heightened as well: Returning guests will be recognized and greeted by name. And with 1,200 rooms worth of luggage in transit, the system makes it a lot easier to find lost or misdirected bags.
  • not everyone wants to be on-camera, all the time. With concerns about "snooping" and a Truman Show-like lack of privacy, might guests feel that systems such as this are too intrusive in our hotels? "
  • Technology is opening new doors to hotel safety, and the way we navigate hotels is set to change in the blink of an eye. Or the swipe of a cellphone. Or the print of a finger. With futuristic systems like scent and iris scanners and digital facial-recognition, hotel security is being taken to the next level. #plain_module { width: 590px; height:170px; border: none; float:left; margin:0px; font-size:12px;} #plain_module img {border:none; width: 13px; height:14; border: 0px; margin:0px; } #plain_module .mini_main { margin: 0px; padding:0px; width:585px; height:220px; repeat scroll 0 0} #plain_module .mini_item_header {padding:10px 0px; margin: 0px 0px; font-size:16px; color: #555555; border-bottom:1px dotted #CCCCCC;} #plain_module .mini_item {padding:5px 0px; margin: 0px 0px;} #plain_module a { color: #49A3CA; text-decoration:none; } #plain_module a:hover { color: #F98419; text-decoration:underline;} span.gray {color:#949494;} .mini_main li{list-style-type: none;background-image: url(http://www.aolcdn.com/travel/bullet);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: 0 1px;padding-left: 10px;} Those plastic key cards that once seemed so innovative will soon go the way of the actual key. The new thing is contact-less Smartcards and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) cards that need just be waved to allow room access. Much like the cruise world's one card system, these cards may soon make hotel stays easier by allowing guests to pay for services, as well as to check-in and check-out, through a single device. Travelers may even be able to save preferences on the cards, from pillow type to floor choice. RFID cards are already in use at New York's Plaza Hotel, and Starwood Hotels are considering introducing them into their hip Aloft and Element properties. But travelers worried they will constantly have to traipse back to reception every time they lose their card need not despair. Security systems in some hotels do away with cards altogether. "In addition to Radio Frequency Identification, there are also systems that use a smartphone, such as an iPhone," says Frank Wolfe, CEO of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals. "When a guest checks into a hotel and provides their phone number, they get an encrypted sound code via text message." You can then play back the code to unlock your room door.
  • Systems that track the other qualities that make each human unique are in development as well. Movement-activated video-capture systems were showcased in New Zealand in September 2010. Researchers are at work on devices capable of recognizing an individual's gait or walk and even their DNA. Frank Wolfe says, "If you want to go 'way out there', there are some systems being explored that can allegedly sniff someone, and also systems that can recognize the pattern of blood veins on a human being which are apparently unique to the individual," says Wolfe. Quite common in Japan, vascular-recognition systems such as this are still "several years off," according to Wolfe. "I think that you will begin to see more hotels going to RFID and smartphone entry before using biosystem recognition," says Wolfe. "These systems are expensive, and there are many consumers who just don't want this information stored somewhere -- for a variety of reasons."
    • xsun015
       
      Nowadays, more and more hotels pay attention to IT security. They use high technology security equipment to protect the security of hotel and customers. These equipments will record every details about the hotel and customers. One one hand, this is a way to protect the security of the hotel. But they forget to care about the customers' feeling. Not all customers like it. Some customers want to protect their privacy. So I think that hotel needs to  consider the boundary about the hotel security. Keep the benefit and privacy for the customer. Then compare all the security devices, which is the best.
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    This article is about the advanced hotel security achieved through improved technology. Today's hotels tend to integrate the existing technology with high-tech methods, such as iris scanners and digital facial-recognition, to increase security. There are newly introduced contact-less Smartcards and RFID cards. These cards enable people not only to pay for service but also check-in and check-out on a cruise ship. Thus, there is double security system that uses their Smartphone to unlock the door in addition to RFID cards. Even, card-free security systems like finger print entry system and an iris scanner are in progress. These systems are developed for providing guests as well as increasing their property security by identifying employees. Moreover, a camera system that verifies individual's identity through tracking the human unique characteristics like a gait, walk, and DNA is being developed. However, any novelty and valuable technology is useless, if the consumers do not accept. Therefore, considering guest's unwillingness, hotels are going to employ RFID or Smartphone entry system first, not biometric systems. Lastly, the low tech, such as hotel staffs who get in-depth training and awareness of guests and staff and your fellow travelers who are interdependent on one another, is one of the greatest security measures in addition to biometric and high-tech method ironically.
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    The hotel security will be raised to a new and next level with s lot of new technology. The plastic key will be innovated to smartcard with RFID. By usting the smartcard, the customer can stay easier by using it to check in or check out, also to choose the type of the pillow. Also, without the smartcard, the smartphone also can be that role and will become more popular and more easier. The card free security systems are on the way. The fingerprint may be used to enter the room. The Houston's largest hotel has a facial recognition that can identify and track guests and employees. This system will improve the security and the business. However, not everyone wants to be on camera, it sometimes depends on the background of the customers. New security measures will become such a part of our daily life that they will become the norm. One of the greatest security measures of late is actually low tech.
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    The article highlighted reports the advancements in technology in the hospitality industry. These technologies are presented as security features as well. The highlights are about RFID cards, biometrics, hand scanners, iris scanners, facial recognition and even veins scanners. RFID cards is presented also as a security feature, however, it may give margin to a lot of fraud. Facial recognition systems are presented with a lot of emphasis and could be a great security feature if monitored for unwanted people. Some hotels have introduced iris scanners for special rooms such as presidential suites. Biometrics are being installed in hotels where your key card or credit card is replaced by your fingerprint. In order to add security, these hotels have added a password after fingerprints are placed on the reader. This extra security step will change consumer's perspective and maybe increase acceptance. The author also mentions that customers may not accept intrusive methods. The facial recognition seems to be a great advancement in hotel security; however, customer may feel uncomfortable to know that they are being recorded on cameras at all times. It is also mentioned that this may be a cultural issue. London was mentioned because it is very common to find security cameras in public areas and street in London . The main message transmitted is that no matter which one but technology and security will be taken to next level in the next few years. Security will have to move along with technology to avoid the downfalls of technology. It shouldn't hindrance the guests' security.
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    It's amazing how technology can aid in hotel security and this article describes just that. The future will be bright with all the new and innovative security opportunities for the hospitality industry. The main points of security mentioned in this article include the finger print entry system where they would have a touch screen where a guest would put their finger and that's how they would get in their room, saying goodbye to key cards. There is also a system that can track a person such as a movement activated video capture, where it can actually recognize an individual. Another security system that is coming into development can identify guests, employees, and suitcases. For instance, if a suitcase was lost or misplaced the system makes it easier to find the lost bags.
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    The uniqueness of human has been used for security tech in many ways, such as finger print, movement pattern, blood veins etc. And facial recoginition system is used by Hilton Americas-Houston now. It can be used to track guests, employees and even suitcases. However some customer feel unconfortable for the survillance everywhere and don't want to be on-camera all the time.
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    The article described the future of hotel security systems. The security level is more and more important in hotel, for customer when they travel to a unacquainted place they need a safe hotel to guarantee them safety. Not only the security systems but also the details in everywhere the hotel management team must be pay more attention.
Chengcheng Feng

Global Distribution Systems in Present Times - Four Major GDS Systems; Amadeus, Galileo... - 1 views

  • Among the “shelves” on which buyers search for travel services are world’s global distribution systems and the Internet distribution systems
  • The airlines realized that by automating the reservation process for travel agents, they could make the travel agents more productive and essentially turn into an extension of the airline’s sales force. It is these original, legacy GDSs that today provide the backbone to the Internet travel distribution system
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    October 2002 - The travel marketplace is a global arena where millions of buyers (travel agents and the public) and sellers (hotels, airlines, car rental companies, etc.) work together to exchange travel services. This is a good article talking about four major GDS System companies in the world nowadays. When we do some research in GDS area, it is better for us to know some information about these four companies. They are Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre and Worldspan. The author said that Aadeus is Number 1 inlocations worldwide compared to other three companies, Galileo International is a cautions follower when it comes to technology when compared to other GDS companies. Sabre's competitive strenghs are market position, global reach, stable product line, diversification of revenue streams and intellectual capital. And Worldspan has successfully developed the strategies and solutions to ensure the company's long-tern success. After read this article, I think I have the big picture of what GDS System is. The author gave us the strength of different systems. I know what are these GDS companies doing right now in the world. And what is the best is that the author used some accurate data to support the point. So in my point of view, I don't only understand the knowledge related to GDS System, but also learn the way to write my paper, that is using lots of numbers.
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    I don't know why but I was failed to highlight this article. I did it in My Library.
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    It is a great article that provides some detailed information on the four most famous GDS. and it was separated into four parts by explaining the four major GDS one by one. It is talking about the history, current status and development of these four major systems to help readers understand what exactly it is and how it works. I like this because it helps me create an overview of GDS systems.
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    Interesting article that summarize important information about major GDS companies. GDS companies such as Amadus, Galileo and Sabre are platforms in which a range of travel related services are offered through electronic switches and routers .
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    This article introduces four major GDS systems' characteristics and strength. I think these information will be useful for hotels when they choose the GDS systems.
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    According to the World's Leading CRS/GDS System 2011, Sabre is the winner profile. And the Amadeus, Galileo, Worldspan and Zurich Systems were nominated.
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    This is about GDS!
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    In the travel marketplace it is global where buyers and sellers work together to exchange travel services. Global distribution systems and the internet distribution systems have become electronic supermarkets linking buyers to sellers and allowing reservations to be made quick and easy. Travel today is sold most on the internet, it is a vast networks of suppliers and a wide customer pool in a centralized maket. Currently today there are 4 major GDS and they are continuing to grow. This article pretty much summed up what we learned in the past 2 classes
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    SUMMARY A global distribution system (GDS) represents a computerized system used for managing different transactions within the air travel and hospitality industry There are currently four major GDS systems: 1. Amadeus (2) Galileo (3) Sabre (4) Worldspan Amadeus Founded in 1987 by Air France, Iberia, Lufthansa, and SAS, Amadeus is the youngest of the four GDS companies. Amadeus is a leading global distribution system and technology provider serving the marketing, sales, and distribution needs of the world's travel and tourism industries. Its comprehensive data network and database, among the largest of their kind in Europe, serve more than 57,000 travel agency locations and more than 10,500 airline sales offices in some 200 markets worldwide... Galileo International Galileo International was founded in 1993 by 11 major North American and European airlines: Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Olympic Airlines, Swissair, TAP Air Portugal, United Airlines, and US Airways. It is a major player in the GDS business throughout the world: North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia/Pacific region. Galileo International is a diversified, global technology leader. Sabre For more than 40 years, Sabre has been developing innovations and transforming the business of travel. From the original Sabre computer reservations system in the 1960s, to advanced airline yield management systems in the 1980s, to leading travel web sites today, Sabre technology has traveled through time, around the world, and has touched all points of the travel industry. Worldspan Founded February 7, 1990, Worldspan was originally owned by affiliates of Delta Air Lines, Inc., Northwest Airlines, and Trans World Airlines, Inc. It is currently owned by affiliates of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (40%), Northwest Airlines (34%), and American Airlines, Inc. (26%). Since its 1995 advance into the world of Internet technology fo
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    This article is about the GDS system, and it introduced four major GDS system in present times. GDS is a worldwide computerized reservarion network used as a single point of access for reserving airline sears, hotel rooms, rental cars, and other travel related items by travel agents, online reservation sites, and large corporations. The for major GDS systems, Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre, and Worldspan owned and operated as joint ventures by major airlines, car rental comopanies, and hotel groups. GDS is also called automated reservation system (ARS) or computerized reservation system (CRS). Among the four major GDS systems, Amadeus is the youngest one and has done remarkably well during its short tenure. With its strong company infrastructure worldwide, impressive product set, and growing customer base, Amadeus is one of the most significant players in shaping the future of the GDS. Galileo's competitive strengths include market share, well-balanced and global presence, relationships with diverse groups of travel vendors, technologically advanced information systems, highly skilled personnel, and a stable product line. Gralileo is a follower when it comes to technology, but is has established successful relationships with entities such as Go, UK's best low-cost airline. Sabre's competitive strengths include market position, global reach, stable product line, diversification of revenue streams, and intellectual capital. Sabre business model is a strong one, and continues to make significant progress in advancing both its electronic travel distribution and its information technology solutions businesses. The last one Worldspan has a legacy of industry firsts that are not well known. It continues to look at benefits of creating its own consumer brand and has been partnering with different companies to expand the services that it can provide to its customer base.
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    GDS is started on the airline industry. And with it development, the airline company recognized that the GDS is becoming more and more important and necessary. And in my opinion, the GDS can not only focus on the airline. It can be on the internet. That is means they should built some sub-company around the world and it will help to form a kind of net that can cover all over the world. So that it is reduce the pressure of airline and increase the short distance distribution. it will be more efficiency for the guest and less human labor.
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    More and more customers rely on global distribution system to buy hospitality products in present time. This article introduces four major type global distribution systems, Ama dues, Galileo, Sabre and Worldspan. There are also some smaller GDS existed in the world. Amadeus is the youngest of the four GDS companies. Galileo International is a diversified, global technology leader. Galileo's competitive strengths include well-balanced and global presence, relationships with diverse groups of travel vendors, technologically advanced information systems and a stable product line. Sabre's competitive strengths include market position, global reach, stable product line, diversification of revenue streams, and intellectual capital. Worldspan provides worldwide electronic distribution of travel information, Internet products and connectivity, and e-commerce capabilities for travel agencies, travel service providers, and corporations.
marble_bird

Hotel_ITSec.pdf - 0 views

shared by marble_bird on 15 Jul 20 - No Cached
  • During the past decade, information technology (IT) has significantly changed the way the hotel industry controls and manages operations. While many technologies have been utilized, some newer technologies have emerged in the literature and in practice, and many of them impact the hotel’s security.
  • Among the results, this study identified a gap between hoteliers’ understanding of IT budget adequacy and the adequacy of installed IT security systems.
  • Advancements in technology are increasing at a remarkable rate. As technology becomes more important, organizations that do not keep up with these advancements could lose business opportunities to other competitors that do
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  • The four leading technologies which have showed a high adoption rate from the industry and have received attention from academia are: self-service, wireless, green, and security technologies. The advantages of these technologies for hoteliers include enhanced customer services and operational efficiency (Doyle, 2007), decreased guest wait times, more efficient methods to settle bills (Singh & Kasavana, 2005), reduction of energy costs (Meeroff & Scarlatos, 2007), and protection of sensitive customer data and credit card numbers
  • In addition, exploring the influential factors of security system usage will provide greater depth of knowledge with respect to why some hotels have adopted more security systems than others.
  • there is still a lack of understanding of the nature of risk associated with inadequate IT security, especially among operators of hotels that do not have their own IT departments.
  • Self-service technologies are commonly defined as devices or applications which permit users to produce a service independent from the direct involvement of the service provider (Meuter, Ostrom, Roundtree, & Bitner, 2000). The use of self-service technologies in the hotel industry has grown considerably, especially in the areas of self check-in, in-room check-out, and foodservice kiosks
  • IT systems refer to general support systems such as mainframe computer, mid-range computer, and local area network.
  • Some of the most significant wireless technology applications involve the use of mobile handheld devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDA), tablet PCs, and cellular phones, or RFID (radio frequency identification). RFID utilizes computer chips and antennas, allowing the chips to wirelessly communicate with a receiver.
  • While the major usage of RFID in the hotel industry was for inventory control purposes, it also has the potential to be utilized in ways that can provide more conveniences for the guests.
  • Other possible uses include placing RFID tags on items of high value as a means of theft prevention or integrating tags into guest loyalty cards for easy identification
  • IT investment that lowers environmental impact and IT that manages the environmental impact of other systems are commonly referred to as “green technology”
  • Many hoteliers might think becoming more environmentally friendly will cost more for their hotels. However, it has been demonstrated that “going green” is not only the right thing to do for the environment but also provides tangible bottom-line benefits for hotels by reducing consumption of energy and water, as well as other related costs.
  • Some of the risk factors involved include reliability, security, and privacy issues
  • A hotel with more technologies being utilized will install more security systems than those with fewer technologies.
  • Many of these attacks involve attempts by thieves to gain access to customer credit card data, and these attempts constitute a major portion of the risk inherent in IT security
  • if a system is breached and the merchant is not PCI compliant, the merchant then is responsible for all costs associated with improperly used credit card information taken from that system (Kress, 2008). These losses could bankrupt a business if the security breach goes undetected for even a short time.
  • IT security systems are those measures taken to protect the confidentiality and integrity of proprietary data.
  • two main paradigms of adoption are believed to occur: bottom-up adoption and top-down adoption.
  • Thus, it is reasonable to assume that organizational factors (e.g., financial factor, human resource) will influence the implementation stage of security systems at a hotel.
  • A hotel with sufficient IT budget will install more security systems than those with insufficient IT budget.
  • That is, if a hotel does not have its own IT department, it will have a negative influence on successfully installing or maintaining necessary security systems.
  • A hotel with its own IT department will install more security systems than those without.
  • Overall, the state of IT spending on security continues undiminished because managed security services are required for almost every application (Communications News, 2007).
  • risk associated with a breach of IT systems security (e.g., network break-ins) is very high. Consequently, no sector of the business community is exempt from attacks on their IT systems, with an attack being defined as a technique used to exploit a system’s vulnerabilities.
  • Given the importance of security and privacy at a luxury hotel, this study expects luxury properties to have installed more security systems than other segments
  • Most hotel employees use their property management systems for hotel operations and should be able to check their e-mails.
  • To justify the low response rate, previous studies which have compared response rates of mail and e-mail for surveys were reviewed.
  • the large majority of respondent properties do not have their own IT departments. Second, the people making IT decisions generally do not have IT backgrounds or training. Third, the large majority of respondent properties have little more than firewalls or antivirus software to protect their proprietary data, and these systems alone are not adequate to meet PCI standards, as they do not take steps to encrypt and protect cardholder data, maintain a vulnerability management program, implement strong access control measures, regularly monitor and test their networks, and maintain an information security policy as required by the Security Standards Council.
  • The respondents were asked to select from a total of fourteen securities related systems
  • The profile of the respondents revealed that they were experienced hoteliers with more than ten years experience in the industry
  • Fifty-three percent of the respondents reported that they were with chain hotels that would be considered mid-range properties with an average of 175 rooms (median of 107). Over 80% of the respondents reported working in operations, while fewer than 4% reported working in either IT or engineering (Table 1).
  • Nearly 70% of the respondents’ properties did not have their own IT department (69.2% did not have, and 30.8% had their own IT departments, n = 234, missing data = 10).
  • Fifty-three percent of them (n = 244) thought the most important goal for hotel technology would be enhancing the customer’s experience.
  • second identified goal was utilizing technology to help generate revenue (41%)
  • differentiate properties from their competition (20%), to lower expenses (16%), and to increase security (6%).
  • Internet kiosks in the lobby represented the most frequently used self-service technology (36.5%, n = 244), followed by kiosks for airline check-in/board pass
  • With respect to security systems currently in use, antivirus security systems represented the most frequently used security system (92.2%), followed by hardware firewalls, software firewalls, physical security, and encrypted login security systems.
  • intrusion detection was the most frequently identified system (15.6%), followed by vulnerability assessment scanning (13.5%), Internet scanning (13.1%), antivirus (11.5%), digital ID server (11.5%), and nonreusable passwords (9.8%; Table 2).
  • Thus, the hypothesis was supported that there was a linear relationship between the three factors and the adequacy of security systems.
  • The positive standardized coefficient (β) of .389 indicates that there was a statistically significant (p < .001) linear relationship between IT usage (the number of wireless, self-service, and green technologies a hotel was using) and the adequacy of security systems
  • The study revealed certain things of interest, the most significant of which is the need for greater emphasis on IT security among hoteliers.
  • only about 30% of all respondents reported having their own IT departments. Since budget hotel properties are extremely unlikely to have an IT department, it is highly likely that the very large majority of IT decisions throughout the industry are being made by hotel operators for whom IT is not their primary area of concern.
  • Furthermore, the focus of hoteliers for future IT implementations is enhancing the guest experience (53%) and generating revenue (41%). Very few respondents (6%) identified increasing security as a 5-year IT goal.
  • While almost all respondents use information systems as part of their jobs, very few are trained in the development, maintenance, and secure use of these systems.
  • no correlation was found between the respondents’ perceived adequacy of their IT budgets and the adequacy of installed security systems, as adequacy of IT budget did not appear as a significant term in the regression analysis.
  • Nearly 10% of respondents do not have so much as anti-virus protection for their systems, and nearly half do not even take simple physical precautions to protect their IT systems.
  • we note that no correlation exists between the respondents’ perceived adequacy of their IT budgets and the number of installed IT security systems, as the number of installed systems was not a significant factor in the regression analysis.
  • The sample obtained in this study represented the targeted sample: over 80% of the respondents were working in hotel operations. Furthermore, the purpose of this study was to explore hotel operators’ insight of technology usage, IT budget, and security measures rather than to confirm existing theories or to generalize the results.
  • it is reasonable to conclude that the respondents did not have an adequate understanding of the nature of the IT security hazards facing them for the average property does not have installed systems adequate to meet PCI standards, yet they reported having adequate budgets.
  • In order to adequately protect proprietary data, one must have an understanding of network security, which is an understanding apart from software functionality.
  • Properties with their own IT departments, however, reported that they had a higher number of installed IS security systems than did those properties without their own IT departments.
  • roperties without their own IT departments, in particular, have a less adequate understanding of their IT security needs than may be necessary.
  • This study found hoteliers’ lack of attention to security provision, training in IT, and PCI compliance can place hoteliers at great risk. For example, the cost of a single incident at a noncompliant property could result in the loss of the entire business.
  • It will be useful to examine the reasons why luxury properties are more likely to employ adequate security measures to determine whether this greater use is attributable to better understanding of security issues or some other factor.
  • The study was limited by the nature of online surveys; the response rate was quite low. Future studies could test the proposed research model via paper-based mail surveys to increase a response rate.
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    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.
amichellemagluta

Right Property Management System is Key to Your Hotel's Success. - Saturday, 27th July ... - 1 views

  • Ask any hotelier and they will all agree that a hotel management system plays a key role in their hotel’s success.
  • At the back-end, hotel software is even more important. The front office module, point of sale, accounts receivable, banquets and conferences, restaurant module, housekeeping, inventory, HR and Payroll, along with a host of other modules and apps in a hotel software must work in an interconnected and smooth manner.
  • you will have to additionally invest in purchasing, licensing and maintaining the back-end modules.
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  • Many times, a software vendor could simply be offering you a Front Office Module.
  • These software products may have integration issues, and can become major hurdles for your staff when they use the modules
  • your hotel runs a mission-critical operation.
  • Numerous integrations also means you could spend long hours networking and interacting with multiple vendors.
  • this could get restrictive and influence your other partnerships.
  • review about your potential software vendor is their experience in the industry
  • investing in the right hotel software is a complex task and most hotels spend months deliberating on their investment.
  • The hotel software market is full of options, and each vendor claims his software is the best. However investing in the right hotel software is a complex task and most hotels spend months deliberating on their investment. Unfortunately, hoteliers excel at their core skill, delivering to guests a world-class hospitality experience, and sometimes get ‘talked’ into making a wrong decision on the software they adopt.
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    The right property management system plays a key roles in the success of any hotel. Property management systems store guests' information which helps make for a pleasurable stay at the hotel. On the back end having the proper property management system can be key tool in making a successful stay at the hotel. The front end has software that handles the point of sale, account receivable, banquets, conferences, restaurant, housekeeping, inventory, payroll, among other apps and modules that connect to make the hotel run successful smooth. The information that is stored in these systems generate reports that the hotel can review for decision making. Much like other software, technology can be exhausting at times when it doesn't do what we want it to do. The hotel software market is full of many different option management can choose do off with. A few things a hotel should consider when choosing software should be: How many modules will your new hotel software offer? Does your new property management system have third party products merged into it? Is your hotel software compatible with third party software? Does your property management system help you enhance revenue? Considering all these questions while choosing a new property management system can help management choose the best system that will be most beneficial for the hotel. As someone who has been part of choosing a PMS it is very important to consider everything. Every vendor tells you why theirs is the best. It takes a lot of time to review everything and determine what system will work best for the company. I think where companies go wrong when getting a new system is training. The companies I've worked for often do very little training. I think lack of training for employees contributes to employees not using systems correctly and to full capacity which causes errors in reports. As a sales director, I often read reports and knew the information wasn't correct and it was due to input error. This
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    Correct, but as well hoteliers would always go for Opera if the company does not have a signed deal with a PMS company to use their services worldwide. For example, Starwood in America have a signed deal with Galaxy systems, however Starwood in Asia Pacific go with Opera. This is just due to the fact that Galaxy is still facing some issue in terms of getting the system in different languages. But in general, Opera is preferred by any hotel company. Recently the Hilton in Japan, has changed their PMS ONQ to Opera.
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    Property management systems are important in a hotel. They enable to establishment to store information to personalize a guest experience, but they also assist the back-end with point-of-sale, accounts, payroll, restaurant module, ect. The headache is deciding which system is best for your operations. This article list a few helpful questions in order to sort out what system your establishment needs. The first question the article is, "How many modules will your new hotel software offer?". The reason why the author points this out as being important is because some softwares just come with the Front office module. Meaning you will need to invest in another system to accommodate the back-end of the hotel. Then he goes into ask, "Does your new property management system have third party products merged into it?". Some software vendors require smaller companies to merge products to make up their PMS. This can lead to a hassle for the staff and means you could spend long hours needing to interact with multiple vendors rather than just one. Another question the author posses is, "Is your hotel software compatible with third party software?". This question is to double check that the software you plan to integrate is compatible with third party hardware and software. A couple examples are credit card payment gateway and the door locking system. These are all useful questions that a manager can look to in order to help them pick a system.
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    The main point of this article is to point out key features that you need to consider when you are upgrading your PMS in your hotel. It makes the point that choosing a new PMS is not easy, and it can get very complicated since there are so many on the market. One of the main points the author makes is that you should be looking for a system that has multiple modules, not just a Front Office Module for example. Another point the author makes is that some software companies have other parties involved when establishing their software, this is not a good thing since it may lead to you having to interact with a number of vendors which could take a good amount of time away from you, time that you could be using interacting with guests or doing a more qualitative time consuming task. You also want to make sure that your new potential software is compatible with third party software. "Review this list carefully to ensure the software you are buying is compatible with a large number of third party hardware, if not, this could get restrictive and influence your other partnerships". Lastly, the article discusses how you should check with the experience in the industry of software companies you are considering. Since your hotel runs a "mission-critical operation" you want to make sure that your PMS will indeed help stick with the mission of helping to enhance your revenue. I believe that these are great tips to follow by when looking to incorporate a new PMS, I also think the security of your new software should be added to the list as well; how secure is it from hackers?
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    This article was very interesting and it gives advice to any person thinking about opening a hotel in what software you can use. A hotel software is extremely important because that has all the guest information and store there experience that they had at the hotel. You have to see what software you want to implement when changing the hotel management system or property management system you need to know who is selling it to you and what is included in the software. If you are just getting a new system, you have to make sure that everything you already have is included and more. You also have to make sure that the software you get is compatible with a third party hardware. A hotel software system can make you or break you in a hotel. You really have to know the vendor that is selling you the software and make sure that they have experience with the software. The better the software that you have in the hotel, the smoother the hotel will run.
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    The article talks about the importance of using a PMS or Property Management System. The use of a property management system is very important to the success of a property. The article is also able to aid those who looking to implement a property management system by helping them narrow down what they will need. The article poses questions toward the reader to see what they are looking for in a PMS.
rderonville

The Point-Of-Sale Problem - 0 views

  • To properly manage risk, start by applying the same security practices to the POS system that you use with other sensitive IT systems.
  • look for POS systems that have clear security design improvements over legacy ones.
  • Any system that's part of a payment process is a target of data thieves. Wise companies will assume that the devices, applications, and networks that house sensitive cardholder data are under siege and act accordingly.
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    The POS is a great system that is used by many industries. It helps businesses run efficiently and transactions be done effectively. However, it comes with its problems. This article is in two parts so I will post the both on Diigo. This article states that POS systems are the most frequently used computing system and it is targeted by criminals. According to the article, "Today, attackers have only become more sophisticated, using advanced software techniques to avoid detection by antivirus. The attackers are attaching devices that are to collect information from the patrons who use the POS system. The solution to this issue from the article, is that managers apply the same security practices to the POS systems that are used for other sensitive IT systems. These systems should not be the same system used for internet browsing or email. Using a third party security is system is fine however, they should ensure that security controls are part of regular maintenance. The article states that businesses should look for POS systems that have design improvements rather than those who have been in the industry for a long time. There needs to be upgraded design, security, and software to minimize the threats that are posed on the POS system. This article highlights the issues that POS systems attract and also gives solutions. It is up to the businesses to give as much attention as possible to this system the same way they do for systems with sensitive information. Ultimately credit card transactions do hold sensitive information so the upgraded POS systems should be the number one choice for a business. Along with what is stated in the articles, this minimizes the risk of customer loss and a damaged reputation. This also helps minimize the possibility of revenue loss due to lawsuits because of breaches.
Krystal Jost

RG Bridge Solution Helps PMS, CRS Vendors, Hotel Chains and Internet Booking Engines (I... - 0 views

  • RG Bridge enables CRSs to look beyond their established direct connects by building a long tail of distribution, without compromising on the channel portfolio.
  • “As more and more systems emerge in the industry ecosystem, the ability to provide a single interface to update information across all systems is becoming the key differentiator between a smart technology partner and traditional vendors.”
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    RateGain is a company that offers services that allow hospitality establishments to retain a "seamless" distribution with central reservations systems, global distribution systems, and property management systems. RateGain claims to enhance growth and offer support for revenue management decisions. Utilizing a central reservations system, a global distribution system, and the property management system, from a hotel standpoint, seems like you are gaining a ton of additional business and additional rooms sold. But what happens when the hotel sells out, and the inventory continues to flow in, overselling the hotel, upsetting the guests and creating an angry mob in front of the front desk, blaming the hotel for the issue instead of the lack of seamless communication between all of these systems providing this revenue? That is where a service such as RateGain comes in handy. This article focuses on the issues that have been identified regarding electronic distribution, including updating multiple system with rates and availability, manual entries, lack of synchronization between the systems, non-delivery complications with reservations and information, and lack of information provided by the source channel. Rate Gain notes these challenges and focuses on ways to improve and bridge the gaps between the services, to provide a seamless revenue gaining opportunity for an establishment. The article continues to explain how their RG Bridge implementation enhances these systems and eliminates these issues utilizing two way connectivity and allowing the hotel employee to work with channels to generate demand. It also states that they customize each connection to live up to the expectations and needs of the hotel, so that nothing will be lost or not understood. This service is a great investment for a company that continues to have these communication issues with their systems. Sometimes with the lack of communication between the global distribution system, the pr
anonymous

Future of Global Distribution for Airline Travel - 1 views

  • Imagine if every airline used a separate reservation system to distribute flight information, instead of the familiar global distribution systems (GDS) in place now
  • As travel professionals are aware, Southwest Airlines are not available in most systems for booking reservations. However, they do not negotiate with distribution companies to sell their product.
  • Then travel companies would be charged to have the Direct Connect system in the long run, thus paying for the opportunity to sell American flights.
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  • American suggests that distribution companies begin using Direct Connect, powered by Farelogix. Travel professionals view this alternative concept as having to use a separate system for American Airlines reservations, possibly complimentary on a trial basis to the travel management company.
  • This may be the biggest travel industry news in the United States and beyond, since the deletion of travel agency commissions. There is also the possibility that more consumers will begin relying on travel agents to locate the best airfares.
  • They suggest it will make ancillary fees, such as priority seat and meal fees easier to track for business travel.
  • Imagine if every airline used a separate reservation system to distribute flight information, instead of the familiar global distribution systems (GDS) in place now. Individuals and travel professionals would have to compare flight costs on every reservation website or call each airline separately.
  • If every airline decides to utilize a different system and charge for their product to be sold, then travel companies may have to forward their costs to travelers, hence driving up the price of airfares.
  • American Airlines airfares can no longer be found on Expedia or Orbitz websites, or any site powered by Orbitz. These are two of many airline distribution sites that consumers can compare and book flights they choose. Each did not come to an agreement with American Airlines for a new contract to distribute American Airlines' product.
  • The contracts for the global distribution systems, Worldspan and Sabre, will be up for renewal soon this year. What will happen with American flights and air fares in those systems? Will American not be offered in those systems as well, if an agreement cannot be made? What happens if other airlines decide to join with American? This may be the biggest travel industry news in the United States and beyond, since the deletion of travel agency commissions.
  • Though this is a major obstacle for travel agencies and other travel management companies, travel agencies, being fearful of the outcome for consumers, are ready to stand their ground and protect themselves and consumers alike.
  • As travel professionals are aware, Southwest Airlines are not available in most systems for booking reservations. However, they do not negotiate with distribution companies to sell their product. For the most part, Southwest is self-contained and stands on their own, as far as distribution methods go.
  • As travel professionals are aware, Southwest Airlines are not available in most systems for booking reservations. However, they do not negotiate with distribution companies to sell their product. For the most part, Southwest is self-contained and stands on their own, as far as distribution methods go.
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    It appears that American Airline is about to remove itself from the tradition global distribution system and introduce its own distribution system. American Airlines is advocating for distribution companies to utilize AA direct connect which is a direct link into AA's host reservations system. Currently American Airlines fares are no longer available on Expedia or Orbitz sites. This is because no contractual agreement was reached for the distribution of AA products. Travel professionals are waiting to see the result of this bold move by American as this has great implication for the future of airline distribution systems. If American Airlines pulls away from the mainstream GDS, consumers and travel specialist alike will be faced with the inconvenience of going to a separate reservations system to compare fares. Although travel professionals are now urged to use direct connect on a trial basis, the general feeling is that eventually they will be charged to sell American Airline flights. To defend this move American Airline is only saying that direct connect will make it easier for them to tract ancillary fees like priority seating. It was noted in the article that Southwest Airline for the most part is a stand alone reservations system but they do not negotiate with the GDS companies to sell their flights. It is therefore quite evident that this move by American is really to reduce expenditure by eliminating the middle GDS companies while increasing revenue by charging travel partners for utilizing direct connect. American Airlines clearly wants to globally control their distribution system and maximize revenues. Contract renewal for both world span and sabre are due and the experts are waiting to see if American will renew with them. Sabre is owned by American Airlines so its a wait and see game to see how all this will be panned out. The real problem for the consumers and travel specialists are that if other airlines are to follow this move by American the tra
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    Global distribution systems (GDS) are used within the travel industry for the booking of flights a service that was once performed by travel agents. With the introduction of GDS many jobs were loss. Because GDS are contracted services with World- span and Sabre renewal and renegotiation of contracts may pose a problem. There are many pros and cons to the GDS for consumers such as booking of flights anytime and the loss of personal relations with the travel agents. According to Bonnie Burgess, the renewal of the GDS with world-span and Sabre is eminent which might create a problem for consumes if the negotiation falls apart. There was a similar situation Direct TV and the provider of many channels to Direct TV when they could not come an agreement, and, in the final analysis the consumers were the ones who suffered. Southwest and American airlines are two airlines who defended why they felt that booking directly at the website is the best options for travelers. The conclusion, is that there are advantages and disadvantages to the GDS. one of the overarching disadvantage is when there are difficulties with meeting of the minds in contractual negotiations.
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    The article highlighted reports how hard would be for travel agents to work without and Global Distribution System due to difficulty to generate price comparison reports to customers. It is also mentioned that American Airlines Airfares are no longer posted to the two majot websites for price comparison (Expedia and Orbitz). American Airlines will be using another website called Direct Connect which will be complimentary on a trial basis. In order to have full access, customers or travel agents would have pay for a membership. The process will have a higher cost and will be more time consuming. Southwest Airlines is acting the same way. The intention is to avoid comparison and encourage direct booking with the airlines. This difficulties presented by hotels and airlines may require more usage of a travel agent to do research for consumers. GDS's contracts are up for renewal and the concern is whether or not airlines will get into an agreement where rates will still be posted on the system avoiding several searches in multiple sources.
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    This article explains the distribution route American Airlines is taking to sell their flights. Due to not seeing eye to eye with the two most probably used websites for travel, Expedia and Orbitz, American has now taken their products away from both airline distribution sites. American suggest that all travel agencies and distribution companies begin using Direct Connect, which is a system for only American Airlines flights. If this would happen, travel agencies and companies will then begin having to pay for the system in order to sell Americans flights. At the moment you can still book flights through other distribution sites, but until when will that be? They already stopped Orbitz and Expedia, what's not to stop the others. The future of global distribution systems will be up in the air if all airlines choose to sell their own systems to be able to sell reservations. The only positive that was pointed out in this article was that if this system takes over, then more consumers will have to go back to using travel agents to secure the best reservations for flights and such.
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    With the contracts for major global systems, Worldspan and Sabre, being up for renewal in the near future, this article analyses the possible outcomes for airlines, and alternatives should they choose not to forgo continuing use of GDS
Carolina Villa

Revel Wants To Bring iPad-Powered Point Of Sale Systems To The Hospitality And Retail I... - 1 views

  • Many small businesses are swapping out traditional cash registers for iPads and credit card processors like Square.
  • Revel Systems hopes to be the go-to iPad-powered, comprehensive POS platform for restaurants.
  • Along with the iPad-friendly cash register, Revel Systems can be completely customized for payroll, inventory tracking, web ordering, email receipts and more.
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  • Lisa Falzone, co-founder and CEO of Revel System, explains that the platform is going after chains and restaurants that have at least $500,000 in yearly revenue.
  • Currently Revel is seeing around $80 million in processing business with major brands. Beautiful Brands International has just tapped the startup to power POS systems at its multiple franchised locations nationwide under the Beautiful Brands International umbrella, including Camille’s Sidewalk Café, Dixie Cream, FreshBerry Frozen Yogurt Cafe and Rex’s Chicken.
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    Focusing on new trends, POS systems are being brought out and introduced in the new addition of IPAD. This new system called Revel hopes to be the go-to Ipad powered comprehensive POS system for restaurants. Revel systems can be used for payroll, inventory tracking, web ordering and email receipts. Lisa Falzone is the co founder and CEO of Revel System expressed how this new system is going after chains and restaurants that obtain at least $500,000 in yearly revenue. Launched in August 2011 Revel is seeing around $80 million in business processing with major brands and franchises ex: Freshberry frozen yogurt café, Rexs chicker, Dixie cream etc. This new trend with IPAD POS system is a great idea and a fantastic way to be more efficient. Usually POS systems are these screens that are not movable it mainly resides on one specific location while these ipads could be more convenient and mobile. This may help to bring out a better and faster customer satisfaction.
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    Cost-wise Revel system, which is a web-based POS system, might be better over a traditional POS system. However, it would be risky to install this new technology in restaurants. Unlike a traditional one, a web-based POS system totally relies on Internet. What if Internet server is down or unstable? There will be great confusion to the restaurants. If there is no problem regarding Internet connection or restaurants have backup plans in case of loss of Internet or power, it would be an efficient and effective tool for the restaurant business.
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    Revel Systems hopes to be the new POS platform for restaurants. This iPad works like a cash register, it can be customized for payroll, inventory tracking, web ordering, email receipts and more.The Revel system is going after chains and restaurants that have at least $500,000 in yearly revenue.
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    I had a doctor visit this past week and the office could barely function because their servers were down. If down systems can cause this much turmoil in a doctor's office where people expect to wait, imagine the trouble in a busy restaurant. The system sounds great, but there would need to be a back-up system or procedure in place. There are risks of a system crash, so why not have a more traditional processing system available if it is needed? The benefits of cyber storage can be considerable and likely down the road more safeguards will be in place to hedge against the negative effects of a system crash. This is definetely a technology worth researching (if your business is big enough to sustain it).
Mikaela Vourtsis

HRIS - 1 views

  • An HRIS system is computer software that manages HR activities.
  • Perhaps the biggest benefit that the use of an HRIS system adds to a business is its ability to create reports and presentations.
  • In support of a firm’s staffing efforts, many HRIS systems provide a sophisticated interface allowing its use by both internal employees, as well as external job applicants.
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  • An HRIS system allows a business to streamline the administration of employee benefits.
  • An HRIS system allows a business to streamline the administration of employee benefits
  • In support of a firm’s staffing efforts, many HRIS systems provide a sophisticated interface allowing its use by both internal employees, as well as external job applicants
  • Perhaps the biggest benefit that the use of an HRIS system adds to a business is its ability to create reports and presentations
  • A human resource information system (HRIS) is computer software employers use to manage the human resources functions of their organization.
  • In support of a firm’s staffing efforts, many HRIS systems provide a sophisticated interface allowing its use by both internal employees, as well as external job applicants.
  • A human resource information system (HRIS) is computer software employers use to manage the human resources functions of their organization. It has the capability to maintain employment records of all staff members, and employers can use it to collect metrics surrounding the firm’s staffing, performance management, compensation and benefits activities. Although not all companies utilize an HRIS system, there are many benefits to doing so.
  • An HRIS system typically holds all information surrounding the firm’s human resources initiatives, including details regarding the group's hiring practices, such as a comprehensive listing of all job applicants, an up-to-date index of job openings and electronic copies of each employee’s onboarding paperwork, such as I-9 and W2 forms
  • An HRIS system allows candidates for open positions to submit their resumes and contact information to a potential employer from a remote computer. The system then collects the information and archives it so it is easily accessible by the hiring manager.
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    HRIS is a computer software employers use to manage the human resources functions of hotels. There are lots of benefits of using this system. According to this article, the most advantage by using HRIS is that it helps create reports and presentation. For instance, the system holds all the informations about human resources in hotels. You can find your employees' personal information very easily and don't have to ask them to bring their documents any more such as I-20 or I-9 forms. The second benefit is related to recruitment, which means it can provide information not only internal staffs but also external job applicants. The third advantage is that by using HRIS, employees themselves can focus on their own profiles. They can log in themselves and change and update their status and required details, which becomes a better way to manage themselves.  
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    I was interested in the hiring process of this system, how does it narrow down possible candidates and what is the interview process? It seems like the system is geared more towards current employees than potential employees. Also, how are these tax forms filled out? Are they submitted electronically or do you have to go in person to fill them out? Some companies can e-mail them to you and you record your results and send e-mail them back it's that simple. I wasn't getting it from this system.
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    This article talks about the befefits of having a Human Resource Information System in your business. For those never heard of HRIS before, Human Resource Information System is a computer system helps manage your human resource. It collects data of your employees, and manage them in a form of database. The article author talks about davantages HRIS gave in three aspects. Firstly, and the most important function of HRIS is generating reports and presentations. Basically, you can gain any human resource information you need from those reports. Secondly, HRIS makes the process of recruitment more effective. It open port for applicants so they can submit their resumes on-line. Last but not the least, HRIS is also equipted with function of benefits administration It allowes employees update their information by themself, which is big saving of time and money for your business
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    HRIS is 'computer software employers use to manage the human resources functions of their organization'. There are benefits in reporting, recruitment, and administration aspects. The reporting piece allows to track all job applicants, job openings, and e-copies of all employees' related paperwork, as well as compensations and incentives. Recruitment piece allows for resume submission, then different parameters of search of HR managers can be incorporated. HRIS 'system allows for a streamline administration'.
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    The human resource system can help hotel or anyother companies' HR department to management employees effectively. The system will in charge of salary, w2 tax report and a lot of tedious work. In a sense, the system can not only reduce mistake but alos save some laber cost, because most of data processing will be finished automatic.
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    This article summarizes the major key points with Human Resources Information Systems and more importantly, their advantages. It starts by discussing how a HRIS is software that aids in the management functions of human resources. The main benefit is the fact that it can generate reports and presentations, making it particularly convenient for more than a few factors, while holding data and files needed for the human resources mangers to do their jobs proficiently. HRIS can aid a company internally as well as externally with job applicants. This is great for employers who are looking for new candidates. In addition, it benefits the company with assisting with the benefits plan, knowing exactly what their coverage is for the year.
Rebecca Pichora

Hackers snag a $1 laptop by exploiting flaw in point-of-sale systems | ZDNet - 0 views

  • Security researchers have devised a way to offer steep discounts or steal goods by hacking vulnerable point-of-sale systems.
  • SAP's point-of-sale (POS) systems don't authenticate or check internal commands, allowing anyone with access to the store's network unrestricted access to the checkout system.
  • All the hacker has to do is upload a new configuration file to the SAP Xpress server, which controls the checkout machines, to gain access to administrative functions.
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  • change prices, set discounts, or take other malicious actions against the systems -- including remotely shutting down the checkout machines, or unmasking credit card numbers.
  • According to Dmitry Chastuhin, one of the researchers who identified the vulnerabilities, the flaw may be inherent across POS systems because they all use broadly similar infrastructures.
  • SAP has since fixed the vulnerabilities and rolled out patches.
  • n recent years, POS systems have become a target for hackers for stealing customer data and committing fraud.
  • When these are connected to the internet and rarely updated (if ever), systems are at further risk of malware attacks.
  • POS attacks cost retailers and customers billions every year. The number of attacks on POS systems, including ransomware attacks, are said to be declining, however.
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    Due to the vulnerability of some POS systems, hackers have made the example of SAP whose POS system does not authenticate or check any internal commands, meaning if an hacker is able to get into their POS system they can change prices, add discounts and even disable the check out systems. Even though they have made the example out of SAP, it is said that this vulnerability is across almost all POS systems. One reason that this is happening is because many companies that run their POS system off the internet are not updating their programs, such as the windows, the internet explorer or the POS system itself. Today companies are very aware of the measures they must take to ensure their POS systems are safe as many breaches have happened causing many people to have their personal data stolen, therefore due to the efforts POS system breaches have been decreasing over the recent years.
natyangel

The Best Point-of-Sale (POS) Systems for 2019 | PCMag.com - 0 views

  •  
    This article discusses the 10 Best POS systems of 2019. These POS systems include Square, Vend POS, Bindo POS, Erply, Intuit Quickbooks POS, NCR Silver, Shopify POS, Shopkeep, Lightspeed Retail POS, and Revel System POS. It also discusses the different benefits to each POS system and why it is important to choose a good POS system. There are also some negatives that come with these POS systems. This article also offers steps on what to do if the POS system fails and how important it is to have product support. "A backup solution is essential here and that's especially true in the case of cloud-based POS systems. These systems can suffer not only from software problems but also from internet connectivity issues." This states how essential it is to have a backup solution if the POS system goes down, and ensuring the POS system will be there to assist with any issues that may arise. Choosing the right POS system is very necessary when owning a business and being able to properly take advantage of everything that the system offers.
lderi004

The Disadvantages of Computerized Accounting Systems | Bizfluent - 0 views

  • But it’s easy to become excessively reliant on computerized accounting and to overlook the potential pitfalls of allowing a machine and a software program to store all your data and calculate essential numerical relationships.
  • Although computerized accounting systems use technology to calculate sums and store information, this data must be entered by humans, and these humans must be trained
  • Training staff on software programs can be expensive, and knowledge needs to be updated regularly because computerized accounting systems change, sometimes every year.
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  • Virtually every aspect of a computerized accounting system is costly.
  • You may also have to shell out funds for repairs, or hire professionals for training, custom software or to untangle especially complex mishaps.
  • Computerized accounting systems are vulnerable to cyber security issues.
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    As this week we are talking about electronic accounting systems, I found this article on the disadvantages of computerized accounting systems to be rather interesting. As mentioned in the article, many companies tend to become too reliant on computerized systems, which leads to them forgetting about the negative outcomes that may arise from using such systems. These disadvantages include high cost, from training staff to repairing/replacing the electronic systems. In addition, like any cloud-based system, a computerized accounting system can also make a company vulnerable to cyber security issues, such as hacking. Overall, while very advantageous, computerized accounting systems still have certain risks companies must address before deciding whether, or not to use them. 
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    I believe you found a very interesting article on electronic accounting systems. Even though the tendency is all about the positive aspects on electronic accounting systems, I enjoyed reading the perspective on this article which focuses on its drawbacks. Companies need to evaluate whether this investment is functional for them and weight the pros versus the cons. Additionally, the information on an electronic accounting system is sensitive, and it can make the company vulnerable to hacking and data breaches. These are very important points for managers to take into consideration while finding the right accounting system for them.
alexaperez14

Restaurant POS Systems Comparison: Cloud-Based vs. Traditional - 0 views

  • POS system. It’s the central artery of your operation, tracking everything from orders to employee hours and tips and practically everything in between, which means that the restaurant POS system you choose makes a major difference in how your business runs
  • deciding between cloud-based or traditional, legacy, point of sale system.
  • Think of it as Google Docs versus any documents you have saved on your desktop. Google Docs are stored on the internet while the things on your desktop are stored right there on your computer. On-premise POS systems are like things on your computer’s desktop—you can only access them in one place.
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  • do you want to have to be in your restaurant every time you need to access your POS system? Because that’s exactly what you’ll have to do if you opt for a legacy POS system.
  • If you’ve ever been to a bar, restaurant, or coffee shop and had your card swiped on an iPad and signed with your finger after the barista swiveled the tablet over to you, you’ve used a cloud-based POS system before.
  • cloud POS systems are significantly more digitized and technologically advanced than traditional POS systems and they typically bring a lot more functionality with them.
  • While buying up all of the necessary technology to get a cloud-based POS system off the ground may seem expensive, they tend to have cheaper operating costs in the long run.
  • legacy systems only allow on-premise access to data, which means you have to be in your restaurant in order to access the information on your POS system.
  • Cloud-based options, on the other hand, can be accessed from anywhere you can access an app, whether that’s in your living room or the other side of the country. All you need is some internet and a device that supports apps (aka any tablet or smartphone) to get the job done.
  • Cloud-based systems update automatically, while traditional POS systems require manual updates that can be labor intensive and costly.
  • if you anticipate changes or uncertainty, cloud-based systems are much more adaptable. Whether it’s updating your menu on the regular, launching new or improved loyalty programs, or requiring more precise inventory tracking, the more your needs will shift over time, the more sense it makes to opt for cloud-based.
  • Perhaps the best thing that legacy systems have going for them is that they operate on their own little system rather than the internet. If you’ve got a solid internet connection (and most places do), you shouldn’t have problems with a cloud-based POS
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    This article mainly compares cloud-based POS versus traditional POS. While cloud-based systems are easier to access and are supported through any tablet or smartphone, it explains how traditional POS systems are more difficult to access if you are away from your restaurant. Cloud-based point of sale systems have made it easier for employees to access data from outside of the office, decreased operating costs, and have made it easier for system updates. Although, the only advantage that a traditional POS might have over a cloud-based POS is that it does not rely on the internet.
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