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This article summaries how tablets have made it into hotel guest rooms. It begins by discussing how tablets are an exceptional idea and it describes how unique and remarkable a hotel can be. Not only is it admirable for hotels, but it is also very convenient and easy for a guest to use. This software by Intelity is very impressive, it basically lets guests control their hotel room as well as other things such as surfing through the internet. The article points out how some people may differ and think why can't a guest just pick up the phone if they need something? They explain that guests have gone beyond the point of using a phone. For instance, if they need a valet service all they have to do is pick up the tablet and let the staff know. A key factor that the article discusses is the fact that with this tablet and software system, the possibilities are endless. In addition, it eliminates the need of waiting around for answers and gives guests information about the hotel hours, services, etc. The article explains that not only is the tablet extremely efficient, but that it also cuts down spending costs of printing numerous information. In conclusion, I agree with this article about the numerous benefits a tablet can bring to a hotel. "The iPad is the hardware, but the software will never be outdated. It's always the most recent application available, and that's important in staying competitive."

This is awesome! Last summer I stayed at Bed and Breakfast in Nantucket MA where they had an IPAD for every room. When you logged on the Safari, there was a homepage that lead to all of the activities that you could possibly do or take part in on the island. It included movies, restaurants, boat schedules, sunset times etc. This was a small Bed and Breakfast so it would be next to impossible to steal these tablets. I would worry that people would steal them. Unless somehow you could make it so you can't remove them.

I posted an article about how owner's of a restaurant used an Ipad as their menu! It is somewhat similar in the sense that both industries use this advance technology to be a main factor in their business. I am sure that you can find many applications in the Ipad to guide you to everything that you can find in the hotel you are staying. I think it is a great idea and it also cuts down spending costs of printing papers like you said!

The article reports MyCheck has created an app to eliminate ordering food and drinks at the table for some restaurants using tablets or servers. The app allows guest to order from the menu on their smart phone and the order is directly is sent to the POS system. The goal is to eliminate the big hardware. The hope is by restaurants using MyCheck the server will be able to spend more time on quality service. The power of ordering and paying will be at the power of the guest. Customer rewards are also going to be tracked through the app.

The article reports MyCheck has created an app to eliminate ordering food and drinks at the table for some restaurants using tablets or servers. The app allows guest to order from the menu on their smart phone and the order is directly is sent to the POS system. The goal is to eliminate the big hardware. The hope is by restaurants using MyCheck the server will be able to spend more time on quality service. The power of ordering and paying will be at the power of the guest. Customer rewards are also going to be tracked through the app.

This article introduces the application of tablets in hotels, including Lodging Management, Restaurant management, Beverage Management, Club management, etc. This article also introduces the important role of tablets and T-Commerce as a PMS medium in hotels.

"The Motorola Solutions 2011 Hospitality Market Barometer reveals that 91 percent of hospitality decision makers realize the increasing importance of mobile and wireless technology, while 78 percent recognize the role mobility plays in ensuring a competitive advantage for their business. As a result, hospitality venues are investing in new technology, as well as powerful wireless networks to handle greater data volumes and increasing demands for high-speed access from the customer and mobile workforce. "

The article analyzed why hotels do investment to It in 2011. It concluded three main reasons, which are elevating the guest experience, empowering the mobile worker, and enabling operational efficiency. It's already 2013 now and things can become different. Hotels should invent carefully according to its specific necessary and customers' necessary.

Dear team! I found an article, very old but to me, very actual and interesting about how the Internet Technology is improving and progressing, and the investment bring benefits only. In 2011 , only 4 years ago, we can see that the companies were having a clear plan to improve the communication system. By introducing wireless, tablets, WLANs , to improve network reliability... Today we have it all on hands. We are using all the devices online , wireless and with no problem to access. No cords on the floor, no telegrams ... Internet technologies is a big progress in our century and is developing and growing, by leaving some of us behind. :)

The article I decided to choose this week deals with what we were discussing in our discussions about the POS system that businesses are installing in their restaurants. This article was about how Chili's has implemented tablets about 45,000 across 823 Chili's around the world. Guest can now order their food, pay for their checks and kids can play games on these new tablets. Having these tablets in the restaurant has increase 20 percent in dessert sales. You can see that by guest seeing a photo of the dessert on these tablets have help Chili's sale dessert way more. The device also has a set default for tips which is 20 percent. Some guest does not change the tips so the waiter/waitress are still getting more money. The tablet does not really need a waiter or waitress only until they need to deliver the food. The tablet has allowed quicker table turnaround which means you get more guest through the door so the restaurants gets more money. Since you have the tablets on the table at all time that you are there it tempts you to want to order more and that is more money for the restaurants as well. You will always need the waiter/waitress present because they still have to deliver the food and drinks. But as technology advances, I believe that there will be even more technology that eventually there will be no need for waiter/waitress in a restaurant. For example, having robots deliver your food and drinks.

For several years, tablets/eMenus have been rising in popularity within dining establishments as a way to increase efficiency and revenue for the establishment. Customers are able to view the menu in it's entirety along with pictures of each item, allowing the customer to view exactly what they are ordering. This could potentially decrease the amount of orders sent back to the kitchen and decrease food waste, thus minimizing loss of revenue. Although this developing technology has many advantages, there are a few disadvantages that management must consider before implementing these systems. Credit card security, risk of replacing wait staff/jobs, and potential theft of the system being a few.

Going back to the 70's when internet connections did not rule our minds and travelers would make hotel booking directly with the hotel or use travel agents. When there were no email confirmations, TripAdvisor reviews and when we had to use maps to find the locations. This article talk about five ways hotels are starting to use more technology to connect with the guest. 1) Mobile bookings. 2) Quick check-in with tablets. 3) Self check out. 4) Live chats to help turn lookers into bookers. 5) Door opening with Technology. I choose this article because all these new technology need to work on storage and software and there is no better way than to use cloud computing to run these programs safely.

Things have certainly since the 70s, I am glad to have self checking rather than waiting in line. I cannot wait to get my cell phone to give me a key to access my room. With self checking, and room access, I will be glad to bypass all the waiting and processing and get to my room. I'm usually tired from traveling and so it would eliminate any aggression. Get article and great use of technology for hotels.

This article introduced De Santos, a high-end restaurant runs completely off iPad 2. It is the first restaurant in NY to do so. This is considered the future of restaurants. Servers in this Italian-American restaurant use tablets to take orders and swipe credit cards. Although this is very expensive comparing the $1.5 notepads with $500 iPad. The owner claims that it actually help to save money. And it is much cheaper than the traditional POS system. The tablets are used in every aspects of the business. Take ordering as an example. All the menus are stored on the tablets. Waiter just select the orders and send it to the kitchen and bar wirelessly. It enables waiters to save time.

Bluetooth proximity marketing was the new and upcoming marketing technique back in 2014. As learned this week in class this kind of marketing is used to connect with potential and existing consumers. There are four different types of proximity marketing that should be considered:  Internet enabled device (cell phone, tablet, etc) with GPS.  WiFi device (cell phone, tablet, etc) within range of a transmitter  Bluetooth device (cell phone, tablet, etc) being within range of a transmitter  NFC enabled phone that can read a RFID chip on a product or media. The main one described in this article is Bluetooth. An example of Bluetooth proximity marketing would be a retailer adds a transmitter to a specific promotional spot, and the person with a Bluetooth enabled phone may receive a coupon for the products found at that promotional spot or a complimentary product. The target is to directly market the consumer, you can send coupons, engage the costumer, send relevant information, etc.

This article mainly talks about there have been a lot of pioneering uses of tablet devices in hospitality industry. Many hotels are adopting recent developments in tablet computers and smartphones to offer guests information in real time in a wide choice of unprecedented ways. For example, a new in-room guest service technology will provide guests in all the rooms with the ability to navigate through all offered hotel services with the finger print. This new technology brings a lot of benefit for guest convenience. Each custom built guest interface provides direct communication between hotel staff and guests in real time. Hotel tracks all requests and activities, minimizing error and increasing efficiency. Tablet devices will be a trend which widely used in hospitality industry.

Social integration and tablet shopping is quite new. I understand what the author's point that a lot of shops just left a twitter sign or face book sign on the page, but that is not enough. If the shop brought a fabulous dynamic site experience to me, I definitely would share with my friends. And these shops need to focus on the potential customers by reading them. For tablet shopping, I personally love it because it is easy and convenient to shop, and I can get a lot of information from it quickly. Most important is it is portable, I can check it anywhere, any time.

This article highlights three hardware trends that is shaping the modern hospitality industry globally by focusing on the advances experienced in POS technology. The writer emphasizes that since the hospitality industry has been more focused on services than on retail, restaurant, bars, hotel and pub owners should pay keen interest on the technological developments. This technology is beneficial to the hospitality industry, as it will help the operators improve on customer experience. Hardware plays a critical role in improving the services offered in the hospitality industry. The three emerging trends in hospitality mentioned in the article relate to the trends in EPOS hardware in the industry. The first trend mentioned in the article is mobile EPOS (M-POS), which helps in taking orders, inputting them into the EPOS system, have the order forwarded to the kitchen and processing for the order payment by using wireless broadband. The second trend is kiosks that are self-service points in the hospitality industry. Kiosks have several uses like checking availability, making reservations when the patrons arrive in restaurants and allowing guests to order room service in hotel rooms. The last trend is the use of scanners, which is modern EPOS software for setting up a loyalty scheme for businesses. Scanners have not been a necessary part of the hospitality EPOS but their demand has grown due to the increase in popularity for loyalty schemes among businesses.

This article talks about the three hardware systems that are trending now in the hospitality industry. The Mobile EPOS, Kioks, and Scanners are all meant to make the job of the company run smoother and more efficiently. The EPOS makes it easier to get everything done in one place, for example placing an order, paying and receiving a receipt. Kiosks allow customers to place their own order and have the food delivered to them. Lastly, scanners are a great help when it come tp updating records.

Retail operators are now understanding that point of sale systems can also be used to not only assist in processing the final phase of the checkout but also throughout the entire process to increase the service aspect. The advancement in POS technology is the driving force behind this initiative. Operators of restaurants, bars, pubs, hotels, etc., are using POS technology to improve the customer service experience. The main focus of this is placed on modern specialised EPOS software and hardware systems and how they can help to integrate operations across an entire business. There are three emerging trends in hospitality EPOS hardware that are used to run the software. They are mobile Epos (M-Pos), Kiosks and Scanners. Mobile EPOS (M-POS) use single devices at the table to take orders, input into the EPOS system, forwarded to the kitchen and process the order for payment. Kiosks, on the other hand are self-service points that allow users to process orders and payments separate from collection they can also allow users to check availability and making reservations, allowing them to perform tasks like choosing tables and dining times themselves. Kiosks could play a similar role in hotel rooms, allowing guests to order room service or offering a smart concierge option. The final hardware option mentioned was the use of scanners. Scanners are used in conjunction with the loyalty schemes which are growing in popularity as a way to incentivise repeat business and for updating records.

This article discuss how both new software and hardware is being utilized in the hospitality industry to expedite the process of guests checking in and out of hotels. The article is about NORTHWIND, a company well known for having developed "Maestro" a property management software suite that enables hotels, resorts, and multi-property organizations to manage their facilities. Specifically the article mentions how NORTHWIND is introducing "Xpress Check-In" an tablet specific software that will increase the speed and ease with which guests are able to enter and exit the hotel. This goes to show how the company is keeping abreast with the recent and growing trend of portable tablet/touch screen hardware devices. This software and hardware combination enables desk agents to operate away from their desk allowing for more intimate and personalized service with guests. I think the most unique and amazing feature of this system is that it will allow hotel agents to check in and process large groups such as conference attendees quickly and efficiently. The "Maestro Xpress Check-In" system can not only check guests in, but also encode their room key card, as well as process credit card transactions and capture their signature. All of these things can be completed even before conference attendees disembark from the bus and enter the hotel. I believe that hotels who choose to invest and employ technologies like this will distinguish themselves from other establishments because their service will be much better and smoother, both for guests and the hotel. These unique services will also be key in driving revenue and increasing productivity. NORTHWIND is well recognized in the hospitality industry for providing real-time technology solutions that help users control and manage their business effectively.

Maestro, a company specializing in property management and hotel software is launching a new face in property management productivity by introducing the Maestro Ipad Xpress App. With the popularity of tablet computers such as IPads and android platform tablets rising, Northwind has decided to launch a system through Maestro to make the check-in and check-out process in a hotel as simple and efficient as possible. Northwind ultimately hopes that the Xpress check-in app will not only be more efficient for guests but also optimize revenue and productivity in the hotel. The new app allows guests to complete the check-in and check-out process anywhere a wireless signal is available. Lets say for example, a large group of employees are attending an out of state conference and when they arrive at the hotel, there are over fifty of them that have to go through the check-in process. With the Xpress check-in app, these individuals could check in on their way to the hotel and by the time they get there they will save time and effort by not having to wait in line and go through the entire check in process one by one. For this reason the Maestro Xpress Check-In App is perfect for handling large groups of people arriving at the same time. The Xpress app creates a more personalized service for the customer making the entire check-in and check-out process much more convenient for the guest and productive for the hotel. 

This article presented the possibilities of  the usage of smartphone as the single control device in hotel guestrooms in the near future.  "The newest trend in the hotel space is allowing guests to control everything in the room with one device". Hotel Technology Next Generation(HTNG) recently published a new standard for single remote control to support multiple devices. There already are technology that use television remote for this function. And because of the popularity of smartphones and tablets, guestrooms are now expected to have these devices. HTNG is also working on standards for these devices, they are believed to be able to replace the television as the focal point of control in the future. Although the offering tablet devices in guestrooms is still new to the industry, only several high rank hotels have done. And the usage rates of tables stand much higher than the usage rates for television, These devices have multiple functions vary from ordering room service to turn off the light.   The article also discussed the necessity of television for guestroom control. Many hotels use products that enable guests to connect their own devices onto television and make these devices the remote control for televisions or other devices in the room. 

The newest trend in the hotel space is allowing guests to control everything in the room with one device. With the popularity of smartphones and tablets, experts believe they will replace the television as the focal point of control.  People are familiar with smartphones and tablet applications and therefore adoption using those devices rather than a television is more likely Today. In a hotel, if it has not switched to flat-screen TVs, it is probably angering a lot of customers. On the other hand, the experts  don't think the typical customer expects to find an iPad, the trend may shift to just offering apps because smartphone use is becoming even more widespread.

As GDS technology has taken place in the past 2 decades in hospitality in dustry, a branch of it, mobile technology, is also showing its great potencial. Now more and more people can not live without mobile and mobile could be very useful when people are on their vacation like planning and booking hotel or airlines. Besides "pure" mobile devices, tablets also generately damatical revenue for hotel industry. As a result, hoteliers should notice those trends in customers purchasing habits and make a new maketing plan in a SoLoMo(Social, Local, Mobile) world, considering how to best utilize SoLoMo to engage their guests and generate incremental revenues.

Intelity, a leading provider of in room tablet technology, outlines the cost savings involved by implementing these tablets into a room operation. Everything from menu's to bibles to hotel directories to maps can be stored on these devices. This can lead to drastically less paper waste for the hotel. These tablets can also interface with the room, allowing the guest to program their AC to shut off while they are away or to shut off based on guest inactivity. The technology is becoming so pervasive in the industry that it is now a consideration in the AAA diamond ranking systems. Nicholas Reynolds

This article is sweet and precise. It talks about the evolution of technology in hotel rooms (or hotels in general) but focusing specifically on the use of tablets. They talk about the reduce cost in hotels by adapting tablets to replace bibles, menus, brochures, etc. Personally, I am all for less use of paper and more use of technology. I'm the type of person that prefers to place an order through an app than having to call the restaurant. One very interesting fact mentioned in this article is that the hospitality industry spent over $400 million on printing directories and marketing materials for their guests in 2015. That's huge!!

Cloud computing makes sense to work business in a cloud setting. The article states that Cloud computing has "transformed businesses" throughout the world. We learned that a disadvantage of Cloud is the dependence of Internet connection. With Cloud computing, you can share and store data. This can be a better way to run business. We have learned that Cloud computing is more scalable, secure, and reliable. Cloud computing cost less, and you can pay for what you need. Cloud you can customize what you need, to your specific needs. The article even mentions it "lowers management costs." Unlike unintended PMS, which can require maintenance, and be highly costly. We discussed in our video lecture from this past week, how hotel check-ins are being done from smart phones- as this article includes. This is beneficial for enhancing guest experience, and increasing the speed of check-ins. Travel agents have their own way of how they conduct themselves, their business, and the services he or she provides. However, the article shows how with Cloud computing, you would not need to depend on travel agents. Furthermore, Cloud computing can increase sales and revenue for a hotel property. Cloud computing is replacing traditional PMS system's and have a multitude of benefits.

Hoteliers today are joining in on the trend of the use of cloud computing. Some benefits of cloud computing include the increase of operational efficiency, lowering management costs since the hotelier only pays for what they demand. Energy costs and hardware operation costs are also decreased. It allows for hotel check ins to be done via smart phones and tablets and not just at the front desk upon arrival, and it also allows for hotels to not have to rely on travel agents all the time for bookings which saves them having to pay commission to travel companies.

No matter the industry, cloud computing has changed organizations all around the world in recent years. Today's need for access at any time and from any location has soared, and cloud computing is supplying it. All you want is a reliable internet connection. Businesses might choose a cloud service that would store their data in safe data centers rather than burdening themselves with traditional in-house servers to store data. At all levels, cloud-based services are now taking the place of outdated and conventional technologies. Many hospitality firms now use cloud computing services offered by infrastructure as a service (IaaS), software as a service (SaaS), and platform as a service (PaaS). And they are all fired up with the incredible benefits of cloud computing. Cloud computing can benefit hoteliers by driving down costs like energy, hardware, and operations. Your hotel's requirement for hardware overload is decreased, which significantly lowers your electricity costs. The hotel sector uses cloud computing to speed up projects, which reduces costs and increases efficiency. An efficient and effective hotel PMS will help you to ensure that your guests receive a first-rate experience and will provide the hotel employees with the best set of management capabilities. Another benefit of cloud computing is that it frees your personnel from stationary terminals, allowing them to work more independently and productively. Due to the cloud, guests may now check in at hotels using their smartphones or tablets as well as the front desk. Working remotely is possible thanks to cloud computing in the hospitality sector. Managing the business becomes a little more challenging when you, the hotelier, are not on the premises. However, putting your hotel management and operations in the cloud gives you the flexibility to access and operate on them from any location in the world.

This article shows how despite the trend into mobile devices and tablets, the industry growth of fixed POS system is still ahead. it is very interesting to see these findings, since nowadays all one seems to see or read about is this addiction to mobile devices and tablets. The article found growth in all the major regions of the world, which clearly states that this is not a random occurrence.