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This article contains information about the talks that will be occurring between the U.S. and China about hacking and cyber-security. According to U.S. officials, there is a "daily barrage of computer break-ins and theft of corporate and government secrets." These attacks are assumed to be from China. The objective of these talks is to establish some rules and behavioral standards between both countries under the topics of security and "commercial espionage." No changes are suggested to be made immediately, but the U.S. hopes that the talks can result in a small, constant change between the countries. These talks will begin in July. This article seemed important in my opinion since the topic of this week in class was about cloud computing. If these two countries participated in a similar business function and used cloud computing to store important information, there could be arising issues. All of the important information could be jeopardized by hacking. By both countries coming to an agreement on the terms of cyber-security, this could possibly open up new opportunities for both countries to work together or expand businesses to one another. This does not mean that hacking will stop in its entirety. However, it could be the beginning of the step in the right direction.

In this article, it talks about all the new ways hotels are using technology to bring in more customers. They are trying to make everyone's stay as pleasant as possible, one example that they talked about is using in iPads to keep their guests entertained while waiting. The Royal Mansour in Marrakech has now set up every room with touch screen walls that allow guests to control the temperature and the lighting in the room. Another resort in Nantucket offers their guests Flip video Camcorders that they can use at their property, the guest can record all the different things that they have done throughout the week, they can record everything from the crazy storms to a beautiful hike that they did with their family! The last hotel that they talked about in the article was the Andaz 5th Avenue, this hotel allows guest to skip the front check out and they can just check in from the elevator with their credit card on the way to their room. This article really opened up my eyes and see that technology really is changing the way that we live!

Social media has revolutionized the way businesses are able to interact with consumers - It sets an unprecedented opportunity for brands to raise the bar in providing unique, personal experiences for customers past, present and future. The hospitality industry in particular has an enormous opportunity to market in innovative ways via tools like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogging, mobile-based initiatives and more. Now is the time for the hospitality business to use social media to target their customers. It is important for hotels to realize the importance of this and invest money in improving their company's image and awareness.

Social media has been around for a while but slowly has become more and more popular. We as a hospitality industry have so many opportunities with social media. For example.. I work in a restaurant and we do so much promoting on Facebook And twitter for specials and upcoming events. With social media in the industry it allows us to interact with customers from the past, present, and potential future guests. The author of this article hits it right on when talking about ways to use it with all the different allies there are now a days.

This is a great article. This is the wave of the future as hospitality business can place ads and deals on places like facebook and travelocity. It is great as well to see reviews from other people when it comes to things like hotels and restaurants, so you too can choose if the place is right for you. While reviewing a place is great for future customers, it may not be a great tool for the establishment, if it receives bad reviews. One bad review can damage an establishments reputation over night.

This article continues the talk after the YouTube video about computer parts being sent to China. It talks in depth about E-waste and the effects on the health of communities. E-waste is effecting our environment negatively and something needs to be done. The article goes into talking about a circular economy is needed to help reduce the waste. We shouldn't be throwing away an iPhone every time a new one comes out. Those parts should be reusable or upgradable.

This article dives into the ways that technological innovation is disrupting the hotel industry. Hoteliers are struggling to keep up with guest needs and demands. Technological innovations, while a necessity, can never replace human touch. This rapid change represents a challenge and opportunity for the industry to overcome.

This article explains the technological advances in the hospitality industry and how this has been attributed to being a crutch for the industry and/or a burden. With the utilization of technological software such as kiosks, automated checks in's, and mobile ordering, the hospitality industry has had a disruption in the product that they are offering. The article also undergoes the understanding of taking the implementation of technology and the human interaction and combining them to work cohesively in the hospitality industry. Understanding that it is a balance that both must intertwine in order to find success in hospitality.

In this article, all the incredible sides of innovative technology within the hospitality and tourism industry are highlighted and discussed. Along with the discussion of what some of the newest technology is, it touches on how it positively and negatively affects the industry. For example, the article talks about how the average person is so much more willing to go about self-service check-ins and hotels and airports, as well as ordering from a kiosk at a restaurant. From this, while it can be super convenient for the customer, it can also cause extreme damage to the business. Because so much of the industry has transformed to just being at the will of your fingertips, it leaves customers forgetting that not everything comes with instant gratification. "Long queues to check in at the hotel become unacceptable; unresponsive or slow room service lead to negative hotel comments on TripAdvisor; and some expect 24 hours' housekeeping even in a budget hotel", a quote from the article reads. The article also talks about how while there can be many negatives, there are equally as many rewarding positives. For example, "Due to the large numbers of internet users, including mobile, online review platforms, attract lots of traffic which, in turn, means plenty of business potential for the online travel agencies (OTAs) in particular". One of the main points in the article talks about how even though many hospitality jobs are being taken over by computers and AI, the one thing a robot will never be able to grasp and give is human interaction. "A machine can cook dishes exactly to order, but it cannot experience how the guest feels; a robot might be able to deliver a pot of hot water to a hotel room, but it is unable to tell whether the guest is feeling unwell; an advanced voice control system could make it easier to order room service, but it cannot tell whether the guest enjoys the meal". In conclusion, while there are indeed many disruptive changes that have bee

This article talks about planned obsolescence and US e-waste. This article talks about how tech companies engage in planned obsolescence to encourage technology turnover. They talk about ways that the US can stop this planned obsolescence. One way would be to enforce durability standard for products creating a longer life time. This could be partnered with an enforced longer warranty on electronic devices.

This article addresses the cybersecurity trends in hospitality for 2022. They talked about the risks for the hospitality industry and how much it can cost the company if there is a breach. It also talks about how bringing third party vendors in can be a risk to your company. It ends by talking about how to protect todays infrastructure by locking down logins, empowering staff, making a plan, and getting insured.

This article basically gives tips about how to create a safe hotel. There are many ways you can ensure that your staff and hotel guests are protected.

This article is about steps a property can take in order to ensure the safety of their employees and guests. This includes: surveillance cameras, cybersecurity, mobile room keys, safes in rooms, among other things. - Be sure to invest in high-quality cameras that can pick up the little details, such as facial features and bill amounts. - Your Wi-Fi should be a secure network users must log in to before using. Make the username and password easy to find. - Mobile keys strengthen security and allow guests to bypass the front desk altogether. -Set up regular meetings with all employees to talk about guest safety. -In terms of profit-sharing, workers feel a sense of pride or ownership, they will keep their eyes and ears open for signs of waste, fraud or theft.

This article talks about hotel's safety and the usage of surveillance cameras, cybersecruity, mobile room keys, guest safety, staff training, and profit sharing. Each section talks about the procedures that should be taken to keep guest and staff safe.

While we all know now it's the technology era, customers would like prefer new hotel technology which would enhance their experience. When we are geeky enough to love new hotel technology, however, we have got our green side too. For example, in hospitality industry, some hotels control what gets switched on and off using the system that tells them when a guest comes and goes; some also talked about putting solar panels on hotel roofs with government subsidies. Applying new technology in hospitality industry also will have some negative side as everything has two sides. it is just a kind of balance thing. We just need to find the most suitable ones for our hotels and customers.

The article talks about how hotel are getting into more green technology. In New Orleans they had a conference for hotel own and GM that want to get greener with their hotel technology. The new green tech development is focused on reducing energy use. For example the new developed energy efficient system will remember how light are set and if the fireplace is on and will shut down 20 minutes after the guest leave and come back to the same setting. It will be a big saving for the hotel especially when the power bills comes in they will notice a different

"It's easy to fixate on technology when talking about bookings, but one of the most well-established paths to booking a room might represent the most overlooked opportunity for hoteliers. That opportunity? Global distribution systems."

This article talks about exactly what we talked about in the discussion board, it talks about how hotels are actually getting more bookings from using the GDS system.

IT investment are pushed forward now and days more so for guest satisfaction. A recent Motorola Solutions Inc has uncovered a study that fifty six percent of hospitality organization plan to increase their mobile investment and wireless technology with greater data volumes and high speed access. This will increase drastically competitive advantage for the business and customer experience. Some find it a challenge in convincing upper management to approve investing in to the latest technology. As well as demonstrating that a proposed technology investment will be beneficial for their business and will assist in continuous up to date trends and market competition. I highly agree that technology is a must in this industry, especially how fast it is changing. In order to stay within the competitive advantage and provide convenience for our guest it is necessary to invest and update into the latest technology. The initial investment might be extreme especially if you have been out of date from any recent technology however, with time the results will be returned with satisfied guest and fast paced PMS systems.

Information Technology is indispensable in the hospitality industry for several reasons. This article discusses how many hotels are increasing their investment in I.T because of its abundant advantages, especially guest satisfaction. It particularly states how mobile and wireless technology will aid in guests pleasure but ensure competitive advantage as well. They looked at a study of Motorola Solutions Market Barometer of 2011 where they fundamentally determine the emerging trends in the industry and opportunities. They then came to understand that businesses are investing more on hospitality information technology to not only assist in customer retention but to have an overall high-quality system that can manage their daily duties such as inventory, budget, and status of room reservations.

This article talks about how hotel companies are starting to invest more in information technology to provide a more enhanced guest experience. A survey done by Motorola Solutions found that 56% of hospitality companies are looking to invest in more mobile technology. While companies are looking to invest more in technology, it has been challenging to convince higher management levels to make the investment. Radi Karnib with Rotana Hotel Management said that it's important to demonstrate the benefits of the investment. Daniel Haijar with Layia Hospitality agrees and goes on to say that it's important to differentiate between what's an investment and what's an expense.

In the article, "Green and Eco-Friendly Hotel Amenities" it talks about how many different hotels are doing their part and keeping the planet green. The first place that the article talks about is the Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, it uses no motorized vehicles instead the guests can use electric golf carts or electric boats to ride around on the nine miles of canal. "Each resort also has an onsite biologist to lead educational boat tours through the lagoons." At the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago they built a rooftop garden to provide fresh vegetables and herbs for the hotel's restaurant, they are also considering making space to put several beehives, this will lead to a natural approach of producing honey. One of the most interesting and easy ways to stay green was at the Calistoga Ranch in Napa Valley; they have sheep that eat the grass replacing all lawnmowers and on top on that, their manure helps fertilize the soil. It's a win, win solution! In New York they have a restaurant called Habana Outpost and you really have to work for your food, literally. At this restaurant you have ride a bike that powers the eatery blender and if they generate up to 100 watts of energy, they will earn a free meal, such an amazing and creative idea! This "is part of the hotel's larger commitment to eco-friendliness, which includes a CO2-neutral building, solar panels, and groundwater-based heating and cooling systems." At Jicaro Island lodge in Nicaragua, they used all of they wood from trees that were knocked down in Hurricane Felix and they also use a good majority of their wastewater that is recycled to irrigate the trees and plants. Before reading this article, I never knew that so many hotels were doing their part at staying green and I'm surprised by all the new and unique ways that they have come up with, it gives me hope for the future!

Green hotel has become a hot topic recent years since people have more concerns about sustainability of natural resources. This article is talking about sustainable hospitality hardware. It starts right from one kind of hardware material, bronze. Two types of bronze are introduced as the most popular choice for hardware, "silicon bronze" and "white bronze". Considering the long durability, excellent corrosion resistance, better fatigue resistance, lower melting point, easy care and maintenance, bronze, as a material is a dramatically long time and continues to be so today using both time -tested and innovative manufacturing techniques. The article also talks about green characteristics of bronze products. For example, it use life cycle analysis results to show bronze products is better than other materials. Bronze is 100 percent recyclable and make healthier environment. In hospitality industry, the most applications of bronze must be the door hardware, including the lock set. The article gives an example of Pelican Hill Resort which used lot bronze in the resort manufacture. Overall, it's a material choice that can contribute positively to the overall design intent of a given facility and its long-term successful operations.

This article talked about some features need to be considered when choosing a restaurant POS system. It suggested that restaurant should pay attention to the ease of use, customer database, tableside ordering, online reservations, online odering, scalability, pringting, and data recovery. It emphsized that live system changes, terminal flexibility, menu, menu firing, and discounts should be considered. It also talked about the important features for bars to choose a POS system. They are fast pay, tabs, repeat, job types, and credit card hold.

This article talks about the agreement made between Double Tree Hilton hotel and Google in creating a new You Tube channel that will let travelers share their travel pictures, experiences and other details of their trip. The DTour will allow travelers to upload and post videos from any social network. They can locate the area the website map and then they can add comments, photos and videos. John Greenleaf, global head of DoubleTree by Hilton says "We're really giving people the opportunity not to talk about a specific hotel or airline but about the destinations themselves." D Tour will show all different locations of Double Tree Hotels. According to Megan Danielson, head of the industry travel at Google, hotels should be taking advantage of the increasingly numbers of users of You Tube to advertise their brand. "A Google/Ipsos study last year found that 61% of business travelers used video to help them pick hotels, and 41% of leisure travelers used video to plan or book a trip." The Double Tree hotels can use this tool to build a relationship with customers and people can use this tool to share their travel experiences with other travelers.

This artical is takling about future trends in hotel e-buinsee. In the artical one of the top strategies for hotel e-buiness is evolving from selling to engaging the customer, the way is hoteliers need to fulfill the experience expected by customers. What's more, they can engage the customer through social computing. Then this artical is talking about how to get succeed in hotel e-business, to truly engage digital travelers,hotel e-business must evovle from channel to gateway, from single purpose to all encompassing, and from functional to fulfilling. What's more, this artical show five important trends affecting hotel e-business. They are more demanding consumers; more comples distribution channels; changing business models; emphasis on technology and richer contemt; change in the structure of hotel e-business. Last this artical is talking about we need to think about both globalization and localization in any business.

The article I read was called, "Restaurants, Beware: Hackers Want Your Customer Data." In the article it talked about how cyber criminals want credit card information from people so that they can make money off of them. Criminals find new ways everyday to breach systems and steal information from guests staying at hotels or eating in restaurants. It states that many restaurants and franchise businesses use unsecure and public WiFi networks are connected to the point of sale system. "Franchise businesses are particularly at risk primarily because franchises tend to have the same POS system duplicated at all locations." A lot of times businesses don't have trained security on staff, they just assume that their IT person will be talking care of the security. According to the article the best detection systems are neither the technology nor the security but it's the employees who work there. The employees can tell when something has changed in the system and as soon as they realize that, they need to report it to their manager. I never even considered people breaking into the systems and stealing credit card information but it does happen and it's important to know what to do in these kinds of situations.

This article speaks about the powerhouse called Oracle Micros, which was created in 2014 when Oracle bought Micros Systems. As we have talked recently about cloud computing, Oracle has now began to use the cloud in its Micros systems. This is in order to be able to provide an even better service to all guests, while making it easier on the management to collect information on guests. It also talks about how by using these cloud-based versions of Micros that staff will be able to provide service to guests through means of mobile devices.

This article talks about a group of New York City hotels that have pledged to become greener. Seventeen hotels have joined the NYC Carbon Challenge, an initiative originally created to get the city's universities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. These hotels have pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 30% in the next ten years, which can significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases produced by the city's buildings. This is all in an effort to reduce the city's overall greenhouse gas emissions 80% by the year 2050. The Office of Sustainability worked with the Hotel Association of New York City, a coalition of hotels in the city, to get this first group of hotels involved with this green initiative. The hotels that have already started working towards making their property greener are already on the right track to meeting their goals and these implementations will involve minor construction and little hindrance to guests. The article talks about some of the changes that these hotels are making, such as changing to LED light bulbs, installing more energy-efficient elevators, implementing sensors that turn off bathroom lights after a certain period of inactivity, and using an energy-conserving air-conditioning system. Although these changes will cost the hotels a hefty sum of front, they also know that these changes will save them money in the long run. Most of these changes will not be visible or known to guests, but people who want to stay someplace that is environmentally-conscious can educate themselves about what these hotels are doing.