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As mobile devices become more advanced, particularly cell phones and tablet devices, more pressure to keep up with mobile and social trends is placed on the hospitality industry. People are using their mobile devices more now than they have in the past. So much so, that "two thirds of Americans sleep with their mobile device in range, something we cannot say about desktops". A world of information is at your fingertips because of the capability of mobile devices. Information that can help us make decisions about anything. Even last-minute decisions about hotels and food. More people are using their mobile devices to book rooms and many of the people that do this, are booking a hotel for the same night. The fact most of the people who do this are under 30 means that it is very likely that this trend will increase. People are expecting the technology to be there so that they can pick a hotel and a restaurant to go to if they are unfamiliar with a city. They are expecting a hotel chain to have a mobile site or better yet an "app" that will not only allow them to book a room, but, one that will give them directions from where they are to the hotel. The same can be said for restaurants. Potential customers want to be able to look over the menu and determine if they want to come to the restaurant, all from their mobile device. Mobile guests are also using customer review sites to determine where they will lodge or dine. They are using sites like TripAdvisor which allows you to post comments about your stay. The sight even allows the guests to post pictures. "Customer reviews are also important to the hotel industry, but the jury is still out on exactly how hotels should react with people who post reviews." It is always great when a guest posts a positive review of the hotel, but imagine how one bad stay could tarnish a hotels reputation. And what if there are cleanliness issues that the guest can photograph and upload to the site? Exactly what to do in this type of e

This article very much relates to what we discussed in class on Monday and what ebusiness' are doing these days to stay afloat. The internet is taking over the travel industry since everyone likes to do things on their own these days. Travel agents are trying to find ways around this growing trend. The two main tips for travel agents in this article are staying close with your existing customers while gaining new ones. This will alter the way your business will run. Once your existing customers realize you are loyal, easy to work with and focused them they will start spreading the world about the work you have done. The new customers will see the customer base you have and will more than likely choose you over t.agent 2 with only a few existing customers and no new clients in years. Once you complete a job, it is a must that you follow up. After everything is said and done, send them a quick email & maybe offer them a better package deal next time. Yes, the internet is putting a damper on the travel industry but at the same time agents are finding ways to work around this highly growing trend.

The hospitality industry along with the resourcefulness of the Internet has allowed the Russian hospitality industry to benefit and grow with the technology of e-commerce. E-commerce is defined as "the buying and selling of products and service by businesses and consumers over the Internet". This technology is significant due to its beneficial factors of lowering costs, accessibility, decision-making, and media exposure. As well, the article provides for methods and advice regards effective strategies to utilize the Internet. Primarily, the speed of the website's functionality is essential, along with providing compatibility of browsers, thus, allowing for a better experience for users. The information in the website should be efficient, allowing for real time search whether using a mobile phone or a computer. It was informative to read the multiple functionality, that social media is playing in the hospitality industry regards the exposure and marketability. E-commerce has change the market of goods and services, from a tangible experience to digital experience, through the use of online shopping estimated at $228 Billion in 2010, a third derived from the purchase of travel and flight websites, thus, demonstrating the importance of the Internet in relation to consumerism.

E-commerce has become more and more important in our daily life, because many customers today prefer to use internet to help them make decisions. In hospitality industry, e-commerce also plays an important role, as internet is a very cheap and convenient booking channel and many people use the internet intensively. There are many e-commerce strategies for hoteliers, such as making friendly web site design, embracing social media, etc. As e-commerce has so many advantages, I think e-commerce is an opportunity for hoteliers to grasp. It is important for hoteliers to use different strategies to get the best from the internet world.

    This article introduced the function of ecommerce and the ecommerce effect for the hospitality industry. The author listed some important reasons about why hotel ecommerce is so important:1)Accelerating Internet usage worldwide.2)The Internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking channel. 3) Most travelers research hotel reservations on the Internet. 4)Social media and online hotel reviews are an increasingly important decision factor. 5) The web is the preferred media source for travel information, favored 17:1 over television and 6:1 over newspapers and magazines. This article also listed some basic e-commerce strategies that will help hoteliers to take advantage of ecommerce from the Internet world. 1) Search-friendly web site design.2) Improve conversion and usability 3) Paid search. 4) Real time search - natural ranking.5) Mobile.6) Embracing social media. 7) Test, test, test. Top e-commerce sites are continually testing new things.      In a summary, the author suggest smart hoteliers need to keep a sharp focus on the fundamental shift in ways customers are seeking information and channels that drive maximum return on investment. Moreover, hoteliers have to constantly learn and look for ways to harness the power of new developments and trends.

The article, Urbanspoon Unveils Rezbook "Right Now", highlights a new chapter in online reservation resources available to customers on their home computers or their smart phones. Urbanspoon's new application rivals Open Table. The "Right Now" feature allows guests to view what restaurants in their area have open tables, make reservations 'right now', view current wait times, and amount of guests in front of them. This allows restaurants to reach a market they might not have before and can provide them with new business. The goal of restaurants is to turn first-time guests into regulars, and Rezbooks is a great way to introduce new guests to your establishment. Not only can they reserve or find a table online, guests can also directly rate the restaurant and post details on their dining experience. This enables restaurants to get immediate feedback (positive or negative), especially since the application is readily available from smart phones. The new Urbanspoon application can work to provide new business while streamlining the seating process. For instance, even if a restaurant offers a 15-minute grace period for seating, to the diner they have conveniently jumped ahead of the wait in an otherwise busy setting. In our world of instant gratification, Urbanspoon's "Right Now" seems to fit in just right.

This article suggests that consumers now purchase in a more customized why with new technologies offered through applications and data plans through consumer's phones, tables and laptops. Airline consumers have recently changed their purchasing habits to choices such as in-flight WiFi, priority boarding, premium seating, meals or doubling their miles instead of the traditional schedules and fares. Airlines have veered to selling these types of customized travel services through direct selling to consumers and have eliminated the use of global distribution systems GDS. Airlines have found that the use of GDS's are more expensive to both the airline and consumer and that GDS's technology has yet to evolve to enable the kind of customer-focused and customized shopping that other industries have embraced. Now GDS's has ask that the Department of Transportation DOT to protect its market dominance by having DOT force airlines to give them, free of charge, the ability to sell options services as checked bags, seat upgrades or club access. Airlines believe that consumers should know what the are paying for.

This article claims that GDS systems are actually limiting consumer choices. The author suggests that using new distribution technologies that connect us directly to reservation systems would be better for consumers because it provides them with all the choices the airlines can offer, without the extra charge. Purchasing a ticket through GDS is three times more expensive than purchasing the ticket directly. Airlines, which aim to support consumer choice and transparency with its customers, try to tailor travel options to accommodate a passenger's individual needs. However, GDS opposes this movement by urging airlines to use outdated equipment that requires its due fees, which in turn raises the cost of travel for consumers.  

This article is about how network works for the hotel. TravelClick is a leading provider that designs and produces websites for hotels. Each hotel can have its own unique hyper-local online storefront with information. The Red Lion Hotel is one of the cooperators with the TravelClick. TravelClick designed a special web and mobile platform for the hotel. The guests of the hotel can find the information such as where to have the best breakfast and where is the good place to go. The hotel will excite them to go out and enjoy and encounter. This can give the guests special experience and let them have much fun. The hotel aims to use this way to make a differentiation from other hotels. In my opinion, the competition of the hotels likes the battle, the hotel must differentiates itself from others and let the customers to remember it. The network can help the hotel a lot. It not only has the traditional function of making introduction and reservation, it also can be used for marketing. For instance, TravelClick will serve as Red Lion's agency of record in all matters impacting search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) and display marketing. The resulting online experience will fuse mobile, social media and interactive map technologies. Make a good use of network can help the hotel manage itself well and attract more guests.

This article is about how network works for the hotel. TravelClick is a leading provider that designs and produces websites for hotels. Each hotel can have its own unique hyper-local online storefront with information. The Red Lion Hotel is one of the cooperators with the TravelClick. TravelClick designed a special web and mobile platform for the hotel. The guests of the hotel can find the information such as where to have the best breakfast and where is the good place to go. The hotel will excite them to go out and enjoy and encounter. This can give the guests special experience and let them have much fun. The hotel aims to use this way to make a differentiation from other hotels. In my opinion, the competition of the hotels likes the battle, the hotel must differentiates itself from others and let the customers to remember it. The network can help the hotel a lot. It not only has the traditional function of making introduction and reservation, it also can be used for marketing. For instance, TravelClick will serve as Red Lion's agency of record in all matters impacting search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) and display marketing. The resulting online experience will fuse mobile, social media and interactive map technologies. Make a good use of network can help the hotel manage itself well and attract more guests.

I agree with you. Hotels need to differentiate themselves among competitiors in order to attract more business. This online experience made by TravelClick could work as a competitive advantage for some hotels that need to make their name known in new markets.

This article is a good one about the cloud and how the hotels are finding benefits with using it. The benefits that they are seeing is that the cloud allows them to move their hardware off of the property to a central location to be operated. Another point they focused on is how it allows hotels to run their software and hardware more efficiently and it is also a lot cheaper. They have found that it allows them to get rid of IT in the hotel. They also touched on the cons and one being that if their is no internet or not enough internet connection there will be problems. Another issue is security.

This article is a good one about the cloud and how the hotels are finding benefits with using it. The benefits that they are seeing is that the cloud allows them to move their hardware off of the property to a central location to be operated. Another point they focused on is how it allows hotels to run their software and hardware more efficiently and it is also a lot cheaper. They have found that it allows them to get rid of IT in the hotel. They also touched on the cons and one being that if their is no internet or not enough internet connection there will be problems. Another issue is security. Many people feel that as complicated the industry is, it is somewhat important for hospitality type businesses to have the cloud. With having the cloud, this will ensure that the systems are always updated. A point that stood out to me was how the La Quinta saved 30-50% in telecommunication at each of their locations. Many hotels will find themselves using the cloud in the future

Diamond Foods was one of the largest snack foods corporations that were involved in an accounting fraud. This was an investigation that was going on for two years that is finally being settled. The former CEO was accused of falsifying costs in order to boost numbers on the stock market. The costs of walnuts had increased, however, former CFO was hiding that fact and misleading the market to let them believe Diamond Foods was beating earning estimates each time. Diamond Foods was acquiring Pringles but fell apart due to the scandal; this would have been a $2.5 billion deal. Talk of bankruptcy, stocks taking a nose dive, and a breach in loans made the banks take a step back, however, the company persuaded them to continue holding out for them. Diamond now has a new CEO and things are slowly starting to turn back around for the company. It's unfortunate that companies feel they have to lie, cheat and steal just to come out ahead. Some companies are getting away with it, but eventually it all goes back around.

My article this week is about how GDS (Global Distribution Systems) can be compared to a seatbelt. The author opens the article discussing the main reasons we still continue to use seatbelts; even though they aren't the most comfortable or fashionable items to use, they still do their jobs in saving our lives when it comes to a collision of some sort. The author is in favor of GDS and makes the claim that like seatbelts, the GDS may not be the most up-to-date or may not appear to be as nice as other local systems to each individual airline, but they get the job done and there are no other systems out there like it that we know of (no other systems that do everything he GDS system does that is). The main topic of discussion that the article is concerned with is the recent decision made by the company Lufthansa to start charging its customers an additional surcharge for using GDS systems instead of going through its own system. The author clearly makes it know that she doesn't believe Lufthansa when they say they are charging this additional surcharge because GDS is the most expensive channel to go through. "Because there's no reason to think that an airline should expect to distribute its products without any cost, Lufthansa's recent gambit seems more of a tactic for increasing lagging direct distribution... Its strategy seems to rest in shifting distribution costs to corporate buyers" claims Rose, the author of the article. The author also points out some of the draw backs of using agency portals, the main reason being that a customer cannot compare rates of other competitors and that agency portals cannot handle high volume transactions like the GDS can. It is also made known that there are costs that come with other channels as well, like the prices you pay for building airline websites and keeping them updated. The author concludes that "Given the history of negotiations between airlines and GDSs, it's impossible to know whether Lufthansa is using DCC as

Security has different meanings in different countries and is extremely important in creating and maintaining international leisure travel. In the United States this means technology: security cameras and monitoring, rapid communication and response technology. In developing countries such as Nigeria, the security conversation centers around much more primitive ideas. "A hospitality and tourism consultant, Emeka Attamah, has made a case for the establishment of 'Local Tourist Security'…in Nigeria." This idea centers on the belief that locals should be involved in the policing of public places because they are well versed in the terrain and the criminals that operate in these areas and are therefore in the best position to fish them out. After all, the success or failure of a tourism destination depends largely in part on how safe tourists perceive the destination to be. The idea of a Local Tourist Security in countries such as Nigeria means recruiting indigenous youth to provide surveillance and security near tourist sites. There are benefits and disadvantages to this proposal. These individuals will be well versed in the region and the people who live there. Many of them will have lived in the area for generations and have insider knowledge on who's who and where's where of the town in which they are operating. However, these youth would be more malleable and perceptive to outside influence. More than likely they would be easier to pressure into certain ways of thinking or actions than their adult counterparts. In addition, initiatives such as Local Tourist Security seem to potentially promote child labor (although potentially milder than the stigma would have us believe), which is looked down upon internationally. In conclusion, Local Tourist Security groups may be the best answer for areas such as Nigeria at the current time, but security in these countries is still miles behind the developed world. As a result these measure may attra

This article continues on our modules topic of offsite backups. It explains the need for them in case of emergencies, whether it be a breach or a natural disaster that compromises your systems. It mentions the the biggest services; Amazon S3 and also provides their opinion of top 10 options. It provides the benefits for each of the storage services and why they would recommend them. I personally found that Zetta was a great option as they are not only affordable but also very efficient and safe as it uses a push button. It concludes with information that can help a business decide which company is best for them and encouragement to choose one if you want to keep your data safe and readily available in case of an emergency.

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. 

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.

The article I chose was about Halogen Performance, which was about software that helps links employee goals to any of the organization goal that they may support. I learned from this article that managers get a dashboard and report that will him them know every employee progress. This software allows suppliers to provide feedback and also employees can see the feedback that the managers leave for them. This also allows employees and managers to discuss expectation and also to meet on a regular basic. This software allows managers to learn a lot about HR, which is great.

As technology is advancing, the hospitality industry must also stay on top with the latest trends. Hotels and theme parks using RFID wristbands have gone in the last few years. "RFID Systems are advancing, and more companies than ever are offering these solutions to the leisure industry. This helps drive prices down for operators looking to take the plunge into RFID." The article mentioned 8 benefits of using RFID Wristbands in the hospitality industry. The 8 benefits are: improve guest check- in and entry, go cashless, a hands-free experience, family freedom, security and control, make a social splash, one wristband to rule them all, and lastly, data and insight. As mentioned in the article, Disney World released their wristbands, MagicBand, in 2013 and they have been a hit ever since. I personally worked at the main entrance of Disney's Magic Kingdom and it was much easier and quicker for the guest to enter the theme park with their band rather than an actual ticket. Those guests with wristbands already had them out and were ready to tap the band and touch their finger on the glass. Versus other folks where the parents had the ticket cards for their whole party and once they got to the entrance they had to look for the tickets, pass them out to their kids, and then collect them from everyone once they entered the park. Not to mention, they would have to pass the tickets back out o everyone if they are going to use a FastPass for one of the rides. RFID systems are not new to the industry, as they have actually been used for hotel key cards for many years, however, now they have given them a better use. RFID wristband users may use their band to enter theme parks, hotel rooms, and music festivals, and they can use them as a credit card to pay for things on the property. It's a huge advantage to use these wristbands because it is much easier to wear a band than having to carry around a room card, ticket and a credit card, especially at theme parks o

This article highlights the benefits of GDS and how it is becoming obsolete to major airlines. Experts in the industry have been suggesting that the days of the GDS are numbered as technology evolves.

GDS companies continue to evolve and implement new technology to stay in line with current consumer demands. After initial resistance, they are implementing the NDC program into their system. NDC (New Distribution Capability) is a travel-industry supported program launched by IATA for the development and market adoption of a new XML-based data transmission standard (source: https://www.iata.org/whatwedo/airline-distribution/ndc/Pages/default.aspx) This article discusses the need of the airlines to upload useful content and for the travel agents to be more actively involved in order to make it useful for them. However, with major airlines' bookings split between 50% direct booking and 50% agents, and the airlines' efforts to drive more direct booking traffic, I wonder what is the sentiment of the companies to provide with more content and information on a platform that competes directly with their efforts to increase direct sales from their websites. Selling air tickets directly from their sites not only allow the companies to decrease booking fees and commissions but also allow them to collect much needed date from the consumers who use their services.

This article talks about how companies make the grave mistake of thinking that cybersecurity is merely an issue that should be addressed by an IT team and that no one else is responsible for addressing risks and understanding them. Most C-suite employees don't understand what the risks are, and usually these risks vary from company to company. It is not that you should only consider that you can get hacked, but you should consider and identify what kinds of information can get hacked and why. The article denotes an example of an Asian automobile company that needed to implement a new system to mitigate security risks and in the process, ended up locking up other companies who needed to use their systems to find out about their products. So those companies started to create fake profiles to try and access the information -- all so that they could just do their job. This showed that people are more interested in just getting their job done than understanding cybersecurity and why certain systems are in place. The way of thinking up security systems should be creative and involve all parts of an organization. Departments won't know what their role is until they identify what information is important to them, what their purpose is in the company, and what is valuable to them. By identifying this, they can come up with ways to secure this information and monitor its delivery. Businesses don't look at cybersecurity as a risk of their business just as a shipping company would look at weather risks as a potential threat to their revenue. It is looked at as more of an abstract concept and this stops people from implementing successful strategies to keep their information safe. Cybersecurity shouldn't be viewed as "so impenetrable" that no one would ever understand it. This requires everyone to get involved and understand the implications of cybersecurity on their own work, specifically, and identify who their main adversaries may be.

TPG Hotels & Resorts operates over 50 hotels nationwide. They are using software from Aptech Execuvue which delivers them day portfolios for their multiproperty operations the next day. The system also allows them to generate a variety of reports with detailed expenses and revenue sources, by brand as well as by property. They are also able to receive ad hoc reports that allow them to see 10 key metrics for the past five years compared to revenue.

On my previous article about Oraculo, the world's first predictive algorithm for hotels, I described how personalization in hospitality is no longer a trend but an obligation. By posting this new article I wanted to dig a little deeper into tailoring guests needs through e-commerce. In 2015, American Express Travel reported that 83% of millennials would not object to have their habits tracked if they get a more customized experience. This strong message has prompted the hotel industry to develop and implement website personalization technology that suggests, intuitively, specific room categories or packages to online lookers. Since building loyalty is an investment, improving the direct booking ratio is now the main goal of the industry. From experience, when I travel I try to stay at the same hotel and book directly from the hotel website. The most important thing to me when I shop around is furniture and bathroom. Although these are not generally specified in detail in room descriptions, the brand I'm loyal to is usually very consistent with my needs. If new technology would give me a more personalized stay somewhere else I would definitely change my membership. I have friends who don't travel much except for vacation and long weekends. They are lookers who go to online travel agencies (OTA's) and bounce from site to site trying to find the perfect place. The article explains this newer technology will be crucial to prevent lookers from bouncing to other websites, and encourage them to book directly from the hotel and avoid OTA's. The idea is to make it so personalized that it will be appealing on the spot. These new technologies not only can tailor room types and resort packages based on IP addresses, but it can customize your TV programming based on your web history. Personalizing the guest experience during the stay is no longer enough. Data shows that in order to build loyalty and make the customer return, personalization has to begin in the booking pr

This article describes how personalization of eCommerce can bring better profits, because it is helping guests personalize how they would like their stay. This is more efficient for the guests because it is ensure they get what they want, like if they want to be around certain theme parks, or if they want their rooms a certain way. They even have options where you can fit guests language barriers, like if they speak only spanish they can change the language so spanish speakers can also ensure they have their preferred stay.

This article explains the importance of website personalization. Here, vital information is stored for current and future use of consumers. It is important for industry professionals to have access to this information but protect it from reaching outside entities.