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Event Planning - Technology Solutions - 5 Technologies Event Planners Can't Live Withou... - 5 views

  • 5 Technologies Event Planners Can't Live Without
  • our top five technologies for event planners are no surprise
  • 1. Smartphones
  • ...54 more annotations...
  • This is the most obvious technology we can’t live without. Let’s be honest—-most of us are glued to our smartphones and our favorite apps 24 hours a day.
  • Chances are, if you walk around a convention center or hotel lobby, you will see people with their heads down, tapping away furiously on their smartphones
  • How did we ever find time to accomplish everything before smartphones came into existence?
  • your event management system with a customer relationship management (CRM) system such as Salesforce,
  • the benefits of the SaaS (software as a service) delivery model are becoming increasingly apparent.
  • These applications are advantageous to planners because they allow us to access all details and execution aspects of an event from any web-enabled device—be it a computer, smartphone, or iPad
  • With SaaS cloud apps, just provide end-users with reports-only access to what they need and nothing more. 
  • integration options available to planners, you are now blessed with the ability to link up your event management system with a customer relationship management (CRM) system such as Salesforce,
  • 2. SaaS Cloud Apps
  • With all of the information you  could ever need to access right at your fingertips through event management applications, you can ditch the millions of pieces of paper and now access contracts, registrations, room blocks,
  • Live and virtual events are about giving the attendee a choice as to how they spend their time
  • “webinars on steroids.” Live and virtual events are about giving the attendee a choice as to how they spend their time.
  • virtual events save the planner and attendee time, money, and resources.
  • virtual events save the planner and attendee time, money, and resources.
  • Virtual events are a great way for planners to fill seats at a cost that won’t make anyone wince.
  • This is the best tool in the box for improving future events.
  • 4. Social Media and Viral Marketing
  • Did you know that one out of three consumers is online for three or more hours per day? Or that 90 million tweets are sent out daily? What about this one: One of every eight minutes spent online is spent on Facebook
  • Some of the best traction you will get is from people sharing interesting tidbits they may have learned and enticing others to learn more
  • Today is the day of the iPad and the tablet, and a more simplified life.
  • 3. Virtual Events
  • In a world where everyone is always on the run, our top five technologies for event planners are no surprise—but what these tools can accomplish might impress you.
  • our top five technologies for event planners are no surprise—but what these tools can accomplish might impress you.
  • our top five technologies for event planners are no surprise—but what these tools can accomplish might impress you.
  • our top five technologies for event planners are no surprise—but what these tools can accomplish might impress you.
  • our top five technologies for event planners are no surprise—but what these tools can accomplish might impress you.
  • our top five technologies for event planners are no surprise—but what these tools can accomplish might impress you.
  • our top five technologies for event planners are no surprise—but what these tools can accomplish might impress you.
  • our top five technologies for event planners are no surprise—but what these tools can accomplish might impress you.
  • Smartphones
  • Chances are, if you walk around a convention center or hotel lobby, you will see people with their heads down, tapping away furiously on their smartphones. 
  • Whether the ubiquity of these devices is a blessing or a curse, the fact is, event professionals and participants alike would be lost without them.
  • SaaS Cloud Apps
  • SaaS (software as a service) delivery model
  • These applications are advantageous to planners because they allow us to access all details and execution aspects of an event from any web-enabled device
  • Additionally, with all of the integration options available to planners, you are now blessed with the ability to link up your event management system with a customer relationship management (CRM) system
  • Virtual Events
  • Virtual events are a great way for planners to fill seats at a cost that won’t make anyone wince.
  • Often complementing physical events, virtual events save the planner and attendee time, money, and resources.
  • There is word that the economy is making a recovery, but many of us have yet to see it.
  • Social Media and Viral Marketing
  • Did you know that one out of three consumers is online for three or more hours per day? Or that 90 million tweets are sent out daily? What about this one: One of every eight minutes spent online is spent on Facebook. 
  • So this should be a no-brainer
  • This marketing can come from either you or your attendees. Allowing attendees to share things that they like and getting them involved in hyping your event is a great way to spread the word. 
  • iPads and Tablets
  • Today is the day of the iPad and the tablet, and a more simplified life. 
  • When combining tablets with mobile event applications, planners can also communicate in real-time with participants and share or update information in seconds. Never leave home without one! 
  • 1. Smartphones
  • This is the most obvious technology we can’t live without. Let’s be honest—-most of us are glued to our smartphones and our favorite apps 24 hours a day. We get nervous when we can’t find the phone, and we feel phantom vibration rings. Chances are, if you walk around a convention center or   hotel lobby, you will see people with their heads down, tapping away furiously on their smartphones
  • Virtual Events
  • SaaS Cloud Apps
  • Social Media and Viral Marketing
  • iPads and Tablets
  • . Smartphones
  •  
    The author of this article, Tara Thomas, summarizes the top five technologies for event planners. The first technology that she mentions is smart phones. She writes that this is the most obvious technology that event planners can't live without. Planners can do things like set alarms, look up information, communicate instantly, and use social media to promote the event. The second technology that Thomas mentions is SaaS cloud applications. Software as a service allows planners to access all details and execution aspects of an event from any web enabled device, eliminating printed or emailed reports. Thirdly, Thomas talks about virtual events. Virtual events save the planner and the attendee valuable time, money, and resources. Thomas next talks about social media and viral marketing. Using sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to share event details is a great way to communicate to a very large group of people. The fifth and last technology that Thomas speaks of is Ipads and tablets. Through event management applications, planners have all of the information they could possibly need right at their fingertips. Ipads and tablets also make it possible to communicate in real time if needed.
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    I think this is a great article. I am a Marketing Manager but do events at my restaurant as well and even for me I need my smart phone at all times to look up stuff in emails or even have a remote log-in to my computer to check a contract if needed. Event planners really do need all of these technologies at all times and people may view it as rude to be on your phone at all times but in reality they are just doing their jobs to make your life easier and less complex.
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    "5 technologies event planners can't live without" was a unique read. The article begins with the number one technology the author designates as not being able to live without which are smartphones. Event planners are constantly in need to update their events, use the latest applications, set alarms for all events , look up phones number instantly by vendor and so on. What is then questioned is the systems in place before smartphones were introduced. Number two on the list is SaaS cloudapps better known as software as a service applications that are vastly on the rise. SaaS cloudapps enable meeting planners to access details and other aspects of events from any web device such as a smart phone or ipad. This is also valid with the ability to link event management systems to customer relationship management systems (CRM).Number three is Virtual events. The article presents many positives in hosting "webinars or live events" that include saving time, money and available resources. The meeting planner can fill "seats" easier and measure improvement for future events. Number four is social media and viral marketing. This is a major deal for event planners because not only they have the ability to market their events but attendees market for them: before, during and after. The article presents statistics about twitter, facebook and linkedin which support why social media and viral marketing are keys to success for event planners. Last but not least, listed as number five are Ipads and tablets. These devices simply allow event planners to have a bundle of information at their fingertips. In summary, event planners are constantly on the go and will always strive for perfection even during crunch time. Technology enhancements have allowed event planners to become more efficient and better resources for their clients.
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    This article list five technologies event planners cannot live without, including the smartphones, SaaS Cloud Apps, virtual events, social media and viral marketing, and iPads and tablets. With more and more people adopting smartphones, ipads and tablets, event planners should look into purchasing a mobile event app for their attendees to use at their event. This not only reduces paper waste, it also reduces the high costs involved in printing event guides and brochures for the event. It is essentially a virtual event guide that's available in the palm of the attendee's hands.
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    In a world where everyone is always on the run, our top five technologies for event planners are no surprise-but what these tools can accomplish might impress you. 1. Smartphones This is the most obvious technology we can't live without. Let's be honest--most of us are glued to our smartphones and our favorite apps 24 hours a day. 2. SaaS Cloud Apps In today's quick and chaotic world, the benefits of the SaaS (software as a service) delivery model are becoming increasingly apparent.With SaaS cloud apps, just provide end-users with reports-only access to what they need and nothing more. 3. Virtual Events There is word that the economy is making a recovery, but many of us have yet to see it. People are quickly catching on to the benefits of virtual events, or as we like to call them, "webinars on steroids." Live and virtual events are about giving the attendee a choice as to how they spend their time. 4. Social Media and Viral Marketing Sharing event details on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook is hugely beneficial because of the range of attention you can garner. People show up at events they've heard about, think good things about, and understand the value of. 5. 5.iPads and Tablets Tablet computers are revolutionizing the event-planning industry. The day of the binder stuffed with event details and spreadsheets is coming to an end. Today is the day of the iPad and the tablet, and a more simplified life.
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    This article provides readers with basic information about the advanced five technologies event planners can not live without.Including smartphones,Cloud apples,Virtual Events, Social media and ipads.
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    Here are the 5 espects for event planers development. In my opinion, the most important one in next several years is the smartphones. This is the smartphoe time. It make our life easy and convenient. If we do have an apps for event planning for smartphones, and make a good market planning, it will help the company find lots of potential customers and expanding the business not only on the computer internet.
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    This article discusses how technology can assist in event planning. It lists the five technologies that can sincerely facilitate event planners with their day to day tasks and responsibilities. The five technologies include smart phones which are life savers when it comes to trying to find phone numbers, respond to email inquiries, and keeping a clear and adequate schedule. The Saa S Clould App lends a hand to event planners so they can link up their systems for customers using software as a service tool. Third, they discuss virtual events, which give key data and facts about events and help the planner and client save time, money, and resources. The forth technology is social media and viral marketing which is enormously helpful and saves money. As a final point, ipads and tablets save paper and are of assistance to event planners to be more structured.
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    This article highlights the 5 technologies that are vital to the success of event planners. The first piece of technology that event planners cannot live without are smartphones. With the introduction of the smartphone, event planners can now do mutliple things at once while on-the-go. While moving from event to event, event planners can check their emails so they are not overwhelmed, review and add postings to social media pages, and check their to-do lists for the day. The second piece of technology that are key for all event planners are SaaS Cloud Apps. With these new cloud systems, event planners can now access any information and details about an event from any web-based product making life a whole lot easier. The third piece of technology are virtual meetings. With the cost of travel increasing everyday virtual meetings gives event planners the opportunity to hold events online saving them time, money, and resources, as well as getting immediate feedback from attendees. The fourth piece of technology is social media marketing. With the popularity of Facebook, Twiiter, Instagram, etc going through the roof, event planners are taking advantage of this by being able to have access to a wide variety of potential clients. The last piece of technology that is vital to the success of events planners is IPads and Tablets. No longer will event planners have to deal with file cabinets and binders filled with contracts and invoices. Now, event planners can do everything through a tablet and keep their business more organized. http://www.successfulmeetings.com/Event-Planning/Technology-Solutions/Articles/5-Technologies-Event-Planners-Can-t-Live-Without/
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    Nowadays, there are 5 technologies that event planners cannot live without. They are smartphones, saas cloud apps, virtual events, social media and viral marketing, as well as ipads. With a smartphone, the event planner can respond to emails in time, add new postings on the event page, etc. Saas cloud apps allow the event planners or guests get the event details from any web-enabled device. Virtual events is an effective way for organizers to get the data for future events. With social media, event planners can share their experience through twitter or facebook, which is a great way to spread the market. With ipads and tablets, one can make contracts, register or other things online.
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    This article discuses how these 5 technologies help to make planning events easier. 
  •  
    This article picked five technologies that event planners must have, and they are smartphones, SaaS Cloud Apps, virtual events, social media and viral marketing, and iPads and tablets. In detail, the arthor mentioned event planners should link up the event management system with a customer relationship management system such as Salesforce. Also, when talked about the virtual event, the author mentioned it can help to save time, money and resources, and it is a high recommonded tool for improving future events.
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    This article was about the 5 technologies event planners can't live without. These technologies are: smart phones, SaaS cloud apps, virtual events, social media and viral marketing, and finally iPads and tablets. Smart phones are important to the daily activities of an event planner because they are able to look up phone numbers, response to emails, update a status on a social media site, review or add to lists for events, and so much more all on the go. SaaS cloud apps let planner take advantage of accessing all devices and execute aspects of an event for any web enabled device. With SaaS cloud apps you are also able to link up your event management system with a customer relationship management system. Virtual events allow planners to fill seats at a cost that won't cost a burden. Social media and viral marketing allows event planners to market themselves and get event details to different consumers. iPads and tablets get rid of the need for a large heavy binder stuffed with event details. Now event planner can carry a tablet that allows you to access anything you need. In conjunction with the SaaS cloud apps you can also access contracts, registrations, and room blocks and also link up a CRM system as mentioned before. The technology advances we have now let event planners do even more on the day to day, but also make it easier for them to do so.
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    The article lists five technological necessities that used by the event planners. They are smartphones, SaaS cloud apps, virtual events, social medial and viral marketing, ipads and tablets. All of these technologies can save time and costs for the event planners. What`s more, they provide a more simplified life for the human beings. 
26More

Six Technology Trends Revolutionising The Hospitality Industry | By Calum McIndoe - 1 views

  • Firstly, upfront investment is lower with the cloud as there are no initial hardware costs or associated expenses such as full time, in-house IT staff to maintain the system. Secondly, hotels like the idea of taking the headache and distractions of IT off their site, leaving them free to focus on the day-to-day business of looking after their guests.
  • tablets and smartphones revolutionise the way we interact with technology.
  • City Nites accesses its hotel management system on Apple iPads to eliminate old-fashioned, manual registration desk processes. This enables hotel team members to 'meet and greet' their guests at any location, improving the personalisation of the check-in experience and reducing the costs associated with static reception desks and all their technology at each location.
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  • The online reputation of a property is business critical. It does not however, stand alone as a marketing department concern, but relates directly to daily operations.
  • the technology systems in use - especially those in large chains - must account for the global perspective.
  • Integrating these systems can provide more comprehensive management information, faster reporting and a truly comprehensive view of profitability.
  • Elsewhere, integration offers the possibility of being able to "revenue manage" the guest across all areas of their stay: this requires transaction level interfaces but need not be complex to use. Critically it aligns the marketing -based personalised offering with the financial outcome of the revenue secured.
  • Customers expect their experience within a hotel to be totally personalised to them:
  • However, the savings and improvements that technology can deliver mean that managers and directors really need to keep one eye on these six trends.
  • However, the savings and improvements that technology can deliver mean that managers and directors really need to keep one eye on these six trends.
  • However, the savings and improvements that technology can deliver mean that managers and directors really need to keep one eye on these six trends.
  • All of these trends have already brought about a profound change in the hospitality industry - and they will continue to disrupt and redefine operations. From the back office to front of house, from the hotel to the corporate office, the technology that underpins these changes will deliver a sharp competitive edge at all levels.
  • All of these trends have already brought about a profound change in the hospitality industry - and they will continue to disrupt and redefine operations. From the back office to front of house, from the hotel to the corporate office, the technology that underpins these changes will deliver a sharp competitive edge at all levels.
  • However, the savings and improvements that technology can deliver mean that managers and directors really need to keep one eye on these six trends.
  • However, the savings and improvements that technology can deliver mean that managers and directors really need to keep one eye on these six trends.
  • the savings and improvements that technology can deliver mean that managers and directors really need to keep one eye on these six trends.
  • All of these trends have already brought about a profound change in the hospitality industry - and they will continue to disrupt and redefine operations. From the back office to front of house, from the hotel to the corporate office, the technology that underpins these changes will deliver a sharp competitive edge at all levels.
  • around 85% of the queries we see from hospitality companies and hotels include a serious look at cloud computing.
  • The sum total of these drivers is that cloud technology is no passing fad: for the hospitality sector it is the new norm.
  • the low capital expenditure investment for mobile hardware and much reduced software costs mean that mobile is a viable option for small independent properties, looking to develop customer service as a competitive edge.
  • As such, social media monitoring MUST be interfaced with the hotel management systems so that swift, appropriate action can be taken.
  • it is embedding the process of capturing guest preferences and proactively using that data.
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    This article gives us a glance at six different technological trends being used and "revolutionizing" the hospitality industry. The six trends are cloud/software services, mobility, social media, personalized systems, integration, and globalization. The trends are all seen across the board in hospitality nowadays and are making huge changes in the industry. We have been talking about cloud computing and the pros and cons of using a cloud to store information and even with all the controversy, companies are investing and using the cloud. The use of tablets and smartphones has changed the way we interact with technology and the hospitality field is not staying behind. They are developing mobile sites and apps to help customers look at pictures and reviews about a place, check in and check out or make other arrangements. Social media is also revolutionizing hospitality by creating a reputation for businesses whether they be positive or negative. People can freely post about whether they enjoyed their stay at a certain hotel and helps build the online reputation of the company. In addition, more and more companies are looking to become more personalized experience. When I think about this part, I think mostly of the new systems rolling out at Disney World that scream personalization, guests can select their Fastpasses ahead of time, can use MagicBands to purchase things, get into their hotel, get into the park as well as to utilize the Fastpass system and every time a MagicBand is scanned at a touchpoint, the cast members know the person's name and whether they are celebrating something. With integration, customers and staff can access information from different departments all on one system and with globalization companies are trying to use systems that are global and used worldwide. 
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    As technology continues to grow, it's hard for hotels to keep up. But, there are six trends that could be very beneficial to hotels. The first being the Cloud/Software as a Service. If hotels begin to use a cloud based hotel management system, it would reduce cost of ownership by minimizing property hardware. As well as take the burden of maintaining the system off IT. Another trend that is growing is using mobile devices, such as tablets, to interact. Some hotels have recently decided to use Apple iPad's at the registration desk. This is an idea that needs to grow in the hospitality industry, because it increases the personalization of the check-in experience and reduces costs involving technology at the reception desk. Social media has a huge impact on the hospitality industry. There are reviews, referrals, and other types of communication about hotels on every type of social media. It is crucial that hotel management monitors and addresses every type of social media, in order to respond appropriately and take action. Being able to integrate the operating systems of all the amenities of a hotel (accommodation, event catering, the spa, etc.) is another tool that would be beneficial to the hospitality industry. This would provide better management information, faster reporting, and will allow management to view profitability. Last but not least, the last major trend the hospitality industry needs is globalization. As international travel, trade, and business grows, hotel companies will need to create different management tools in order to survive. International links are important for the hotel industry. Which means technology systems, need to be global.
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    Technological developments continue to have a great effect on all aspects of our lives, the hospitality industry not being an exception. Calum McIndoe in his article "Six Technology Trends Revolutionising the hospitality industry" outlines areas of technology that managers within the industry need to take advantage of. Cloud technology, though this concept is fairly new it can provide great financial benefits to companies as it cuts cost greatly due to the fact that it eliminates the heavy hardware requirements traditional technology offered. Mobility, the fact that portable devices can add a competitive edge to the service offered. Think traditional services being provided on the go away from a fixed station. Social; the popularity of social networking sites have changed the face of hospitality and tourism marketing completely. Properties are now forced to monitor social networking sites to learn about customer demands and to also learn about the image their company has out there and how they can improve it. According to Mr. "for any hotel to not at least monitor social medis is tantamount to willingly flying blind." Personalized systems; value for customers within this industry has to do greatly with the personal touch added to the service delivered. These merged systems allows properites to use data to ensure that guest needs are met. Integration; the joining of isolated systems used in all areas of operations on the property. The use of integrated systems allows for the pulling of data from the different departments thus ensuring proper management of services delivered and revenue management. Globalisation; It is important that hospitality companies adapt to changes and trends brought about by globalisation. Whether the current global outlook is taken into consideration when considering how a company operates can greatly impact the final product.
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    ((NOTE: The author already highlighted the article in yellow when I found it, my personal highlighting is in PINK. Sections 5 and 6 are not highlighted in pink because I agree with the parts that the author highlighted yellow in those sections; Diigo toolbar will not let you highlight over something that has already been highlighted.)) This article mainly focuses on the technological changes in the hotel industry in pertinence with storing hotel information versus the traditional method(s) used by hotels that involved little to no technology at all. The article lists six different points or examples and states that businesses, especially small or upcoming businesses, need to follow by these six trends. The part of the article that stood out to me the most when reflecting on the lectures and power points for this week is the first trend. The first trend speaks about a "cloud" software (which I am not really familiar with so excuse me if my explanation is not 100% sound) and announces that "around 85% of the queries we see from hospitality companies and hotels include a serious look at cloud computing". The author lists a few reasons why such a high percentage of hotels are doing it this way. He basically says that you do not need special staff or special training to maintain the system; the system maintains itself so you can have more time to focus on your guests and trends in their patterns. Also, as far as the cost is concerned, "upfront investment is lower with the cloud as there are no initial hardware costs or associated expense…". Even though I am not very familiar with this service just yet, I like the idea of freeing up employee time to go and interact more with the customers; attending to the customers' needs is the most important thing in my eyes. The article goes on to list mobility, social media, personalized systems, integration, and globalization as all equally important parts to this revolution of technology pertaining to the hospitality industr
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Investment in Hotel Technology Pays Off with Increased Group Revenue - Charmed by Hospi... - 5 views

  • Hotels, conference centers and other meeting venues are increasing group business with new technology, and it isn’t just a hotel app. To invest in the property’s overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience. Technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center. What are some of these new hot tools for leisure and business travelers?
  • Investment in Hotel Technology Pays Off with Increased Group Revenue Tuesday, July 10, 2012 by Sarah Vining Hotels, conference centers and other meeting venues are increasing group business with new technology, and it isn’t just a hotel app. To invest in the property’s overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience. Technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center. What are some of these new hot tools for leisure and business travelers? Virtual concierge service on guest room TVs At Hyatt Hotels with in-room HD TVs by Roomlinx Inc., guests are able make service requests, check email/weather, use the Business Center, print documents, and receive customized messages from meeting planners. Service requests like housekeeping and in-room dining are instantly sent through the system, improving the venue’s departmental efficiency. All of these virtual functions are hoped to appeal to new markets and drive group business. More efficient billing In the article, “Insert IACC blog post title URL” we learn that in 2012, meeting and group planners are prioritizing finance as very important during in their planning process (which made the top 10 list for the first time). Hotels making large investments in revenue management systems are taking advantage of new features that automate and process data to improve efficiency and increase revenue for properties. Virtual business centers Socialization through technology and food and beverage outlets is increasing revenue for TRYP by Wyndham in the NYC Times Square South property. Google TVs and access to Google Chrome laptops near the Gastro Bar in the hotel’s lobby offers guests an opportunity to enjoy a dining experience with the comfort of complimentary technology use. On-staff IT team When planners were surveyed, reliability was listed as a top concern of IT services in the white paper “What Do Planners and Trainers Really Want in Their Meeting Service?” All IACC-certified conference centers are required to have an on-site IT team to ensure technology functions properly. Now, the need for a knowledgeable IT team that really understands technology and can cater to individuals and group business is spreading to other hotel markets.   These impressive technology tools improve the guest experience and lead to a quick return on investment, especially in F&B. As we move beyond the discussion of required hotel Wi-Fi services, there will be a focus on technology amenities that provide the same comforts of home or the office. To increase group business, hoteliers are comfortable with this investment knowing there’s a return on investment with generated buzz/venue marketing and satisfied guests. Want to learn about other ways hotels are using technology to build relationships? Check out Enhancing Your Social Networking Site with a Social Concierge! to maximize social media and connect with guests, attendees and planners!
  • More efficient billing
  • ...19 more annotations...
  • Service requests like housekeeping and in-room dining are instantly sent through the system,
  • ensure technology functions properly.
  • Virtual concierge service on guest room TVs
  • On-staff IT team
  • Virtual business centers
  • To invest in the property’s overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience.
  • Virtual concierge service on guest room TVs
  • These impressive technology tools improve the guest experience and lead to a quick return on investment, especially in F&B.
  • On-staff IT team
  • Hotels, conference centers and other meeting venues are increasing group business with new technology, and it isn’t just a hotel app. To invest in the property’s overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience. Technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center.
  • Virtual concierge service on guest room TVs
  • More efficient billing
  • As we move beyond the discussion of required hotel Wi-Fi services, there will be a focus on technology amenities that provide the same comforts of home or the office. To increase group business, hoteliers are comfortable with this investment knowing there’s a return on investment with generated buzz/venue marketing and satisfied guests.
  • On-staff IT team
  • Virtual business centers
  • To increase group business, hoteliers are comfortable with this investment knowing there’s a return on investment with generated buzz/venue marketing and satisfied guests.
  • Technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center.
  • These impressive technology tools improve the guest experience and lead to a quick return on investment, especially in F&B. As we move beyond the discussion of required hotel Wi-Fi services, there will be a focus on technology amenities that provide the same comforts of home or the office. To increase group business, hoteliers are comfortable with this investment knowing there’s a return on investment with generated buzz/venue marketing and satisfied guests.
  • Hotels making large investments in revenue management systems are taking advantage of new features that automate and process data to improve efficiency and increase revenue for properties.
  •  
    Hotels developing High IT technology have taken a great deal of advantages from it which makes prosperous business and better customer service with high efficiency and goal-achieving process. In this article, it proclaims some prevailing high-techs used in hotels. Such as the In-room HD TV in Hyatt properties. It provide almost all the online computerized services accommodating customers with document-printing service, in-room dining service, restaurant reservation service, and even the email-checking, weather checking service. The on-staff IT team would oversee the IT application over the whole property, including upgrading, maintaining, and functioning. the impressive technology tools would be inevitable trend developing hotel industry.
  • ...9 more comments...
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    "Investment in Hotel Technology Pays Off with Increased Group Revenue Tuesday, July 10, 2012 by Sarah Vining Hotels, conference centers and other meeting venues are increasing group business with new technology, and it isn't just a hotel app. To invest in the property's overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience. Technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center. What are some of these new hot tools for leisure and business travelers? Virtual concierge service on guest room TVs At Hyatt Hotels with in-room HD TVs by Roomlinx Inc., guests are able make service requests, check email/weather, use the Business Center, print documents, and receive customized messages from meeting planners. Service requests like housekeeping and in-room dining are instantly sent through the system, improving the venue's departmental efficiency. All of these virtual functions are hoped to appeal to new markets and drive group business. More efficient billing In the article, "Insert IACC blog post title URL" we learn that in 2012, meeting and group planners are prioritizing finance as very important during in their planning process (which made the top 10 list for the first time). Hotels making large investments in revenue management systems are taking advantage of new features that automate and process data to improve efficiency and increase revenue for properties. Virtual business centers Socialization through technology and food and beverage outlets is increasing revenue for TRYP by Wyndham in the NYC Times Square South property. Google TVs and access to Google Chrome laptops near the Gastro Bar in the hotel's lobby offers guests an opportunity to enjoy a dining experience with the comfort of complimentary technology use. On-staff IT team When planners were surveyed, reliability was listed as a top concern of IT serv
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    ARTICLE SUMMARY Hospitality industry is not only using technology to improve customers' experience but also to improve the bottom line as well as increase group use of the property. Hotels operators and owners are increasingly using conference centers and other meeting venues to attract business groups, seminars and conferences with new technology, and it isn't just a hotel app. Many of the branded hotels such as Hyatt Hotels with in-room HD TVs by Roomlinx Inc. are using the technology to allow guests to make service requests, check email/weather, use the Business Center, print documents, and receive customized messages from meeting planners. Hotels are investing in technology to provide these services and to compete effectively.
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    Due to the market segment of the Groups, hospitality industry has focused on the IT investment on Groups. And there are some technologies for leisure and business travelers like virtual concierge service on guest room TVs, more efficient billing, virtual business centers, and on-staff IT team.  All these implements can benefit hotels and customers with a convenient, reliable, and profitable outcome. Besides that, it is super cool. 
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    Nowadays, technology becomes one of the most important issue in hospitality industry. More and more hotels are going to pay more attention to their technologies such as APP application. Besides those technologies benefiting leisure travelers, investment in hotel technology also pays off with increased group revenue. Conference and convention become important parts in hotels, which means lots of meetings or events are choose to be held in hotels and lots of hotels decided to target their markets as convention directly. As in this article, it is talking about creating cool technology to increase the revenue based on group business. It stated Hyatt Hotel as an example to put virtual concierge service on guest room TVs, which is object to attract new markets as well as group business. What's more, an on - site IT team are going to be required in order to ensure hotels' technology functions properly. Having this kind of IT team, any questions can be responded fast. Therefore, investment fo those kinds of technology not only can bring more new markets or customers but also lead to quick return on hotels' investments, especially in F&B. 
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    I don't understand where this document will print if you don't have a printer with you? Will it print at the front desk somwhere? What if it's confidential information and how secure is this system? If you put more technology and have it be so accesible even when your having a meal you would have to hope that dinners continue to order otherwise you'll never be able to turn the table. Also, some dinners must not be as savy as others and won't like this idea of being able to do everything from the TV in your Hotel room. I know I wont even use the feature at the end of the day I dont feel like playing with tech. Others may want to escape tech because they have been around all through the work day, it may feel like you never stop working.
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    This article talks about the benefit of investing hotel technology. As it mentioned, technology is another way of gaining group business and marketing the hotel and meeting center. Here are four of these new popular tools for travelers. They are Virtual conceirge service on guest room TVs; More efficient billing; Virtual business centers; and On-staff IT team. For the Virtual conceirge service on TV, guests can do many things and request services through this system immediately. It can improve not only the departmental efficiency, but customer satisfaction as well. By using the virtual business center, cutomers can enjoy a dining experience. These impressive technology tools improve the guest experience and lead to a quick return on investment, especially in F&B. To increase group business, hoteliers are comfortable with this investment and they know that there's a return on investment with generated buzz/venue marketing and satisfied guests
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    This is an interesting and useful article that reminds me of the importance of new technology investment in hotels' conference centers and other meeting venues. Technology has become an efficient method in winning group business and marketing a hotel. There are several new hot tools for leisure and business travelers. For instance the virtual concierge service on guest room TVs, efficient billing, and virtual business centers. If a guest is able to make service requests, check email, use the Business Center, print documents and receive customized messages from meeting planners through an in-room HD TV by Roomlinx, the whole departmental efficiency can be improved and the guests' satisfaction can be enhanced to a higher level. This is useful to attract business travelers who care about these areas of service and it also leads to a quick return on investment too. When the discussion of hotel Wi-Fi services has been outdated, the topic of investment in technology amenities that provide the same comforts of home or the office is becoming another focus in hotel industry.
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    This article introduces some new technology applied in the hotel. Nowadays, the hotel will adopt some new technology to attract more and more guest. Like the article said, "technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center". The article introduce the Hyatt Hotels adopt the virtual concierge service on guest room TVs that offer a good service for guest and try to appeal to new markets and drive group business. The article also involves the revenue management system that the hotels are investment can help the hotel deal with data effective and increase revenue for properties. The new technology that the hotel applied will not only improve the guest experience but also can increase the revenue of the hotel.
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    Further analyses of our data suggest that as industries become more competitive, the effect of IT on profitability increases. IT investments also had a greater effect on profitability in the service sector than in the manufacturing sector. A possible explanation for this finding is that services allow greater IT-enabled customization and professionalization. One key takeaway from our research: All other things being equal, executives should accord higher priority to IT projects that have the potential for revenue growth over those that focus mainly on cost savings.
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    Hotels, conference centers and other meeting venues are increasing group business with new technology. To invest in the property's overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience. There are some of these new hot tools for leisure and business travelers. 1. Virtual concierge service on guest room TVs 2. More efficient billing: Hotels making large investments in revenue management systems are taking advantage of new features that automate and process data to improve efficiency and increase revenue for properties. 3. Virtual business centers: Socialization through technology and food and beverage outlets is increasing revenue for hotel.
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    This article examines the new technology that hotels are investing in. In room concierge, billing ease, on- staff IT team, and virtual business center all make the hotel guests experience more comfortable and easy. Whether traveling for business or pleasure, the new technology is worth investing in for these hotels.
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New York Hotels Make a Green Pledge - The New York Times - 0 views

  • Marquee properties like the Waldorf Astoria New York, Grand Hyatt New York, Loews Regency New York and the Peninsula New York recently joined the NYC Carbon Challenge, a program Michael R. Bloomberg started as mayor in 2007 with the city’s universities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
  • This initial group of properties — accounting for more than 11,000 guest rooms — has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions from their buildings by 30 percent or more in the next 10 years, a move that could reduce emissions by more than 32,000 metric tons and save $25 million of energy operating costs.
  • Similar to the Grand Hyatt, other NYC Carbon Challenge hotels may have to financially invest in energy conserving upgrades, but their leadership realizes that they will save money in the long run.
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  • Like the Waldorf, tackling the issue of greenhouse gas emissions was already a priority for several of the properties before becoming a part of the NYC Carbon Challenge, but now they’re intensifying their efforts.
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    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.
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HFTP's Guestroom20X features technologies from VingCard Elsafe and Axxess Industries, a... - 0 views

  • Hotel rooms are ready to go high-tech with new security products that can enhance the guest experience.
  • While they are at the door, guests will find Axxess Industries’ IP Video Intercom. It replaces the more commonly used peephole
  • Shea said security technology has been a long-time development, but not implemented in hospitality – until now.
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  • Although these enhancements are beneficial to hotels worldwide, some wonder whether hotels are buying the technology and ultimately, implementing them.
  • the future of hotel technology is unclear, but moving forward requires a certain factor.
  • HFTP calls the developments showcased in the Guestroom 20X , “game-changing for the hospitality industry, opening a new avenue for delivering personal guest services efficiently and with ease.”
  • We’re seeing a technological revolution in hotels,”
  • A final security enhancement to the guest room is Ovation Networks’ EcoManaged, an energy management system. With Wi-Fi monitoring, the system measures and detects CO2 in the room and adjusts the room temperature as necessary.
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    Hotel rooms are ready to go high-tech with new security products that can enhance the guest experience. As the organization Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) prepared the 2012 guestroom exhibit Guestroom 20X for last week's HITEC tradeshow, the group sought new ways to make the room more modern, efficient and self-serviced.
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    As we can see technology is rapidly making its way into our field. This article explains how technology implemented in the guest rooms allow the guest to have a more personalized experience and feel that there belongings are also secure in the hotel. "The key thing is to provide something that's valuable to the person that uses it, the person that administers it and the person that supplies it," said Shea, whose firm's technology is one of many showcased in the futuristic room. This is very true considering that technology is not cheap and a lot of money has to be put into this new technological wave, but the consumers seem to be paying the money. Overall, technology is changing our industry and our companies either have to embrace it, or be left behind.
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    According to this article, hotels are coming up with new and more secure ways to make guests feel safe and comfortable. This can be extremely important for women traveling alone, or people with children. This article describes several new security features that can be added to hotel rooms that serves guests efficiently and with ease. The first new technology device is a Mobile Key Solution. Guests will be able to receive their room number and room key via their mobile phone or computer allowing them to bypass the front desk altogether. Also, at the door, it is equipped with IP Video Intercom that can replace the peephole. This intercom can routed to any device in the room and it can be accessed using mobile phones. Also inside the room is a high-tech safe that features four unique solution for providing extra security. Other security features are sound recognition smoke alarms and CO2 detectors. Right now, technology companies are ready to install new products, but there is question as to whether hotels are buying the technology. It is my opinion that as technology continues to advance, security will have to advance as well. Security for guests information, and personal safety will have to increase. More advanced room key technology is definitely a priority. There are too many issues with room keys and this can be a giant security issue. It is my opinion that we will start to see new security technology entering hotels in the near future.
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    High-tech security products and hotel rooms can enhance the guest experience. The article introduced some new technology related to the hotel room security, including the door's Mobile Key Solution lock, RFID and mobile-friendly NFC technology, Axxess Industries' IP Video Intercom instead of the peephole. What's more, with IP connectivity, guests can answer the intercom using their mobile phones, also the new generation safe with RFID contactless, electronic lock. The most inspired tech is the Ovation Networks' Eco-Managed, an energy management system. With Wi-Fi monitoring, the system measures and detects CO2 in the room and adjusts the room temperature as necessary. With all these new technology integrations, guests security can be more insured and personalized, and provide hotel customer quite new experience.
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    New technologies poised to change guest experience. Hotel rooms are ready to go high-tech with new security products that can enhance the guest experience, they are making the room more modern, efficient and self-serviced. As we can see, the future of hotel technology is unclear, but moving forward requires a certain factor. In a hotel room, first and foremost, the guests will be able to open the door's wireless software, in this way, they will securely receive their room number and room key and makes it easy for them to check-in or check-out. In addition, guests may answer the intercom using their mobile phones. And they will feel more safe with the electronic lock to provide anti-cloning technology. Finally, guests will notice the SafeAwake Smoke Alarm Aid, it will alert guests when a smoke detector is activated which will give guests much more safe. Although these enhancements are beneficial to hotels worldwide, some wonder whether hotels are buying the technology and ultimately, implementing them. The technology is changing, the customers are embracing.
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    Hotel rooms are ready to go high-tech with new security products that can enhance the guest experience. As the organization Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) prepared the 2012 guestroom exhibit Guestroom 20X for last week's HITEC tradeshow, the group sought new ways to make the room more modern, efficient and self-serviced.
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    This article covered information on the projected security of the future in hospitality. The Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) were working on developments that they planned to showcase in the HITEC tradeshow last year. These developments, collectively recognized as the Guestroom 20x, were expected to make hotel rooms more efficient and modern. These developments included obtaining rooms and keys without front desk interaction, video intercoms to replace peepholes, reinforced room safes, and a smoke alarm aid to properly alert guests in case of fire. There were also talks of an energy management system in the rooms included. The developments seem to be a start towards a changing way of hospitality. I believe that these developments are great options for hotels in the future. Of course, there are always risks that must be recognized. These risks could even be the downfall of the developments. Technology's ability to fail or malfunction is too constant at this time. System glitches, hacking possibilities and power outages could inconvenience these developments as well as inconvenience the guests at the hotel that use them. My main concerns lie with the option to obtain rooms and keys through PCs and mobile phones, the smoke alarm aid and the energy management. One technological failure could cause any of these to cease operating, which means that guests could be locked out of their rooms, in danger if there is actually a fire (or inconvenienced because of a malfunctioning alarm), or inconvenienced because of a nonworking room temperature gauge. These issues could lead to many problems for the hotel that hosts these developments. So, the companies should analyze these issues before installing these developments.
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Hospitality Solution - 1 views

  • POS systems have revolutionized the Hospitality industry. The deployment of these systems have decreased service times and increased efficiency of the orders.As a result, the hospitality industry is able to provide better and efficient services to their guests. Further, these systems help the hosts differentiate themselves from their competition; thereby increasing their market share and improving their revenues.
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    POS systems have become a key in the hospitality industry. With these invention the hospitality industry, is able to provide the best and efficient service to their guests. Also, POS systems allows to have the correct information on profit, inventory, etc. In the market, we have hundreds of companies that are competing in providing the best prices and services....
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    There are so many reasons why a business should choose to go with a point of sales. The ability to track and record sales, marketing and promotional sales allows you to gather data from previous promotions and security is also a plus for adding a point of sales. You can monitor sales without being present; instead of focusing on ensuring that employees don't take money, POS would allow you to perform other jobs within your role.
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    This article discusses only the positives of POS systems. I do agree with the fact that there are many advantages of these systems such as monitoring sales. These systems are also cost-effective and convenient. However, I personally would have liked to see some disadvantages in the article, even though I do feel that these systems are very advantageous to the hospitality industry.
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    POS systems have revolutionized the Hospitality industry. The deployment of these systems have decreased service times and increased efficiency of the orders.As a result, the hospitality industry is able to provide better and efficient services to their guests. Further, these systems help the hosts differentiate themselves from their competition; thereby increasing their market share and improving their revenues. Moreover, these systems help the industry in managing compliance & regulations into their business practices. Hospitality is the act or practice of reception and entertainment of guests with kind and generous liberality. It is a relationship between a guest and a host. The hospitality industry includes hotels, restaurants ,casinos,catering, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events,and other service for travelers and tourists.
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    POS systems have revolutionized the Hospitality industry. The deployment of these systems have decreased service times and increased efficiency of the orders.As a result, the hospitality industry is able to provide better and efficient services to their guests. Further, these systems help the hosts differentiate themselves from their competition; thereby increasing their market share and improving their revenues. Moreover, these systems help the industry in managing compliance & regulations into their business practices. Hospitality is the act or practice of reception and entertainment of guests with kind and generous liberality. It is a relationship between a guest and a host. The hospitality industry includes hotels, restaurants ,casinos,catering, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events,and other service for travelers and tourists.
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Hospitality Upgrade | Online Skimming Threatens Hospitality E-Commerce Sites - 0 views

  • Attacks against the hospitality industry to gain payment information continue. There is a growing threat to all e-commerce websites called Web-based or Online Skimming. These attacks infect e-commerce websites with malicious code, known as sniffers or JavaScript (JS) sniffers and are very difficult to detect. Once a website is infected, payment card information is “skimmed” during a transaction without the merchant or consumer being aware that the information has been compromised.
  • Today two industry cybersecurity organizations, PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) and the Retail and Hospitality ISAC, joined forces to highlight this growing threat.
  • By exploiting vulnerable plugins, brute force login attempts (credential stuffing), phishing and other social engineering techniques, the hackers attempt to gain access and inject malicious code.  “These attacks are either directly into e-commerce websites or often into a third-party’s software libraries that merchants rely upon.  These service providers may not be aware of the risk they create for their customers if they are not focused on security and the potential threats targeting them
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  • The ability to detect these threats before they can cause damage is significantly important. Examples of PCI DSS Requirements providing ”detection” controls include: Reviewing code in order to identify potential coding vulnerabilities (Req. 6) Use of vulnerability security assessment tools to test web applications for vulnerabilities (Req. 6) Audit logging and reviewing logs and security events for all system components to identify anomalies or suspicious activity (Req. 10) Use of file-integrity monitoring or change-detection software (Req. 11) Performing internal and external network vulnerability scans (Req. 11) Performing period penetration testing to identify security weaknesses (Req. 11) Alerting on posts to newly observed domains in proxy logs can further provide additional avenues of detection for future phishing attacks as well as the initial reconnaissance phases of an attack on a thirdparty JavaScript library. 
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    This article goes in to detail that attackers have targeted information that is acquired on websites such as credit card and other personal information. This writing does tell how PCI and Retail and Hospitality ISAC joined forces to help prevent such attacks from happening on these websites. Now PCI and ISAC are the standard when it comes to protecting information. These attacks are easily undetectable by these websites because they are only skimming for the information. this article does give tips for prevention and detection. PCI is the industry standard and by them teaming with ISAC it will make these websites and your information more safe.
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Cloud computing is booming, but these are the challenges that lie ahead | ZDNET - 0 views

  • According to a recent report by tech analyst Gartner, worldwide consumer spending on public cloud services is forecast to grow 20.7% to $591.8 billion in 2023, up from $490.3 billion in 2022. That's compared to the 18.8% growth forecast for 2022.
  • The technical expertise needed to support the rapid adoption of cloud is something hiring managers need to think about as they head into 2023
  • The lack of cybersecurity staff – which is facing a dual challenge of extreme demand and high rates of stress and burnout-related attrition – has become particularly acute over the past year
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  • Hewitt says the rise of hybrid cloud has raised specific challenges for security by creating more potential entry points for malicious code and similar threats.
  • ar threats.
  • Managing risks properly will require an empowered IT leadership that is given a say in strategic decision-making processes – something you'd might assume is a given, but continues to be a complaint among tech leaders.
  • "Higher-wage and more skilled staff are required to develop modern SaaS applications, so organizations will be challenged as hiring is reduced to control costs," wrote Sid Nag, vice president analyst at Gartner.
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    As spending on cloud services jumps up almost 21% from last year, everything seems to be positive for this fast growing technology. It is, however, facing some challenges along the way that companies are going to need to take into consideration when spending on these services. Making sure they have a well qualifies and capable team to keep these services secure without burning them out is one of the concerns employees are bringing up in recent conversations. The security and safety of the data held by these services is very important, and needs to be prioritized in the day to day decisions made by all companies that utilize these services. Threats and malicious code taken advantage of by hackers is ever growing, and requires a constant, educated team with empowerment to protect to constantly watch out for these threats. Cloud computing still continues to grow, and is still a great advancement in business, but it also still needs to have it's threats carefully assessed and addressed to make sure it remains secure.
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New Point-Of-Sale ADA Lawsuits - Hospitality Business News - 2 views

  • For example, McDonalds was recently hit with a nationwide class action alleging that its new Coca-Cola Freestyle beverage dispensers violate the ADA because their touch-screen interfaces are inaccessible to the visually impaired.
  • The availability of hefty damages in many states increases the potential exposure businesses face. For example, in California, a single violation with respect to a POS device, entitles the plaintiff to a minimum of $4,000 in statutory damages, plus his attorney’s fees and litigation expenses. Potential liability can be overwhelming when these type of lawsuits are brought as class actions.
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    This article discusses how self-service POS systems are now under fire from the ADA for not being accessible to people with disabilities. Most of the lawsuits have claimed that the problems with these systems are 1) they are mounted too high or at angles that are inaccessible for people in wheelchairs, 2) they do provide captions for those with hearing disabilities, and 3) they do not provide tactile feedback for those with visual disabilities. The ADA provides guidance for different types of technology, such as ATMs and vending machines, but has not provided such guidelines for these new POS systems. Because of this, the courts are having difficulty determining how to better enable these POS devices to work for those with disabilities, having to determine what to do for each individual device. Furthermore, these lawsuits pose a big risk to these companies. Businesses need to better evaluate their POS devices in order to make them more user-friendly for all individuals.
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Consultant Calls For Local Security In Tourism, Hospitality Business | :::…Th... - 0 views

  • around
  • indigenous
  • He recommended the recruitment of indigenous youths to keep  surveillance, provide  protection and  report suspicious movements in and around tourist sites.
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  • “The success or failure of a tourism destination or hospitality industry depends on how safe and secure  the environment is for the guests and tourists.
  • “There must be locals involved in the policing of our parks, hotels  and tourist centres. These locals  know the  terrain very well, they know the criminals amongst them and they are in position to fish them out,” he said.
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    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
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The Role of Green Technology in the Sustainability of Hotels Essay - Free Argumentative... - 2 views

  • Throughout the life of hotels— from building construction, operation, maintenance and evolution—the environmental issue is the wasteful consumption of vast amount of resources such as water and energy and accumulation of air, soil and water pollution in a built environment. The unique service function and operations of hotel result to a stronger ecological impact when compared to other buildings used for commercial purposes. (Bohdanowicz, Simanic & Martinac, 2004)
  • It is imperative for hotels to construct buildings, design their facilities, operate, and refurbish structures in a way that causes the least possible harm to the environment. (Straus & Gale, 2006)
  • Protection of the environment through eco-friendly practices by hotels involves a radical change in operations and a long-term impact, which makes this a sustainability-driven strategy
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  • The growing concern over sustainability in the business sector led to developments in innovative environment friendly processes and tools collectively called green technology
  • Green technology enables the eco-friendly practices of business firms.
  • The concept of sustainability emerged in the field of natural sciences in recognition of the scarcity of natural resources and the need to rationalize usage to secure sufficient resources for future generations (Kirk, 1995).
  • The concern of sustainability is ensuring the continuation of the well-being of people and protection of the environment from wasteful use or destructive activities.
  • The implementation of sustainability plans involves innovative methods and tools accessible to hotels and responsive to the multi-dimensional issues including impact of operations on the environment experienced by hotels. Green technology understood as eco-friendly tools and processes or environment friendly products support the successful implementation of sustainability plans in the hospitality industry.
  • 1.      Minimized pollution and rational energy and water consumption. 2.      Respect for culture and tradition. 3.      Community involvement in the hospitality economy. 4.     Consideration of quality instead of quantity in terms of the visitors to tourist destinations. 5.      Economic benefits redound to the community. (Robertson, 2007)
  • In relation to environmental sustainability, there are also considerations for inclusion into the sustainability plan of hotels to ensure that they meet environmental compliance (Butler, 2008)
  • However, even if sustainability planning is a tedious task, the expected outcomes are long-term and compelling because this determines the continuity or viability of hotels, firms whose future survival depends on sustainability (Butler, 2008).
  • 1.      Scale and distribution of operations in a given area. 2.      Hotel demand and means of alleviating the negative effects. 3.      Protection of key assets historic buildings, townscape or coastline. 4.     Contribution to other related areas such as economic development and cultural preservation. (Sharma, 2004)
  • Since the sustainability of hotels spans multidimensional aspects, the contribution of hotels to other areas such as employment or job creation also supports its sustainability.
  • Green technology received recognition as an aspect of human society and therefore part of sustainability. In a sustainability panel of representatives from the hospitality industry, sustainability as a strategy meant addressing today’s needs without adversely affecting tomorrow’s needs (Knowles, 2008).
  • Examples of product enhancement are energy saving appliances and fixtures such as fluorescent instead of incandescent lights or intelligent air conditioning systems that regulate room temperature depending on the presence of its occupant
  • The extent of reduction of waste varies since this could range from minimal to significant decrease in the volume of waste generated, capacity of landfills, and transportation needs. By benefiting the environment, economic benefits also accrue. (Billatos & Basaly, 1997)
  • dopting waste management processes and tools accrues financial, economic, and environmental benefits for hotels.
  • Key to these activities is the ability to harness the full functional value of materials and product components at the least possible additional processing cost for recovery and reuse. (Billatos & Basaly, 1997)
  • First is design of recycling or the cost-effective manner of recovering and reusing materials. The design provides support during the disposal stage to ensure low added cost for recovery. Second is design for disassembly encompassing the methods enabling the minimization of cost in segregating reusable materials. This leads to savings that accumulate when design interventions are made during the stages of material selection and assembly that already separates reusable materials
  • Third is toxics management comprised of the activities of controlling and eliminating toxic materials that are innate components of products such as cadmium or lead. Excessive levels of these toxic materials are hazards to health and the environment. (Billatos & Basaly, 1997)
  • Environmental benefits include reduced accumulation of waste and lesser risk of soil, water and air contamination of toxic production. (Billatos & Basaly, 1997)
  • Pollution prevention involves the elimination of processes in manufacturing that cause pollution. This requires change by redesigning the production process in a manner that prevents the accumulation of harmful by-products or the redesign of the finished products so there would be no use for processes that result in hazardous by-products. The prevention of pollution in production design exacts capital investments but the cost of redesign is deemed less when compared to the cumulative cost of controlling pollution, which would likely increase with new regulations imposing more active methods of pollution control. (Billatos & Basaly, 1997)
  • Green technology as a process and a collection of tools addresses four objectives, which are a) waste reduction, b) materials management, c) pollution prevention, and d) product enhancement (Billatos & Basaly, 1997). There are processes and tools specifically targeting any one, some or all of these objectives so that the appropriate choice depends on the priority of hotels.
  • The technological development of product enhancement innovations is escalating and promise greater functions for business establishments. (Billatos & Basaly, 1997)
  • Utilizing product enhancement technologies influence the sustainability of hotels in terms of savings on operating cost, lesser pollution and waste in the built environment, and value creation for environmental conscious customers (Yaw, 2005).
  • Overall, green technology supports the sustainability of hotels by decreasing a wide range of economic and non-economic costs to support the financial viability of hotels in the long-term and conserving the natural environment on which the hospitality industry depends for the continuity of business. By adopting green technology, hotels gain processes and tools it can use to secure its sustainability.
  • A range of energy saving technologies is available to the hotel industry. These technologies could make hotels green buildings by targeting various areas for energy saving.
  • One is electric heating pumps as alternatives to conventional electric boilers or condensing/non-condensing boilers requiring gas to run. The use of this green technology by a hotel in Hong Kong with a rooftop swimming pool showed a reduction in energy consumption by 26.5-32.5 MWh and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 12,000 kg. When computed over a ten-year period, using this technology would save the hotel HK$226,400 in energy cost savings. The hotel can earn back the cost of adopting this technology in two years. (Chan & Lam, 2003)
  • Building designs able to harness alternative sources of energy comprise green technologies that support the sustainability of hotels. Solar panels continue to gain function in energy saving for hotels (“Building in a green edge,” 2008) although the payback period is longer than expected, the energy saving potential extends to the long-term. The use of building designs that harness natural light such as skylight atriums that do not use artificial lighting during the day are also green alternatives for hotels (Kirby, 2009).
  • Another direction of green technology for the kitchen is the reuse of exhaust heat from the kitchen by harnessing the heat from the exhaust or condensing hot air to produce steam for use in cooking. This is a means of recycling energy. However, this involves the integration of the design in the structure of the kitchen or the building itself, which means greater investment. (Higgins, 2008) Nevertheless, further innovations in this technology could enhance practical value for hotels.
  • In other areas of hotels such as rooms and bathrooms, e-sensor systems and LED lights comprise green technology options. E-sensor systems apply to different systems such as lighting and air conditioning. The e-sensors have the capability to change automatically the lighting or air conditioning settings depending on the area of the room where there are people or temperature changes in the room. LED lights offer greater energy savings than fluorescent lights so this represents the third generation in lighting technology. (Kirby, 2008) Systems thinking in energy management comprise a promising green technology in saving on energy costs (Sobieski, 2008).These technologies are widely available and accessible to different hotels. The energy saving is experienced in the short term and the payback period is shorted. The problem with this is hotel guests tampering with the system leading to added cost for repairs. This means that awareness and information dissemination are important for the effectiveness of these technologies.
  • Another green technology for rooms is the biodegradable key cards. These have the same life span as the conventional key cards except that these are biodegradable or recyclable. (Gale, 2009) These require little cost with high environmental impact.
  • This involves the placement of water treatment plants that recycle water used in baths for flushing in toilets. (Edwards, 2004) These comprise viable and accessible water conservation practices that would contribute savings on the cost of water to rationalize the consumption of water as a scarce resource.
  • One is the conscious involvement of hotels in the protection of the environment since the nature of the business of the hospitality industry and the closely connected industries such as tourism heavily rely on the soundness of the natural and socio-cultural environment for business
  • The other is the investment in environment protection in a manner that secures economic and financial as well as a range of non-monetary benefits for hotels in the long-term (Vermillion, 2008).
  • Energy consumption is also a benchmark of the eco-friendliness of hotels
  • The water conserving technologies provide the process and tools for hotels to achieve this benchmark.
  • Waste and pollution management are also benchmarks of the ecological involvement of hotels.
  • Green technology takes the role as an enabling process and tool for hotels to become sustainable.
  • With hotels competing to maintain its customer base and pull customers to shift to the hotel’s services, green technology could become an enabler for hotels to become competitive.
  • Investing in green technology enables hotels to significantly cutback on operating cost. This enables hotels a wider profitability margin and room to offer promotional prices to attract more customers (Jones, 2002).
  • Green technology has taken a central role in the sustainability of hotels. The concept of sustainability of hotels involves the aspects of environmental protection and business viability.
  • The use of green technology also contributes to the viability of business firms in terms of financial standing and non-financial competencies in the long-term. Going green attracts the niche market of environment enthusiasts that contribute to sales. Using the range of green technologies available would also result in savings from operating costs in the long-term, which increases the profit of hotels and gives them flexibility to invest in marketing activities.
  • It is a sound strategy for hotels to consider green technology as a process and a collection of tools in support of sustainability goals.
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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.”
  •  
    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
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Investing in Hotel Technology- Guest Needs Versus Franchise Demands - 1 views

  • How does a hotel owner follow franchisors brand standards, whilst managing potential conflict with guest needs and ensuring a good return on investment?
  • otel technology is one of the key areas in which conflict between individual owner/operators and franchisors crops up, with both sides very territorial over how much ground (and control) they yield to the other party.
  • By joining a major hotel chain, these individual owners benefit from the brand association they get from being under such a well-known corporate umbrella, broader consumer recognition, plus access to well-established centralised reservation and booking systems.
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  • The big franchisors maintain that owners must follow their brand standards to the letter, a situation that inevitably leads to conflict over things like in-room technology. When it comes to investing in hotel technology, owners can be loathe to implement anything that doesn’t offer a good return on investment.
  • hotel owner said
  • “Property exit value is key. No ROI while the asset is in my ownership? No technology project.
  • Around the world, it’s David versus Goliath as franchisors are being challenged as to why certain standards are in place even though, more often than not, these investments have a negligible impact on the ability of the hotelier to bring in additional revenue.
  • While such examples may seem trivial, these are just the tip of the iceberg in the debate currently raging between franchisees and franchisors. Realising the bargaining power that these individual owners have when they speak together with one voice, some of the larger chains like Intercontinental have understood the situation and established owner association meetings in which franchisees can air grievances.
  • An industry forum promoting two-way communication is a step in the right direction and just one tactic among many to address what has become a difficult relationship between two mutually dependant parties.
  •  
    In the article "Investing in Hotel Technology- Guest Needs Versus Franchise Demands" it talks about how hotel owners follow brand standards while managing potential conflict with guests and are making sure they are getting their moneys worth on this investment. Technology is a huge part of hotels today, everything is done from the Internet and it even helps employees organize all of their information in an easy, user friendly way. Over the past years many hotel owners have opted to become franchisees of big name industries. "By joining a major hotel chain, these individual owners benefit from the brand association they get from being under such a well-known corporate umbrella, broader consumer recognition, plus access to well-established centralized reservation and booking systems." When hotel owners opt to become franchises of these bigger hotels they also give up their right to make certain decisions for their own hotel. Although this could be a downfall for the owner, "these investments have a negligible impact on the ability of the hotelier to bring in additional revenue," which is something that the hotel needs help with. Overall, when small hotels opt out and decide to become franchisees of big name hotels like the Hilton, it has both its advantages and disadvantages.
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The Future of Hotel Security - AOL Travel News - 1 views

  • Technology is opening new doors to hotel safety
  • Yet more card-free security systems are on the way
  • eventually new security measures will become such a part of our everyday lives that they will become the norm.
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  • Systems that track the other qualities that make each human unique are in development as well.
  • here 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,
  • new thing is contact-less Smartcards and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) cards that need just be waved to allow room access.
  • Kimpton's 190-room Nine Zero Hotel in Boston was the first hotel to install a biometric iris scanner back in 2004
  • 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
  • "In addition to Radio Frequency Identification, there are also systems that use a smartphone, such as an iPhone,"
  • When a guest checks into a hotel and provides their phone number, they get an encrypted sound code via text message
  • 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
  • 1,200 rooms worth of luggage in transit, the system makes it a lot easier to find lost or misdirected bags.
  • Returning guests will be recognized and greeted by nam
  • "Hospitality all over the world has become more aware of past vulnerabilities that they might have had and have closed these holes by more in-depth training and awareness of guests and staff," he says. "In today's society, all travelers are becoming interdependent on each other for safety and security."
  •  
    This article talks about the future trend of the hospitality security, which is technology is opening new doors to hotel safety.  The author introduces some different technologies such as Contact-less Smartcards and RFID that hotels like New York's Plaza Hotel are currently using. Finger print or cellphone wipe technology is also used instead of card, which should be more safe. Some hotels even use video-capture systems to make sure the security is perfect. After introducing these technologies, the author also talks about the privacy issues. Because some customers are not willing to be on cameras. However, though some of them are concerning about this issue, an expert predicts that new security measures will eventually become such a part of everyone's everyday lives that he or she will become the norm. All in all, this article gives us the trend that more and more technologies will be used for hotel security in the future.
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    I think PR representatives should address the privacy controversy surrounding radio frequency identification technology with a safety campaign. This may help consumers realize that they are not in the privacy of their own home when they are in the hallways of hotels and cruise ships and the cameras/tracking could help protect them. As long as the data collected is not misused these technologies will continue to be present in these locations.
  •  
    It's pretty important for the hospitality industry to present these new technologies as wonderful security measures. People could be put off by knowing they have to swipe their finger to get into a bathroom. The success of these technologies depends on effective marketing and proven security measures that ensure collected information about a traveller will not be used in unethical ways.
  •  
    Interesting article it is. Security is always the big issue for hospitality. I would like to stay in a hotel that is using finger print as the key card of the hotel because i believe that is much safer than cards that anybody can access my room by using the card.
  •  
    In this article all of the new trends for hotel security are described and examples of where they are being implemented are given. Thanks to technological innovations hotel safety is heading into a whole different level. Now key cards are being change to more sophisticated ones that need just to be waved to open a room door. In the near future it is expected for these cards to be used as a payment method and to check-in and check-out. In the U.S biometrics technology is starting to be used by a small number of properties not only for guests to access their rooms but for employees. Facial recognition systems with the ability of tracking guests and employees are also being implemented. This system helps to improves customer service as it helps to really understand guest's preferences, as enormous amount of information can be extracted as they are constantly being monitored. Other technologies are also being developed. The most amazing ones are the systems that track other unique human characteristics as the way a person walks or it's DNA.
  •  
    The technology of hotel changes very fast, such as swipe of a cellphone or print of a finger, or the contact cards that need just be waved to allow room access. It is 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. If customers lost their cards on cruise, the radio frequency identification and smartphone will provide customers their code via text message, so they can play back the code to unlock your room door. But more card free security systems are on the way. If you want to get into your room at New York's SoHo Loft , you are going to have to lift a finger. The Nine Zero Hotel in Boston us the technology to make the property safer all round ,that means non-staff members and intruders can not access the property. Systems that track the other qualities that make each human unique in development as well. The Houston's largest hotel has a facial recognition system that can identify and track guests and an annual $16 million payroll ,the system offers benefits such as employee time theft monitoring and prevention for the hotel. But with 1200 rooms worth of luggage in transit the system makes it a lot easier to find lost or misdirected bags The Wolfe feels that in addition to the biometrics and high-tech methods currently being deployed ,one of the greatest security measures of late is actually low tech.
  •  
    The full name of RFID is radio-frequency identification. RFID is the use of a wireless non-contact system that uses radio-frequency electromagnetic fields to transfer data from a tag attached to an object, for the purposes of automatic identification and tracking. Some tags require no battery and are powered by the electromagnetic fields used to read them. Others use a local power source and emit radio waves (electromagnetic radiation at radio frequencies). The tag contains electronically stored information which can be read from up to several metres (yards) away. Now RFID in hospitality industry as a tool is used for improving service quality, customer satisfaction, market share, and profitability. As the new technology apply into hotel security, the hotels change their ways in the blink of an eye, or the swipe of a cell phone, 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 high level and some of the luxury hotels begin to use RFID system. Usually customers will worry about lose the card of hotel. Then they can not open the door and even need to pay extra money to buy a new card. But now security systems in some hotels do away with cards altogether. Because of RFID system, customers can use the iPhone connect with the system. When a guest checks into a hotel and provides their phone number, they get an encrypted sound code via text message. Guests can play back the code to unlock your room door.
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    i think there are some factors to consider. Customer Service - Many opportunities for "great" customer service are lost if guest and employee interaction is diminished. In many cases, the front desk staff give the first impression that a guest experiences. This first "experience" can be crucial for referring the guest to other property amenities, i.e. spa, restaurants, lounge, pool, attractions, etc. Often, the front desk staff are acting as the concierge and resolvers of guest issues.
  •  
    this article talks about new technology that is being implemented throughout out US and the world. Old key cards are now going to be replaced with even older standard keys or the radio frequency identification card that can be waived in front of the door to gain access. Also, there is a technology that will sent an encrypted sound text to guest;s cell phone, which when played back will open the door.  It talks about technology that tracks all employees, guests and their luggage.  There are several concerned that travelers have about their privacy, but article stated that it all depends on the type of the traveler.  Also, the face recognition technology used in Houston's largest hotel remembers guests names and when they return, guests are greeted by name.  Article concludes that even with all this technology, the best security is provided through interdependence of travelers and employees.  
  •  
    Technology in the hotel travel and tourism industry will be changing drastically in the near future, from the swipe of a cell phone, print of a finger, facial recognition, iris scanners, security is going to be taken to the next level. the plastic key cards will soon no longer exist. Radio frequency I'd cards are the new thing, where guest will use this for preferences for everything, from charging things to your room, preference of floor type to pillow choice, chick in and out etc. systems that track the other qualities of a person instead of using a key or card are in development as well. There are research going on how to open the door and. Lose wi just the persons walk and movements. Some people think these new security technologies are awesome, while some think they are not, people dont want to be watched 24/7while on vacation they just want to enjoy there stay. But in today's society all travelers are becoming interdependent on each other for safety and security.
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HRIS: Advantages … and Disadvantages - 0 views

  • We’re defining it as a software or online platform that assists HR professionals by integrating the management of employee data with the performance of common HR tasks.
  • One-stop shopping. One of the most frequently mentioned advantages of an HRIS is that you enter information only once for many HR-related employee tasks. And, similarly, you need to update only one place when employee information changes. Integration of data. Furthermore, different parts of the system can “talk to each other” allowing more meaningful reporting and analysis capabilities, including internal evaluations and audits and preparation of data for outsiders. Accuracy. Improved accuracy is likely assuming data are entered and manipulated correctly. Self service. This feature can be a great timesaver for HR. Employees may enter the system to change data (for example, change their own addresses) and managers and supervisors may enter the system to enter data (for example, performance reviews) or to retrieve data without bothering HR. Automated reminders. Systems can schedule events, such as performance appraisals and benefit deadlines, automatically notifying and nudging if actions have not been performed. Hosting of company-related documents. The system can host such materials as employee handbooks, procedures, and safety guidelines. The materials are easily updated in one place. Benefits administration. This could include enrollment, notices, changes, and reporting. Recruiting management. This may include applicant tracking, management, and reporting.
  • HRIS users responding to the survey have 100 or more employees; however, 8% of HRIS users among customers surveyed had fewer than 50 employees.
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  • Cloud/Software as a Service (SaaS): Customer logs in to a remote website or Web portal to use the service. The customer’s data are also stored remotely. On-site/on-premises: Customer uses software that is installed on a physical hard drive or server on the business premises. Data are also stored on-site. Hybrid: Customers may download software/modules onto their own networks from centralized databases.
  •  
    Doing more research on the topic of this week HRIS, I stumbled upon this very helpful article. It goes into detail about Human Resource Information Systems their use, and pros and cons. The article lists eight advantages that come from having one of these systems. It only has to be uploaded once, it integrates reporting and evaluations, it removes human error therefore improving accuracy, time saving because of self service, reminders, paper saving, administrative tools, and recruitment tools such as those we discussed in our class discussion. Where as there are only three disadvantages mentioned; security concerns just as there are with any online system, cost which is predicted to decrease rapidly in the upcoming years, and staffing because systems like these often require IT team. These three disadvantages are synonymous with that of the disadvantages we have seen on all of the softwares or systems we've learned about this semester. There will always be a concern with security when a business has data online and when a company reaches a certain size it will be inevitable to have an IT team so I believe that these few disadvantages do not outweigh the benefits of HRIS. The statistics provided by the article are very helpful in noting that these systems are most effective for businesses with approximately 100 employees but can be used with those with as few as 50.
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How technology is changing the hotel industry | deBugged - 3 views

  • Fuelled by technology and the immense power of the Internet of Things (IoT), consumer expectations are growing. This is true within every industry and in none more so than the hotel sector. In an industry where customer expectations for a positive experience run particularly high, technology may just provide the means for overcoming this challenge.
  • Technology for consumers means an easy life and our appetite for this lifestyle is insatiable.
  • To meet the challenge of growing customer expectations, the hospitality industry is turning to technology.
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  • Back in 2014, a PWC report already showed hospitality as the fifth industry with the highest investment in sensors.
  • Mobile hotel check-in and check-outs may well become the norm soon, enabling staff to focus more on guest experiences.
  • he Hilton hotel is leading the charge for keyless entry.
  • facial recognition software may also be available to unlock guest bedrooms.
  • Technology can play a huge role in the effort to make your stay as easy and hassle-free as possible.
  • Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide uses daylight harvesting to adjust indoor lighting, based on the amount of natural light coming in from outside.
  • hotel robots to deliver guest amenities and clean rooms
  • ravel sites like Expedia, Kayak, Booking and of course Airbnb
  • capability to select specific room locations (45%) means to share information about in-destination activities (41%) the check-in/check-out process (39%) ways to make service requests (36%)
  • , hotel operators are increasingly turning to data scientists to get under the skin of their customers.
  • : the human touch.
  •  
    This article talks about the growing need for customers to have certain in-technology. It also talks about what hotel industry is doing and investing keep it's ahead of the curve and what current are guest expectations when arriving at a Hotel in 21 century.
  •  
    In this article, it explains that technology is the ruler of today's world. It creates an "easy life" and raises the expectations of customers by the minute, essentially making anything possible. To meet these expectations in the hospitality industry, hotels are incorporating more technological accommodations. This is a must to stay ahead of the competition and attract new customers. A report showed the hospitality industry as the 5th highest investor in sensors to ensure a positive customer experience. From simple technology such as online booking to things such as automated check in/ out are changing the game for the customers overall experience. These things have become normalized for a better guest experience along with keyless hotel room entrance making a shift to app's that act as the bedroom key. Another growing trend is having robots complete simple tasks such as room service as well as more sustainable practices such as adjustable lighting. In order to properly track the success rate of these new technologies, many hospitality related companies are hiring data scientists to assure they are meeting their guest's expectations. All of these advances make life easier for the company and the guests but none of these things can replace the art of human interaction. Although this art is dwindling away, it is something that most still yearn for, regardless of the technology involved in their experience.
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Event Planning In The Hotel Of The Future - 0 views

  • As one of the strongest drivers for change in the event industry, technology plays a prominent role in the planning and management of events
  • This includes robot butlers, entertainment, greeters and business services which for planning events can be more cost effective and reduce human error, streamlining the process of communicating with the systems to get exactly what you want.
  • home and collect a suitcase, you can go straight from the office and jump on a plane.
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  • Automated systems can be limited and therefore the personalization and “special requests” that can be organized between event planner and venue as part of a long-lasting relationship might be lost
  • This is a fantastic opportunity for event professionals as it makes event themes limitless and allows the location to be designed around the event rather
  • than the other way around.
  • Event planners will also be able to use this information to personally plan itineraries to the precise likes and dislikes of individual guests and have more accurate data for destination events
  •  
    With technology advancing so rapidly now a days, event planners within the hotel industry started using it to plan events. When it comes to event planning, a lot goes into it to keep everything on time and in order. Technology can assist planners with tasks. Using technology within this industry can assist in decreasing human error. Some hotels started using robot butlers to serve guest. This can help reduce costs because they don't have to pay employees. A very interesting idea about these robotic butlers is they are able to speak multiple languages so if an event is having people from around the world coming to it, it will break the language barrier. Planners can use personal travel avatars. These avatars help them plan itineraries for the guest. A technology improvement planners use are made-to-order venues. These venues assemble based to their environment. It is easier for planners to use these when setting up an event. These few examples just shows how technology advancements has increased opportunities for hotel planners to plan their events more efficiently.
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Airbnb is out, new disruptors are in | Hotel Management - 1 views

  • At first blush, it may seem that Sorenson was calling out the likes of Airbnb, a common target blamed for poaching travelers seeking hotels. However, this is not the case. Instead, Sorenson said it is the likes of Google, Facebook, Amazon and Alibaba that have captured his attention.
  • ng hotel
  • velers s
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  • . Instead, Sorenson said it is the likes of Google, Facebook, Amazon and Alibaba that have captured his attention.
  • “They are all trying to have a profile for every customer, so how do we use that to make sure we are monetizing as much of that relationship as we can?
  • If companies such as Google, Amazon or Facebook make a push into the hospitality business, there is no doubt that the level of disruption on the current business environment would be staggering.
  • Getting to know your customers and what they value is something that Amazon, Google and Facebook have mastered
  • According to Nassetta, hotels and hotel operators are masters of their environments. If they fail to capture guest attention, it is no one’s fault but their own.
  •  
    While Airbnb is still one of the larger competitors the hotel industry is up against, at the NYU Hospitality Conference, a new possible disruptor was brought into question. Speakers began to discuss the possible disruption that online services like Google and Amazon to name a few. The advantages that these companies have, should they dive into the realm of hospitality, is the sheer amount of information that these sites contain about the consumer. Although they have this extensive data, they are lacking in interpersonal experience as these companies don't deal with the consumer physically. The hotel industry however, leads far ahead of these companies in this regard, as it's what they've been known for. However, for the hotel industry to ultimately come out on top, they will need to partner with these companies and work together, rather than be taken down. 
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Safety Security and Loss Prevention During Hospitality Emergencies - Disaster Recovery ... - 0 views

  • Emergency preparedness should be a major part of the hospitality managers’ duties; they must work side by side with other tourism organizations to be prepared well to assist and save the lives of the tourist before, during and after the catastrophic events, and should adopt an updated effective emergency plan.
  • Safety and security are classified as the most important factors in the hospitality industry. Pizam et al., (1997) argued that safety and security are the most important factors to the tourist, and the first in mind when planning to travel.
  • The effective usage of safety surveillance such as closed circuit television (CCTV), electric emergency generators, body guards, fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, emergency lights will maintain the security procedures adopted by the hotels to ensure their guests' safety, and updated emergency plans to confirm the emergency preparedness and effective planning to overcome the potential risks.
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  • Furthermore, it is important to consider the proper dress for the security staff to be in line with the hospitality management philosophy.
  • Safety is a term which relates to protecting guests and staff within the hotel from the potential hazards, injury, and death by dealing with dangerous materials and different kinds of accidents. In contrast, security regards the protection of property from criminal accidents and terrorist activities.
    • lvela051
       
      Main goal with safety.
  • Providing the highest levels of safety standards and security ensures good marketing for the hotels by preventing an accident before it becomes a major issue causing loss of life and property.
  • effective information system and being well prepared for emergencies could prevent or minimize loss for the hotels.
    • lvela051
       
      Preparedness helps to know the situation better.
  • four-phase model to plan for the crisis and to deal with the emergencies; this model proposed reduction, readiness, response, and recovery phases to deal with the crisis.
  • Many practitioners imply that regarding the technology evolution in the last decade, Information Technology has become a fundamental part of the hospitality industry,
    • lvela051
       
      The use of technology is becoming a part of how to prevent the problem.
  • the importance of an updated emergency plan
    • lvela051
       
      things change over time, its important to continuously update the plan.
  • The hospitality industry is one of the most vulnerable industries to crises.
  • is vulnerable to both internal and external emergencies.
    • lvela051
       
      Need plan for both to be prepared.
  • updated regularly, and a direct communication system should be employed to respond to and overcome the crisis.
  • The importance of continuous emergency training for the employees is also emphasized.
  • ole of the media, information, and the social media should be reviewed and evaluated continuously
    • lvela051
       
      With the use of technology becoming a bigger factor, its important to have someone assigned to handle the media.
  • causing negative impacts not only for the hospitality players, but also for the tourists and the local community.
    • lvela051
       
      It affects more than just the establishment.
  • biometric technologies could ensure the hotel security and increase the effectiveness of hotel information systems. This will reduce the costs, improve management of the employee and guest activities, and improve the ability to recognize the criminal activities.
  • Preparedness and an updated emergency plan with managers' awareness will help the hospitality industry to provide the necessary resources, as well as effective training to avoid or minimize risks. Safety surveillance and security systems are very important to save guests' lives and hospitality properties. These factors can also be used as a marketing tool for guests and meeting planners. Finally, it's very important to understand the crisis emergency frameworks to mitigate effects and be well prepared before the crisis strike, and furthermore, to minimize losses during evacuation when the disaster happens.
    • lvela051
       
      What can be done.
  • susceptible to epidemics movements,
    • lvela051
       
      Word of mouth is a big marketing tool that can either hurt of help an industry.
  • Hotels should issue a check-list concerning a hotel’s vulnerability to emergencies caused by natural disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis) or man-made crises (terrorist attacks, explosions, fires, spill, food poisoning).
  • This will transmit a positive image: hospitality may gain a lot by using its safety and security as a marketing tool to attract more tourists to the destination.
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    This article was very interesting and it was about how safety security is very important to the hospitality industry. This article also explained how a study shows the safety and security systems work in the hospitality industry. They also said that it is very important to update the emergency plan because you never know when something going to happen in the hotel and you always have to be ready for anything. This study just showed how an effective information system could prevent and being well prepared can definitely help prevent any emergency.
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    The article is a study that was conducted in regards to the security management within a hotel and how an effective security system can help in preventing accidents or emergencies from occuring. The main priority of a hotel or any establishment, besides the service provided, is having an effective emergency plan set in place to be able to respond and overcome a crisis. International hospitality being a focus over the recent years, has suffered crises, risks, and disasters causing negative impacts on tourism and the community. Hotels should "issue a check-list concerning a hotel's vulnerability to emergencies caused by natural disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis) or man-made crises (terrorist attacks, explosions, fires, spill, food poisoning)." Another part of the plan is to focus on the loss prevention aspect of a hotel by implementing information technology to secure or improve security. On technology mentioned was biometric to increase the hotel information system and also to help reduce cost and improve the way we recognize criminal activities. With the hospitality industry being one of the most vulnerable industries to crimes and disasters, it is important to recognize, improve and update the plans set into place to ensure accurate information. While it's impossible to say that these preventions are going to stop these problems from happening, it can help other learn about the proper steps to handling these situations. I personally think that as much as employers suggest different way, it's the job of the loss prevention team in every industry to construct a plan that address as many issues and conduct trainings that would help to prepare us for these occasions. Trainings are going to be the best way to properly analyze a problem and improve on the emergency plan set.
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Benefits of Human Resource Information System | Advance Systems Inc - 1 views

  • The world of HR has greatly been enhanced by technology. With new systems available to enhance productivity and streamline operations, those in human resources can achieve greater success with the benefits of human resource information system choices.
  • Depending on the type of system you choose, your company could see benefits ranging from cost and time savings to increased employee engagement and better adherence to compliance and regulations.
  • An HRIS can make the onboarding process an efficient and consistent one. By providing easy access to training materials and handbooks for new employees and storing all new employee information in one convenient place
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  • An HRIS system can eliminate paper and turn all of your employee records into easy to access online data. These can be retrieved simply by anyone with authorization and are backed up remotely to ensure safety.
  • When you can automate payroll by integrating it with your HRIS, you take hours of work off your HR team’s shoulders. You can also automate tasks such as immediate approval or denial of time off requests based on set rules, shift change alerts, and other time-consuming jobs.
  • With biometric timekeeping, your HR team knows in real time where employees are in case they are needed. This can be especially helpful in situations where deliveries need to be made or customers need in-person help.
  • Employee self service tools allow your employees to clock in and out with their personal smart device, making it easy for them to work from remote offices or from home. They can also use the HRIS platform to efficiently check their schedules and make any changes necessary without having to come into the home office.
  • An HRIS system provides one simple mode of communication that is easy to use and organize. This not only allows employees to talk with colleagues about ongoing projects, but also request shift changes, explain absences, and put in for annual leave or vacation.
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    This article talks about the benefits of HRIS implemented in the workplace. The benefits are both for HR Departments and Employees as well. These systems save time and also money, and are able to better adhere to compliance regulations. These systems are able to track an employee from a candidate stage to termination. It makes the onboarding process a quicker one and employees are able to access trainings online as well as their handbooks. Eliminating paperwork and having records all in one place is another benefit, and those with access can easily retrieve a file in seconds. Automatic payroll facilitates the process, and approving or denying requests and shift changes are also able to be completed with ease. This also provides flexibility for employees to clock in and out from their smart phones if they work remotely, they can also check their schedules easily and communicate to others through these systems. This is a great article that highlights the benefits of HRIS. I use one of these systems on a daily basis, and I can vouch for it's efficiency to my daily tasks.
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