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boyan yuan

The Six Dumbest Ideas in Computer Security - 0 views

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    computer security is definitely still a "hot topic." But why are we spending all this time and money and still having problems? . Systems based on "Default Permit" are the computer security equivalent of empty calories: tasty, yet fattening.The most recognizable form in which the "Default Permit" dumb idea manifests itself is in firewall rules.Another place where "Default Permit" crops up is in how we typically approach code execution on our systems. 2.Why is "Enumerating Badness" a dumb idea? It's a dumb idea because sometime around 1992 the amount of Badness in the Internet began to vastly outweigh the amount of Goodness. "Enumerating Badness" is the idea behind a huge number of security products and systems, from anti-virus to intrusion detection, intrusion prevention, application security, and "deep packet inspection" firewalls. 3."Penetrate and Patch" crops up all over the place, and is the primary dumb idea behind the current fad (which has been going on for about 10 years) of vulnerability disclosure and patch updates. 4.Hidden in Parker's observation is the awareness that hacking is a social problem. It's not a technology problem, at all. "Timid people could become criminals." The Internet has given a whole new form of elbow-room to the badly socialized borderline personality.If you're a security practitioner, teaching yourself how to hack is also part of the "Hacking is Cool" dumb idea. 5."Penetrate and Patch" can be applied to human beings, as well as software, in the form of user education.Dealing with things like attachments and phishing is another case of "Default Permit" 6.There's an important corollary to the "Action is Better Than Inaction" dumb idea, and it's that: "It is often easier to not do something dumb than it is to do something smart."
Gerson Dias

Digital iRiS Sommelier - 0 views

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    The iRiS Sommelier is an application that turned the iPad into a digital Sommelier. It allows diners to browse through the wine list in their preferred language, view each wine label, and narrow the selection according to the type of wine, color, size, grape and region, as well as price. The iRiS Sommelier does not just lead to more informed dining experience, but also reduces wine selection time. Furthermore, this application helped to increase wine sales by 21% at the Kepinski Hotel in Budapest. In regards to the operation, the great feature is that restaurants are able to update their wine lists instantly, as well as change prices and availability. In addition, wine menu printing costs are minimized and environmental benefits are maximized. In my opinion, the iRiS Sommelier is not just a great new way to introduce the wine menu and update the inventory, but also to educate diners and give diners more time to enjoy their wine and food.
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    I think that mobile devices (smart phones) are playing an important role in the lifestyle of the restaurant goers, this applicaton not only educate the consumers about wine and food, but also keep them up date of the new trends.
Yu Zhai

Reservation Software and Guest Management Software by Reservation Nexus - 5 views

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    Reservation Nexus is a reservation system for bed and breakfasts and inns. It has quickly become the system to beat in the hotel software arena with a fresh approach to online reservations, guest management and automated marketing, bed and breakfasts, inns, hotels and lodges will have many advantages such as increasing reservation, more time, freedom and profit. It helps hotels to offer customers a better service when feedback, such like sending a blessing email for customer's birthday, a thank letter after customer check out, and offering the travel map before customer come to hotel. All of these are automatic. In other words, this is Automated Marketing, which revolves around capturing and utilizing guest information. Reservation nexus holds a spirit of Red Carpet Service, a popular service spirit in US, they treat hotel just like hotel treat customers, kindly, patient, and professional. Besides, it can save money for hotels, it updates itself instead paying to update. It is providing on-line non-downloadable software to store, manage, track, analyze, and report reservation data. By some settings, Reservation Nexus can eliminate time consuming tasks for hotels to manage business and customers. Making it easy for guests to book online means more reservations, Reservation nexus did this.
AQUEELAH THOMPSON

Hotels find savings, other benefits, in the cloud - 2 views

  • function GetMidArticleAd(sAdPageName, sAdPagePosition, blRotatingAd) { $('#middlearticlead').html(''); $.ajax({ type: "POST", url: "../../LocalServices.asmx/GetAdByPagePosition", data: "{'AdPageName': '" + sAdPageName + "', 'AdPagePosition': '" + sAdPagePosition + "', 'RotatingAd': '" + blRotatingAd + "' }", contentType: "application/json; charset=utf-8", dataType: "json", success: function(msg) { AjaxSucceeded(msg); }, error: AjaxFailed }); function AjaxSucceeded(result) { $('#middlearticlead').html(result.d); } function AjaxFailed(result) { alert(result.status + ' ' + result.responseText); } } function GetMidArticleAdById(sId) { $.ajax({ type: "POST", url: "../../LocalServices.asmx/GetAdById", data: "{'AdId': '" + sId + "' }", contentType: "application/json; charset=utf-8", dataType: "json", success: function(msg) { AjaxSucceeded(msg); }, error: AjaxFailed }); function AjaxSucceeded(result) { $('#middlearticlead').html(result.d); } function AjaxFailed(result) { alert(result.status + ' ' + result.responseText); } } Hotels find savings, other benefits, in the cloud  
  • that which removes hardware off property to centrally located servers for on-demand functionality and accessibility
  • The goal in both cases? Get as much IT out of hotels as possible.
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  • By taking the burden of IT off hotel staff, the front desk can focus more of their energy and attention where it really counts: the guest, Choice’s Davis said.
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    This article is a good one about the cloud and how the hotels are finding benefits with using it. The benefits that they are seeing is that the cloud allows them to move their hardware off of the property to a central location to be operated. Another point they focused on is how it allows hotels to run their software and hardware more efficiently and it is also a lot cheaper. They have found that it allows them to get rid of IT in the hotel. They also touched on the cons and one being that if their is no internet or not enough internet connection there will be problems. Another issue is security.
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    This article is a good one about the cloud and how the hotels are finding benefits with using it. The benefits that they are seeing is that the cloud allows them to move their hardware off of the property to a central location to be operated. Another point they focused on is how it allows hotels to run their software and hardware more efficiently and it is also a lot cheaper. They have found that it allows them to get rid of IT in the hotel. They also touched on the cons and one being that if their is no internet or not enough internet connection there will be problems. Another issue is security. Many people feel that as complicated the industry is, it is somewhat important for hospitality type businesses to have the cloud. With having the cloud, this will ensure that the systems are always updated. A point that stood out to me was how the La Quinta saved 30-50% in telecommunication at each of their locations. Many hotels will find themselves using the cloud in the future
katya zelinskaya

Hotel Management Software Company Goes Mobile with Full Access via iPad, iPhone and And... - 0 views

  • es, "Anywhere Access" also allows them to go about their daily operations in new and innovative ways.
  • Frontdesk Anywhere's mobile capabilities allow us the freedom to get out from behind the desk and serve our guests in a much more personal way, wherever they may be on the property"
  • It's also reassuring to know that your cellular data network is there to fall back on should there ever be a problem with your internet connectivity"
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    This article discusses a company that has released a software what lets managers and employees access the PMS and POS remotely from a mobile device. This allows a more personal feel when checking in because the person who is checking you in doesn't have to be behind a desk or behind a computer. A hotel in canada actually is using this technology to check guests in directly in front of their own villas. When a person is walking down the hall and needs something for their room such as towels and other amenities, and stops an employee in the hall that employee can help them right away there in the hall instead of having to direct them to the front desk or to someone else that can assist them. The company is called front desk anywhere. and i believe that this will bring back the more personal feel to travel that used to be. This will allow every guest to feel special which i believe that not been the case the last couple of years.
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    this article talks about the new property management system which does not require an agent to stay behind the front desk. Agent now can come to the guest rather than other way around. This system uses internet or the cellular data, for communications with the server. Housekeeping can see and update the room status, without coming back to the computer. 
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    I really like the idea of making relationships between hotel agent and customer less linear more mobile. Customer should feel help and comfort. Furthermore customers love to try some innovations and will definately choose hotels with new and unusual practice just to experience something really interesting.
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    The fact that employees can now serve customers basically immediately will be very valued by many customers. This type of service is what generates more repeat customers and great reviews by word of mouth.
anonymous

Kayak Is Worth $31 With Revenues From Advertising, Hotels Driving Growth - Seeking Alpha - 0 views

  • By providing an easy comparison of fares across various websites, Kayak makes the travel search easier for its users.
  • earns its revenues primarily through advertising and referral fees earned from its suppliers.
  • We estimate the advertising division to contribute close to 55% to our price estimate of $31.05 for Kayak
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  • the company started trading under the "KYAK" ticker on NASDAQ from Friday onwards. We have a price estimate of $31.05 for Kayak, which is at a premium of close to 20% to the current market price.
  • We estimate that the company earns higher revenues from advertising compared to referral fees per query
  • We expect Kayak's online ad revenue per 1,000 queries to go up to $268 by the end of our forecast period.
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    This article, posted on seekingalpha.com discusses the success behind Kayak. Kayak is an OTA that "gives consumers a one-stop research solution to best fares along with other value-added services like flight status updates and pricing alerts." However Kayak's revenues stem primarily from advertising and referrals. The article futher breaks down the percentiles of the profits with ads at 55% and referrals at 38%. Kayak's stock is at a premium and only seems destined to improve. A very interesting graph portrays estimates of its improvements for both ads and referrals.
ning sun

Hotel Concepts and 3CX integrate PBX with PMS - 0 views

shared by ning sun on 14 Feb 12 - No Cached
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    With Hotel Concepts' Integrated Distribution Property Management System, hoteliers can now tie together the Brilliant PMRO PMS and the 3CX telephony system. Unique features of the 3CX Hotel Module now integrated with IDPMS and PMPRO include:1. the ability to automatically reset the guest PBX upon check-in and checkout, adding or removing the guest's name on the voicemail system and deleting any leftover recordings; 2. the option to block external calls to and from particular guestrooms upon request; 3.the scheduling of automated wakeup calls; 4.Guests' names are displayed to receptionists when making in-house calls; 5.Call billing automatically integrated into guest folios; 6.The ability for housekeepers to deliver status updates and execute minibar charges through guestroom PBX phones. With these special hallmarks, 3CX hotel module specified PMS in room amenity aspect and provide a lot of convenience and considerate design for customers as well as improve standard service quality of a hotel. Meanwhile it also bring revenues and profits without large costs for hoteliers. This will be a trend for hospitality development and technology enhancement.
chunxia gao

How to Develop a Technology Investment Strategy | Trends & Events > Trends from AllBusi... - 0 views

  • It will be easier to identify technologies that can help your business if you have a clear picture of where you're heading and what steps you must take to get there.
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    It is important to lay down a technology investment strategy that aligns with the specific goals of your organization and avoid investing in "pie in the sky" with no guaranteed returns. It will be easier to identify technologies that can help your business if you have a clear picture of where you're heading and what steps you must take to get there. Once you've set down your business strategy, you should appoint a member of your organization to track IT trends and advancements in the marketplace. Sit down with this person and list the sky technology areas they should be monitoring based on your business needs. Once you have projects in mind, talk to a trusted IT advisor and run a cost analysis. Create a short list of IT investments that you can not only afford, but will also help you achieve your stated business goals. Do a risk analysis of significant project you consider to undertake. Make sure the project is coming in on time and on budget. Finally, continue to update your IT investment plan and monitor new technology developments.
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    Great article talks about what companies should do if they want to invest the technology. Companies will surfer great risk if the company is blindness in investment. The company should firstly Clearfield their business strategy know what kind of the technology needed by the company. Advisor from professional people and the cost analysis is also important. Base on this analysis hotel can find better technology with less risk.
Leann Taylor

Tripcraft Launches New Mobile Spa Application - 0 views

  • new mobile spa application
  • application delivers flexibility and efficiency to spa management while improving productivity and elevating the guest experience
  • mobilizes guest interactions throughout the spa visit using a branded and customizable user interface to the SpaSoft application.
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  • easy-to-use, guest-centric mobile app designed to serve the evolving needs of the world's top hotels, resorts and spas.
  • The mobile app enables staff to perform key service and operations tasks as they move with clients throughout the spa, such as check in/check out, scheduling and changes, reservations, treatment details, client profiles and preferences, medical information and waivers, payments and more.
  • Mobilizing the spa experience is a stress-free decision benefiting spa managers and their clientele. It's a more personal and elegant way to interact discretely with guests during an appointment
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    An app has been created that allows clients and staff to communicate. It enables staff to perform many of the six functions of a pms system that was discussed in class, it's easy to use and it's a discreet way of companies to get customers to create and update their customer profiles. This is a benefit because companies in the hotel industry oftentimes use customer profiles to improve service.
Hyeyoung Jang

Technology to the Aid of Middle East Hospitality Sector | Hospitality Technology - 0 views

  • Today’s technology is equipped with user friendly interfaces that hasten operations; tools like point-of-sale (POS) systems have easy billing with multiple window options. PMS’s provide a single screen check-in for guests, speed up front desk operations and can be configured to efficiently manage energy usage in rooms. Along with easy interfaces, centralized technology enables hoteliers to efficiently manage operations across departments and chains. An integrated PMS captures guests’ information that is gathered at check-in and makes it access at multiple touch points. Features such as these enable hoteliers to pull up guest information and leverage it to offer personalized service, such as choice of rooms and meal options. At time of check-out, software solutions in combination with cutting edge technology like RFID also assist to keep track of pilfered linens and other items.
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    This article talk about the PMS system in Middle east recent years. It is an important time of year for the hospitality industry in the Middle East. The region's industry has witnessed a strong recovery of 78.6% occupancy rates over last year and the holiday season continues to hold tremendous promise of high tourist traffic and increased occupancy. With the highlight of the year- Dubai Shopping Festival 2012 fast approaching, hoteliers need to brace themselves for round-the-clock services as they run at nearly 100% occupancy. Here will be integral for them to relook at existing business procedures to ensure efficient use of resources and enhanced guest experience. Technology is a key driver of business growth for the hospitality sector across segments. While hotels leverage technology, hoteliers need to remember that mere adoption of innovation does not suffice. Effective implementation of required hardware and software proves beneficial only if the hotel ERP is adequately aligned with the hotel's business needs. In 2010, tourist arrivals to theMiddle East increased by 14%, registering a total of 56.6 million tourists. The positive outlook of the year ahead will place an impetus on the adoption and implementation of CRM tools as well. Luxury hotel chains in theMiddle Eastalready offer rewards and loyalty programs for customers, however, with the advent of social media, CRM tools have been revised to track discussions and reviews on hotel properties. One of the key challenges for large hotel chains is to stay connected with their managers on-the-go. Hand held devices like PDAs enable hoteliers to stay connected with ongoing activities at their property and an integrated PMS system sends out automated updates to improve communications.
anonymous

Hotel Concepts-Brilliant's iTesso Offers Hospitality Operators A True End-To-End Cloud-... - 0 views

  • Hotel Concepts–Brilliant, a leading global provider of technology and software solutions for the hospitality industry, has unveiled the future of enterprise lodging systems—the revolutionary iTesso solution. Ideal for hotel chains of all sizes, scalable and customizable, iTesso will be exhibited during HITEC 2012, at booth # 1222. One of the hospitality industry’s first true end-to-end cloud-based management systems, iTesso is an integrated property management system, distribution platform and central reservations system all rolled into a single intuitive solution. As a component-based hotel chain inventory and distribution management system, iTesso can be deployed as a direct connection between a hotel's CRS and the global distribution systems and alternate distribution systems, or as a distributed multi-property PMS with links to third-party CRS systems. In short, iTesso represents a brilliant new concept in technology convergence.
  • The interface connections are monitored and upgraded on a hotel and a centralized level. This offers hotel users unique value from the high degree of scalability and redundancy, something that is rarely economically feasible with a premise-based solution. Moreover, the Windows Azure platform is completely secure and reliable, with critical encrypted information redundantly stored at two data centers with seamless switching.
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    iTesso is a cloud-based PMS which offers interface with the property's CRS, GDS, and other third-party systems.  What caught my eye in this article is that it specifies that it is Windows compatible and offers high-level security.  Compared with WebRezPro, iTesso seems to be a better system in that it claims to be appropriate for all hotel chains regardless of size, secure, able to be updated to stay relevant, and covers all of the functionalities that a PMS should be able to handle.
Rui Zhu

Ridout & Maybee LLP: Canadian Patent Office launches Green Technology Initiative - 0 views

  • Under the proposed new service standards, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office would aim to produce a substantive office action for expedited applications within two months from the receipt of the applicant’s request for expedited examination.
  • In addition to relaxing the requirements for expedited examination for patent applications related to green technology, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office has also indicated that it will be setting new service standards to speed up the prosecution of all patent applications that benefit from expedited examination. 
  • The proposed amendments would relax the requirements for expedited examination for patent applications related to green technology.  Specifically, the proposed amendments would permit patent applications related to green technology to be granted accelerated examination without the payment of an additional fee. 
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    Green initiative has a great value for both economy and environment. Some countries' governments had drafed some regulations supporting this concept of development. Canada is one of the most early contries focusing on thise issues. The Cnadian Intellectual Property Office is mainly responsible for detail jobs related to green technology developing and spreading. They made some standerds toward some primary industries in both demastic and international market. Nowadays, they plan to update their strategies and standards to make these industries more productivity and eco-friendly. All of the agencies or ministries regarding to these issues attmpt to iprove their ability to solve green product problems through a proaction approach. In my opinion, all of these efforts are benefit to sustaianable development of local economy and society.
Nelson Placa

New Walt Disney World App - 1 views

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    This article talks about how Walt Disney World park-goers are able to enjoy a new app designed for iPhones, iPads and iPods that gives them real-time updates on park information and other services. The application allows guests to better plan their day with the ability to view wait times for shows and attractions; guests are also able to track what are the fastpass return times and the ability to book dining reservation around the parks and resorts. The application enables the guests to move through the theme parks flawlessly and helps maintain a neat order. It gives the guests the ability to view the maps and view what's happening right now at each of the parks. It is a great application that will help everyone be more organize as they enjoy the parks.
Melissa Binns

Technology Trends in Corporate Event Planning for 2013 and Beyond | Shows In a Box - 0 views

  • . Utilizing technology to measure attendee requests, receive real-time information on event efficiency, and restructure planner’s tasks makes sense, as does an automated solution that incorporates the much needed information into smartphones and mobile devices for both planners and attendees.
  • Technology and Social Media are the Pioneers of 3 Massive Event Changes
  • In 2013, more corporations will use in event technology that helps them boost effectiveness, prolong engagement, and amass commerce/e-commerce across numerous types of events either in person or virtual.
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  • Event Organizers will Connect to Attendees with Smartphones
  • Event budgets are being more scrutinized, SMM, strategic meeting management technology, such as http://www.cvent.com/ or http://www.starcite.com 
  • -Paper will Surrender to Technology
  • -Event Planners will gain Increased Efficiency via Solution Consolidation
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    Technology trends in event planning have changed considerably over the past year. Social media has become a major part by providing references for events, online reviews, and allowing for vendors to provide information prior and after event. Some event planners have started using smart phone applications to connect with the attendees.
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    Event specialists can expect to see several technological trends in event planning this year. Social media, of course, is "embryonic" when it comes to marketing an event. Event planners can use social media to expand the life of the event by creating pre and post event meetup creating stimulating conversation about topics surrounding the event and getting potential guests excited to attend. Smartphone integration has increased over the course of the year, as well. Event planners can actually get rid of using paper but using mobile applications that help them create lists, seating and floor plans and check in guests using QR code scanners. The "Event Check-in" application allows planners to do just that and immediately sync with other linked mobile devices to update the guest list. These apps also provide the opportunity for data mining and instantly get analytics for the event. Event solution consolidation will also be bigger with cloud-based websites such as Cvent and Eved to help event planners cut down on time looking for resources.
Donald Wojciechowski

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

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

TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA & TELECOMMUNICATIONS ISSUES IN THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR - Al Tamimi & C... - 0 views

  • Using hotels as a basic reference, one key area where specialist TMT legal support is essential is in respect of technology. 
  • Most hotels employ a combination of ‘off-the-shelf” and customized software applications in order to manage a variety of functions, such as reservations and F&B inventory. Such software applications must be appropriately licensed to the hotel by the software provider, and suitably maintained (eg. by an annual maintenance agreement with a service provider), so as to ensure that updates are applied and any errors in respect of such applications do not adversely affect operations.  Another example of the type of Technology work we handle is in advising some of the well-known international on-line travel or accommodation booking service providers about the extent to which their on-line activities may need to be licensed in the Middle East region.
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    This is an interview between and head of hospitality practice and a technical specialist. They talk about the benefits the telecommunication skill brings to the industry, including to the hotels and  the customers.They also discussed some of the problems, such as the respetive practices overlap. The TMT team provide some legal support in this area.
Alyssa Westmeyer

SiteMinder Named One of Australia's 50 Fastest Growing Technology Companies for Second ... - 0 views

  • Room Distribution Exchange (RDX) platform that directly connects hotel reservation systems and online booking channels over the web
  • eliminated the gap between hotel reservation systems and booking channels, making the online booking process faster, more efficient and more lucrative for hotels than ever before.
  • "The RDX platform has helped bridge the widening gap in connectivity and turned distribution into a commodity item that can be accessed by hotels of all sizes around the world," Mr Ford said. "RDX allows PMS and Central Reservation Systems (CRS) vendors to operate and fully support their own branded distribution platform, providing full, two-way, seamless connectivity to hundreds of channels including OTAs (online travel agents), wholesalers, Global Distribution System (GDS) networks and social media channels.
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  • the inherent complexity of connecting and maintaining hundreds of channels is elimated for both technology providers and hotels globally
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    One of the greatest challenges a hotel faces is ensuring that all of its booking channels are updated on a real-time basis. With this tool, a Revenue Manager can quickly manage all inventory from a single place. With instant 2-way integration, On the property side, changes can be made easily and efficiently and applied to all sites. The reservations will also be dropped directly into the PMS or CRS so there is no more manual input necessary. On the consumer side, every booking will reduce inventory across all sites so that there is no chance of overbooking. This is a very valuable tool.
Brittany K. Ward

Sabre and American Express Global Business - 0 views

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    Sabre and American Express has teamed up for a new service "to provide a more personal travel experience" to their clients. Now American Express Global Business Traveler clients who book through TripCase, Sabre's mobile app, are allowed to access real-time data. Clients can receive flight updates and live synching of itinerary from Amex to their TripCase app. Cardmember's also receive information through the app about card benefits and deals, one example the article gave was airport lounge access and free Wi-Fi access. Amex has gone as far as making sure cardmember's are automatically updated whether they book their business trips online or over the phone, making it easier for last minute changes to be accommodated.
Jouvens Jean

Top 5 Marketing Must Haves Any Hotel Can Afford - 0 views

  • PARSIPPANY, N.J. -- Just because a hotel may not have a $50,000+ marketing budget, it doesn't mean that its marketing department can't compete effectively and build a strategic plan that includes website updates, guest reviews, mobile marketing, social media monitoring and management, and reputation management. For a small investment, Lodging Interactive, a full-service digital marketing and social media engagement agency exclusively servicing the hospitality industry, can cost-effectively provide hoteliers with these "Top 5" digital marketing elements that are key to building online awareness and maintaining a competitive edge in 2014.
  • 1. Website Updates: So you have a website. Good. When was the last time you refreshed its content? Continually adding new photos makes the website more visually appealing. Is the site interactive?
  • 2. Guest Reviews: A June 2013 Local Consumer Review Study reveals that 79 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
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  • 3. Hotel FAQs: Does your hotel website answer "all" your guest's questions? If your web presence is limited to the brand site, the answer is probably "no." As a do-it-yourself or fully-managed service, Lodging Interactive will oversee a hotel's online FAQ listing, including developing questions people typically ask, sourcing the answers from the hotel, and allowing new questions to be asked by consumers online to help hotels increase conversion rates, maximize organic search and boost SEO rankings.
  • 4. Social Media Monitoring & Management: Did you know that Google+ has taken over the No. 2 social media position from Twitter? According to reports, it may even replace Facebook in the No. 1 spot in a few years. Hoteliers who are only familiar today with the top three social media channels will find themselves falling dramatically behind their competition in 2014 if they don't market themselves via Google+, Pinterest and other critical social media outlets.
  • 5. Reputation Management: Hotels of all sizes have begun to add social media technologies that monitor a hotel's or brand's online reputation, but unless those tools are being maximized, reputations and business practices can still suffer. Lodging Interactive believes that it takes people, in addition to technologies, to make reputation management effective.
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    I think the above points are for hotels that do not have a brand awareness... For example, the St Regis brand we did not need all this as it was a well established brand and the business just practically walks in...
Alyssa Westmeyer

Hotel technology trends that are changing how hotels do business - 1 views

  • Choice created the software in 2003 as an inexpensive solution for franchisees of its economy brands.
  • The PMS had a lot of growing pains at first, but eventually it became more and more cloud enabled and was adopted across the company.
  • “A lot of companies had outsourced their IT and now they’re bringing it back in house because they can do almost everything they need on the cloud or through software as a service.
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  • Switching to the cloud from a client server platform pays off with a big drop in both the initial capital outlay and the ongoing operating costs for the property management and other systems.
  • pects of a franchisee’s business, from guest check-ins and housekeeping services to billing and finances. Over time new features have been rolled into the software platform making it more robust and useful for hotel owners—it’s currently distributed in eight countries and available in four languages. And while plenty of cloud-based PMS packages are now available from third-party vendors like Micros, Maestro, and RoomKey, Choice’s internal solution has garnered its fair share of attention. “We had been getting knocks on the door from IT vendors at other hotel companies and individual Choice franchisees that own other brands, saying they were interested in our product,” says Pacious, “So we set up a new division so we could take a look at other opportunities we could develop.” This led the company to launch SkyTouch last year, a new division that develops and markets cloud-based software solutions to hotels inside and outside the Choice system. Pages: 1 2 3 4 2013-06-18 Sean Downey !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })(); (function() { var li = document.createElement('script'); li.type = 'text/javascript'; li.async = true; li.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https:' : 'http:') + '//platform.stumbleupon.com/1/widgets.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(li, s); })(); inShare0 Related Articles attachment-3
  • his led the company to launch SkyTouch last year, a new division that develops and markets cloud-based software solutions to hotels inside and outside the Choice system. Pages: 1 2 3 4 2013-06-18 Sean Downey !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })(); (function() { var li = document.createElement('script'); li.type = 'text/javascript'; li.async = true; li.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https:' : 'http:') + '//platform.stumbleupon.com/1/widgets.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(li, s); })(); inShare0 Related Articles Hotel Market Insight: Cleveland a
  • This led the company to launch SkyTouch last year, a new division that develops and markets cloud-based software solutions to hotels inside and outside the Choice system.
  •  
    Choice Hotels has been a industry leader in the cloud PMS movement. They identified the opportunity to create their own platform 10 years ago when cloud was barely on the radar and have now successfully distributed it to 5,500 of their properties. Unique functionality built into the system is internet redundancy via cellular data plan, company-wide campaign pop-up messages to staff, interface to Pegasus and revenue management through predictive analytics. The platform has been so successful that, in response to inquiries from other companies who wanted to use Choice's proprietary system themselves, they created an additional revenue stream by establishing a separate company that sells and creates custom cloud PMS systems. One advantage pointed out is that managers no longer need to be on property to access and make changes to their PMS. While this is hugely beneficial to the majority of the industry (who already work long hours and visit the property on their day off), there may be some who take advantage of the situation. If this becomes the case, less oversight at the property means that operations has the potential to slip. It doesn't seem that this is a concern for Choice Hotels but it should be considered.
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