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The following article explains why many people expected travel agencies to go extinct once Expedia started being used and all the reasons why that did not end up happening. In todays age there are still many people that use travel agents, in fact the article even states that there have been spikes of usage in recent years. It speculates that this might be because of millennials always using the easiest and quickest ways of getting things done. In fact the simplicity of travel agents is one of the main reasons many people use it along with their ability to get package deals, assist with group or complicated trips, their ability to get discounts, and they prevent problems.

The article the "Top 10 Communication Trends in Hotel Technology" specifically summarizes the top trends on communication in hotel technology. Besides the mobile convergence, not only does the mobile aspect offer advantages such as a door key, remote check in, among other features. We see with all these Internet based connections, there is going to be a demand for bandwidth and the tendency will only grow. One of the major trends related to networks is toward the usage of SIP-DECT, a radio based network, which is widely used in Europe and becoming more popular in the United States. This offers mobility to employees, especially since many Hospitality employees are on the go such as housekeeping and concierge, so SIP-DECT is a great fit. According to this article, throughout the course of time, the role of technology in the hospitality industry and hotels themselves have increased drastically. "In many cases, they're becoming hubs of activity unto themselves. Most of this activity relies directly or indirectly on technology, making IT more important to hotel operations and the guest experience than ever before". IT is an effective tool to improve hotel operations and employee workload. The trends include having the guest's mobile device as a key, offering service automation, fixed mobile convergence, guest apps, battle for bandwidth, location-based services, tech lounges, SIP-DECT, Tech enabled meeting spaces, and social listening. Some are more obvious, such as offering a mobile app for guests to change their temperature, whereas there are others not as evident which include the SIP-DECT networking and maximizes their efficiency with a location-based service. In my opinion, the usage of mobile apps and Internet usage is on the rise, and hotels need to adapt to the increasing demands of its guests.

For years now European cities have been facing water shortage issues due to high consumption and lower than normal supplies. The Student Hotel Group has came into a partnership with a few European universities and startup, Amphiro. Their main goal is develop new tools and technology to make a real impact on reducing the water consumption in European countries with known water shortage issues. Amphiro has developed a water meter that will be attached to showers in new Student Hotels and it will also display the water and energy consumption usage. The idea behind this is to show students and others how much water they are consuming, while in the shower. They hope by putting the actual meter and reading display into the showers, people will choose to be more eco-friendly and waste less water. According to the article, WUR found that students and guests used an average of 20% less water. This is a significant reduction and is a great way for hotels to incentivize guests to be more eco-friendly. They are expanding the initiative to more European countries in hopes of conserving water and energy use throughout Europe.

This article discusses how the pandemic has strongly impacted many hospitality companies to be more "green" for the future.. From contactless key options, to minimizing food waste, to using technology to reduce unwanted waste like paper, it is helping set new green goals for the our planet and future of the industry.

This article explains what proximity marketing is, that marketing to customers and prospects in the right place at the right time, and how it works. Through a series of research data shows the development prospect of this marketing way. Introduce the most common technique used for this type of marketing is beacon，while also introduce some other methods and the reason why these technologies haven't been as popular as beacons, including NCF (near-field communication), QR codes, RFID (radio-frequency identification), and WiFi. The author also analyzes the benefits, which contains advertising, personalization, access to data, and increase usage of mobile apps, for companies to use this, as well as benefits for customers, such as a personalized shopping experience. Moreover, the writer rounded up some of the best-use cases of proximity marketing by big brands, including McDonald's, Amazon Go, and Walmart in order to give some idea for readers how this could be applied for business.

This article discusses what proximity marketing is, how it is used, the different forms of it, as well as the pros and cons of it. Proximity marketing has many different uses, and is currently mainly used in retail stores. However, this kind of location based marketing is becoming popular in hospitality, mainly through restaurant usage.

The COVID-19 outbreak has enhanced the use of AI and robotics to avoid the threat of virus spread. Similarly, new technologies, i.e., AI, service automation, and robotics, are being used extensively in the hospitality and tourism industry. To date, customers also look forward for advanced technology products and customized experiences. Service automation and AI enable the hotel industry to provide customized, memorable, and cost-effective services; amplifying their diverse usage more than humans can achieve for certain jobs.

The positive of cloud computing have it's benefits as it helps to establish business for what they are today by maintaining by the provider, self-service through web, pay for service use only and near limitless scalability. The could computing services can be divided into 3 types: Infrastructure, Platform and Software.

Restaurant Technologies, Inc. (RTI) is a new company that has established filtration Monitoring technology that immediately collects data from sensors in the fryer system and delivers it to the customer's Total Operations Management (TOM) online portal. This portal tracks how often the oil is filtered, when it is filtered, and for how long. Data is automatically compared to the restaurant's ideal filtration processes, so any deviations are tracked. Managers can opt to receive mobile/email alerts that can be used to correct filtration oversights instantly or be used for staff training on standard filtration procedures. They can view one location or many locations data on the portal.

This website shows a meeting room app which is very helpful for hotel meetings and events. Planning meetings and events is not a easy task. Conference managers or sales directors have to introduce their meeting space and explain how they are going to hold an event or a meeting.  By using this application, managers can show the meeting rooms' features by 3D images or videos directly to clients, which is absolutely much easier for them. What's more, the usage of smartphone and tablets like iPad is increasing very fast. More and more people are owning their wireless devices and are drenched in IT persons.  Therefore, I think using different kind of APPs will be a good way for hotels to sell rooms and services. 

This article discusses a newly-formed partnership between The Big Salad and WhenToManage. WhenToManage is considered a pioneer for hospitality cloud-based software solutions. The Big Salad formed this partnership with them for their web-based inventory management software. WhenToManage is able to direct its efforts to all of the requirements for The Big Salad, and is designed "to make tedious management tasks simple and accurate". The CEO of The Big Salad anticipates being able to spend more face time with customers and FOH  since he won't have to stay in his office doing work. Yield management of items used in batch recipes/butchering, and analysis of usage trends are just a few customizable options WhenToManage offers. It can even be a complete operations package when coupled with its POS intelligence and employee scheduling software. Since all operational data from each location can be viewed on one dashboard, this software will be a huge aid to companies focusing on integrating and simplifying operations for their franchises.

This article focuses on sustainability and methods in which technology is utilized to conserve energy and waste, while also not hindering the guest experience. Hotels, similar to the Salvatore Grand Hotel, have began implementing systems such as the Verve Living System, by Zeno Controls, LLC, that provide wireless connections to the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, as well as the lighting in the guest room. It utilizes sensors to activate such amenities, and enables the guest to enter the room, place their key card into a slot, and it will begin to adjust to the preferred temperature and the preferred lighting levels. Once the key card is removed, such as when the guest is leaving the room, after a very short delay, it sends a signal that verifies the room is unoccupied, and turns off these energy-consuming items in the room. Many guests, when staying in hotels, do not consider turning off their lights or air conditioning when they leave the room, and simply leave everything running. They do not realize the impact this has not only on costs for the hotel itself, but also the impact that it has on energy consumption and sustainability. With the growing awareness of being "green", guests are focusing more and more on conservation, however, they may still be slacking in these areas, leaving things on, being absent minded. This system will allow guests to not have to worry about such tasks, and controls the system of turning these items off for them, adding convenience for the guest who is environmentally conscious. I have personally seen a similar system being used in a hotel room, and thought it was a great idea, and an amazing way to control costs and eliminate waste of resources. It is also very surprising to read that the Verve Living System detects low battery levels, constant occupancy, problems with room connectivity, and rooms that are not communicating with the hotel PMS or other systems. This enables the maintenance team of a hotel to fun

"A New Meeting Frequency" discusses near-field communication (NFC) and its gaining popularity with the meeting and event planning industry. This form of communication enables smart devices to have communication between each other; one acts as the writer, the other as the reader. According to meeting tech consultant Corbin Ball, "NFC marks the next step toward a cashless and paperless society".  Barclaycard and Chase, just to name a few, have adopted ISIS Mobile Wallet which lets customers make payments and collect rewards. "Industry professionals are beginning to see adoption in interactive events and business-to-customer trade shows", and are present in some current NFC applications. Contactless payment, automated ticketing, social networking, exchange of information (maps, business cards), registration, attendance access and control are some of the major ways this technology is utilized presently in the industry. Usage is slowly on the rise, particularly with regard to corporate networking events, and potential is huge.  NFC technology is extremely innovative, saves money and can be a great marketing tool.

This article discusses a couple of ways in which hotels are extending themselves to go green. Specifically the article lists three ways in which these hotels are initiating themselves into going green, which are through low water consumption Power saving, and solid waste disposal. The article also discusses energy efficient lighting.  Along with discussing these processes, the article explains that its not easy to be green in this sector, but the hotel industry now has a new environmental conscience. This being great for hotels. its one step in opening a new way to help get our environment back to where it needs to be and with there being such a large scale of hotels why not get them in the best order that we can get them. 

As the article states"The hotel industry has long been associated with excessive waste: using powerful chemicals for cleaning and wasting energy for maintenance rather than being environmentally friendly. Moreover and as result of tourism industry growth, the demand for resources from the hospitality sector has exponentially increased. However, the new popularity of Eco Tourism has encouraged hotels to adopt new green practices that allow them to reduce their negative impact on the environment" The hospitality industry can help improve the environmental problems we are going through at the moment by simply adding: low water consumption, power saving, energy-efficient lighting and solid waste disposal. Furthermore, the guest are starting to become more aware and loyal to brands that are making changes to become green and there is where eco tourism starts and its getting bigger. In the future, all hotels will have to follow the LEED requirements which makes them follow certain rules to help reduce energy and go green. This will help the hotel managers and industry save money and at the same time help the environment.

This article comments on the perceived effectiveness of daily "flash" deals distributed through the internet to provoke the usage of services of a hospitality enterprise. It also addresses current industry challenges hotels face with regards to sustainability and corporate social responsibility. The first Cornell study surveyed approximately two hundred international hotels. The results showed half of the hotels have used the e-Marketing "flash" deals technique while the other half abstain siting concerns of brand reputation. However the issue of dissatisfaction from those hotels who use daily deals is also prevalent. The conductors of the study recommend those who use the deals to "start small," clearly define the reason for the deal and examine every aspect of the deal, including limitations, to increase ROI and satisfaction. If the deals are tailored to fit both the hotel and guests' needs they should attract and retain customers. The roundtable discussion then dives into an important branding issue of CSR. It highlights common misconceptions related to sustainability such as going "green" being being costly, guests not appreciating sustainable efforts, and the "wait and see" approach being smart for implementation. With education and communication the hospitality industry can inform their internal and external customers of their sustainable business practices and increase customer acquisition. Rather than being reactive, businesses should be proactive and concentrate on their "long-term brand focus."

This article focuses on how Mobile technology is changing the way the hospitality industry is utilizing POS systems. Ever since the rise of tablet  computer usage, open system POS solutions that integrate multiple transaction methods have become increasingly more popular. Entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry are opting to go with systems that follow clients and offer better table-side service. Instead of using the traditional POS system terminals, business owners are going with a POS system that can be run on mobile computers through an internet connection.  Mobile POS solutions are becoming more and more popular in the restaurant and hospitality business. Retailers are delivering different mobile applications, such as personal shopping solutions as well as encouraging customers to use their mobile devices to receive promotions and other marketing incentives. In january 2012 it was reported that almost half of all tablet computers are being used for some kind of shopping transactions. 

This article highlights 2 properties that were part of a study to show the benefits of installing an Ozone laundry system. An Ozone laundry system is one way a hotel can reduce its carbon footprint by reducing the amount of hot water used verses traditional laundry systems which in turn will reduce utility costs. These systems also reduce the amount of chemicals used and claim to extend the life of fabric. This system installed at a Hampton Inn in Rhode Island and as a result they were able to reduce their carbon footprint by 70,000 lbs and they also received a 79% return on investment in the first year! This article demonstrates how much of an impact a change can make on the environment and the bottom line.

Hotels compete with others by providing excellent service which has been defined as giving outstanding technology. It means technology innovation has become one of the most important strategies to attract customers. WiFi has become one critical success factor in hospitality industry. Besides, people tend to interact and shop more through social media. Research shows that Facebook usage is up 40% since last year. 2.5 billion photos are uploaded to @Facebook each month. It's estimated that there will be 76.9 billion apps to download in 2014. And customers are predicted to spend $35 billion on apps in 2014. According to high demand of iPhone and iPad, some hotels set up iPad in concierge to assist guest with further information and iPad in rooms to help guests to control room temperature, light and TV. As going green has shaping a big trend for hotels, LED light and PlugOut Gym attract hotelier's attention to catch up with. Thus, technology is not only a way to give convenience to guests but also a way to ease management team.

This article introduces the hospitality industry's first Mobile Management device solution. MVI, an Asia-focused hotel technology provider, partnered with IBM to develop the new enterprise class MDM solution. The MDM solution provides effective management of smart mobile devices to support interactive, live and on-demand video services in hotels. The usage of this new device was recently incorporated at the L'Hotel`elan in Hong Kong. An iPad is provided for guest use in all the hotel's rooms, and it serves as an entertainment device, offering eGuest services such as TV channels and interactive guest services including in-room dining. The MDM solution is fully integrated with hotel PMS and POS systems, which allows the device to become a part of a hotel's overall management ecosystem. This device not only provides the features of an entertainment device for guests, but it also offers hotels unique management features. A few of the features include customized workflow to streamline the installation of hotels' managed apps on mobile device, comprehensive push-based notification management, availability for all Apple mobile devices, and effective protection of guests' own data and personal information for apps that required login. I recently went on a site visit at Turnberry Isles Resort with one of my classes. While on the tour, the lady conducting the tour mentioned that with the rate technology is advancing in the near future many of the hotel procedures will be completed via Ipad (such as checking in and out of the hotel). After reading this article, it seems as if the near future has already arrived!!!

I really liked this article. Personally, I do not have a good experience dealing with people at the front desk. Many people do not want to deal with employees and would find this method a lot easier and stress free. Now you can check in and out from both your TV in your room and also the iPad device. Great article Nicole!

This article includes standards and suggestions to operate green hotels. The 40 ways include electricity saving, water saving, recycling systems and other environmental friendly usage method. For example, it mentioned to use digital control to HVAC systems, key card to control lights in guest rooms, using CFL bulbs to save electricity. It mentioned as possible as you can to paperless or recycle paper. Use ozone laundry system to reduce cost, water energy and chemicals use. Give leftover food and amenities to charities. An interesting thing, it also mentioned plant a garden and harvest organically-grown vegetables for your restaurant, a best way to save cost and treat food debris. The highlight ways are what interesting in my mind.

This article provides clarified information about what the hotel should do to be green. This is a valuable guideline for hotel to be a greener hotel. Nowadays more and more hotels bring in new technology to save energy, I know this action can bring many benefits to hotel, but some not mature technology may bring trouble for hotel. I read a story talk about the solar powered energy management system. With this system's control the air conditioner will turn down automatically when there is no person in the room. But sometimes it can turn down the air conditioner when the guests fall asleep. How to deal with this kind of problem is also a big challenge for hospitality industry.

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