Group items tagged

This is actually an article touting the benefits of "unplugging" from our 24/7 wired world. The National Park System is notorious for its horrible cell and WiFi coverage. However, with the exception of its use as a safety net, I concur with the author's points. We visit wide open spaces as an escape from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. Our smartphones still function quite well as cameras even without a signal. At the end of a day of hiking, when we return to our hotels or homes, our phones automatically upload and archive our adventures. In contrast to the rental car, airline and hotel end of our industry, the escapist mindset that we go into vacations with, may actually benefit from a lack of networks in some cases. A visit to a high-end resort (a la Club Med) many times comes with the "benefit" of no phone or TV in the room. If you're going on vacation, then BE on vacation. Use the technology to archive and share the fun, but don't let it interrupt an unforgettable experience.

Follow this link to learn how a jammer works: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cell-phone-jammer1.htm Recently, Marriott was found to be noncompliant with FCC regulations that ban the use of any "Jammer"-to include cell, radio, Wi-Fi and others-by any individual or entity that is not an approved federal agent. The result? A $600,000 fine and removal of the jamming equipment from any Marriott property currently participating in the illegal activity. In a regular Wi-Fi network, a user connects to the Internet by connecting to the ISP, which could be a wired modem and separate Wi-Fi router or a combined wireless modem/router that will connect the computer to the ISP server and allow the user to launch their browser where they can search the web or access a particular URL. In Marriott's case, the company utilized a Jammer to prevent users from accessing their chosen ISP-their personal Wi-Fi networks, typically provided via cell phone companies. The jammer functioned by interrupting Wi-Fi signals that operated on a particular frequency. By placing their own Wi-Fi on a different frequency, Marriott's service was the only signal capable of connecting a user to an ISP service and the Internet and was therefore offered at a premium price. The management decision to utilize this technology was short sighted and over all a very poor decision. The decision was made based on the greed of money. By jamming competitors' signals, Marriott was attempting to force patrons into paying premium prices for Wi-Fi service during their stay, including large business accounts (meetings and events). What Marriott either failed to research or decided to ignore was the legality of such a decision. According to the FCC, Jammers of all types are strictly illegal except by approved Federal Entities and Agents. The Marriott management team made their own bed by making a poorly evaluated decision that has since come back to bite them in the rear.

Marriott's data breach in 2018 exposed the information of over 500,000 guests including names, addresses, and passport numbers - leading to a class-action lawsuit and falling share values. The California Consumer Privacy Act, taking effect in 2020, gives Californians the right to know what information is collected about them and where this information goes. Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Uber, AT&T and Verizon are lobbying against the CCPA, but data-security regulations are being enacted regardless to protect customers against these breaches.

This article deals with a disney cyber security breach that occurred in 2019.

This article is about the beginning of the Disney magic band and how the idea came to life. This article i believe is a perfect example of how technology changes can be scary but sometimes they can take your business or industry to the next level. In the world we live in, that technology advances each and every day we need to come to grips that these type of additions are what can contribute to changing the way customers share their experiences for the better. The article states how other multi million dollar companies have contacted Disney about the technology proving the impact things like this can have with businesses across the world.

Disney took a large risk when implementing the MagicBands, but it inevitably paid off in the end allowing guests to create more memories. This happens because instead of guests having to spend hours waiting in line for food or rides or Disney experiences, they are able to swipe their bands and receive a notification to their smartphones when its their turn in line.

Traditional Point-of-sale system has its limitations for the users. The Mobile POS system provides convenience to the users on self-service. At the same time, it reduces the labor cost and attract more customers, who has interests in new technology. In current market, the MPOS has its advantages such as convenience besides the basic function of regular POS system.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Sabre Travel Network have signed a multi-year distribution contract that will distribute all Royal Caribbean, Azamara, and Celebrity cruise schedules and fares on the Sabre GDS system. With the Sabre system travel agents in Mexico can now make bookings on Royal Caribbean cruises and associated lines. This system. This system will allow travel agents in Mexico to increase productivity when booking Royal Caribbean cruises. I think this is an interesting step by Royal Caribbean to expand their relationship with Sabre Travel Network and a new region for booking. The impression I get from this agreement is Royal Caribbean is looking at opening their cruises to a new consumer market. This focus is aimed more on making sales and entering a new market. Now Royal Caribbean will be focusing on Mexican consumers. This system will allow travel agents in Mexico to have an easier time at booking a cruise with Royal Caribbean, Azamara, and Celebrity.

This article introduces Revel System's new Ipad Point of Sale System designed specifically for food trucks. The system includes Revel Router, which allows customers to connect to the internet by using their iPad's built-in 3G or 4G connection. Another highlight of the system is that it intergrates with Twitter, allowing food truck owners to instantly send out location/price/sales updates to their followers. I immediately found this article to be interesting, because my research for this class will center around effective POS systems in food trucks. I feel it was an excellent move on Revel's part to create a system for this unique group. I think they really had food truck owners' best interest in mind, especially in intergrating Twitter with the system. This allows food trucks to communicate easily with their followers, and provides opportunites to boost sales and revenue. I look forward to seeing if any of the food trucks I visit are using this system.

ALPHARETTA, Ga., Jun 26, 2013 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Agilysys, Inc. , a leading provider of innovative information technology and hospitality software solutions and services, today announced that Apache Casino Hotel in Lawton, Okla., has selected the Lodging Management System(R) (LMS) property management solution and the InfoGenesis(TM) POS system to streamline operations at its casino and new 132-room hotel.

The Apache Casino hotel recently expanded their property, putting them in a position of need for a technology system that would work for all aspects of the property. It would appear that they did their research before deciding on LMS and InfoGenesis to integrate with some of their currently used applications. Not only was it beneficial that they chose a company that works well with current programs, but they lked the partnership approach that Agilsys gave them. It would appear that their technology works hand in hand with multiple variations of outlets at a facility both as an individual unit, and for a property as a whole. Having a system with these kinds of capabilities proves to be very beneficial in being able to properly account for all accounting aspects in a way that can specifically identify profits and losses for the various aspects. It can be a challenge to sort through these details when there are such a large quantity of outlets, such as the room revenues,.food and beverage, meeting space, casino, etc. I wouldn't want to have to break down every department manually to determine if there is a huge profit margin somewhere that we can capitalize on or if there is a huge loss appearing from an aspect that we need to track to correct. Sounds to me like they made a good decision!

Because of the global terrorism and political unrest, hospitality as a vulnerable target must take action to prevent terrorism. One big problem is how to keep customers and employees safe without ruin customer's experience. This is said because customers in the United States pay less attention to security while enjoying their vacation. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the hospitality industry to make sure that their customers are safe. There is a couple of ways to protect customers under terrorism. For example, using biometric technology to recognize and monitor suspicious person. Using explosive detection animals to monitor public areas, and installing crash rated fencing and pop up barriers, etc.

Yes, I like this article very much. It would certainly protect guest from not only hurricanes but thrown objects, or any other intruder coming through the window. The problem is statiscally speaking, most break inns occur through the front door or forced entry..

This article showcases the benefits Uncle Oogie's Pizzeria chain has seen since the installation of Ingenico's Pay-at-the-Table stations. Along with Datacap Systems technology, the new stations are very effective in the restaurants and have shown positive results in various areas. These terminals have increased profitability as a result of high table turnover, reduced wait times, increased customer service, and improved business efficiency. All of Uncle Oogie's payment transactions are encrypted via a multi-layered security approach.

This article describes Guestfriend app which is a Back of House software for hotel companies that can handle preventative maintenance, project management, asset management, housekeeping supervision, and response-dispatch coordination.

Consumers and hoteliers are focusing more on green technology since global warming, water shortage and other environmental problems are becoming serious. Some surveys revealed that more consumers would like to choose sustainable hotels even they have to pay more for that. Additionally, some hoteliers would budget more on green technologies, such as wireless controllers, new lightening and air conditioning system, etc. Although some eco-friendly technologies may cost more, hoteliers have to think about their social responsibility and long-term development. Considering the above factors, hoteliers should introduce green technology as a foreseeable choice.

More and more people are deciding their hotel accomodations based on how eco-friendly they are. This is forcing hoteliers to make changes to their hotels so they can be competitive with the other green hotels.

Bluetooth proximity marketing was the new and upcoming marketing technique back in 2014. As learned this week in class this kind of marketing is used to connect with potential and existing consumers. There are four different types of proximity marketing that should be considered:  Internet enabled device (cell phone, tablet, etc) with GPS.  WiFi device (cell phone, tablet, etc) within range of a transmitter  Bluetooth device (cell phone, tablet, etc) being within range of a transmitter  NFC enabled phone that can read a RFID chip on a product or media. The main one described in this article is Bluetooth. An example of Bluetooth proximity marketing would be a retailer adds a transmitter to a specific promotional spot, and the person with a Bluetooth enabled phone may receive a coupon for the products found at that promotional spot or a complimentary product. The target is to directly market the consumer, you can send coupons, engage the costumer, send relevant information, etc.

The ATRIO is a platform that would make big changes in the hospitality industry. ATRIO will be installed at the boutique Hotel Diva of Personality Hotels which will make a competitive advantage among its competitors. "The ATRIO platform represents the most significant technology development to occur in the global hospitality industry in the last 25 years." By implementing ATRIO to the property it is assumed that the service and financial goals will exceed expectations. Larry Hall, President & CEO of PAR Springer-Miller states "We look forward to the world coming to know Personality Hotels as an operator of some of the finest lifestyle properties in the world and the launch client for ATRIO, the platform that moved an industry." ATRIO will follow cloud computing which will bring significant financial benefit to Personality Hotels "Deploying ATRIO in the cloud helped reduce our implementation costs considerably," said Lembi-Detert President & CEO of Personality Hotels.

This article gives an overview of security considerations of a cruise liner. Initially it cites a comparison between cruise security concerns and that of a hotel, which are basically the same, such as secure doors to cabins (rooms), having an exact record of all passengers and onboard staff, as well as having surveillance such as cameras taking constant video recordings. Whereas hotels are mostly open to outside traffic, cruise ships are limited only to those who have purchased passage, are working there, or are conducting business onboard. This has led to boarding procedures which are as stringent and detailed as those conducted when passengers board a commercial airline. Safety concerns for cruise ships have been a forefront concern since the 1985 hijacking of the MS Achille Lauro (See next comment) which led to minimal security standards issued by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The tragic events of 9/11 compelled US issuance of an International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) to strengthen security protocols. This includes requirements that any "ship over 500 tons…not (be) allowed into the United States unless their last ports of call conformed to ISPS code." The ISPS code, however, involves minimal adjustment for cruise lines currently in compliance with IMO rules. Newer ships are being constructed to include the infrastructure for video fibre optics and metal detection equipment. State of the art equipment will have crew member's photo and data available to be checked with each swipe of their ID card. Biometric fingerprint detection equipment is another safety layer that is available, but is not currently in use, although it will certainly be put into place promptly if a major incident occurs. The odds of such a major incident are high when considering the volume of cruise passengers in the last decade. Since other commercial ships have witnessed attacks, cruise lines are strongly advised to progressively

Additional information regarding the 1985 MS Achillies Lauro hijacking: http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2010/10/remembering-the-achille-lauro-hijacking-picture-of-the-day/

I was really surprised when I read this list of high technology enhancement because the hotel I work in already has all these features. I guess just as in life you can take things for granted and working at a 4 star hotel maybe I took it for granted myself. There must be thousands of hotels out their that don't offer these features, Marriott is a huge company and its nice to know they are up to date with the latest technology.This list I assume is the norm in 4 star hotels and probably in the near future will be the norm in all hotels.

This article describe a new smartphone app based on Android system in Samsung phone. At the first, this article introduce the long history about the room key development. It points out that the physical keys always have a problem that key itself can be stolen, and thus used by someone who doesn't have access privileges. Then the article introduce the  new Samsung's system. What amazing me is the phone is not only can be used as a door key but also a control center in guests' hand. "Once inside the room, the same phone can be used to order room and laundry service, book other hotel facilities, and act as an in-room phone extension. " The app has powerful features and I thought it will become a trend in the future.

Jingjia...this is a great article. I agree with you, I am impressed with the functionality of the phone application and how it works. It eliminates the middle man and any room for human error. I wonder how much more we can do with our phones. On this article listed below, it talks about how you can start a car directly from your IPhone (http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/10/start-your-car-from-your-iphone/). Soon, we will be able to do many things with simply the touch of a button.

This article presents insight into the best technology available right now to put into a new construction or facelift of a hotel.  From the basics like HDTV and internet connection, to facial recognition key locks, this article discusses the trend in the industry.  It also discusses energy management systems, which are clues that the industry is evolving and looking to save cost and the environment at the same time.  These style of systems, I believe will emerge as the most important out of the whole list because they demonstrate the exact way to cut cost.  The article says that an effective energy management system "can reduce a hotel's carbon footprint by 75 percent."  Thats not too shabby...  For more on energy management systems, visit http://ems3.com/.

The technology to rotate the Croatian hotel once every day is absolutely phenomenal. By giving their guests a chance for an ocean view during their stay, they provide the guest with the utmost of service although like the article pointed out, this is not feasible for most hotels. I especially like the energy efficient programs being implemented in hotels across the country. Most guests, including myself, leave hotel rooms with out adjusting the air, leaving lights on, etc. Because we are not at our own home, we seem to lack concern. With energy-efficient air conditioning, water harvesting shower heads and sensors to detect when the room is vacant will all help reduce the hospitality industry's carbon footprint drastically.

echnology director at Quadriga, recommends the top ten bits of technology that every hotel room should have, ranging from the most obvious to the more unusual. They should provide a range of high quality HD channels to reflect the needs of guests and most major suppliers including Samsung and LG, for example, offer a range to suit all requirements and budgets.