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Conrad hotels have provided a new function into their Concierge mobile app, The Conrad Meeting. This app provides detail information about any of the twenty-three Conrad properties. The app can assist in adjusting meeting room amenities and provide any updates or changes to events. The Conrad Meeting allows excellent communication between hotel workers, event managers, and guests. Technology has provided convenience ways to make jobs easier and more efficient. Conrad had just made planners job a lot much smoother in their operational process when things or last minute things need to get done.

Alice, a relatively new start-up which sells operations software to hotels, had a significant investment from Expedia in the previous round of funding. Alice has become a software that provides "the first unified platform for a hotel to run its entire back end operations, such as housekeeping and customer service communication". The system allows guests to send a text message with a request for more pillows or towels, for example, which will be directed to the proper the hotel employee department. Customers can track their requests and both the front and back of house staff can receive communications from guest requests. This IT platform has seen 5 times the amount of requests being generated. Also, the platform has partnered with double the number of hotels and they project more than two million requests will be communicated through this software in a year. Expedia is the largest shareholder in Alice currently. Alice suggests that this is because Expedia could be more interested in "more back-end software services for the hotels that use it to market and distribute their inventory globally." Expedia currently markets tools such as revenue management under the name Expedia Powered Technology to hoteliers. Expedia also offers meetings and events booking tools for hotels. Priceline, which is a competitor to Expedia, also has invested in tools and services that include revenue management software for their hotel partners. Trivago is also offering these services. Alice believes that the size of the market will allow for many other companies to work in this space, and is even open to partnering with other firms to expand. Alice also plans to expand their own business and add personnel with the new funds.

This article covers the effects e-waste has on not only the people working with these hazardous materials everyday, but what long term effects it could have on the environment. The article concentrates on the region India, and how the e-waste is currently effecting it. The limitations this kind of work is having on the people associated with this form of disposing everyday. How even children are infected with led and it is now in their bloodstreams. The article goes in deeper with predictions of contamination of animals and plants in near by areas and what could become of them. The article sums up, however, that at the the end of the day it will always come back to us and the whole world could be contaminated by these toxins. That there needs to be a solution soon to this problem or what seems to be just the begging can grow even further, and faster than we could ever want.

This article is very interesting because it shines light on the importance of using technology for HR purpose. It discusses the issues being faced that need to be resolved. It is important to note the generational differences and the social responsibility aspect.

I liked this article, but thought that it could have been more detailed. It offered many suggestions, but not that much intel into the systems that have been created or are in use to actually connect with candidates. For example, video interviewing. The best fit for the job might not always live close enough to travel for an interview. Skype interviews have become increasingly popular with hotels allowing them to quickly interview candidates without a person having to carve out a large portion of their day. The article did touch on the importance of following up very quickly which I agreed with, my property specifically is down 42% of our management due to hiring processes that are often drawn out.

I found this article very interesting. It's not very easy for a lot of people to visit their dream destinations with heavy workloads or even find the time to take off for vacations. Combining business trips with leisure can be a huge incentive for employees needing to travel. Businesses can even create incentives like a rewards program for their employees. For example, for those in sales, if employees reach a certain number within a certain timeframe, include an activity in their business trip.

The article talks about a couple of technological advancements within the industry that could help improve the customers' stay at the hotel. This advancements would not only benefit the customers but also the workers.

This article gives more information on the impact E-menus have on the hospitality industry. It shows a different positive perspective on this system, and explains how Food & Bev sales can increase while operating costs decrease; thus enhancing profits. The example being used is a digital wine platform, and proves that by incorporating the e-menu it motivated workers to learn more about the wine and products they were selling.

This article highlights the need for hotel guests to be weary of the fact that the use of a hotel's Wi-Fi is not always secure. With more hotels opening up for guests to use their rooms and spaces as work offices, the FBI has stated that with the limited cyber security that hotel Wi-Fi has, it is possible for hackers to create fake Wi-Fi networks and steal or damage guest data. The article makes it known that it is much safer to use the network at home, that that at a hotel.

This article explains how robotics in hospitality is becoming far more common because of Covid-19. They go into detail about how, right now, all robotics require the assistance of humans. But they also go into how that can change in the next few years. The better technology gets, the less need there is for human support.

Article is describing how Whispr and Beekeeper are helping hotels maintain new standards

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a massive surge to online conferencing. This conferencing would not be possible without the cloud. Moving forward this could be the way most work is done as some employers would prefer to have their employees work from home.

The article is interesting as it talks about the use of proximity beacons that we have been learning about this week for marketing purposes; however, this article highlights the technology being used in employee security. In recent years hotels have increasingly committed to enhancing employee safety policies, training, and resources such as employee safety devices or ESDs. These are mostly implemented in the housekeeping department, where the employees are often alone in guest rooms and can be vulnerable. Amid the global pandemic, safety for both guests and employees is at the forefront of the industry's priority list. Many companies are taking advantage of this downtime to install personal alert systems or panic buttons. While ESDs are not necessarily new and have been around for some time, the technology has drastically improved. React Mobile, a leading provider of panic button solutions for hotels, has three updated products for the modern age. The Sidekick, which needs to be tethered to a smartphone, is a small panic button that transmits an SOS signal to alert management that an employee is in an emergency situation and requires assistance. The device is discrete and wearable, and with the aid of Bluetooth beacons, it can identify the employee's precise location. The Stand-alone LTE panic button has all the same features of the Sidekick; however, it does not need to be tied to a cellphone. It automatically connects to any available 4G cellular network to send out the SOS transmission. The BLE 5.0 Beacon offers the most advanced and incredibly accurate location information, even within high-rise hotels. When activated, it is so precise that it can provide the exact room number in which the incident occurs. These technologies can also be used outside the hotel property, where the system sends out GPS coordinates to follow an incident in real-time. This security technology provides hotels with the ability to immediately respond in emergency situations and gives t

Wyndam has shifted to a cloud- based PMS system, being the first major hotel company to do so. This system will allow the hotel to deliver a better guest experience, enhance operational efficiency, and lower costs while making the hotel more competitive in the market.

Unattended POS post-pandemic has become essential for hotels to increase their revenue by providing more convenience to the consumer. Due to the shortage of staff, guests can be left feeling that there is lack of service to provide for instance snacks and meals. In addition due to the shortage of skilled workers, the unattended POS can check out the guests at any time of the day.

Augmented reality has changed the way facilities management functions. AR technology has capabilities of tracking preventative maintenance check-ups and wearable technology to provide instructions to engineers. These systems also store and maintain work order statuses and relay communications to other team members and departments.

This article tells us how Augmented Reality (AR) is a major tool for the Hotel Industry. AR can be used for interactive hotel rooms, augmented hotel environments, and Beacon technology. AR is the key for providing information to guest before and once they arrive to improve their experience.

To summarize, E-waste has been the fastest-growing waste stream in the world for nearly a decade, and it has a really negative impact on the environment. And the pace is not decreasing. E-waste is made of the materials that make up the electronics that run our life which are bad for the environment and for our health. Additionally, the three primary impacts are air, water, and soil that negatively affects the environment. Finally, to protect our planet from e-waste is prioritizing reuse of products.

This article reviews advantages and disadvantages of tech advances: tech can replace human workers but this often leads to customer dissatisfaction. Tech is constantly advancing so companies need to stay competitive. The "ripple effect" means tech advances affect other fields where disruption is often rarely anticipated (his example is driver-less cars leading to less business for drive through restaurants).

Restaurants need to keep up with the latest technology otherwise they will not grow accordingly. Digital ordering and coordinated contactless delivery helped to keep both workers and consumers safe and allowed tech savvy food service operators to stay afloat. Even though the younger consumers are the most accepting and enthusiastic about restaurant automation. The older generation will follow sooner or later.