ProfitKey International has been an industry leader in manufacturing ERP (Enterprise Resource Programming) software and providing services. ERP's can range from communication to inventory tracking to cost reporting. ProfitKey is merging with Optimum Solutions, who provides HRIS services and support. This will integrate a payroll system that ProfitKey can package to it's service. It's a small form of forming a conglomerate to supply all of the industries needs. Payroll and Human Resources are very important to company structures.

Regus, a British company that has expanded into the united states, offers serviced offices, which are business centers that a company can hire to perform normal business functions (meetings, presentations, networking, etc.) Regus has over 1,500 center online and is planning on reaching 2,000 by the end of 2014. The advantage of using Regus is from having utmost flexibility on where and when your company will perform a business function.

This article is a little old in the 3Q 2012 information, hover the overall scope is what was poignant. Last year, Facebook reached 1billion users, 20% of which (200 million) where fans of just 49 restaurant brands. This shows that, those who are using the social media properly are gaining the benefits of marketing. The Restaurant Social Media Index (RSMI) tracks brand social media through Influence, Sentiment and Engagement. At the time the top five brands were McDonalds, Subway, Starbucks, Chic-fil-A, and Buffalo Wild Wings. Now, the top five are Chipotle, Wendy's, Taco Bell, Starbucks and McDonalds. The top trend in Emarketing, based on RSMI is that social and mobile are displacing emails as the main way to reach customers.

Forbes magazine named an event planner as the 6th most stressful jobs behind military general and police officer. An event planner must manage and navigate through multiple venues, proprieties and customs. This article identifies aspects of event planning that are now being dominated by technology. First, attendees are no longer limited to have to show up to the venue. Guests now are video streaming from anywhere around the world. Second, guest expectations are high. Attendees are savvy and knowledgeable about new technological trends and expect to be wowed at events. Third, electronic such as touch screens, wifi, and broadband are norms in the industry. Fourth, social media has monopolized marketing. Fifth, mobile technology allows for access anytime/ anywhere. Apps are everywhere! And finally, online management systems are designed to integrate invitations, check-ins and registrations online to speed up and streamline the process.

Hotels collecting payment online is a norm in the industry, so security must be implemented to maintain the customers safety. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) implements high standards to industries using web payments. Hoteliers can go beyond these standards and implement three other security measures. The article also states that by implementing these, hotels can simplify theirs compliance toe the PCI DSS. First, use loin-to-point encryption. Also known as end-to-end encryption, this ensures data safety from the moment a customers information is collected to the moment the payment is processed. Second, implement tokenization. Tokenization replaces the 16 digit card number with "surrogate values," disguising the actual number. Third, accept EMV chi-enabled cards. These cards change authentication numbers on a cycle. This make counterfeiting the card mute, because new authentications numbers will be implemented on a new cycle.

Restaurant chains such as On the Border, Panda Express, Domino's Pizza, Wendy's and Granite City Food & Brewery are investing ways to visual appeal to the customer by creating digital menu boards and building "open kitchens" to showcase the cooking. The move to appeal visually is for appearances to stay modern with their technology. Drive thrus and inside order menus are being changed to digital, LED, displays that can easily change image. Domino's is building a "pizza theater" to display lots of "sight lines" into the kitchen during full service.

The Larry Blumberg & Associates hospitality firm (LBA Hospitality) partnered with a management company, M3 Accounting & Analytics, to integrate new software in it's 70 properties throughout the southwest, fro Texas to Virginia. The services that will be provided by M3 will range from Accounts Payable, to General Ledger, Daily Sales Report, Labor Cost, Check Writing, Cash Management, Forecast, Budget, etc. M3 provides products and services that will continue to evolve and improve to be cutting edge in hospitality. LBA is using M3 to streamline an aggressive five year growth plan. Other hospitality business will begin to incorporate a service provider that can encompass all accounting needs.

This document, from the National Restaurant Association, highlights eight things a restaurant manager should do upon acquiring a POS system. First, confirm the software and hardware that is on sale is the same as the order you will place. Second, establish a clear Service Level Agreement, establishing guidelines for the services to be provided to you by the POS supplier. Third, implement a fixed scheduled on payment and billing for future services. Fourth, understand the terms of your warranty in regards to what and when your system is covered. Fifth, ensure the safety standards of the data collection for the system are compliant with the standards of an approved collection agency (payment application data secu- rity standard - PCI PA-DSS). Sixth, require the supplier to disclose revenue sharing agreements it may have with other agencies, possibly affecting your bottom line. Seventh, establish payment on your terms as much as possible. And eighth, know and understand your contract.

The cloud based PMS technology can affect a bottom line with a 2.5% increase in revenue. This is because there in not a need for equipment and installation expenses. Nor are there expenses on updates and reinstallation. Because the PMS is cloud based, storage occurs in a virtual vacuum not on the premises, creating savings on costs. During internet down times, the cloud is faster because it is easier to find another network or mobile hotspot than to wait for the original network to be fixed and running.

Hospitality organizations, hotels specifically, are using a company called Global Green to calculate their carbon emissions. Global Green uses a carbon calculator to determine the carbon footprint of an organization; the amount of negative carbon emissions that are contributing to the earths ozone layer erosion. Global Green members recieve a status of their footprint based on electricity use, shuttle travel, water, gas and use of other natural resources. Hotels use this information to determine strategies to reduce their carbon footprint. Hotel Inspira, Green Globe certified, in Lisbon, Spain has completely eliminated its carbon footprint and even offset is carbon emissions by contributing back to the environment (with solar panels, water recycling and other measures).

Visa recently released a study about the growth of e-commerce in what is known as MENA (Middle East and North Africa). The industry has grown fro approximately $10 billion in 2011 to $15 Billion in 2012. The increase is closely driven by globalization, technology, and modernization in the MENA region. The study, performed by the Visa company, is intended to guide the company's e-commerce strategy and to guide a benchmark in the industry. However, the dramatically changing environment in the MENA region could skew the perceptions of the study. For example, Visa's, or anyones, access to information has been prohibited in the past. Data collected is only recent information.

With the emergence of "self-contained guest," hotel telecommunications departments must change its offerings because old strategies no longer apply. A self-contained guest is one that does not need the traditional amenities hotels would offer for telecommunications, such as fax machines and printers. Guests now look for a fast, free internet connection as an amenity. Some may not even need wifi, because they have a faster mobile service that they use. Even hotel telephones, guests no longer want to use the land line and pay hotel fees to make a call. Cell phones have eliminated that need (even for international calls). So hotels must not stay the same, and must change their strategies for producing revenue from their telecommunications department.

The National Restaurant Association conducts a forecasting survey annually regarding industry trends and points of view. According to the 2013 Forecast, restaurants customers are looking to use more table-side technology, such as Apps, ordering kiosks or tablets, and mobile payments. In various surveys, the forecast found that around 40-50% of those polled would use technology in aspects of viewing the menu, ordering the food, and paying the bill. Yet, only around 10% of table-service restaurants are offering these technology systems, with Quick Service Restaurants at around 2%. About 45-50% of restaurant operators said they would embrace the addition of technologies. In looking at the polls, you should understand that there is a difference between what people say they will use and what they actually do. Many of the ones how said they would use the new technology may be resistant to change when confronted with it. Companies are open to investing in the technology, yet should do so calculatedly and with as few risks as possible. Because, if customers do not embrace change, the investment could see no returns.