Workday Inc provides a cloud based application for human resources called Workday Human Capital Management, Workday Payroll, and Workday Time Tracking. A television broadcast company called WBGH has just started using Workday Inc as their provider. They are condensing all their information from multiple databases into this one cloud based system for human resources.

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.

This article discusses how a self service mobile app called FCS i-Guest has also included OpenWays Mobile Key in its program. Now the guest can use the app to see reservation details, hotel information, checkin, and got straight to the room and unlock their door. Now there is less hassle for the guest, since all their secure information is stored on their phone.

Blackline has created Financial Close Suite , which is accounting software specialized for the hospitality industry. The software standardizes processes and templates throughout the organization, which takes away from the manual tasks. It makes it easier to process the large volume of transaction on a daily basis faster by streamlining the data.

This article is about Task Retail Technology which is a cloud based point of sale software being selected for Rubio's Restaurants. The POS system is a touch screen system powered through the internet and has a centralized POS terminal. It also has digital menu boards, mobile applications, and SMS. It uses Microsoft's latest technology and features a loyalty system that can reward customers and has an upsell feature. 

Maestro PMS system provided by Northwind just recently signed up 10 new independent hotels companies.  They are focused on supplying their system to independent hotels and have been operating for the past 35 years. They continue to develop their technology to meet the expanding requirements of their clients. These include enhancing guest service, improving efficiency, and lowering expenses.

This article discusses the different approaches hotels are using to make their hotels green. They are trying to use technology to reduce energy consumption which will help reduce fossil fuels. At Hotel 1000 in Seattle when a guest checks in the computer system sends a signal to the room to turn on the air conditioner. This system helped the hotel save approximately 40% on their energy. The Bardessono in Napa Valley has auto controls, so when the guest enters a room the sunshades rise, lights, television, and fireplace turn on. They will also turn off when the guest leaves the room. Xanterra in Death Valley has a total of 5,040 solar panels and uses wind power. By doing this they will offset emissions of 24,000 tons of dangerous pollutants over the next 25 years.

The GDS has decreased steadily over the past decade, but recent studies have shown that there has been a small increase. The increase is thought to be due to corporate travel.  Many hotels are trying to increase the use of the GDS through dynamic pricing models. This model offers a percentage off the hotels best available rate depending on what the demand is. The GDS provides many benefits like facilitating the online search process, offering immediate access to information without using a marketing budget, and high sense of security. The only downfall is that the distribution costs are too high, because transaction fees usually are around $5. 

This article discusses the difference of internet speeds in hotel rooms. Many hotels that offer free wifi have some of the slowest internet speeds available. Usually the internet bandwith is about 1 to 2 mbps per room. Since the connection speed is so slow the free wifi is basically useless to the guest. Some hotels are offering guests a tiered wifi plan at an additional price that has more bandwith and faster speed. So then the advertised free wifi isn't really free anymore. The article lists the different internet speeds from various hotels found by speedtest.net

This article discusses the advancement in software technology for Hotel Technology Next Generation. HTNG is a self funded nonprofit organization that consist of members from hospitality companies and technology vendors. They have created a few programs that will help hotel management be more efficient when it comes to guest issues. The first program, Intelligent Guest Room Version 2.0, alerts the hotel staff when certain devices in guest rooms are malfunctioning. This will allow the device to be fixed prior to the customer noticing its malfunction which will result in better customer satisfaction, since everything will be operational in their room. They also created Customer Profile Specification Version 3.0 that helps generate guests' profiles. These profiles keep track of any issues the guest has experienced so the management team can assist them and follow up with the issues. Point of Sale 2.0 allows payments to be processed even if the PMS system is down. Being able to still process payments even though system is down will make it easier for the user to work. Hotel management should always be researching and aware of what technology is available for their company.  Incorporating systems that can help provide better customer service will always be a plus for management. The software that HTNG created seems to be well advanced and will definitely be an improvement.