implementation of electronic devices and similar conveniences also pose serious threats regarding the security of our sensitive information. That is why cyber security practices gain much more importance in the hospitality industry. I

The term cyber security is used to refer to the methods and practices that aim to defend devices, networks, servers, electronic systems and all kinds of data from ill intended attacks.

Cyber security professionals aim to keep such malicious intended individuals away from your systems.

Any technology that aspires to be nature-friendly ought to be green. Recognition of this fact has led to development of green generators, green automobiles, green energy, green chemistry as well as green computing. Green computing is a leap forward for information technology (IT), and more specifically for information and communication technology (ICT). Green computing has emerged as the next wave of ICT.

Motivation for the subject of green computing arose to protect environment against hazards generated at three different states of ICT, namely, information collection (by electronic devices), information processing (through algorithms and storage) and information transportation (through networking and communication).

In today’s scenario, primary challenge in achieving green computing is to realise energy-efficient devices, energy-efficient processing and energy-efficient networking.

Proximity marketing simply refers to communicating with customers at the right place, at the right time, with a personalised mobile message. It bridges the gap between offline and online marketing. Beacons, geofencing and push notifications play a vital role.

Recently, the initiative from Burger King is a great example of how to use the power of relevance and immediacy by offering customers something highly relevant and timely. Their proximity promotion was designed to retain customers that may be tempted to a competitor and promote a new feature in their app.

When it comes to planning a proximity campaign, there are a number of things to take into consideration. Firstly, there’s identifying the target audience. Secondly, the content strategy requires attention. Thirdly, you need to think about the metrics you’ll track to measure the success of the campaigns.

AI can assist hospitality professionals to improve the experiences of travelers. In fact, the use cases of AI in the industry is quite impressive, and the technology seems to be well-positioned to enable people to enjoy their stay.

Six service delivery robots perform such duties as taking amenities to guest rooms and patrolling the buildings. According to reports, the company has saved the security team 111 manhours, as human employees could now watch live footage provided by robots instead of monitoring the facilities themselves. In addition to saving time, the robots also help with handling unexpected staff absences and high occupancy periods more effectively

Pro: The Ability to Enable Travelers to Research Travel Options with a Chatbot This one is also about personalization. A recent study done by Booking.com revealed that 75 percent of customers preferred self-service options to get answers for simple requests, which makes chatbots a perfect option in this case.

Along with various other design elements, technology is continuing to evolve and change the hospitality industry for the better. Smart technology is one of the key elements that hotels implement in order to not only meet, but exceed, expectations that will ultimately boost the overall travel experience.

In 2020, we anticipate more hotels offering this high-level technology to allow guests to easily adjust these settings. A few hotels have already implemented Amazon Echo and Alexa into their designs, making it as easy as the push of a button on a phone to turn off/on and set these devices. In fact, more advanced versions of the Echo and Alexa are being tested and gradually incorporated into hotels, which allow guests the same device-setting abilities through voice activation. 

Another key piece of technology that we expect to see more of in 2020 is interactive maps, which can be incorporated into the guestrooms or public spaces. They allow guests the ability to download an app, which will provide advanced digital concierge services accessible from virtually anywhere.

Some of the challenges are: Implementation and integrations Large hotel chains have multiple options and multiple vendors making the management of this challenging Creating a true partnership with their software provider Support and service of the software As hotel chains grow through acquisitions or new builds, their technology partner needs to assure them that they can scale. Solutions catered for hotel companies that offer multiple brands Flexibility to provide both cloud and on-premise solutions

Ultimately, how can large hotel brands best position their properties to remain ahead of trends and remain in lockstep — or better yet, ahead of — cutting-edge competitors?

a hotel property cannot truly benefit from the enhanced functionality of new technology if it's unable to integrate with some of the property's existing software. The operational backbone of a hotel, especially in the case of large hotel chains, is a highly sophisticated property management system.

In fact, in a survey of our audience, 96 percent of respondents said their agencies shifted products and services due to the impact of COVID-19.

67 percent said they are focused on new virtual event services, 24 percent said they’re developing new medical-grade products, four percent said they’re specifically exploring on-site tracing technology (more on that in a bit), while the remaining 50 percent said they were exploring “other” new areas such as touchless modifications to on-site technologies and appointment-based experiences. Overall, 35 percent of respondents reported that COVID-focused products and services currently account for 50 to 75 percent of the overall business.

That live-guide component came into play recently for a program in the Faroe Islands tourism arm’s “Remote Tourism” campaign, which in June allowed travelers with itchy feet to control live people on the ground in various parts of the region by using their phone or computer keypad.