This article describes a new website created by TheeDesign Studio, a web design agency in North Carolina that specializes in creating interactive marketing websites for companies located in NC. They recently celebrated the launch of a web design project for a local party planner, Jennifer V, a premier event planning company that provides that provides services for any type and size of party, wedding, corporate event and religious celebrations. The new website was built using WordPress to allow the company to easily manage their events gallery, website content updates, blog posts, and track internet leads; all vital items for companies to be successful in this technologically advanced world. The website serves as a valuable resource for potential clients and business partners to learn about the company's event planning services by featuring an on-site blog, lead generation form, and an easy to update events gallery to showcase their portfolio. It is important for companies to have the latest technologies and techniques in web design programming and internet marketing as well as maintain user-friendliness to be ahead of their competitors. I checked out Jennifer's web page and I found it very user-friendly and inviting.

Facebook is becoming more and more popular around the world and it is becoming a social media requirement for companies to utilize for their customers. Grand Millennium Kuula Lumpur realized this and became the first hotel in Malaysia to use Facebook as a booking engine, allowing its 30,000+ followers to book hotel accommodations comfortably and in a secure environment with a special fans only rate. Friends of the hotel's Facebook page feel confident when booking through this mechanism because the page links directly to the hotel's real-time reservations system, allowing customers to check availability and book rooms instantly. This is all done without ever leaving the Facebook page. Sabre Hospitality Solutions understands the growth of social media and is helping hotels engage guests through this new technology by providing the most comprehensive social media optimization solution available. They are helping hotels build loyalty, tap into new market segments, build buzz and grow their business through online communities. This is a very important and relevant marketing tool for Malaysia because their total number of Facebook users at the end of 2011 grew to over 12 million.

GuestLogix provides technology for airlines that require onboard store and merchandising solutions. It creates, manages and controls onboard retail for airlines and other travel operators by tailoring to their needs and their passengers. Their main focus is ensuring onboard transactions are conducted in a secure and trusted way. It recently upgraded its onboard handheld POS device to help airlines perform transactions quicker in a PCI-compliant and secure environment. These handheld devices include features such as a barcode scanner, integrated printer and magnetic stripe reader while improving processing power, communications and security.

MICROS Systems recently incorporated its cloud-based technology in the Moran & Bewley's Hotel Group. This system will assist in delivering consistent service to customers and staff throughout its ten hotels located across Ireland and the UK. MICROS OPERA, known as the world's most popular PMS, will control room availability and ensure that guests experience a consistent, fast and easy check-in/check-out service. It will also support the sales, catering and website integration among all the properties. This technology will be beneficial to management in allowing it to control company functions and sales in all of its establishments from a remote location. The PMS was also upgraded and migrated to provide greater resilience, reliability and performance. It is a smart investment for the hotel company because it provides upgrades for all areas of the business and allows management to focus on other vital aspects of the hotel, such as customer service, instead of dealing with IT. This leads to significant and measurable operation and economic benefits. Restaurants and bars will now provide greater service with the point-of-service that was installed. Data will be better secured and collected with the fully hosted solution, which ensures reliability and consistently high performance.

Hospitality Finance and Technology Professionals (HFTP) is creating an accounting system users guide to create a global resource for the hospitality finance industry. This is going to be a great resource for companies to use as a benchmark when compiling accounts, comparing differences with competitors and defining the value of their operation. Although it will not be used as mandatory protocol that all companies must abide by, it is a great tool to use as guidance. It will consist of a glossary, accounting charts and provide examples.

This article reveals that Revel Systems is expanding its point-of-sale products with Beautiful Brand International. Revel Systems is well-known for creating the mobile point-of-sale system for Apple used by numerous restaurants and retails. Other popular restaurants currently partnered with Revel Systems are Camille's Sidewalk Café, Dixie Cream, FreshBerry Frozen Yogurt Cafe and Rex's Chicken. This POS system provides a quicker checkout option for customers and offers hotel/restaurant managers the option of powering the software using the cloud or an iPad application. This provides the company a cost efficient, easy to use program that has the ability to customize payroll, track inventory, email receipts and allow customers to make orders online. Most managers who invest in this program make it a requirement for all their companies to utilize in order to provide a systematic approach to maintaining their database and ensuring all locations are managed the same. This is such a popular and competitive tool that Revel is already making $80 million since its origin in August 2010. A major advantage of this system is that it provides the ease of accessing documents with its reliance on servers hosted in the cloud. These systems are quickly being adopted by restaurants mainly because customers are impressed with the style, speed and reliability. Revel Systems forces busineses to upgrade their POS systems in order to meet security standards. This will result in a $34 billion POS market by the end of 2012. Companies selling these systems make businesses believe they need POS systems in order to run their business efficiently. They explain that with servers hosted in the cloud, management is enabe to see data in real time from any location.

Choice Hotels International Inc. manages its 5,000 hotels using a cloud-based hotel PMS named choiceADVANTAGE. It provides user-friendly functionalities to assist with guest services and revenue management, and gives the company's employees remote access through any computer that offers Internet access. The system provides companies a competitive advantage by providing them an easier form of checking guests in and out which in turn leads to superior guest interaction. The program is designed to provide seamless interaction with the central reservation and customer relationship management system supplied on the Internet, providing a higher value to the hotel. ChoiceADVANTAGE is a great investment for large hotel chains because it requires a small initial investment and eliminates the need to purchase, store and maintain the infrastructure and hardware usually associated with traditional property management systems.

This article discusses the "Green Hotel" award that is presented every two years to Asean resorts. The purpose of this award is to bring awareness to hotels about the importance of being eco-friendly and preserving our environment. Thousands of hotels compete for this award based on criteria including water efficiency, air quality management, collaboration with local organizations and external communities. I personally love that collaborating with external communities is a criteria for this award because I find that to be very important. Well-known resorts should help smaller organizations and team up with them to show they care about those around them. Once of the recipients, Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort, focused on protecting and sustaining the rich ecosystem surrounding their resort by constructing their resort using eco-ethical materials and placing priority in sustaining its environment-friendly atmosphere. The hope is for these awards to be an incentive to improve the tourism industry and to provide awareness to the hospitality industry regarding global warming and other important natural effects hotels are having on our environment. While it promotes healthy competition in the tourism industry, it also improves the quality of the hotels in Asean countries which in turn will lead to more tourism and financials for the country.

This article discusses the importance of ecommerce becoming a more personalized experience for customers. It talks about how Amazon and Netflix do a great job in finding items their customers may be interested on based on their past purchases and recent searches. I found it interesting how social networks such as Facebook are being targeted to assist with ecommerce. Companies want to take what Facebook members put on their page and use it as data for when they visit their website. That way they already have some information on the customer before they even visit. Companies are being challenged in the way they maintain this data. Many companies are having issues figuring out how to store the data they receive from their customers. I think it's a great idea and absolutely love when online shopping sites show me items similar to what I was looking at. A majority of the time I click on what was suggested and purchase it or at least like it. I agree that ecommerce needs to become more personalized because it is the future of shopping. Many people are lazy and find it easier to just purchase items via the Internet than actually visit a store. The internet needs to find a way to provide that customer service feeling that customers are provided when they visit a physical store.

This article discusses the importance of having wifi available in hotels. Based on a survey completed by hotels.com, a prominent site for booking travel accomodations, travelers highly base their hotel decision on whether wifi is available and if its free to guests. The internet is an important part of traveling, whether it's used for business, researching local attractions or connecting with family and friends. I agree that wifi should be offered for free to hotel guests, perhaps provide a passcode for it to be used; however, from a manager's point of view, I understand why they charge. Guests will pay whatever it takes to get connected which in turn results in revenue for the hotel.

Great article summarizing various elements a mobile device can be used for in a hotel. Mobile devices are becoming a priority in younger generations & are often used not just for phone calls, but also text messaging, web searching & games. It's no surprise they are now being used to check in at hotels, pay bills & order room service. Cell phones provide guests a unique customer service that is inexpensive, quick & simple to use. Using mobile devices as room keys is an example that will save the hotel money in not having to purchase thousands of room keys & having to deal with replacement cards for guests. There are several benefits to utilizing mobile devices in the hospitality industry, but there are also drawbacks. Guests may choose to play games on their phone or watch movies on their phone's screens instead of paying to watch a movie on the hotel's television or attending activities offered by staff. This reduces the face-to-face customer service that many hotels are recognized for. It may take away from the hotel's superior guest service if a request does not go through the mobile device or it malfunctions when a guest is trying to enter their room. Whether or not hotel managers like it, mobile devices are becoming popular among guests & should be implemented.