This article speaks about how one provider decided to focus its efforts on small and mid-sized businesses by providing a cloud-based human resource information system. Their system allows users to manage data without extra help from IT personnel. This automated system makes it easier for these smaller companies to handle their HR department. This works especially well because smaller companies have less employees to focus their efforts on specific departments. This system provided ensures to assist these companies with connecting "employee management, time and attendance, benefit management, payroll processing and reporting functions into one complete and completely integrated system." Along with being an integrated system, this cloud based system makes it even easier by granting access from any location as long as the internet is present.

This article talks about the fact that although many view Las Vegas as the "city of excess" (A. Freeman), it is actually greener than we think. Many of these large hotel chains are actually working very hard to reduce their carbon footprint in the world, despite their need to consume so much. By utilizing green light bulbs, to allowing steam from boiler rooms to heat water, organizations such as Harrah's Entertainment have been working over time to reduce their damage by as much as possible. The article then goes on to explain different methods used to create a green hotel. In the end, it was stated that "if we do our job properly the average customer will not notice this is a green facility" proving that upholding the luxurious lifestyle and appearance is important to them. What I like particularly about this article and their methods is that they maintain their status yet still do much behind the scenes to ensure "greeness". Just like the hospitality industry itself, much goes on behind the scenes to make the overall experience, just like the green initiatives.

As this class teaches us, along with this article, " the marketing power of the Internet in terms of reach and frequency." This article in particular speaks about the advantages of email marketing. With the low cost for companies in the hospitality industry, email marketing can produce positive results form the masses. The article goes on to explain how and why email marketing have been seen to be so efficient as a marketing tool. One obvious pro for instance is that everyone uses emails in today's society. After reading this article I can agree that email marketing is a very good way to put the internet to use when it comes to marketing. My concern, however, as mentioned in the article is the control the receiver has with the emails. For instance, how many emails are too much, too frequent or just not relevant? Features today have given the consumer the opportunity to now have a bit of control over this issue as I have mentioned. I believe this may be one of, if not the best form of marketing online because it gets directly to the customer, usually requires interaction whether to the main website or further clicking for deals, and sets up a format in which sufficient information can be given.

This article speaks about how important and efficient technology has become to events within the hospitality industry especially meetings. When you think about meetings being held at a hotel, you think of the necessary technologies that must accompany the hotel in order to have a success. This article speaks about a specific provider, PSAV, of audiovisual technology used in today's meeting markets. Hotels and partners using this organization's onsite presentation technologies were said to be among the top places chosen for meetings and conventions. PSAV strongly believe with event technologies that make the messages exciting and understandable for the audience, then it the event deemed successful. This goes along with the thought that everything counts in hospitality that contributes to an entire experience. Think about this for instance. What if you attended a conference where no onsite capabilities were available and had to be brought? Set up time will be longer, more equipment to be carried, more room for error to occur, no preexisting testing of equipment in that location and the list goes on. In conclusion, hotels should invest some of their efforts into event technologies making their hotels stand out in the clutter as an ideal location for a convention or meeting.

This article talks about the reopening of the Statue of Liberty after the 9/11 attacks. With increasing concern for security, yet being a tourism hot spot, the operating managers at the Statue of Liberty came up with security measures that would increase safety yet help lines and the screening process go along faster. They found refuge in biometric locker technology. The rules were simple, no bags were aloud to go up in the statue of liberty with its owner. This alleviated the struggle it would have been to thoroughly search each bag for safety, Not only did I find this convenient, but I also think that by taking fingerprints and being able to track that person and their belongings, had there been anything found in a bag in a locker, it would be traced back to the person that place it there via fingerprint. This is also extremely safe for the guest's belongings, as we know fingerprints are unique, therefore no one else could simply break into the lockers. This shows that the people at the Statue of Liberty understood the need to still satisfy the customer but also protect themselves and the guest from possible harm.

This article speaks about a seemingly successful turn around for a struggling casino group in Las Vegas after making multimillion-dollar investments for I.T. over a period of time. While it has not completely eradicated all their problems, Stations Casinos Inc., which operates 18 hotels, and casinos off the Vegas Strip has saved tremendously by providing a cohesive communication computer system that has allowed greater efficiency ultimately saving money. An example of efficiency is cutting down data center server racks from 12 to one. More advantages showed with reduced cost due to less power and energy being used to maintain more infrastructures. An upgrade in network allowed for their slot machines and security cameras to connect across the board. This is important because, " about 80% of revenue comes from slot machines," said Baltz. These are just a few advantages the Stations Casinos Inc., has experienced since their investment. After reading this article, it just goes to show how important the I.T. department can be to the profitability of a hotel, casino or other hospitality entity. Usually we think of the product or service as the revenue generators of a business, but this type of article shows that, by saving money, the trickle down effect of increasing profits will occur when you cut expenses.

It has always been said that restaurants are a hard business in the hospitality industry to manage. There are many factors that can adversely and favorably affect the progress of the restaurant including and especially accounting. This article discusses what it is a manager should look for when choosing accounting software. Moreover it specifically highlights what factors this software affects. Menu items are something that will be efficiently priced if a good accounting system is in place. Pricing is crucial to the profit margin of a restaurant because it should accurately show costs and ensure that a business at least reaches breakeven. If this is not done correctly restaurants may find themselves spending more than they should be rather than making economical sense in their purchases and pricing. An accounting system can also assist restaurants in keeping track of vendor prices. By cross-referencing the known price of purchases from current vendors up against other vendors in the market, a restaurant can search around for the best prices and maximize their profits decreasing cost. Good accounting software will also prevent bad business by alerting a restaurant when inventory is low. You should never completely run out of supplies will a good accounting system that allows you to track this information. Tell me, have you ever been to Pollo Tropical and they ran out of chicken? How annoying would that be? Lastly the article speaks about knowing where most of the profit comes from. Once again, good accounting software will ultimately keep any manager on top of his game and help him decipher what areas are doing well and can report this efficiently and make decisions based off of this. Agreeing with my belief in the discussion earlier this week, accounting has a trickle down effect on everything within the restaurant and ultimately will have an effect on the profit.

While this article was found on an auto website, the advantages of an automated POS is very relevant to all industries including the hospitality industry. This article showcases the pros to owning an automated POS in relation to the establishment's customers. It speaks about its efficiency in ordering and controlling stock as it is automatically connected to the suppliers. This helps control spending and monitoring operations done with inventory. The auto POS system also speeds up service time. By allowing staff members to look up information quickly, customers become satisfied with the quick service. The article goes on to explain how an automated POS helps create a more personable experience for the customer, as staff members are able to quickly pull up information. Not only are they able to personalize greetings but they can also make suggestions based on preferences from previous records of the customer. All around the POS will also create a professional face for the organization as invoices and other calculations are credible and accurate. I found this article to be interesting because the POS advantages goes across the board with all service-based industries. This type of software can definitely help boost sales with all the pros previously mentioned.

While this short article is specific to the Regal Hotels Group, it also shows how the higher demand of customers result in a technology increase. This article is about the Regal Hotel Groups now connecting with hundreds of online travel agents around the world as a result of a custom created Miro Property Management System. Providing thousands of rooms in Hong Kong, it was inevitable that a custom made online PMS would form given the mass amount of rooms to be monitored. This system known as the RDX serves as a direct connectivity platform, eliminating the gap between reservation systems and booking channels. This increases productivity and efficiency for this high demand hotel group across Hong Kong. This innovation can further increase like I said productivity by taking the traditional approach to property management system online to achieve a greater reach of potential hotel guest around the world and at the same time.

Cruises are said to be one of those forms of transportation with the highest carbon emissions. "A typical cruise ship with 3,000 passengers generates 1 million gallons of gray water; 210,000 gallons of sewade; 25,000 gallons of oily bilge water; 100 gallons of hazardous or toxic waste; 50 tons of garbage and solid waste…" This expert just proves how non-ecofriendly cruises can actually be. However, regulations set by the government have now pushed cruises into trying to be more environmentally friendly. This article singles out seven green cruises that have found ways in which they can decrease their carbon footprint on the world. One cruise that has taken on the initiative is Holland America Cruises. With tactics such as towel reuse program and the installation of low-flow showerheads this cruise line has been making a conscious effort to operate green. They even ensure the most fuel-efficient means of travelling by studying tide schedules to maximize fuel usage with shorter routes. Another interesting cruise that pushes for the green initiative includes Celebrity Cruises with its solar powered cruise line. Other tactics used by other cruises include reusing waste cooking oil on heavy machinery, ridding of all plastic water bottles, shutting off engines in the winter time and only buying fish that are sustainably harvested are just some ways these 7 cruise lines have taken a stand to become greener. This responsible effort by these cruise lines not only can work in their favor for marketing purposes with consumers but create a sustainable industry for the future of cruises. Something as crucial as waste disposal in the water can greatly affect the future of the industry if not considered by the cruises today. Could you imagine if every cruise were to just dispose of their waste into the ocean with no sort of eco-friendly thought in their mind? I found this article to be extremely interesting, especially since I have been on a cruise. I had no idea ho

While the article I have chosen does not directly speak about GDS, it does show the importance of a system like such in the hospitality industry. When you enter you hotel or establishment into the GDS, travel websites such as TripAdvisor, utilize this database to book trips for its customers. Therefore the contents of the booking site are just as important to the hotel/ establishment. This article goes on about the consumer-based commentary that is allowed on sites as such and how organizations need to know what is it that is being said about them on the electronic Internet stage. "TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 50 million unique monthly visitors and over 60 million reviews and opinions," notes article author John Fareed. What does this tell us? That with a database so large and accessible by these booking sites, as a hospitality entity, one needs to ensure that they are shown in the best light with the best service. The hospitality industry requires attention to detail and a unique experience to stand out from the rest. When travel sites have other hotels readily available for viewing one cannot have most of its influence on the website being negative. I just took a different approach on this article concerning the relevant topic and saw how crucial it could be on the company for using GDS if everything else is not in order. Although the GDS may make your establishment easier to find, if there is no substance behind the product or service in this industry, the competition will leave you no choice but to fail.

This article speaks about the growth and development of telecommunication within the hospitality industry in the 21st century. "No matter what telecommunications strategy a property takes, one thing is for certain, it needs to be a different one from the past," the article states. Since the 80s hotels utilized their telephone department to offer a service for a profit. Because there was little to no competition with communication, this was profitable as guest pretty much had no choice but to use the phone service provided at a set cost by the hotel. Today, however, we see a shift in technology now where everyone has communication at their disposal via smart phones, Internet and other communication tools. With this happening, "it is very difficult for the hotel to compete on a cost basis." (Griswold) It also explains how high-speed Internet access (HSIA) is almost seen as an amenity anticipated by the guest and has worked in the hotels' favor. The article goes on to describe the "self-contained guest" that carries a smart phone, small printer, notebook computer and technology of their own which allows them to virtually have no use in the hotel telecommunications services. So what does this article suggest for concerns as such? Hotels are to attract guests to use their telecommunication services. By offering packaged deals at affordable prices, Griswold believes hotels will be able to be the ideal option for telecommunications services. After viewing this article, I realize how hospitality industry workers think about those they serve all the time and should always display it. Even though the hotel is trying to make money by charging for Internet and phone services, they wish to market the service as the best option for the guest. The Internet connection would be faster provided by the hotel over a smart phone is one feature they wish to advertise. This type of mentality is smart yet should be withheld throughout the industry and always show that the

Energy management systems clearly speak for themselves on what its purpose is. An EMS aims to use as minimum of energy possible while maintaining production rates. This article breaks down and explains how an energy management system "can decrease a guestroom's energy consumption while simultaneously…optimizing their settings to suit the taste of each client." (J. Peterson) Energy consumption is something that drives up a hotel's expenses but can be monitored and controlled to efficiently carry out normal business and please guests at the same time. As the article states, "lighting alone approximately takes up 23 percent of a hotel's electric bill," proving that an energy management system is highly favored in the industry when it comes to saving money. The EMS will act as a monitor, controlling lights when guest are present or not, room temperature and things of that nature. Although it's primary purpose is saving energy, this type of software observes activity in the guest's room to personalize the guest's experience while controlling energy. Not only does this keep the guest's preferences standardize but it can also notify room keeping personnel when the room is vacant for them to clean. This allows the guest to be greeted by a tidy room every time they return to their living quarters. When viewing the hospitality industry, the complete experience is what guest favor. As the article mentions, "attention to detail can go a long way for businesses in the hospitality industry." This article goes without saying that an EMS is beneficiary for the producer of the service.