This article is quite interesting when analyzing how important your facilities management team is to your business. The article highlight great cost saving by using smart technology such as intelligent energy management system to reduce and save energy cost. These systems work in real time and uses historical data to improve energy consumption. Modern technology has provided facilities managers the ability to improve revenue indirectly related to the sources of profits i,e room availability, food and beverage and the spa among other amenities offered. Typical building management systems improve the response times to fixing broken toilet seats and leak faucets but integrated technology, reduced lighting and HVAC are high cost saving benefits.

All too often, when we think of hotel security, terrorism is the first breach to come to mind. Although these attacks are few and far in between our daily security issues affecting the hospitality industry, none the less we are insiders need to be prepared. The article shows great examples of ways to train our staff to be a super duck instead of a sitting one. Thee main focuses of the article give great example on proactive measure to take before a potential terror attack.
* Security measures
1. Visible security officers at all entrances
2. Hourly patrolling of the facilities
3. Awareness of all suspicious activity; pictures being taken
4. Metal detection and inspection of luggage.
5. Identify all person and vehicles on site
* Hotel responses
1. Crisis management team; with current plans, contact information and emergency readiness plans
2. Use of social media; not knowing what is going on in high risk areas
3. Surveillance; who, what, when , where and why
4. First responders; properly trained associates to help in case of an emergency
* On the lookout
1. Be aware of all surroundings; type of clothing, luggage and gear to fit the weather, environment and setting
2. Keep all eyes and ears open, who doesn't seem to fit in
3. Based on the attacks mentioned in the article, look out for those videotaping themselves
4. Question guest without arising suspicion.
5. Don't jump ahead of the gun unless a threat been clearly identified
Hotels are targets for terror attacks because of the large amount of people in one location. There is no sure way to prevent an action but " I don't want to give anyone a clean shot" said Alan Orlob VP of global safety and security Marriott International.
enterances

Terrible Hotel Casino has taken full advantage of a cloud based inventory and procurement system to help managing the accounting at one its it operations. The Stratton Warren System has wireless mobile capablities that help streamline; from requistions to invoice. The system reduces labor cost, helps identify the best vendors and suppliers, reduces human error and has the ability to set par level for multiple locations why managing the inventory.

The best of both worlds is described in this article using a cloud computing system, PMS and POS are integrated to a user friendly system that helps manage retail, food and beverage and rooms in one. The system maintains pricing structure thru out a group of hotels in real time.

As technology continues to advance, companies are looking into what works well for what kinda consumer. RateTiger is targeting corporate consumers, who want to be in control of room rates and have the ability to negotiate better deal based on services provided. RTC uses RPS, rate parameter shopping that searches thru hundreds of travel sites, hotel brand sites and GDS offeres corporate buyers, OTA's and travel companies the opportunities to build a rate around the best room rate for the perks and services, in comparison to what the public pays.

"Going Green" is no longer the standard, it is now how to greener than your last innovated green project. Why is the guest/ consumer not made more aware of these green accomplishment? They may notice the ones that directly effect their stay, however the indirect ones i.e, cloud computing to monitor solar power panels, removal of big box TV's and computer monitors are having a greener impact on technology in the hospitality. The energy savings are impressive, the continued effort made by these companies has a huge on the environment. "It is the collective consciousness of the whole human race that has to make people aware that this is important."

Copyright 2011 In 1991 I started consulting to hotels, specifically regarding technology. Since then I've been lucky enough to be published in this magazine, to have spoken at HITEC and IHMRS, and also to have presented to many hotel companies.

After reading this article, I thought about my travel experience over the years and how technology has advanced greatly. I clearly remember stay in hotels with 27 box tv , standard alarm clocks and brew style coffee pots.Luxury rooms had VCR and I'm talking circa 1999. Fast forward five years and high speed internet, dvd players and docking stations began to make waves, out with the old and in with the new. Today, with a world filled with smartphones, sleek and slim TV and laptops, social media and WI-FI, staying connect is a must. Hotels are finding innovative ways to keep guest coming back. LCD, LED, HD, 4G are all acronyms that keep guest happy. From access their social media site, using keyless Wi-Fi door openers and having an apps makes a world of difference to tech savy guest, regardless of age. A recent hotel stay left me in speechless, I checked in using the app I downloaded to my phone, I customized my movie selection, orders my favorite snacks from the room service, used my phone to swipe into my room. Yea I was blown away by that fuzzy bar code scanner thingy, actually work. And be part of it all, I used didn't have to change the configurations on my laptop to access any of my favorite sites, I log into everything via a wireless keyboard and there it was 37in HD LCD screen updated me on the happening in my world. Technology, oh where we would we be without you?