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Dongyun Oh

Red Robin CIO Drives Change Through IT Management - 0 views

hospitalitytechnology.edgl.com/...ge-Through-IT-Management-85049

Technology hospitality

shared by Dongyun Oh on 08 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • Dongyun Oh on 08 Mar 13
     
    Statistically speaking, CIOs don't become CEOs. But it's not because they don't want it. Research shows that nearly half of CIOs aspire to become chief executive, but only four percent actually get there. Much more frequently, CEOs for the world's top companies - about half in fact - come up through C-level financial or operating roles (Vanson Bourne, 2012). Chris Laping, CIO of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers (www.redrobin.com), strongly believes this is because technology executives are too often focused on engineering and IT solutions to embrace their most valuable leadership quality: the ability to manage change. Technology leaders, he believes, possess powerful project management skills that can and should be leveraged across the business for even the most non-IT initiatives, with the particular role of being agents for change. Laping's official role at Red Robin is indicative of that practice: he's the company's senior vice president of business transformation and CIO. In that role, he oversees the company's technology, learning and development, enterprise project management and operations services teams. In this exclusive interview with Hospitality Technology, Laping shares how the technology team has taken on a business transformation role at Red Robin, and describes his overall vision for IT leaders. But it's not something CIOs are handed; they have to drive it, says Laping. Driving this change, perhaps, will also help more CIOs chase down their chief-executive dreams. HT: Let's start with some definitions: "business transformation" and "change agents" are pretty heady buzzwords that get tossed around executive boardrooms. What does business transformation really mean? LAPING: If you look at a classic Wikipedia definition of business transformation, it talks about people, process and technology. So when you push change through people, you usually do that through training. If you want to change business performan
yessica henriquez

Hotel Security Demands More Investment In Latest Integrated Systems - 0 views

us.sourcesecurity.com/...co-1546-ga.4176.html

hospitality technology hotel security business solution

shared by yessica henriquez on 21 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • However, most hotel chains and investors have little interest in anything more. Highly intelligent security systems that give staff electronic instructions and control all relevant building automation systems in an emergency, such as turning off the air conditioning systems, opening fire doors, opening smoke extraction vents for smoke-free stairwells, activating emergency lighting, activating CCTV systems for locating the sources of danger, individual and logged evacuation announcements, detailed information for rescue services on action already taken etc., are rejected for cost reasons - even in VIP hotels
    • Grant Beck
      Grant Beck on 21 Mar 13
       
      This reminds me of all the discussions in class about smart rooms.
  • contribution to profit, or the perceived lack of it,
  • Because security is not profitable, investors and hotel operators are reluctant to invest in safety and security
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • serious security breach can significantly damage a hotel operator's brand name
  • only asset owned by many hotel operators today is their brand
  • people have a false sense of security.
  • Interest in security has always been event-driven.
  • Any reductions in policy premiums are based only on passive systems and do not reward commitment to active systems
  • such systems can dramatically reduce the financial repercussions of a claim following a serious incident.
  • even though
  • Hotels may be concerned about the costs of higher-level security systems but criminal activity could cost a hotel its reputation and not to mention, a person his or her life.
  • Hotels may be concerned about the costs of higher-level security systems but
  • yessica henriquez on 25 Oct 13
     
    Hoteliers don't give security a high enough priority Security is not as high on the hotel agenda as it should be according to Michael Hartmann, Senior Vice President for Hospitality Solutions with Siemens Building Technologies . Here he looks at the reluctance to invest in the latest security systems, the different levels of security typically employed and the benefits of an integrated approach.
Frances Mesa

Aptech Launches New Hospitality Accounting Software | Technology content from National Real Estate Investor - 0 views

nreionline.com/...ospitality-accounting-software

hospitality; accounting software technology

shared by Frances Mesa on 15 Jun 13 - No Cached
  • Katie Gallagher on 15 Jun 13
     
    This article was about Aptech Computer systems and their development of Aptech Next Generation Accounting Solution. This web based system is able to support financial accounting for individual operators and multi-property hotel companies. Aptech has been developing performance management tool for the hospitality industry since the 1970's. Aptech noticed that there was a demand from hospitality owners for a system that was able to provide more detailed accounting information about the company's assets. In 1997, Aptech developed its Executive Business Intelligence system, which is now used in many hotel chains around the world, including Starwood Hotels and Resorts, La Quinta Inns & Suites, and Extended Stay Hotels. The hospitality industry has been embracing technology more and more as it has become more affordable and easier to use.
  • Frances Mesa on 06 Jul 13
     
    Aptech Computer System created a new accounting system, which is web-based and developed in Microsoft's VB.NET technology that leverages a Structured Query Language database. This database will benefit both individual operators and multi-property hotel companies. Aptech started to notice that there was a demand for an accounting system that would benefit the company by including more details in their financial statements. As the article states ""The pioneers in this industry were innkeepers in the hospitality tradition and technology was secondary," says Jay Troutman, president of Aptech. According to the senior Troutman, groups like Interstate entered the industry and looked at such hotel properties as assets first, which brought technology to the forefront of the industry in the 1970s." Furthermore, the president of the company believes that the hospitality industry has become a bit spoiled with technology after they had a taste of it, but he is glad to know that the product is being used and the demand keeps growing.
Yujia Xie

Travel Agents Increase Use of GDS to Book Hotel Rooms | TravelClick - 0 views

www.travelclick.com/...rease-use-gds-book-hotel-rooms

travel agents book hotel

shared by Yujia Xie on 29 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • clearly demonstrates how crucial Global Distribution System (GDS) platforms and GDS Shopping Displays are to travel agents:84 percent of respondents indicated that they were using their GDS platform the same amount or more often than in the past, with 35 percent stating that they are using GDS more.75 percent of respondents indicated that they were using GDS Shopping Displays the same amount or more often than in the past, with 27 percent stating that they are using GDS Shopping Displays more
  • Travel agents are increasing GDS hotel use, and have once again confirmed their confidence in GDS Shopping and Booking Displays,” remarked John Hach, Senior Vice President, Global Product Management at TravelClick. “As the GDS channel produces one of the highest average daily rates of any booking channel, there is a huge opportunity for hoteliers to influence travel agents through the GDS at the point-of-sale.”
  • This survey definitively shows that promotional messages are not only an excellent way to reach travel agents, but also a valuable sales catalyst,” continued Hach. “The data demonstrates that if the messages are reaching the agent, they are also reaching the customer; it’s a chain reaction which translates into concrete sales around the world. As hotels plan their marketing and sales activities for 2012, investing in the GDS channel will undoubtedly prove to be a crucial componen
  • Yujia Xie on 29 Jan 13
     
    As this article mentioned, more and more travel agents use GDS to reserve hotel rooms. Finding from the research, it clearly demonstrated the importance of GDS for travel agents and more agents chose it as the searching tool. At the same time, for the hoteliers, it is also an opportunity to make use of GDS to influence travel agents. In addition, promotional message assist to increase sales. In my opinion, I think travel agents and GDS are not competitors, they can make up each other's disadvantages and cooperate with each other.
Patty Ferrer

GDSs Ramp Up Drive to Dominate Hotel Distribution - 0 views

www.travelmarketreport.com/...to-Dominate-Hotel-Distribution

shared by Patty Ferrer on 03 Feb 13 - No Cached
  • According to ASTA’s 2012 Supplier-Travel Agent Relationship report, the percentage of member agencies that use a GDS fell to 72% in 2012, down from a high of 90% in 2005.
  • The GDSs, long travel agents’ preferred method for booking air, are making a big play to position themselves as the dominant channel for hotel bookings.
  • In 2012, only 37% of ASTA members said GDSs were their primary booking method for hotel stays. That’s down from 59% in 2007.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • While travel agents’ use of GDSs is declining overall (see sidebar), GDS hotel bookings grew from 49 million in 2010 to 52 million in 2011, and they were expected to reach more than 55 million in 2012, according to John Hach, senior vice president of global travel management at TravelClick, which provides hotels with booking, marketing and business intelligence tools.
  • Patty Ferrer on 03 Feb 13
     
    This article discusses how GDS is declining with Travek agents but GDS bookings within the hotel industry is increasing. GDS allows the hotel industry to reach bigger markets to increase hotel bookings. This article has very good facts it states that in 2012 GDS "fell to 72 % in 2012 , down from a high of 90% in 2005" GDS is great because you reach cover more ground allowing to reach more future clients then traditional target markets.
Yawen Zheng

hotel SystemsPro Continues to Enhance its hotel SalesPro Mobile Solution - 0 views

www.prweb.com/...prweb10433203.htm

mobile hotel PMS

shared by Yawen Zheng on 15 Feb 13 - No Cached
  • hotel SystemsPro, a leading provider of ASP-based, enterprise hotel sales software announced new enhancements to its popular hotel SalesPro Mobile Sales and Catering solution. When the company launched hotel SalesPro Mobile in 2009 it was the first true mobile sales and catering solution.
  • Mobile Sales and Catering is not new“Mobile Sales and Catering functionality is not new to us,” said Edie Chandler Lowe, Senior Vice President of hotel SystemsPro. “We are continually evolving new solutions in response to our clients’ needs. We initially launched hotel SalesPro Mobile in 2009 for iPhone users. We continued to upgrade its functionality for the past 4 years. Today, it is compatible with both iOS and Android operating systems. hotel SalesPro Mobile gives hotel sales teams and managers remote access to our easy-to-use hotel SalesPro system for real-time property, account, group, or hotel chain information while they are traveling. Our latest enhancement for smartphone and tablet users is mobile GRC and function diary viewing for in-house group and event activity for any day.”
  • Yawen Zheng on 15 Feb 13
     
    This article introduce hotel systemspro system. This is a new idear for PMs to apply in hospitality industry, it is include every traditional function from existing PMs system and also provide mobile device access. That means the hotel manager will not only use the computer to control the software but also the mobile device like IPad or other Android tablet.
Gaby Belardo

Hotels Seek an Edge in Offering the Right Digital Perks - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...g-the-right-digital-perks.html

shared by Gaby Belardo on 28 Oct 12 - No Cached
  • Gaby Belardo on 29 Oct 12
     
    "Hotels may have come late to technology, but recently they have been jumping in as travelers, especially those on business trips, demand to be constantly connected and expect hotels to make that possible. Hotels now see technology as a way to stand out in the crowd of brands." "The No. 1 thing travelers want, she said, is high-speed Internet access and enough bandwidth to download videos, social media and music. According to a 2011 Concur/Global Business Travel Association study, 91 percent of business travelers use a laptop computer, 81 percent use wireless broadband, 73 percent a personal smartphone and 67 percent use mobile travel apps on their phone." Hotels are coming up in the world of IT investment. This article shares about how hotels have benefited by utilizing technology such as interactive computer services such as early check in, valet services, and recreation room instructions. Although certain parts of IT investment remain expensive for hotels, like investing in adequate bandwith for all parts of the hotel, this article proves that the investments have been worth it. "John R. Hach, senior vice president for global product management at TravelClick, a hotel service provider in New York, said that hotels with optimized Web sites were capturing 10 percent or more of their reservations from mobile devices." For hotels, IT investment has proved to be the right decision. Hotels do not want to be left behind in this technological advancement.
Yi Sun

Conventional wisdom that fails for IT - 0 views

www.peterkretzman.com/...ional-wisdom-that-fails-for-it

hospitality technology marketing convention

shared by Yi Sun on 14 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • Conventional wisdom that fails for IT
  • I’ve done several posts featuring what I call “Peterisms”, which are basically aphorisms I’ve adopted that encapsulate hard-earned IT lessons. Let’s turn it around this time, and talk about two sayings that sound equally folksy-sensible, and that I hear again and again, but which I feel are actually dangerous to apply to information technology work. And, of course, I’ll discuss why that’s so.
  • As with so many things, that situation represented a management failure too. It reflected a willingness, whether explicit or implicit, to live on borrowed time, hoping to stave off as long as possible the certain-to-come outage that would then take much longer to resolve.  It showed a willingness to tolerate unnecessary inefficiency and risk. It embodied an ongoing refusal to insist on (and prioritize) the necessary hard work to keep the clutter out of the equation.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • For information technology, the usefulness of insisting on the primacy of the individual, as an approach to making key decisions on systems-in-the-large, actually runs counter to my practical experience of what works.  An individual operating in a vacuum, even if extremely brilliant, informed, and motivated, tends to have occasional or frequent biases, tunnel vision, and pride of ownership. He misses errors and issues that the scrutiny of multiple eyeballs, not to mention the careful discussion of pros and cons, can easily catch.
  • The people who toss off this old chestnut also often smile triumphantly as if it were both unanswerable and as if they themselves had just invented the clever saying. The aphorism embodies a belief that only a single individual, making all the decisions, can do an effective design.  Note that aside from its humor, the saying doesn’t even make logical sense: a thoroughbred wouldn’t last long in the desert, while a camel is of course a highly optimized creature for its environment.  In addition, people generally apply the aphorism widely, refusing to acknowledge the usefulness of group involvement altogether, in anything. They trot out extreme examples where consensus-gathering has paralyzed action.
  • An example of the usefulness of committees is the Project Portfolio Management (PPM) process I’ve described frequently here on this blog.  Having a sole individual, even the CEO, decide on project inclusion simply isn’t viable over the long run in many corporate cultures–it creates classic problems of lack of buy-in and participation, for example. On the other hand, instituting a suitably chartered and well-facilitated steering committee, composed of senior individuals from the major business areas of the company, forces everyone to put on their “big company hat” as they consider priorities, rather than doggedly insisting on their own department’s parochial perspective. When that’s done well, everyone moves forward with a common understanding and solid commitment, one that’s much less likely when there’s an on-high fiat from a single person.
  • Yi Sun on 14 Apr 12
     
    I know of very few aphorisms that tend to be repeated as smugly as this one, particularly by scared people. The implication is that action is generally to be avoided, that the status quo is probably just fine, and that one should wait for a true crisis before intervening. And, of course, that it's your fault if you've ignored this sage advice and intervened anyway. It's ironic, then, how IT departments themselves end up complaining endlessly about how they're always in fire-fighting mode. This prevailing attitude evolves among (and is a telling symptom of) burned-out sysadmins and developers, especially those who are stuck maintaining systems they didn't themselves write or engineer. It can be equally summed up as a "don't touch it, don't breathe on it" kind of superstition. Or, perhaps, it's akin to the proud but defensive statement that "we've always done it that way."
Melissa Krajewski

Cornell Center for Hospitality Research Examines Daily Deals and Sustainability Issues - 0 views

www.hospitalitynet.org/...4054882.html

'e-Marketing' 'customer acquisition' retention' 'CSR'

shared by Melissa Krajewski on 05 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • A survey of nearly 200 international hotel operators found generally favorable results for those that had offered a daily deal, also known as a flash deal, according to a study posted by the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research.
  • Piccoli and Dev found that Groupon and LivingSocial were the two sites used most heavily by these respondents, and their top reasons for offering a deal were branding, customer acquisition, and boosting occupancy in shoulder periods. Ironically, the hotels that were avoiding daily deals were especially concerned about compromising brand standards.
  • David Jerome, senior vice president of corporate responsibility at InterContinental Hotels Group, three critical myths are (1) that "green" is expensive, when in fact sustainable practices save money; (2) guests do not care about sustainability, when in fact many guests and group planners specifically look for "green" practices; and (3) hospitality firms can wait to implement sustainability programs, when in fact waiting is costing them both money and business.
  • Melissa Krajewski on 05 Apr 12
     
    This article comments on the perceived effectiveness of daily "flash" deals distributed through the internet to provoke the usage of services of a hospitality enterprise. It also addresses current industry challenges hotels face with regards to sustainability and corporate social responsibility. The first Cornell study surveyed approximately two hundred international hotels. The results showed half of the hotels have used the e-Marketing "flash" deals technique while the other half abstain siting concerns of brand reputation. However the issue of dissatisfaction from those hotels who use daily deals is also prevalent. The conductors of the study recommend those who use the deals to "start small," clearly define the reason for the deal and examine every aspect of the deal, including limitations, to increase ROI and satisfaction. If the deals are tailored to fit both the hotel and guests' needs they should attract and retain customers. The roundtable discussion then dives into an important branding issue of CSR. It highlights common misconceptions related to sustainability such as going "green" being being costly, guests not appreciating sustainable efforts, and the "wait and see" approach being smart for implementation. With education and communication the hospitality industry can inform their internal and external customers of their sustainable business practices and increase customer acquisition. Rather than being reactive, businesses should be proactive and concentrate on their "long-term brand focus."
Michelle Wilson

Ping Identity Shares Best Practices for Securing and Managing User Access to UltiPro at the Ultimate Connections Conference | EON: Enhanced Online News - 0 views

eon.businesswire.com/...Single-Sign-On-to-UltiPro

HRIS SSO HR payroll employee satisfaction identity security

shared by Michelle Wilson on 05 Apr 12 - No Cached
  • ing Identity solutions for human resource applications help companies get the most out of their HR technology investments. The company’s cloud identity management solutions allow employees to securely access UltiPro and other Web-based HR applications using Single Sign-On (SSO), while making it easier for Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) to provision and manage user accounts. Whether a customer chooses PingFederate cloud identity management software or PingOne cloud identity management as a service, Ping Identity’s products are designed to work with existing HRIS systems, as well as a wide variety of Web-based environments and business applications. Connections—The Ultimate Partner Forum is Ultimate Software’s annual customer conference. Each year, a dynamic group of more than 1,000 HR, payroll, and talent management professionals come together to learn about UltiPro product enhancements, industry best practices, and compliance regulations. On March 29, 2012, at 10:45 a.m. PDT, Ping Identity Senior Technical Architect Paul Madsen will join Ultimate Software’s Vice President of SaaS Technology Jim Jenson and Director of Strategic Alliances Jennifer Brafman Staffen in a track session for UltiPro Enterprise that will cover “The Advantages of Single Sign-On and How to Get There.” The session will repeat at 4 p.m., PDT, March 29, 2012, in a track session for UltiPro Workplace. To learn how Ping Identity’s cloud identity management solutions work with UltiPro and other HR applications, please stop by the Ping Identity booth. The Ultimate Connections Conference begins today and continues through Friday at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. About Ping Identity | The Cloud Identity Security Leader Ping Identity provides cloud identity security solutions to more than 800 of the world's largest companies, government organizations and cloud businesses. With a 99% customer satisfaction rating, Ping Identity empowers more than 42 of the Fortune 100 to secure hundreds of millions of employees, customers, consumers and partners using secure, open standards like SAML, OpenID and OAuth. Businesses that depend on the Cloud rely on Ping Identity to deliver simple, proven and secure cloud identity management through single sign-on, federated identity management, mobile identity security, API security, social media integration, and centralized access control. Visit pingidentity.com for more information. Contacts fama PR for Ping IdentityWhitney Parker, 617-986-5011pingidentity@famapr.comFollow Us on Twitter: @PingIdentityJoin our LinkedIn Group: Ping Identity CloudSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: PingIdentityTV Recent Stories from Ping Identity UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School Turns to Ping Identity to Solve Identity Management Complexity April 04, 2012 DENVER--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Ping Identity today announced that the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School has selected PingFederate to ease the management of identiti... more » Ping Identity Partners with Macnica Networks April 03, 2012 TOKYO--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Ping Identity®, The Cloud Identity Security Leader™, today announced that it has partnered with Macnica Networks Corp., the leading value-added distributor in Ja... more » Ping Identity Launches Certified Service Partner Program April 03, 2012 DENVER--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Ping Identity announced its Certified Service Partner Program. more » More Stories class
  • Ping Identity solutions for human resource applications help companies get the most out of their HR technology investments.
  • allow employees to securely access UltiPro and other Web-based HR applications using Single Sign-On (SSO), while making it easier for Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) to provision and manage user accounts.
  • Michelle Wilson on 05 Apr 12
     
    This article shares some information about a Ping Identity that was demonstrated at the Ultimate Connections Conference in Las Vegas which was held at the end of March. Ping's experts were on hand to discuss how Ping Identity can help eliminate multi-employee passwords, increasing security. Ping uses cloud identity management solutions which will allow employees to access web-based HR applications using SSO (single sign-on), making it easier for HR managers to monitor user accounts. Pings systems are designed to be used with a wide array of products already in use. This is very interesting and will help the HR department, making their job a little easier by not having to worry about misuse of employee sign ons.
Deborah Fromer

Efforts Focus on Helping Veterans Find the Right College - US News and World Report - 0 views

www.usnews.com/...eterans-find-the-right-college

internet information va collegeveteran virtual tour

shared by Deborah Fromer on 24 Jun 12 - No Cached
  • A high school senior at the time of the September 11 attacks, Paul Szoldra joined the Marine Corps shortly thereafter and, for eight years, served in countries around the world, including a deployment in Afghanistan.
  • he faced an unexpected challenge: finding a college to attend afterward
  • [Find out how to take virtual college tours.]
  • ...10 more annotations...
  • Despite the abundance of information on the Internet, Szoldra found more marketing sites
  • than actual guidance
  • Unsure of what factors to consider, Szoldra looked to expensive schools with small student populations—two marks of quality, he assumed. 
  • he's advising other college-bound service members to ditch his parameters in favor of attributes that will directly affect veterans, such as credits for military service, a community of veterans, and advisers certified by the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
  • To reach more college-bound service members, Szoldra created CollegeVeteran.com, an advising website, and started a Change.org petition for a ranking of colleges that best provide for veterans.
  • Currently, misleading marketing targeted at veterans pervades the Internet, he says, and may persuade those on the GI Bill to choose schools, including some for-profit institutions, that may not be right for them. 
  • It's a cause President Obama has taken a stand on as well. According to a press release from the White House in late April, deceptive marketing includes recruiting "veterans with serious brain injuries and emotional vulnerabilities without providing academic support and counseling; encourag[ing] service members, veterans, and their families to take out costly institutional loans rather than encouraging them to apply for Federal student aid first; ... and not disclos[ing] meaningful information that allows potential students to determine whether the institution has a good record of graduating service members, veterans, and their families and positioning them for success in the workforce." 
  • In an executive order, Obama announced a plan to target those types of online recruiting and to more effectively provide veterans with good information
  • Obama's order "will require that colleges participating in the military and veterans education benefit programs do more to meet the needs of military and veteran students by providing clear educational plans for students [and] academic and financial aid counseling services with staff that are familiar with the VA and D[epartment] o[f] D[efense] programs." 
  • A VA-certified representative working with the college students is a key factor in veterans' success, Szoldra says.
  • Deborah Fromer on 24 Jun 12
     
    This article deals with the necessity to assist military veterans through all the internet marketing on colleges. Veterans or soon to be veterans can find it very hard to weed through all the internet information there is on colleges and which is the best for you to choose. One Marine veteran Paul Szoldra had this problem, he thought a good college would be one that was expensive with a low population, therefore a low student to teacher ratio, not true. To assist other veterans trying to locate a college that is suitable and is not looking for the monies that the GI Bill will provide the institution he created CollegeVeterans.com and created Change.org an online petition to rank colleges that best provide for veterans. President Obama has also pass an executive order to address these veteran issues at institutes of learning making it mandatory to have certified veteran advisers that will lead and insure veterans are not taken down a wrong path with their education benefits or other federal benefits vice more costly loans or funding to the veteran. Some more important factors that a veteran should do is research the institute they wish to attend, e-mail the veteran representative at the institute to get some insight on the institute, there is nothing like communicating with someone who know and cares about you and will help you to avoid the marketing pitfalls, and last look for institutions that have veteran assistance, look for the institute offering military credit towards education in the field you wish to enter.
Suqi Peng

How Expedia Plans to Make Travel More Social - 4 views

www.businessweek.com/...avel-more-social-01032012.html

shared by Suqi Peng on 14 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • Suqi Peng on 14 Jan 12
     
    Expedia hopes bloggers can serve as an important plank in its effort to re-engineer the way people shop for hotel and airplane tickets by incorporating those transactions into a marketplace driven by social networks. A senior director for travel research firm PhoCusWright, believes Expedia's plan is a viable one. Expedia's goal is to make planning the entire trip - from flights to hotel to transportation, with even restaurant selections and amusement park tickets - an integrated shopping experience. For example: your family is planning a spring break trip to Orlando. After booking flights, your hotel search would incorporate friends' views on particular properties. There's already some evidence that social networks spur sales in the travel industry. Expedia's plan could pose a threat to the largest source of online hotel reviews, TripAdvisor. Both company and bloggers say they aren't concerned that readers may be turned off by commercial relationships between the travel agent and writers.
  • Mary White on 14 Jan 12
     
    Of course the company and the bloggers aren't concerned about what the readers think. The company wants to increase business any way that it can and the bloggers want free trips. Personally, I would be turned off by knowing that the blogger was compensated for their trip review. I recently watched a special on Aulani in Hawaii run by SamanthaBrown who works for the travel channel. I was very irrritated to hear her clearly non-objective opinions of the resort. I am far more interested in what other non-paid travellers think. I think that companies should be concerned about the perception of them paying for the reviews. I can understand the bloggers wanting to be paid for access to their followers, I just personally don't find any validity in these types of opinions. I think Expedia should keep looking for ways to tap into the social network as a business strategy, but I will trust the opinions of my actual friends over paid bloggers. I appreciate that Expedia would allow for negative reviews, but if a resort is paying Expedia for a review and Expedia is paying the blogger, then in my opinion precious objectivity is lost.
Jiaqi Xu

Travel Agent Increase Use of GDS to Book Hotel Room - 0 views

www.hotelinteractive.com/article.aspx

hotel technology GDS

shared by Jiaqi Xu on 02 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • travel
  • travel
  • Travel Agents Increase Use of GDS to Book Hotel Rooms
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • travel
  • travel
  • travel
  • travel
  • travel
  • travel
  • travel
  • "Travel agents are increasing GDS hotel use, and have once again confirmed their confidence in GDS Shopping and Booking Displays," remarked John Hach, Senior Vice President, Global Product Management at TravelClick. "As the GDS channel produces one of the highest average daily rates of any booking channel, there is a huge opportunity for hoteliers to influence travel agents through the GDS at the point-of-sale."
  • "This survey definitively shows that promotional messages are not only an excellent way to reach travel agents, but also a valuable sales catalyst,"
  • AQUEELAH THOMPSON on 02 Feb 12
     
    This article is a good one that demonstrates how GDS are now more often used than times before. The article states that the 2011 Global Travel Agent GDS study demonstrates how important GDS platform and shopping Displays are to the travel agents. They stated the 84 percent of those who took the survey stated that they are using the GDS just as much or even more than they did in the pass and 35 % of these stated that they were using it more than they did in the pass. The article explained how these numbers have greatly increased since 2009 where only 26% agents admitted that they used the GDS systems more than before. This study is 2011 reaffirmed Travel Click's projection, which was that GDS hotel bookings would surpass %50 million in the year 2011. This was far more than that of 2010. The article goes on to explain how the GDS will improve the booking and services of the industry all around. Furthermore, the article went on to explain a worldwide survey conducted for agents who were among the largest GDS in the world and some 495 responses were collected. The survey was conducted by Phoenix Marketing International, which is and independent marketing research firm Travel agents were indicated that promotional messages were effective and prompt during bookings and 66% of these agents request additional information about it. While, 68% of these agents looked into the GDS for more information. After this survey was complete the agents who were aware of promotional messages, 46% of them made North American bookings within 3 months as a result of the promotional messaging and 44% made non- North American bookings. The survey itself shows that promotional messages were and excellent way to get the agents interested. In the article it is quoted how the promotional messages acts in a chain reaction to reach the agent and then the customer, which allows sales all over the world.
  • Jiaqi Xu on 03 Feb 12
     
    GDS provides a perfect virtual marketplace for travel inventory sellers such as hotels, airlines, and car rental systems to showcase their wares to a global Internet travel audience. The GDS is a natural outlet for hotels, resorts, and even smaller inns that want to increase revenue and online marketing exposure. As the GDS channel produces one of the highest average daily rates of any booking channel, there is a huge opportunity for hoteliers to influence travel agents through the GDS at the point-of-sale.
  • Yu Zhai on 03 Feb 12
     
    Yes, GDS is of great importance for tourism development. It provides such a huge market of tourism information for customers, airlines, hotels, travel agents and any parts included in the tourism. Someone said that GDS will end travel agent, however, in my opinion; they have their own advantages and will supplement each other in the future.
Gerson Dias

Hotel Giants Work Together to Launch RoomKey.com, an Innovative New Hotel Search Engine / January 2012 - 0 views

www.hotel-online.com/...Jan12_RoomKeySearch.html

shared by Gerson Dias on 05 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • Finding the right hotel is complex and, unlike booking a flight or reserving a car, it is a personal decision process - one which no one understands better than hoteliers.  We believe Roomkey.com will provide consumers with an innovative resource that will give them unprecedented confidence in their booking decisions
  • Gerson Dias on 05 Feb 12
     
    Six of the world's leading hotel companies, Choice Hotels International, Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott International Inc. and Wyndham Hotel Group, launched Roomkey.com, an innovative new online hotel search engine. It enables consumers to search and book directly with the hotel, and it gives consumers confidence that they have made the right choice by providing accurate hotel information straight from the source. The brain behind this project is John F. Davis III, Chief Executive Officer of Room Key, who is a highly experienced hospitality industry visionary with a history of entrepreneurial successes. The technology platform for RoomKey.com was acquired from hotelicopter, an innovative flexible hotel search and direct platform, which allows Room Key to evolve and enrich the user experience quickly. Additionally, hotelicopter's affiliate platform provides destination marketing organizations with a hotel marketing platform that helps drive more direct bookings to their local hotels, now under the Room Key Solutions brand. Shafiq Khan, Senior Vice President of eCommerce, Marriott International, said, "Room Key's new and unique offering will embody the best of what hotel company websites offer consumers, giving them confidence in their booking decisions - a personalized and welcoming experience that offers flexibility, accuracy, and benefits of booking with the hotel companies' proprietary sites." Now is time for consumers to use new "Rom Key"and make their way to hotel rooms around the world.
Yi Sun

More travel agents booking hotel rooms via GDS, says report - 0 views

www.asianhospitality.com/s-via-gds-says-report-615.aspx

travel hotel booking GDS

shared by Yi Sun on 03 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • • 84 percent of respondents indicated that they were using their GDS platform the same amount or more often than in the past, with 35 percent stating that they are using GDS more
  • 75 percent of respondents indicated that they were using GDS Shopping Displays the same amount or more often than in the past, with 27 percent stating that they are using GDS Shopping Displays more.
  • This represents a significant change since the study was last conducted in 2009, where 26 percent of travel agents stated that they used their GDS platform more often than in the past and 19 percent said they used the GDS Shopping Displays more often than before. The study also reaffirms TravelClick’s projection that annual GDS hotel bookings will surpass $50 million in 2011, an increase of more than 1 million incremental bookings from 2010.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • ‘Travel agents are increasing GDS hotel use, and have once again confirmed their confidence in GDS Shopping and Booking Displays,’ said John Hach, senior vice president, global product management at TravelClick. ‘As the GDS channel produces one of the highest average daily rates of any booking channel, there is a huge opportunity for hoteliers to influence travel agents through the GDS at the point-of-sale.’
  • Yi Sun on 03 Feb 12
     
    A significant change since the study in 2009, it says that there is a significant change that more than 26 percent of travel agents stated that they used their GDS more often. It means that GDS has become more and more important in the hospitality industry, since the generation has changed to 80's. Travel agent has once again confirmed their confidence in GDS shopping.
jennifer amador

Governments asking Google to remove more content - Yahoo! News - 0 views

news.yahoo.com/GNhdAMEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnM-;_ylv=3

shared by jennifer amador on 19 Jun 12 - No Cached
  • U.S. authorities are leading the charge as governments around the world pepper Google with more demands to remove online content and turn over information about people using its Internet search engine, YouTube video site and other services.
  • Many of the requests are legitimate attempts to enforce laws governing hot-button issues ranging from personal privacy to hate speech.
  • It's alarming not only because free expression is at risk, but because some of these requests come from countries you might not suspect — Western democracies not typically associated with censorship," Dorothy Chou, Google's senior policy analyst, wrote in a Sunday blog post.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • The U.S. requests included 117 court orders, including one that instructed Google to remove 218 search results linking to websites containing content alleged to be defamatory. Google said it censored about 25 percent of the search results covered in that court order.
  • Other governments frequently reaching out to Google included Germany (103 content-removal requests, down 18 percent from the previous six-month period), and India (101 requests, a 49 percent increase).
  • The U.S. government filed 6,321 requests with Google for user data during the final six months of the year. That was far more than any other country, according to Google, and a 6 percent increase from the previous six months. Google complied with 93 percent of the U.S. requests for user data, encompassing more than 12,200 accounts.
  • jennifer amador on 19 Jun 12
     
    According to this article it states that the US governement has send varies request to Google corporation to eliminate or bank certain searches on their website. The reason behind this is simply politics and security towards the US government and protection over the political views and 2012 US elections. Therefore, it shows how important Google is and has expand worldwide; everyone uses google as there top search engine versus other ones.
lumduan roth

Millennium Hotels UK Nets Revenue Increase, Higher Conversion Rates Using Sabre Hotel RFP - 0 views

www.hospitalitynet.org/...4063919.html

IT Investment in Hospitality

shared by lumduan roth on 05 Feb 14 - No Cached
  • By using Sabre Hotel RFP's Chain Portal and Competitive Bids solutions in 2013, Millennium Hotels was able to increase the number of competitive bid subscriptions they received by 44 percent over the previous year. They also increased the number of bids by 12 percent that they received directly from corporations and travel agencies versus 2012 activity. Millennium Hotels UK has 104 hotels worldwide, with 22 located within the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. By using Sabre Hotel RFP in 2013, they were able to increase the average transient room rate by 3.27 percent. "Sabre Hotel RFP was the key to our hotel chain increasing transient revenue," said Farhana Butta, Millennium Hotels Senior Global Account Director Corporate and Business. "Sabre has provided a great product – it brings in results and ensures our team is maximizing our opportunities to win more corporate business."
  • lumduan roth on 05 Feb 14
     
    This is a great example of success by implementing new technology in business. It is important to recognize the right tools to use to grow. I also think using the "big name" as Sabre Hospitality Solutions can help make decisions easier as the company is famous for it's kind of business.
Yunfan Wu

Hotel chain rolls out global performance management system - People Management Magazine Online - 0 views

www.cipd.co.uk/...management-system-2008-06.aspx

hotel chain performance management system

shared by Yunfan Wu on 27 Nov 13 - No Cached
  • Plans to double the size of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group in four years have led the company to implement a performance management system for its 400 senior managers around the world.
  • The performance management system, launched last November, is based on competencies including customer focus, managing vision and purpose, and integrity and humility. Moyse and her HR team spent several months working with general managers globally to develop these.
  • “We asked every manager to rank the competencies so that we could identify which are important to our organisation and which are mission-critical to specific roles,” she said. “This is how we identified the competency sets for each of our leadership positions.”
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  • The competencies were then built into the performance management system. One of the key challenges in implementing the performance management module was the number of different HR systems used by the 23 hotels in the group.
  • General managers, executive teams and department heads have already been trained in using the system. Next, about 3,000 junior department heads, managers and supervisors will be trained.
  • Yunfan Wu on 27 Nov 13
     
    The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group intended to double its size in four years. So they plan to implement a performance management system. The system is base on competencies including customer focus, managing vision and purpose, and integrity and humility. It can measure and identify the positions of all the chain's hotel around the world. It was not a easy job. But if they really could put it into use, not just for managers, but also for every employees, it would bring them with great benefits. They can easily find the right people in the right position.
danikafox

Hotels Charging Up Green Initiatives - 0 views

www.hotelinteractive.com/article.aspx

electric hotels

shared by danikafox on 19 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Hotels are going “green” and one of the more unique ways is by installing electric vehicle charging stations.
  • As we all know concern for the environment is a way for hotels to stand out in a crowded marketplace, meet client needs and expectations, and “do the right thing” for the planet.  And
  • charging stations can make a statement and drive business to a property that is way beyond the customer’s current expectations.
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • “They’re not just an amenity,” says Alex Attia, general manager of The Charles Hotel in Cambridge, Mass., a Preferred Hotel. “It’s what the customer is looking for. It’s convenient for them and gives them another reason to come to our hotel rather than go to another one.”
  • Staying ahead of new and emerging trends is important in the hospitality business. “It keeps us fresh,” says Attia. “Nobody can say we’re out-of-date. We’re up-to-date. We want to be ahead of the game if we can be.” 
  • “We think today’s traveler is more aware and committed to responsible travel, feeling a personal responsibility to lessen their carbon footprint,” says Steve Pinetti, senior vice president, inspiration & creativity for Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants. “As hybrid and electric vehicles become more affordable and practical, we see them moving away from being trendy to becoming a mainstay in the years ahead.”
  • Fairmont Pacific Rim, a 377-room luxury property that opened in 2010  in Vancouver, British Columbia, installed a electric vehicle charging station in October.   It’s free for guests to use. “It’s not a marketing tool,” says Samatha Geer, a spokeswoman for Fairmont Pacific Rim.. “It’s about doing the right thing.”
  • “It differentiates the brand. We want our consumers to come to us because we’ve met a lot of their needs. I think it does add value and we don’t charge for it. It’s what we see guests want. It’s a trend we’re seeing.
  • The InterContinental Vienna is taking the trend a step further. It has electric cars for hotel guests and local area residents to rent for a slightly higher price than gas-driven automobiles. The hotel also has a complimentary charging station.
  • Amy Sena on 19 Jan 13
     
    This article is about the green initiative of installing electric vehicle charging stations in hotels. Hotels have always considered their concern for the environment as a way to stand out in the market and meet client needs and expectations. Charging stations are not considered just another amenity, they are something the customer is looking for. Drive in business is extremely important to the lodging industry and this technology is what guests are looking for as hybrid and electric vehicles become more affordable and practical.
  • danikafox on 24 May 14
     
    This article deals with the implementation of electric vehicle charging stations in many hotel properties. These charging stations appear to be a big trend and an item that can set a hotel apart from it's competitors. Taking the initiative to be more conscience of their carbon footprint allows properties to relate with guests who feel the same about protecting the planet. Properties such as the Loews Vanderbilt hotel, and the Fontainebleau Miami have installed charging stations and are receive very positive feedback from ,both, guest, who own electric cars and those who do not. Although electric cars are not prevalent in the auto industry there has been an increase in sales and when Auberge Resorts held a study asking guests about electric cars they were surprised to find out that "many had already had them" and that twenty percent said that an electric car would be a future purchase. "Going green" is a huge trend within the hospitality industry and hotels will continue to implement advances in "green" technology in order to be set apart from the rest.
ravicka

What's New in POS Hardware for 2014 | News | Hospitality Magazine (HT) - 0 views

hospitalitytechnology.edgl.com/...-in-POS-Hardware-for-201495084

shared by ravicka on 04 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • Hardware continues to evolve with new integrations, features and peripherals, ranging from smaller and energy- efficient units, to tablets used as a traditional POS, or as tableside/kiosk devices. This year also saw the release of location-based beacon technology for restaurants.
  • “There is a lot you can do with mobile that you couldn’t do with a traditional POS.” Meanwhile, standalone units are getting a smaller footprint, greater versatility (including the ability to transition from fixed to mobile), and improved energy efficiency.
  • “There is a lot you can do with mobile that you couldn’t do with a traditional POS.” Meanwhile, standalone units are getting a smaller footprint, greater versatility (including the ability to transition from fixed to mobile), and improved energy efficiency.
  • ...12 more annotations...
  • Hardware continues to evolve with new integrations, features and peripherals, ranging from smaller and energy- efficient units, to tablets used as a traditional POS, or as tableside/kiosk devices. This year also saw the release of location-based beacon technology for restaurants.
  • dware continues to evolve with new integrations, features and peripherals, ranging from smaller and energy- efficient units, to tablets used as a traditional POS, or as tableside/kiosk devices. This year also saw the release of location-based beacon technology for restaurants.
  • ardware continues to evolve with new integrations, features and peripherals, ranging from smaller and energy- efficient units, to tablets used as a traditional POS, or as tableside/kiosk devices. This year also saw the release of location-based beacon technology for restaurants.
  • The point-of-sale (POS) remains the main artery for restaurant operators.  As befits its prominent position, the POS also demands the largest portion of IT spending for restaurant operators according to Hospitality Technology’s 2014 Restaurant Technology Study.
  • Hardware continues to evolve with new integrations, features and peripherals, ranging from smaller and energy- efficient units, to tablets used as a traditional POS, or as tableside/kiosk devices. This year also saw the release of location-based beacon technology for restaurants.
  • Hardware continues to evolve with new integrations, features and peripherals, ranging from smaller and energy- efficient units, to tablets used as a traditional POS, or as tableside/kiosk devices. This year also saw the release of location-based beacon technology for restaurants.
  • Hardware continues to evolve with new integrations, features and peripherals, ranging from smaller and energy- efficient units, to tablets used as a traditional POS, or as tableside/kiosk devices. This year also saw the release of location-based beacon technology for restaurants.
  • Hardware continues to evolve with new integrations, features and peripherals, ranging from smaller and energy- efficient units, to tablets used as a traditional POS, or as tableside/kiosk devices. This year also saw the release of location-based beacon technology for restaurants.
  • Hardware continues to evolve with new integrations, features and peripherals, ranging from smaller and energy- efficient units, to tablets used as a traditional POS, or as tableside/kiosk devices. This year also saw the release of location-based beacon technology for restaurants.
  • The report reveals that POS systems — inclusive of hardware and software — account for 33% of the overall technology budget.
  • Hardware continues to evolve with new integrations, features and peripherals, ranging from smaller and energy- efficient units, to tablets used as a traditional POS, or as tableside/kiosk devices.
  • . “Mobile is the game changer,” says Ed Beck, CIO and senior vice president of technology at the National Restaurant Association (www.restaurant.org). “There is a lot you can do with mobile that you couldn’t do with a traditional POS.”
  • ravicka on 04 Feb 15
     
    Tammy Mastroberte in her article "Whats new in POS Hardware in 2014" highlights the importance of a proper POS system for restaurants and presents the offerings of major POS manufacturing companies for the year. It was highlighted that 33% of a restaurant's technology budget went into selecting the right POS thus showing its importance to the sector. The importance of the traditional POS infrastructure was highlighted but it was also noted that new trends have come on stream to help improve service the major one being mobility. As noted by ED Beck CIO of technology at the National Restaurant Associaiton, " There is a lot you can do with a mobile that you could not do with the traditional POS." Because of this many of the traditional systems are being upgraded to include the ability to transit from fixed to mobile thus improving service provided.
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