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More and more restaurants are following the "green move" to make sure they are staying in the loop of an eco-friendly customer.

Nice article Diana. I also chose an article on restaurants going green. Customers really do like the idea of eating at a certified green restaurant because they care about the environment and want to help it stay healthy. There are some easy and quick fixes that restaurants can do to become green from using recycled paper products to making sure the turn any lights on when they are not needed to making sure there are no gaps in doors leading to and from coolers which would let the air leak out. I am glad that more restaurants are becoming green and from reading these articles since I work in a restaurant it makes me want to go to my bosses and see what we can do to help the environment in our restaurant.

Diana I agree with your statistic. From a business point of view it makes more sense to try to attract the customers who are eco-friendly, because people who are not necessarily concerned about the environment are not gonna turn down a restaurant because it is eco-friendy, but on the other hand a green person will turn down a restaurant if it does not meet environmental standards.

Trump Hotel Collection has just purchased Doral Golf Resort and Spa. To enhance the appeal and functionality of the well-known hotel, Trump Hotel Collection has teamed up with MICROS to gain outstanding benefits from their operating system and pos system. Benefits are having all customer data in one place while allowing customers to make purchases at ease.

The article focuses on the mobility connection between staff and guests as it relates to arrival, during stay and departure. Most property management system require that the front desk agent stay at the desk which is same as point of sale. But with the evolved of technology you can deliver and receive data on any type of device at a given moment. This innovation will enable you to run your entire system using wireless tablet as the main hardware interface. The New Way to Hotel video show how innovated this system is , it somewhat allow the staff to build a better relationship with there guest on a personal level. The last"Cloud based" and Software as a Service" can use tablets and smartphone which would be the primary hardware device as shown in the "New Way to Hotel. So the implementation of new mobile platform in technology is changing the game among hoteliers because it guests expectation has been increased.

The article showed us top 5 trends in modern hotel PMS technology. They are Cloud, Mobility, Guest engagement, Endless integration and Sleek design.

Highlights: 1) Computers are used extensively by lodging managers and their assistants to keep track of guests' bills, reservations, room assignments, meetings, and special events. In addition, computers are used to order food, beverages, and supplies, as well as to prepare reports for hotel owners and top-level managers. 2) As for front desk, these computers have an intricate soft ware called the Property Managemen System (PMS) to do all the check ins, guest accounting, and etc. 3) In the restaurant, lounge, or bar is a new computer entirely called a Point of Sale System (POS). This will collaborate with a PMS to bill guests for a meal and etc, but can also be used as a cash register. 4) The computer in the sales office, which software is most likely DelPhi which is a booking terminal. 5) Nowadays hotel without a computer is like a bank without a vault. 6) The PMS may interface with central reservation system(CRS) and revenue or yield management system.

This article talks about the various types of computer systems in the hospitality industry, as well as their usage and benefits. Most of the common computer systems in the hospitality industry are PMS, POS, CRS, and DelPhi. A computer systems may be link to another to ensure streamline process. For example, the POS system at a hotel's restaurant can be linked to the PMS system at the front desk. That way, the guest's restaurant bill can be directly charge to his/her folio. Most of the large hotels do use computer systems. As the author mentioned, "a hotel without a computer is like a bank without a vault." In my opinion, hotels will not be able to deliver exemplary guest service without inventing in computer systems in today's competitive market.

This article discusses how a self service mobile app called FCS i-Guest has also included OpenWays Mobile Key in its program. Now the guest can use the app to see reservation details, hotel information, checkin, and got straight to the room and unlock their door. Now there is less hassle for the guest, since all their secure information is stored on their phone.

This article explains the many positive effects of GDS systems on the hotel industry and further explains how the system is able to continually refresh and monitor itself to help avoid over booking and problems with availability and room rates.

This article is about an application developed by Big Night Entertainment Group called Tabbedout. This application is a secure mobile application that allows customer to view their account and pay it through their smart phone as the application is integrated with the Micros POS system. The application will be used in four of the company's venues. The application is a secure payment method as well as a marketing tool. The payment information of the customer is saved in the phone and not on a host server. This application gives customers a whole new customer service experience. Customers can close off their tab by simply paying from their smart phone, without having to wait for their server to come back with the bill, only to come back again after the customer has given away their credit card. Also, the server doesn't need to worry as their system has the customer credit card information to close the tab off in the event a customer walked out without paying.

This application is incredible. As technology advances, it makes our lives easier and simpler. Customers who pay through this application should feel more secure because identity theft is less likely to occur. As you said, the application gives customers new experience, and the advantages can result in enhancing customer satisfaction.

Cellebrite, one of the global company known for its technology breakthroughs in the cellular industry, has announced the launch of its Diagnostics Solution. According to the article, this system can be installed to the POS in retail stores, and faults can be easily and quickly removed without sending the POS into the lab. With this new software will reduce the operating costs and eliminate the inconvenience for customers. In addition, the article lists others benefits of Diagnostics tool, including reducing the need for expensive phone serving, speeding up the service process and better customer support.

This article summarizes a webinar sponsored and moderated by The Wall Street Journal that addresses the 10 key hospitality technology trends. One trend pointed out was hotel guests are traveling with an increasing number of technological items. "A SmartBreif poll showed that 45% of hotel guest travel with two devices and 40% with three or more". Hotels are accommodating this trend with free-wifi but also with guest room design assuring capabilities for their computers, tablets, and phones. A property in New York, Eventi a Kimpton property, has gone as far to install a "business bar" for those that forgot their tablet or just in need to entertain their kids. More-so technology is being used for signage, digital signage can be found in many lobbies showing off twitter messages and amenities guest can view while standing in line. A showy new trend is having interacting hub in the lobby for guest to be able to check the weather, look up restaurants in the area, find attractions, etc. with no need to wait in line to ask the concierge or front desk attendant. Marriott has a new concept which is a "Workspace on Demand" with services that allows for small-businesses to hold conferences in their space. They can lease the space for a half-day or the full-day. Allowing them to utilize their wifi, a large space, and includes use of audio and visual equipment without having to book rooms at the hotel. Needless to say this has been a huge success for Marriott with 120 bookings in the first 90 days.

"A standard POS and credit card system would have set me back about $5,000-$10,000," says Adam Schneider, owner of Little Muenster. "But, like a lot of people, I already had an iPad." Schneider downloaded Square Register, bought a receipt printer, and was in business for a few hundred dollars. He says a major selling point was Square's portability-Little Muenster is a popular vendor at NYC foodie festivals throughout the year-and the swipe fee. The existing credit card system is obscure, because the fees are not upfront or fixed. The amount that flows into a merchant's account after a transaction depends on the brand of card, the issuing bank, and the rates set by an outside merchant processor, and the money may take five to 10 days to process. Square threw the circuitous accounting equation out the window. The flat 2.75 percent fee and the rest goes into a merchant's account the next day. Convenience with quick service solution at ease.

This article discusses the controversial self-checkout model in major chain stores such as Target and Walmart and the cause and effect of labor issues and how other scenarios appear to be encouraging a time when this model replaces human checkout entirely. It was reported that Walmart loses 3 billion every year to customer and employee theft. For the most part, retailers have been thinking about self-checkout through a financial-savings and customer-experience perspective. But inherently, that means there's going to be less eyes on a transaction, less human interaction and more opportunity for shrink.

As the need for a one-stop-shopping experience increase does the demand from the lodging industry for a system that can simplify the process for marketing, reservations, check in, check out and just follow up. The Property Management System (PMS) is designed to do just that, simply the management, administration, reservation and booking. This article speaks about a cloud-based system called Cloudbeds that provides, among other things, Property Management Software for the lodging industry.This PMS is advertised as a way to simplify the reservation process as well as maintaining correct room inventory, rates and availability, housekeeping room status, and ease of retaining guest preferences. The PMS system also sends real-time availability to all online channels. Cloudbeds promise is to "Reduce errors and save time by automatically updating room inventory across all distribution channels with a click". According their website, "Cloudbeds PMS helps you deliver an exceptional guest experience while avoiding costly errors by automating repetitive, manual tasks." The PMS offers: -A Calendar - Reservations tool for direct bookings - Rates and availability Matrix - Reports