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MenuPad is a mobile POS system designed to operate with existing POS systems, making the system easy to incorporate into a restaurant's operations. Customers can place orders and pay bills with this appilication on iPad. Carmel Café & Wine Bar in Sarasota, Florida, now has this app for the restaurant. The server's traditional role of order-taker is replaced with technology when a mobile POS menu is implemented. However, the still server plays a crucial role in introducing guests to the iPad itself and the software it is running.

Northwind launched its Maestro iPad Xpress Check-In App at HITEC 2012. The system offers personalized mobile check in and check out with remote access. The system is able to perform all the functions of a wired terminal anywhere a wireless signal can be found. It offers personalized up sell and room changes as well as credit card payments which are PCI compliant. The app can also check in large groups who are attending a conference or a tour group.

Mobile digital payment company Square announced today on its blog that it will begin selling a "Business in a Box" solution that will act as a full point-of-sale system for iPad-toting business owners. The hardware package starts at $299 and includes two Square Readers, a Heckler Design WindFall iPad Stand, and an APG Vasario 1616 Cash Drawer (as pictured above).

Stacked could have easily failed for being "ahead of its time" when it launched its cutting edge iPad ordering system last year in Southern California. From start to finish, the iPad's touch-screen technology allows customers to control their dining experience -- from delivery of the first drink to type of burger toppings to timing of the check.

Based on this article "Stacked" seems to have had great success with implementing the Ipad/eMenu type ordering in their establishment. I found this article to be very useful with the Q&A, addressing some of the major concerns with trying to adopt a similar system. One of the questions involved an older couple "shoing" the server away when offering ordering assistance. I had originally thought of that as a challenge, but when reading the answers, I discovered that it's not as big of an issue. It almost seems like a new challenge for customers to beat when faced with it the first few times. I have actually encouraged a friend of mine that lives in California to visit the restaurant and give me their feedback, I'm excited to hear the results when they come!

This article looked at the views on IT investments of Hospitality Technology's Editorial Advisory Board. The Board represents a variety of hospitality industries. The article focused on areas of improvement, emerging technologies, IT priorities for 2012, "wish list" IT investments, and more. Among the areas for improvement, guest Wi-Fi and mobile apps, loss prevention technologies, and social media targeting older clientele topped the list. Older guests connecting to and understanding social media are a worry among many of the Board members as well as lack of standardized, secure payment methods. Many also mention that their current systems (POS in particular) tend to hold them back from implementing new IT technologies because they would not be compatible.  Most Board members listed having mobile devices that could be used for a variety of purposes on the guest end as well as on the business end would be top on their "wish list" for IT implementations. With almost everyone owning smartphones today, I think this would be the smartest and most effective IT implementation to invest in. Many customers and guests are looking for easy and accessible ways of navigating through the hotel and restaurant environments without extensive help from others. Since many people, especially the generation coming up, are more and more attached to their phones and tablets, mobile apps for nearly everything seems like the smart way to go.  Cloud-based servers were a close second in terms of what they wanted in invest in. Many of the Board members pinpointed technologies that have been around but are still new, especially in their respective areas, when speaking of useful emerging technologies. Mobile apps, tablet and 73456

this article gives a great overview of the steps leaders in the Hospitality industry are taking towards new technology. In this article members of the industry were interview regarding weaknesses in the current hospitality market as well as emerging trends that each believe is in rapid increase. Some of the answers give very interesting approach towards technology. Although, overall it seems that the number one emerging technology is the use of cloud-based/mobile-based services.

In this article, it talks about all the new ways hotels are using technology to bring in more customers. They are trying to make everyone's stay as pleasant as possible, one example that they talked about is using in iPads to keep their guests entertained while waiting. The Royal Mansour in Marrakech has now set up every room with touch screen walls that allow guests to control the temperature and the lighting in the room. Another resort in Nantucket offers their guests Flip video Camcorders that they can use at their property, the guest can record all the different things that they have done throughout the week, they can record everything from the crazy storms to a beautiful hike that they did with their family! The last hotel that they talked about in the article was the Andaz 5th Avenue, this hotel allows guest to skip the front check out and they can just check in from the elevator with their credit card on the way to their room. This article really opened up my eyes and see that technology really is changing the way that we live!

Basically the restaurant Ruth Chris is going to go high tech. They are tossing out their old menus and upgrading to having their menus presented on ipads along with the pictures to entice the guests to try something new off of the menu. It will also offer wine selections to partner up with certain menu items. I think that this is a smart idea. Yes, they will up their expenses on getting the ipads and keeping them all up to date but in the long run it becomes a novelty that the restaurant can offer. They only thing I would be worries about with this upgrade is that the restaurants would only need food runners and a few waiters for drinks. Most likely any question a guest could have would be answered by the ipad due to the explanations offered by the application.

Restaurants have been turning more to high tech tools to better their services. A restaurant in Chapel Hill, NC has given its wait staff iPods and iPads to take food orders instead of writing with a pen and paper. Guests can look at photos of the dishes to help them make their decision and when the order is complete, the server can send it wirelessly to the kitchen.  This is a great way to increase customer service and overall satisfaction on both ends. It reduces wrong orders and is a green incentive as it eliminates much of the restaurant's paper use. However, it is a pricey investment to make. The restaurant owner in Chapel Hill said he expects to recover the cost in the long run through reduced expenses on paper and pens.  The wait staff reported they liked this new way of taking orders because they don't have to worry about their writing being illegible or their hand cramping up from writing so fast. It is beneficial for the customers in that it is a more interactive way for them to order and get something they have a better chance of liking since they can see photos. It also eliminates problems seeing a printed menu in dark lighting. Additionally, orders are processed right away so guests don't have to worry about their food taking a long time to come out because the server either forgot to put it in or they were running around doing other things before getting to the POS station. 

When it comes to airports that stand out in offering a welcoming, helping hand to passengers, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and some other airports are notable for deploying customer-service representatives trained to be N.I.C.E. - "Neutralize Irritations Customers Experience." This is a great article on how iPads are revolutionizing the travel industry.

In a global market that is very unpredictable hotels are being very creative when trying to attract customers. The big trends hotels seem to be using to attract these guest is with alcohol or technology. Free,free,free booze from the bar with a flare of mixology to acquire the attention of the guest to spend more at those sources. In room amenities is all about the iPad. The iPad is connecting the guest with emails,room temperature,ebooks and many more cool things. The Hotelier is using every tool they can to bring guest to their locations.

According to the article, Bluebird Global has introduced one of the most advanced iPad-based POSs, known as the Revel System, to its base of multi-establishment and fast-paced businesses. Running this many business called for an advanced upgrade from its former POSs. Studies show that software unreliability and lack of accurate data are obstacles to market growth for operators. Introducing the Revel System provided a feature-rich package including inventory management, intelligent reporting, and payroll management. This POS is the only native iPad based app with True Offline and full PCI compliance, also allowing for access and storage to it's cloud system.

This article presents suggestions on POS selection for companies sized from small to large. I found this article really interesting and reiterates that the selection of the POS is going to be based on company needs/culture. Their research was extensive and conducted market research repeatedly, before suggestions were made. It also touched on the different pricing options, in addition to any special features the POS may offer.

This article talks about the best POS systems for 2020. What I found interesting is that the majority of these systems are cloud-based and offer integrated information services for a variety of industries, not just hospitality. A lot of the systems also are ipad based and work well with third-party POS hardware. They also have automated payment options integrated, for people who like to process payments electronically (i.e. Apple Pay). I think its important to know about these POS systems and what they can accomplish for hospitality companies.

In this article, they talk about the best pos systems to use for 2020. They list each pos system name and then summarize the benefits and give a full review. The first system they talk about is lightspeed, which Ipad pos system has solutions for retail stores, restaurants, and online businesses. It's fully mobile, so you can check inventory from anywhere in the store, show customers product images and descriptions, and ring up orders and accept payments on the sales floor or, for restaurants, tableside. The next system is Vend that has real-time reports, inventory management features, and access to various integrations that can help you run your business, save time, and boost sales. This POS software is suitable for nearly every type of retailer. Whether you run a clothing store, a sporting goods store, or a specialty service-based business such as a car wash or computer shop, Vend has the features you need. Touch Bistro is a simple and affordable POS system that focuses on the unique needs of restaurant owners, with tables, reservations, and delivery management features. It's suitable for all types of food establishments - fine dining, casual eateries, cafes, pubs, food trucks, and more. Lastly, there is eposnow has both retail and hospitality versions of the software are available, each with a robust selection of features to help you run your business. It also has more than 80 integrations, so you can add extra capabilities and connect to the business programs you already use.

I believe it is important for hotel brands to evolve with the people who are staying there. Nothing beats being at home; however, it is pretty awesome when you are staying away from home and do not feel as if you are missing out. This article covers just that, making a bold statement with their title; "High Tech and High Class: How Luxury Hotels are Embracing Technology". Modern hotels are on " a deeper level of connectivity than a simple iPod doc, or a reliable Internet connect". Many are using state of the art devices and software which allows their guests to control from the lighting in the room to even housekeeping. The article also talks about Shane Krige, General Manager of the Plaza in New York City. He purchased a few iPads for the hotel lobby for his guests to play with. The feedback led to the hotel putting an iPad in every room at the Plaza. The Star Hotel & Casino in Sydney Harbour now offers a Control4 systems which gives guests a touch screen control for the TV, lighting and temperature and even music. Even better than the touch screen control the suites all feature "a button labeled "Leaving Room" by the entry door that automatically places the suite in an energy-saving mode: With a single touch, it closes blinds, turns off lights and dials back air conditioners for energy savings. Should you forget to press this on your way out, after 30 minutes the system will sense there is no one and trigger the button automatically. Upon return your room will greet you by opening curtains, turning on the lights and displaying a welcome message". Greener might be more expensive; however, it pays for itself and saves the hotel money in the long run.

This article is about a company named eMenue International that offers a revolutionary way of allowing customers to order their food. Instead of the traditional paper menues, guests would be given iPads where they could view pictures and videos of the food that is available to order. This visual element was added in on the premise that people are more enticed by visual elements rather than descriptions of the meal. This technology was adopted by one of NYC's oldest steakhouses agter 100 years, which bodes very well for the business since checks increas by up to 9% after a couple of months. Some of the most valuable aspects of this new method of ordering is the ability for someone to view menue items in the native tongue, widening the range of customers restaurants can receive, increasing profits. Another thing to note is that this menue allows people to click on a tab that caters to their specific dietary needs. In terms of marketing, this could be great since it also offers the ability to showcase the different amenities in the restaurant whther that means meeting space or event packages.

The multi-bilion dollar NCR Corporation has invested in a new and innovative barcode scanner for a mobile POS system from a company named Socket Mobile. Socket Mobile has 20 years experience in the industry and offers a variety of products that increase productivity and drive operational efficiencies. The barcode scanner will allow its users to offer a greater standard of service to customers. The barcode scanner can be wirelessly used and brought around place to place using bluetooth. A great example in the article it mentions the product could be used outside the store at say a farmers market or street fair. The product has a high level of technology and offers better features than a traditional wireless scanner.

This article focuses on attendees using a modern day technology- mobile phones, tables and laptops at events and how event planners should engage more in incorporating them in to events and NiceMeeting, has done just that for event coordinators. NiceMeeting has introduced a presentation tool developed to enhance event engagements and maximize the value of knowledge exchange through live events.  Some cool features NiceMeeting also offers even planners is an AV application that turns attendees mobile device, such as iPad, iPhone, Tablet, laptop into a full-featured personal conference display.  

This article suggests that the use of handheld technology, such as mobile phones, tablets, and laptops at events has become so widespread, that event planners need to incorporate them into daily use if they want an edge on business. Nicemeeting is just one of many new hospitality applications that enhances the event managing process for event planners. According to the article, it has the capability to turn technology, such as an Ipad or mobile device, into "a full-featured personal conference display." It creates an entirely interactive space. I think that this idea was brilliant, because regardless of whether people like it or not, cell phones are going to be present in the meeting space. This application makes the most of that occurrence and turns it into a positive thing.

I myself have a Square and swear by it. I use it to sell homemade goods and trinkets and fairs, as well as sell baked goods at fundraising events. The Square app and unit are free (after registry refund) and are simple to use. Just connect it to a bank account and you are off. You can take and keep track of both cash and credit card payments. Plus inventory tracking is easy. The Square turns any iPad, iPhone, iPod or android device into a traveling POS system. Plus there is no paper involved so it's a great first step to running a Green business. Square is the POS solution for small businesses. 

The free app enables hotel guests and visitors to explore hotel facilities and offers wherever they are and at any time. It is available for download from AppyHotel at the Apple store and gives iPad and iPhone users details of business services, hotel facilities, room amenities, services, things to do, updated restaurant events, spa treatments and special offers.

Lately, the Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach has installed a new mobile application offering hotel information. Customers can install this app in their iphone, computer, ipad and Mac. This is a free app that makes more guest use this. Nowadays, people are not only booking a hotel by phone but also acquiring the details of hotel on the phone or ipad. Moreover the information of the hotels is updating every day or even every hour. This is fast, convenient and effective for the guest. In the modern society, the higher satisfaction the customers have, the more successful the hotel can get.

The most famous restaurant reservation software -- Opentable, now has a competitor. Rezbook is the cornerstone of Urbanspoon's online reservation system, from which all the parts come together.The already spectacular iPad, with its wireless internet capability, is the main platform that a restaurant manages reservations from Urbanspoon with. While the software techonology in hotel industry developping very fast , in restaurant industry, the upgrade seems to be quite slow. Opentable covers1/3 restaurant reservation business in United States, but 15000 restaurants believed that they have no more choice. Even though OpenTable pulls the strings in online reservation,Urbanspoon, a relative light weight in online reservation, has created a system both refreshing innovative and beautifully simple. Rezbook maintains efficiency and ease of use while maintaining all the requisite features. It's a step forward. To make an analogy: Urbanspoon especially RezBook, the anchor of their reservation system, takes Apple's ethos of simplicity, functionality and style that have catapulted iPhone, iPad, and iMac to being the industry standard. Not coincidentally, Rezbook works off the iPad. This new system smells the trend of Apple products being used everywhere. The perfect combination will sure attract more attention. At the same time, Rezbook's join will sure help to improve the development of restaurant software.