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jbrit055

Cloud Computing: Explained for the Hotel Industry - 7 views

  • if you want a more efficient, streamlined back office and happier guests, then “the cloud” can help you meet your goals
  • cloud-based applications are usually a lot cheaper than traditional systems.
  • cloud computing is when you use programs, store files, or access data via the internet rather than on your hard drive.
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  • When an application is “cloud based” it means that it lives on third party servers.
  • Avoids costly and painful installations
  • Eliminates negative depreciation (in fact, the software gets better with age, since updates can be made at any time) 
  • Pushes software companies to consistently earn customer loyalty with innovation and great service
  • No discussion of cloud computing in the hotel industry would be complete without mentioning Cloudbeds, the first property management system startup in years to serve 1 million beds with its software.
  • Hotels that use Cloudbeds log into it directly in a web browser like Internet Explorer or Chrome. This is a big advantage for hotels because you can access the application on any device.
  • When a system is cloud-based, it can innovate faster because changes can take effect immediately.
  • Implementing cloud-based software can make your operations more efficient, save time for your employees, and create more positive guest experiences.
  • Another reason for Cloudbeds’ rapid growth is that their software can easily integrate with other tools. Cloudbeds has an extensive marketplace of integration partners, including Whistle, TrustYou, and Oaky, that it can connect to via an API. Because everything is located in the cloud, a hotel doesn’t need to download any programs or plug-ins to add a new integration. These add-ons can offer upgrades and analyze reviews, among other things, so you can improve guest service and even earn incremental revenue.
  • if you want a more efficient, streamlined back office and happier guests, then “the cloud” can help you meet your goals
  • if you want a more efficient, streamlined back office and happier guests, then “the cloud” can help you meet your goals
  • Implementing cloud-based software can make your operations more efficient, save time for your employees, and create more positive guest experiences.
  • “The cloud” wasn’t created overnight; instead, decades of technological evolution led to cloud computing.
  • Requires minimal upfront investment
  • a cloud based hotel software company like Cloudbeds might choose to rent space with a company like Rackspace to host their application (and yours) or alternatively they might use a service like AWS. 
  • One of the biggest misconceptions about cloud computing is that files and applications don’t live on physical storage servers.
  • AWS tends to be more scalable for fast growing applications but as end users your guests won’t notice the difference so it’s really a matter of preference.
  • If you’ve ever edited a Google Doc or uploaded files to Dropbox, then you’ve leveraged cloud computing.
  • If you use Microsoft Office, you might create a PowerPoint on your laptop (local storage), but when you save the file, it gets uploaded to your Microsoft OneDrive, which is housed in the cloud.
  • Benefits of Cloud Computing
  • lower switching costs for buyer
  • you can sign on securely via any web browser - even if you’re off-site.
  • t the same time, users can submit feedback to Cloudbeds about any bugs or glitches, which the Cloudbeds team can resolve quickly.
  • you may even save some money in your IT budget
  • your hotel can implement a new system seamlessly
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    Cloud computing offers a more efficient way for hotels to keep up with data and programs for their company. When a hotel uses cloud computing, they are able to create more of a positive experience for their guests. It also is extremely helpful to use a cloud-based system because hotels could access their cloud-based application on any device. Cloud-based software also gets better with age because the updates can be made at any time so this will get rid of negative depreciation.
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    cloud computing is when you use programs, store files, or access data via the internet rather than on your hard drive One of the biggest misconceptions about cloud computing is that files and applications don't live on physical storage servers. When an application is "cloud based" it means that it lives on third party servers. Cloud computing provides several advantages over traditional computing: Avoids costly and painful installations Requires minimal upfront investment Allows software companies to focus resources on R&D/innovation Eliminates negative depreciation (in fact, the software gets better with age, since updates can be made at any time) Offers the ability to cancel at any time (plus has lower switching costs for buyers) Pushes software companies to consistently earn customer loyalty with innovation and great service integrate with other tools...These add-ons can offer upgrades and analyze reviews,PIE revenue management tool, a channel manager, a booking engine, and more operations more efficient, save time for your employees, and create more positive guest experiences
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    This article explains what cloud computing is, the evolution behind the technology, and how the hotel industry uses cloud computing. Cloud computing can benefit hotels because they can use any device to log into cloudbeds on web browsers.This type of technology can make everyday operations more efficient, save employee time, and create an overall positive guest experience.
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    This article explains what we've learned of Cloud Computing. The evolution to its upcoming may have taken a while but now it is here to stay. The use of Cloudbeds in the hotel industry has made operations more efficient, save time and money on employees and improves guest experiences. Cloudbeds has expanded its property management system to include: PIE revenue management tool, a channel manager, and more. The use of Cloudbeds is accessible through any web browser, this makes it efficient if you were working at home. Cloud computing is the next innovation we will see more of in the hospitality industry.
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    This article introduces you to cloud computing and its evolution. It also explains how the hotel industry can benefit from using cloud services. "Implementing cloud-based software can make your operations more efficient, save time for your employees, and create more positive guest experiences." Through the use of CloudBeds, a hotel employee can sign on and use property management software securely from any web browser.
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    This article talks about the use and benefits of cloud based software for the hotel industry. It gives a simple explanation of how the cloud works. The major point that I found interesting is the usage of this software and how it is easier for hotels to stay up to date because any update in the system happens in real life at the moment without having to update individually every terminal
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    The article discusses the hotel industry's adoption of cloud computing. By using cloud computing, you can use programs, upload files, and access data over the internet instead of storing them locally. Cloud computing and local storage are used together in some applications. In addition to hardware, software, training, and maintenance, IBM offered an extensive range of services. Due to Cloudbeds' ability to integrate with other tools, they have experienced rapid growth. Integrations can offer upgrades and analyze reviews, among other things, so you can provide better service and increase revenue. By implementing cloud-based software, hotels can stay ahead of the competition, save time for employees, and give their guests a better experience.
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    This article describes what cloud computing is, and what it isn't, so people understand how it can be seen in the industry. The storing of data on the internet has been a huge innovation as it expanded storage beyond the typical storage offered on a device. By switching to this new technology, businesses may minimize future investments as the technology tends to work for many years and only requires quick updates. By researching what your business and customers need, you can make the right choices on whether this investment is worth it or not for your property.
tvill22

Future of Hospitality with Artificial Intelligence. - Artificial Intelligence + - 0 views

  • hospitality industry has been among the industry’s hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic over the past two years
  • AI is the future of hospitality
  • The researchers foresee a 10% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the course of their forecast period from 2021 to 2026. 
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  • As customers prefer limited human interaction to minimize transmission of the coronavirus, AI is the best alternative.
  • Personalization  Occupancy and Room Optimization  Booking and Staff Interaction  Updates and Maintenance  Reputation Management
  • But as the concierge retired or moved on to another job, the information required to deliver this personal touch would often be lost. 
  • No matter how friendly the staff is, waiting is annoying.
  • AI-driven check-in counters that use facial recognition to greet you by name and take you through the check-in process faster. 
  • Hotels dealing with international guests no longer need to struggle with translations. Instead,
  • AI-driven software not only produces numbers but also shows trends.
  • That means, as a manager you receive an accurate prediction of when occupancy is likely to drop.
  • Chatbots are the ideal tool to deliver a personalized answer in a timely manner.
  • Combine that with AI’s language translation capability, and you will also avoid misunderstandings which t
  • hen lead to awkward situations later on
  • It may not seem obvious, but according to UCLA housekeeping staff has one of the highest injury rates not only in the hospitality industry but in the entire private sector.
  • , but AI can also analyze the tone of the conversation. As a result, it can function as a type of early warning system, letting you know when there are critical comments you need to address.
  • At the same time, when your bots find positive comments, they can reply by thanking the customer for those comments whilst at the same time referencing those in your database
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    This article addresses the future of AI in hospitality. It starts by addressing COVID 19 and how this affected AI in the hotel industry. They then go on to talk about all the benefits that AI can bring. One thing I learned form this article that i didn't know was that housekeeping has the highest rate of injury in the hospitality industry. I was shocked to learn this.
alomariee98

Cloud Computing in the Hospitality Industry | Some Interesting Facts | SOEGJOBS - 1 views

  • Cloud Computing in the hospitality industry has already started to play a crucial role. May it be SaaS in the Hospitality Industry or infrastructure-related services; the cloud is sure to play even a bigger role in future.
  • Cloud Computing is definitely one of the biggest innovation in the hospitality industry and for almost every other industry
  • So, now you see the opportunities your hotel business can have in terms of shifting some or all of your software services to the cloud and saving huge on costs. Plus, cloud computing gives you more flexibility
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  • It’s a mixture of SaaS, PaaS and IaaS. Which means Cloud Computing in hospitality can play a big role through Software as a Service, Platform as a service and Infrastructure as a service.
  • Most of the hotel businesses pay fortunes to the Online Travel agencies as commission.Cloud computing in hospitality has made the technology available to even small and medium businesses.
  • Hotel businesses now don’t need to give away most of their profit to online and offline travel agencies. They can improve their own website and start taking direct bookings.
  • 95% of people have used the cloud in some way or the other but are not aware of it.
  • 87000 companies have already migrated to the cloud.
  • The hospitality and travel industry can save huge costs by integrating cloud computing in a lot of their service offerings.
  • Plus, cloud computing gives you more flexibility. It is the future with technology taking the front seat as far success within any industry is concerned.
  • Best practices for improving direct bookings include using technology to your advantage. Cloud computing just makes all this a lot cheaper and convenient.
  • Hospitality businesses which know the importance of cloud ensure that their services are seamlessly integrated.
  • Data Analytics in the hospitality industry is already used to the best advantage for understanding and acquiring customers.Cloud computing and data analytics can go hand in hand for the benefit of the business on the whole.
  • It’s cost advantage and automation advantage that would continue to be key to success in the hospitality industry.
  • In fact, over 65% of companies in the USA had shifted to the cloud by 2011 itself. Think of the number by now.
  • Cloud computing is a revolution that is becoming a commodity across all industries.
  • Cloud computing is just about managing things through remote services rather than through local infrastructure like Hosted Virtual Desktop , Cloud servers, file storage like dropbox GPU Dedicated Server and more.
  • Cloud computing does have a bigger impact on a lot of other industries than it has on the hospitality industry. However, its impact and importance are increasing even in the hospitality sector.
  • Cloud computing is just about managing things through remote services rather than through local infrastructure.
  • So, there is a big chance that you are using cloud computing in more than one way.It can be for saving and viewing pictures (Facebook, Dropbox etc.).
  • over 95% people have used it but might not be aware of it.
  • Hospitality businesses which know the importance of cloud ensure that their services are seamlessly integrated.
  • Technology is becoming a major driving force as far as the success for hospitality organisations are concerned
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    Cloud computing is proving to be the way to go. It's pros are much more than the cons, this including the financial saving any company can have by implementing cloud computing. "95% of people have used the cloud in some way or the other but are not aware of it." Cloud computing is becoming essential for hospitality, specially hotels and resorts, because of the flexibility it provides the business. Also because people are becoming used to certain services that are only possible because of cloud computing. Benefits of cloud computing can be allowing clients to check-in and out without having the need for a front desk clerk. This alone saves time and money for the business and guest alike.
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    Over 87,000 companies have already migrated to the cloud. Due to cloud hotel business don't have to give away their profit to online and offline travel agencies because they have improved their own website to where they are taking booking straight from their own website.
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    In this article, there are discussions on many interesting and helpful facts about cloud computing in the hospitality industry. Cloud computing plays a very crucial role in the industry, and has changed the game for the industry in such monstrous ways. It has been extremely helpful for the hospitality industry, making the functionality of a business much simpler. An example of one of fun facts about cloud computing is that it makes taking bookings from guests a breeze. "Hotel businesses now don't need to give away most of their profit to online and offline travel agencies. They can improve their own website and start taking direct bookings". It can eliminate a hotel having to outsource or pay a third party company to take their bookings, meaning that the hotel can take home all the profit and not have to give a cut to someone else. Another fun fact touched on in the article is that by 2021, "Over 50 billion devices would be connected by Cloud". This is beneficial for hospitality companies (and in other industries as well) because data analytics that are found in cloud usage can help build a better customer experience, and that "services are seamlessly integrated". Overall, cloud computing in the hospitality industry has been increasing over the years and will further shape it into a more technologically advanced industry.
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    This article is showing us that cloud computing is a big innovation in the hospitality industry as well as other industries. It tells us that cloud computing is a mixture of SAAS, PAAS, and IAAS. It shows us a diagram explaining why it is a mixture and it also gives you different opportunity ideas. The article is mostly mentioning hotels and different examples like how cloud computing makes it more convenient to be able to do a faster check-in. Technology really is becoming a major driving source regarding hospitality.
claudecole

AI in the hospitality industry: Benefits, applications, and use cases - 1 views

  • Science-fiction once claimed that humans would one day live together with robots who would make our lives easier.
  • In recent years, AI is becoming increasingly vital in the hospitality industry owing to its capacity to do traditionally human tasks at any time of day. This might save hoteliers a lot of money, minimize human mistakes, and allow them to provide better service.
  • Customer service is especially important in the travel sector, as hotels often live or die depending on how they treat their clients. The options for improving this element using AI are nearly limitless, ranging from improved personalization to targeted recommendations.
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  • The introduction of AI has drastically altered hotel operations. The tremendous number of jobs that front-desk employees are expected to handle demonstrates how different the situation would be without artificial intelligence.
  • A phone system with AI can intelligently route calls. Basic queries can be answered by chatbots on the internet. Remote check-in systems that are AI-connected can allow customers to check into their rooms using a smartphone app without ever having to stop at the front desk
  • To use the data you have on your hotel’s behalf, you must first sort, organize, cleanse, parse, and transform it into something that humans can understand. To put it another way, you must find a means to delete inaccurate or duplicated data, arrange it so that it makes sense, and then present it in a human-readable style, such as charts and graphs.
  • AI, on the other hand, enables personalization on a far deeper level, affecting the very core of the guest experience. It also helps you save time, money, and effort by enhancing efficiency.
  • For example, an AI chatbot linked to your Facebook Messenger can answer queries from visitors and collect basic information to save in your database. This information can then be utilized to tailor future interactions with the guest. You might design special offerings that cater to their specific needs, such as child-friendly accommodations, all-inclusive stays, or experiences that include a hotel room as well as tickets to nearby events or shows.
  • AI may assist you in ensuring that you get it right while also increasing efficiency and accuracy. You won’t have to look very hard to find proof of this. You almost certainly employ both a property management system (PMS) and a point of sale (POS) system. Both of these use AI to assist you to handle bookings, offering add-ons, and adding them to customers’ bills, among other things.
  • Artificial intelligence embedded in the software you use every day, such as your PMS and POS, allows for greater efficiency, a stronger relationship with your visitors, and, ultimately, greater hotel success.
  • Hilton Hotels’ First Robot Concierge, Meet Connie.
  • AI chatbots, for example, have been popular on social media platforms to allow customers to ask questions and receive near-instant responses, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Hotels benefit from this because it allows them to achieve response speeds that are nearly difficult to achieve through human-to-human interaction.
  • Predict passenger flow using predictive analytics and machine learning to avoid airport overcrowding.Based on the current operational state, as well as prior data and patterns, machine learning can be used to assess the probability of delayed departures.By studying typical baggage mishandling and breaking points, conditions, and settings, developers can leverage machine learning skills construct a virtual assistant to proactively track baggage.
  • AI and machine learning can be used to incorporate real-time feedback into workflows. This can help assess whether or not a guest is happy with their room.
  • RPA is capable of automating dull and repetitive operations. AI is capable of detecting demand patterns, forecasting corresponding prices, and even calculating human resource requirements.
  • Hospitality businesses can use AI and machine learning to determine which aspects of their loyalty program appeal to clients and which are deal breakers. By examining emotional activity, sentiment analysis (which uses Natural Language Processing) can help organizations comprehend positive, negative, and neutral viewpoints.
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    This article details the increasing and already abundant role that AI technologies are playing in the day-to-day operations of hospitality companies. It goes into depth about how these advancements are using analytical data to provide a better guest experience while also taking information from outside sources to focus on aspects of the operation that need improvement or things that are being well received. The process of AI implementation has also allowed for the customization of guest experience allowing guests to be catered to 24/7 offering insights and calculated suggestions.
tashaemunnings

Robots are coming to hotels, but how long will they stay? | Popular Science - 0 views

  • Rather than saving labour, the robots actually required the hotel to increase staffing in order to assist and repair the struggling robots.” 
  • Saving costs is a key reason hotels have for wanting to employ robots. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, contactless service was likely another, which reignited some of the interest for robots in this space
  • robotics systems and AI platforms are far from perfect when it comes to working out all the privacy concerns, such as how they will store data from users and safeguard against hackers.
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  • for the level of technology that is currently available, simple robots that do repetitive, predictable tasks, like room delivery, luggage carrying, or vacuuming, tend to fare better in the hotel work environment. Robots that had to handle more customer service interactions, or complex tasks, had more mixed results. 
  •  
    The hospitality industry is beginning to employ robots to perform many of the tasks we'd typically expect human employees to perform. They are programmed to perform tasks such as fulfilling guest requests and responding to guest inquiries. Some hotels, however, have taken it a step further by replacing half their staff with robots and attempting to program them to perform other tasks such as assisting guests with their luggage. This turned out to be more of an issue than it was helpful as guests found that these robots could not climb stairs or go outside. Guests staying in hotels where robots' tasks were simpler tasks such as vacuuming, and room delivery had better reviews than those tasked with more complex tasks such as customer service interactions.
kjeewan

Biometric Identification in Hotels and Casinos - 0 views

  • Biometric applications are particularly useful at the places where a lot of customers, members or visitors enters or exits a facility, or require identification or verification.
  • A hotel guard may not force guests to prove their identity, but what when there is a no guard and just a fingerprint scanner, where you need to put your finger to open the door?
  • Since hospitality employees are not expected to be too rigid, this part can be shouldered on biometric technology. Customer issues at hospitality outfits may sometimes be ego-driven, but showing ego to a machine is of no use and customers understand that.
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  • On the other hand, hotel room access based on guest biometrics provides an integrated solution that is connected with the hotel management systems. Since there is no need to card, keys or any other form of possession, there is no fear of losing them or getting them stolen. Biometrically logged entry exit presents strong proof that only guest entered the room and no one else.
  • They can also be provided with access to assigned hotel facility in the package like pool or casino, which are also secured with a biometric access method like fingerprint recognition. The underlying system also keeps record of guest’s whereabouts and generate reports when needs, e.g. at the time of billing, checkout or audit.
  • Managing preferences of returning guests beforehand give them an idyllic experience and more business to the hotel in long run. This can be efficiently achieved with a hotel management system equipped with biometric ability. Preferences of a guest can be associated with their biometric identifiers, which are instantly fetched when they scan their biometrics in future check-ins and hotel staff can surprise them every time they visit.
  • A biometric powered check-in can give guest the experience they want and deserve. Registering their biometrics (for example, fingerprints) and enabling access to the room in the hotel management software will give them frictionless access to their room and concentrate on the next thing they want to do.
  • Biometrically secured entry / exit to a service / facility area will require guests or members to scan their fingerprint or face to enter the facility and will log the time spent in the facility area.
  • It also prevents any outsiders from using hotel facilities such as pool or casino that are reserved only for guests.
  • At the time of billing, a guest may insist on not availing a service that has actually been availed and forgotten. Biometric based entry and exit records present authentic proof of services availed.
  • biometrics is not just about customer convenience or security, it can be deployed for in-house applications like employee attendance, time tracking and to improve payroll efficiency. Keeping track of employee in and out timings brings in payroll transparency and managers can make sure that employees are being paid for the hours worked and not for breaks. It also curbs time theft and timesheet manipulation within an organization. Time theft and timesheet manipulation is a disastrous activity, in which an employee misinterprets amount of time she has put to complete an assignment or a project. When done on purpose, the time is spent in personal or other activities unrelated to the work and logged in payroll system, putting burden on company funds. A biometric based clock-in and out system can eliminate the possibility of timesheet fraud as employees have to be present to clock in or out time, they ask someone else to do it for them.
  • The biometric guest ID and preference tracking system facilitates keyless entry for guest rooms, eliminating the need for cards or keys. It facilitates automated check in fingerprints kiosks, whereby guests can check in with a simple touch of their finger. Billing becomes dramatically easy and reliable and customers can be reliably charged with biometrically authenticated logs of their entry and exit to facility area.
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    I decided to do further research on Biometrics software in hospitality because we use it at the Four Seasons where I work in the Residences department. Biometrics is a technology that scans your fingerprint and grants you access to areas designated by management. This is useful in residences and hotels because as an owner or guests, only you will have access to your apartment or room. The article mentioned how as technology evolves, there is a debate as to whether guests will want to give their fingerprint. Too much security could be seen as a nuisance but too little security puts guests at risk. Having a Biometrics system in place at a hotel ensures that only hotel guests are patrolling the property or floors with rooms. Another interesting aspect is using Biometrics to remember returning guest preferences such as floor height, food choices, allergies, etc. This system could be put into place at check-in so that right away the front desk knows the guest is returning and can be made aware of their past preferences. Benefits of Biometrics mentioned in the article is not having to deal with room key cards, added security on property, seamless check-ins as well as even paying for items on property. A guest might not even need to take their credit card around because they can just use their fingerprint to pay at the pool, gift shop, etc. Behind the scenes, Biometrics is important as well. A hotel can use Biometrics to track employee attendance, clocking out for meals and to ensure only employees are accessing closed off areas of the property.
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    Biometrics can be used by companies for employees to clock in and clock out to ensure timesheet accuracy. It can be used by companies as a security measure so that guests are where they are permitted to be. It can be used for easy check in and billing and payment verification if there are issues. Biometrics can also be used as a way to collect guest information for example their preferences.
smend120

Advantages Of Cloud Computing For Hotel Industry - 5 views

    • abroo041
       
      This article is discussing the benefits of using cloud computing in the hospitality industry, specifically, in hotels. With all cloud computing, the biggest overall benefit is that users no longer have to stress over attempting to maintain their data on their own. This article also goes into detail on how cloud computing can cut costs, improve guest experiences, promote direct booking, and allow industry professionals to work remotely.
  • Now, businesses don’t have to burden themselves by storing data in traditional in-house servers; rather, they can opt for a cloud service that would store their data in secured data centres.
  • Infrastructure as a service (IaaS), Software as a service (SaaS), and platform as a service (PaaS)
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  • By making use of cloud computing, as a hotelier, you pay only for what you demand. It specifies that your upfront costs are kept low as you are only paying for the computing power and cloud storage which your hotel actually needs.
  • The need for hardware overload in your hotel is brought down, because of which your electricity bills are also reduced by a huge margin.
  • also shortens the project time resulting in costs cutting and higher productivity.
  • An added advantage of cloud computing is that it frees your staff from their otherwise fixed terminals and lets them work independently and even more efficiently.
  • increased in the speed at which the guests access the products and services, thus only creating seamless hotel experiences for them.
  • Also, one of the major benefits is the real-time update — it makes the process much smoother and cheaper, and saves a lot of time.
  • However, when you put your hotel process and management on the cloud, it provides you with the flexibility to access it and work on it from any part of the world — all you need is a steady internet connection and a smart device (a laptop, or a computer, or mobile phone or tablet.)
  • When it comes to the benefits of cloud computing in the hospitality industry, the list includes enhanced guest experiences, massive reduction in costs, faster services and their seamless access, software and service security, and more flexibility.
  • cloud computing has transformed businesses
  • hospitality industry, cloud computing has done wonders
  • reshaped the structure of the industry
  • from increasing operational efficiency to lowering the management costs.
  • better guest experience and increase the revenue of the property.
  • ringing down costs like energy, hardware and operations
  • increasing inclination towards the use of cloud computing in the hospitality industry, they don’t need to always rely on travel agents all the time
  • hotel check-ins can be done from smartphones or tablets
  • cloud computing has transformed businesses
  • cloud-based services are now replacing the old and traditional systems at all levels. Infrastructure as a service (IaaS), Software as a service (SaaS), and platform as a service (PaaS) have all become the first choice of cloud computing services for many hospitality businesses. And they are all charged up with the amazing benefits of cloud computing.
  • Over the past few years, cloud computing has transformed businesses from across the world, irrespective of their industry. Today, the demand anytime, anywhere access has skyrocketed, and cloud computing is delivering just that — all you need is an internet connection with good bandwidth.
  • businesses don’t have to burden themselves by storing data in traditional in-house servers; rather, they can opt for a cloud service that would store their data in secured data centres.
  • There are several benefits of using the cloud and they have helped several hotels across the world to strengthen up their business — from increasing operational efficiency to lowering the management costs.
  • Advantages Of Cloud Computing For Hotel Industry
  • In the hospitality industry, Cloud Computing is a mixture of PaaS, SaaS and IaaS. It operates on the model of Use, Builds, and Migrate.
  • By making use of cloud computing, as a hotelier, you pay only for what you demand. It specifies that your upfront costs are kept low as you are only paying for the computing power and cloud storage which your hotel actually needs.
  • Hoteliers Can Cut Huge Business Costs With Cloud Computing
  • cloud computing can benefit hoteliers by bringing down costs like energy, hardware and operations. The need for hardware overload in your hotel is brought down, because of which your electricity bills are also reduced by a huge margin. Cloud computing in the hospitality industry also shortens the project time resulting in costs cutting and higher productivity. Hence, if you shift your software services to the cloud, your hotel business would witness a significant number of opportunities.
  • Cloud Computing Leads To Improved & Enhanced Guest Experiences
  • The two main purposes of an efficient and effective hotel PMS are: offer the hotel staff the best set of management tools assist you to ensure the top-notch guest experience
  • An added advantage of cloud computing is that it frees your staff from their otherwise fixed terminals and lets them work independently and even more efficiently.
  • Being on the cloud also means that hotel check-ins can be done from smartphones or tablets and not only through the hotel front desk.
  • Direct Bookings Are Made Easy With Cloud Computing
  • There was a time when hotels used to payout huge commissions for bookings to the online as well as offline travel agencies. However, with the increasing inclination towards the use of cloud computing in the hospitality industry, they don’t need to always rely on travel agents all the time. Hotels can upgrade their hotel website with cloud-powered services such as web booking engine that can be integrated to the hotel PMS. Also, one of the major benefits is the real-time update — it makes the process much smoother and cheaper, and saves a lot of time.
  • Cloud Computing In Hospitality Industry Makes Working Remotely Possible When you as a hotelier is not present in the property, managing the operations gets a little tougher. However, when you put your hotel process and management on the cloud, it provides you with the flexibility to access it and work on it from any part of the world — all you need is a steady internet connection and a smart device (a laptop, or a computer, or mobile phone or tablet.)
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    Cloud computing makes sense to work business in a cloud setting. The article states that Cloud computing has "transformed businesses" throughout the world. We learned that a disadvantage of Cloud is the dependence of Internet connection. With Cloud computing, you can share and store data. This can be a better way to run business. We have learned that Cloud computing is more scalable, secure, and reliable. Cloud computing cost less, and you can pay for what you need. Cloud you can customize what you need, to your specific needs. The article even mentions it "lowers management costs." Unlike unintended PMS, which can require maintenance, and be highly costly. We discussed in our video lecture from this past week, how hotel check-ins are being done from smart phones- as this article includes. This is beneficial for enhancing guest experience, and increasing the speed of check-ins. Travel agents have their own way of how they conduct themselves, their business, and the services he or she provides. However, the article shows how with Cloud computing, you would not need to depend on travel agents. Furthermore, Cloud computing can increase sales and revenue for a hotel property. Cloud computing is replacing traditional PMS system's and have a multitude of benefits.
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    Hoteliers today are joining in on the trend of the use of cloud computing. Some benefits of cloud computing include the increase of operational efficiency, lowering management costs since the hotelier only pays for what they demand. Energy costs and hardware operation costs are also decreased. It allows for hotel check ins to be done via smart phones and tablets and not just at the front desk upon arrival, and it also allows for hotels to not have to rely on travel agents all the time for bookings which saves them having to pay commission to travel companies.
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    No matter the industry, cloud computing has changed organizations all around the world in recent years. Today's need for access at any time and from any location has soared, and cloud computing is supplying it. All you want is a reliable internet connection. Businesses might choose a cloud service that would store their data in safe data centers rather than burdening themselves with traditional in-house servers to store data. At all levels, cloud-based services are now taking the place of outdated and conventional technologies. Many hospitality firms now use cloud computing services offered by infrastructure as a service (IaaS), software as a service (SaaS), and platform as a service (PaaS). And they are all fired up with the incredible benefits of cloud computing. Cloud computing can benefit hoteliers by driving down costs like energy, hardware, and operations. Your hotel's requirement for hardware overload is decreased, which significantly lowers your electricity costs. The hotel sector uses cloud computing to speed up projects, which reduces costs and increases efficiency. An efficient and effective hotel PMS will help you to ensure that your guests receive a first-rate experience and will provide the hotel employees with the best set of management capabilities. Another benefit of cloud computing is that it frees your personnel from stationary terminals, allowing them to work more independently and productively. Due to the cloud, guests may now check in at hotels using their smartphones or tablets as well as the front desk. Working remotely is possible thanks to cloud computing in the hospitality sector. Managing the business becomes a little more challenging when you, the hotelier, are not on the premises. However, putting your hotel management and operations in the cloud gives you the flexibility to access and operate on them from any location in the world.
chadidscha

Why CapEx spend is rising-and how hoteliers are spending money | Hotel Management - 0 views

  • Hanson said it’s important to remember that a hotel that looks new and fresh will outperform a hotel that doesn’t.
  • Curb appeal is No. 1
  • Hotels are adding new tech in lobbies, including directory boards with interactive screens and big-screen TVs, he said.
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  • Another trend Hanson sees is that hoteliers are spending money on improvements that offer no additional stream of revenue. For example, a huge area of improvement comes in the way of adding more internet bandwidth.
  •  
    The article address the importance of today's capital expenditure and how it attracts new and recurring guests to its properties. Some of these capital expenditures are executed for solely esthetic reasons, even adding more bandwidth to the internet is done to show its clientele that they no longer offer just the average features anymore.
matthewpadillaes

Better tech and decision-making are hotel trends to watch for in 2022 | PhocusWire - 0 views

  • This dynamic is one of the key factors that has required a change in the way hotels operate. Hoteliers have had to find the most efficient way to run leaner and sometimes less knowledgeable teams, as well as using smart ways to onboard and train up newcomers.
  • As the pandemic continues, we expect that many hotels will be forced to re-examine their tech stack and could end up directing a large proportion of their focus and investment towards adjusting and simplifying their hotel operations technology over the next year.
  • Another consequence of pandemic cost cutting has been reducing in-house tech teams so in this environment, where there is minimal tech support and a great deal of newcomers to the industry, operations technology has to be intuitive to use, fast to roll out and it must add value quickly upon installation.
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  • Hoteliers need to be able to make the best decisions for their operations and guests which are based on real-time insights and data. When it comes to groups and multiple property hotels, hoteliers want to ensure consistency of brand across departments and properties, something that guests are expecting more than ever during COVID-19.
  • Housekeeping teams and those working in hotel operations have faced one of the most challenging times in their industry and have adapted at incredible speed, so it is important to take note of this and celebrate your team. That way hotels can help create a new generation of loyal and motivated hotel staff.
  •  
    As the pandemic continues to create changes in the world hotel management are forced to adapt to new ways to make better decision-making abilities for the future of their establishment. One factor is retaining staff and attracting new groups as some hotels face labor shortages. 2022 has the potential to be a great year for the hotel industry as we continue to take the pandemic in our stride.
waldjustin13

10 robots automating the restaurant industry| 2021 Trends | Fast Casual - 1 views

  • From cocktail-making to burger-flipping, many food and beverage businesses are beginning to discover the benefits of using robots to improve their productivity.
  • The automation revolution has begun.
  • make 10 loaves per hour,
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  • Aside from being pretty damn cool and bringing innovation into businesses, customer-facing robots can help reduce human contact, a significant benefit at COVID-19.
  • Recently acquired by delivery startup DoorDash, Sally is a salad-making robot, mixing up to 8 fresh ingredients from vegetables to salmon into a compostable bowl in just 90 seconds!
  • Cecilia.ai is a smart, interactive bartender that can be placed almost anywhere, serve mixed drinks in less than 30 seconds, and give customers guidance about the menu using AI and speech recognition.
  • The entire process can be automated in this modular and customizable system, starting with spreading the sauce, topping it with cheese, then adding pepperoni and three more ingredients and baking the pizza.
  • Picnic can produce hundreds of pizzas per hour with just one operator, allowing the rest of the staff to be occupied with the rest of the food
  • The startup recently raised $16.3 million and has plans to install its robot in schools, stadiums and hospitals.
  • The Mini Bakery, built and designed by Wilkinson Baking Company, is a fully automated system for baking bread. It does all the mixing, shaping, proofing and baking, allowing bread to be sold hot and fresh directly to customers just like a vending machine
  • Even though the system was built for supermarkets, we don't see any reason why it couldn't be used in restaurants or hotel kitchens.
  • This countertop device makes authentic artisan gelato, fruit sorbets, frozen yogurt and ice coffee using biodegradable capsules, which can also be used as the serving bowl. Solato is ideal for small cafes and restaurants looking to upgrade their menu with fresh ice cream without wasting precious space and money.
  • can flip burgers and make fries
  • The system includes the Miso Analytics platform, which provides deep insights and improves food quality with cooking precisely as defined.
  • Among the company's clients are CaliBurger and White Castle, where it flips over 10K burgers and fries more than 12K baskets every month.
  • The Dark Kitchen, also referred to as ghost kitchens and virtual kitchens, is a kitchen space devoted exclusively to delivery-only restaurants, a trend that has seen a meteoric rise since the global pandemic began in 2020.
  • Beastro can be customized to automatically prepare any type of dish, prepare about 45 dishes per hour, collect analytics, and fully integrate with Cuismo, the company's online restaurant, and dark kitchen management software.
  • The company partnered with craft breweries in NYC to give customers high-quality coffee at a reasonable price, automatically made by a 20-square-foot kiosk that serves the cup using three little magnets.
  • While TrueBird's primary business model is to open dozens of automatically operated coffee shops in public spaces across the country, we can see no reason why you shouldn't set up one in your hotel or airport lounge.
  • ACUR-C by Japanese company Smile Robotics is an automatic robot for serving and collecting dishes in restaurants, clinics, nursing homes, hotels, and more.
  • The robot moves autonomously between tables, picking up trays with its robotic arm and bringing them back to the kitchen.
  • They can automate the food or beverage-making process, save money and human resources, enrich menus, make fewer mistakes, reduce food waste, and work 24/7 without a raise.
  • Another innovation for the hospitality industry is Milkit, a patented milk-tap solution that saves time, energy and money
  • With its unique milk bag, the Milkit device pours precise amounts of milk, saves up to 4 seconds per coffee cup and eliminates the need for storing milk bags.
  • Most of these systems are still quite expensive and are intended for filling in the gaps throughout the workforce (a major issue created by COVID-19), either to work alongside human employees so they can focus on more complex tasks, or just to serve as additional revenue sources or a tourist attraction.
  • already being used by several Israeli restaurants and hotels, as well as Starbucks in Germany.
  • As technology advances and AI becomes more accessible, it is no wonder that robots for the food and beverage industry are becoming more commonplace.
  • We believe that we will see more and more robots and machines in restaurants and hotels, making delicious meals or mixing fantastic cocktails.
  • Innovating the food and beverage industry is essential and will be beneficial for both the business and the customers.
  •  
    This article discusses 10 robots that are helping to revolutionize the restaurant industry. These robots are really making an impact in the food and beverage industry by stepping in and filling workforce gaps due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The article mentioned that even though these robots have the ability to replace humans, it's very unlikely that will be happening anytime soon. Furthermore, a majority of these robotic systems are still quite expensive and are intended to work alongside human employees so they can "focus on more complex tasks." If you are interested in salad making robots, pizza robots, and my personal favorite the fully automated micro-cafe that creates coffee, then this will be a great read.
  •  
    This article discusses 10 robots that are automating the restaurant industry. There are robots that make cocktails, pizza, burgers, coffee, ice cream, etc. Business are starting to discover the benefits of using robots to improve their productivity. Since the pandemic began, these robots have become increasingly used and all industries have started to take notice. In the future, it is likely that new generation technologies like these will replace front line workers.
Adam Herrmann

IT Investment-Calculating the value of an IT investment - 1 views

  • This article will give you the basic skills necessary to analyze and create a valuation for a proposed IT investment.
  • Basic IT Investment Analysis Terminology
  • Capital Expenditure (CAPEX)
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  • Depreciation
  • Cash Flow
  • Discount Rate
  • Net Present Value (NPV)
  • discount the net inflow less the net outflow into a single value. If the number is positive, then the project would add value to the organization and if the NPV is negative, it would lower value of the organization.
  • Inflows: The inflows or benefits resulting from an IT investment can be subjective and less exact. Often times, the benefit of an IT investment is savings in time, client satisfaction or other "soft" numbers.
  • Outflows: Outflows are typically easier to estimate but some can be subjective as well.
  •  
    This article will give you the basic skills necessary to evaluate a proposed IT investment.These skills can be used in any industry including hospitality. At the beginning, it explains some basic IT investment analysis terminologies. Then it introduce two IT investment analysis methods: NET PRESENT VALUE; PAYBACK PERIOD. It also contains some link that would teach us how to use EXCEL to calculate data.
  •  
    This article explains how important it is to analyze and interpret new forms of IT technology to make the best purchase or investment. The articles starts by describing terms used in IT Investment. The first term is Capital Expenditure, which is any expenditure not for the usual maintenance and upkeep of the hotel or restaurant. For example, a Capital Expenditure would be obtaining a new PMS or renovating your banquet facility. The next term is Depreciation, which everyone should know is the amount of money lost on an investment of the course of its life. The third and fourth terms are Cash Flow and Discount Rate. Cash Flow is "the movement of cash in and out of the business", and Discount Rate is "analysis based on the dollar being worth more today than in 5 years". The second part of the article talks about investment techniques used. Many methods are used to help make sound investment decisions like NPV. NPV is Net Present Value, which is an assessment of long-term profitability of the investment made by adding together all the revenue over its life and deducting the costs involved. Another technique used to evaluate an IT investment is the Payback Period. This helps to evaluate how long it will take to make back your initial investment in the IT. The article goes into grave detail on both of these methods and believe this article can be very helpful for hotel/restaurant managers and owners when determining which investment should be made.
mmdmd99999

Disadvantages of Cloud Computing - Cloud Academy Blog - 0 views

    • darielmolano
       
      Despite its benefits, cloud computing has its disadvantages. An outage could happen as well as downtime. Now, there are ways to minimize the effects of downtime and outage such as multi-region deployments
  • Cloud computing has benefited many enterprises by reducing costs and enabling a focus on one’s core business competence
  • here can be disadvantages to cloud computing, especially in smaller operations.
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  • key disadvantages and share tips and best practices that your teams can employ to address them.
  • Since cloud computing systems are internet-based, service outages are always an unfortunate possibility and can occur for any reason.
  • Best practices for minimizing planned downtime in a cloud environment
  • storing data and important files on external service providers always opens up risks.
  • Their dependence on remote cloud-based infrastructure meant taking on the risks of outsourcing everything.
  • Best practices for minimizing security and privacy risks
  • Even the best teams suffer severe attacks and security breaches from time to time.
  • Best practices to help you reduce cloud attacks
  • Since the cloud infrastructure is entirely owned, managed, and monitored by the service provider, it transfers minimal control over to the customer.
  • Best practices for maintaining control and flexibility
  • asy switching between cloud services is a service that hasn’t yet completely evolved, and organizations may find it difficult to migrate their services from one vendor to another.
  • Best practices to decrease dependency
  • Pay-as-you-go cloud services can provide more flexibility and lower hardware costs, but the overall price tag could end up being higher than you expected.
  • Best practices to reduce costs
  • the suitability of cloud computing for your specific use case should be assessed in a risk-based evaluation.
  •  
    Cloud computing has its disadvantages like outage and downtime
  •  
    This article speaks on some disadvantages of Cloud computing all while providing ways to tackle these threats. For example, other than the main and common disadvantages it also touches on is the switching between cloud services. This can be seen due to the lack of growth within the cloud system. Eventually the gaps between servers can cause risk of security and loss of information.
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    cloud computing disadvantages: downtime, security and privacy, vulnerability to attack, limited control and flexibility, vendor lock-in, cost concerns
mandalysha

How Hotels Can Drive Increased Revenue and Loyalty By Offering a Reciprocal Value Exchange with Guests | - 1 views

  • As privacy concerns related to data capture reach a fever pitch, consumer data – perhaps better described as the critical currency which powers personalization – is becoming a protected commodity.
  • Over time, privacy and personal data protection concerns began competing with consumer desire for a data-driven, personalized experience.
  • Industries like hospitality, which rely on retrieving traveler information to curate more relevant messaging, offers, experiences, and loyalty rewards, must adjust their approach.
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  • Data is valuable, and it’s due time for hotel operators to establish a two-way value exchange that incentives guests to readily share their information to unlock a heightened experience.
  • hotels cannot offer a great guest experience without prioritizing data protection and transparency; one tier of service (personalization) cannot come at the expense of another (privacy and consent)
  • If hotels elevate their efforts to meet guests’ expectations for customized offers and experiences, and treat personalization as a strategic priority, they will see immediate benefits that deliver long-term results.
  • 80% of consumers are willing to share personal data to earn loyalty program benefits. 70% of consumers are willing to share their data to receive special discounts and offers. 71% of consumers will shop more often with brands or retailers that personalize their communications.
  • Next-generation technology sets the stage for this dynamic by allowing hospitality brands to offer their guests data control and value in a seamless, scalable fashion.
  •  
    With privacy being a concern in the hospitality industry, hotels are incentivizing a customer sharing information with a heightened personalized experience. Customers are willing to share personal data to earn loyalty program benefits, receive special discounts and offers, and will shop more often with those brands that personalize their communications.
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    Even though we are aware that generally, individuals are more inclined to do things when there are benefits to them, this new exchange of data for access to certain benefits has now placed that transaction at the forefront of my mind. This is because schemes are not being applied to secretly obtain customers' personal data, but rather the customers are willing to share them. This exchange is beneficial to guests since they earn travelers' consent, unlock richer experiences, better service, and high long-term loyalty. In my opinion, this is a fair trade. Thanks for sharing this article on "How Hotels Can Drive Increased Revenue and Loyalty By Offering a Reciprocal Value Exchange with Guests."
vriverol

Hoteliers: Prioritize Digital Identity Verification in 2023 | Hospitality Technology - 0 views

  • In a digital age where travelers crave instant, one-tap experiences, no hotel can afford to isolate itself - and digital identity verification is a crucial cog in the mobile check-in experience.
  • Digital ID technology validates that an ID is authentic, further mitigating fraudulent activity and deterring bad actors. In addition to scanning their ID and providing biometric data, guests must take a photo of themselves which must fit specific criteria - including visible facial features and clarity of the image - which is then cross-verified for authenticity.
  • Digital identity verification eliminates the friction of another touchpoint in the guest journey, allowing travelers to bypass the front desk, check-in, and access their room key with a few taps on their device.
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  • With the added encryption and authentication of digital ID verification, hotels can protect guests from malicious attempts at identity theft and ensure their own defense is in place to shield them from fraud.
  • Hotels have a legal obligation to keep paperwork of their guests on file. However, gathering details and scanning the ID of each guest is not only time-intensive, but also creates room for error. By integrating digital identity verification into the mobile check-in process, hoteliers can ease multiple pain points across their operations: first, by removing the need for front desk staff to check each guests’ ID against their profile; second, by automating what is a legal requirement.  
  • Mobile check-in and digital identity verification should perform the heavy lifting on mundane operational tasks - such as scanning IDs and handing out key cards - freeing up staff time to focus on other elements of the guest experience.  
  •  
    This article touches on the advantages of using biometric digital identity verification in hotels. Guests that have traveled a long way are going to be exhausted and irritated if they need to stand in a long check in line. Using digital identification can not only help speed up the check in process, but also make it more secure. Front desk workers will not have to worry about mixing up documents or mishandling the guest's sensitive information, and will also be freed up to focus on other tasks. This can also help the hotels avoid chargebacks or fraud, as they can prove the guest was there and the added encryption will help stop identity theft.
Mirta Echazabal

How it can go green and Green initiatives - 1 views

  •  
    Opportunities for adopting green initiatives are becoming more and more common in the hospitality industry. IT updates and implementations have become a sustainable practice to reduce cost, provide a better guest satisfaction and environmentally friendly. One of the ways to start off the green initiatives is by effectively reducing energy and paper consumption; this gets done by using smart phones to replace key cards and using emails to reduce paper flow. Another green initiative is the effective technology practice such as energy star which is the system that powers down a computer automatically after it has not been used for a period of time. The use of digital media (social media) instead of print media is a fantastic way to save money while lowering the impact on the environment. Green initiatives are coming up pretty fast and are required to have a strong commitment but all vary depending on the size of organization, demand of business and location of doing business. I have seen many hotels implementing green initiatives in their facilities which at first can become extremely costly but in the long term very cost effective and environmentally friendly and expand the guest experience. I have seen hotels that have a HVAC system which senses the presence of someone in the room, this system puts the AC temperature high when room is vacant and lowers the temperature when it is occupied. Additionally the lighting of the room works the same; it turns on when someone is present and automatically turns off when the room is vacant. Just these two initiatives alone can save the property millions of dollars in a period of a year. In my opinion, going green is a great way to benefit every one involved, the guest, the environment, and cost efficient (long term) for hoteliers. The green initiative has not yet been a giant boom, but in a few years a larger amount of guest will prefer to stay in a green environmental friendly hotel then with a non green hotel. I believ
emilywest5

Big data and analytics in tourism and hospitality: opportunities and risks - ProQuest - 0 views

  • The purpose of this paper is to examine and provide insights into one of the most influential technologies impacting the tourism and hospitality industry over the next five years, i.e. big data and analytics. It reflects on both opportunities and risks that such technological advances create for both consumers and tourism organisations, highlighting the importance of data governance and processes for effective and ethical data management in both tourism and hospitality
  • This paper identifies and examines key opportunities and risks posed by the rising technological trend of big data and analytics in tourism and hospitality. While big data is generally regarded as beneficial to tourism and hospitality organisations, there are extensively held ethical, privacy and security concerns about it. Therefore, the paper is making the case for more research on data governance and data ethics in tourism and hospitality and posits that to successfully use data for competitive advantage, tourism and hospitality organisations need to solely expand compliance-based data governance frameworks to frameworks that include more effective privacy and ethics data solutions.
  • Technology (and its rapid development) is one of the key megatrends and driving forces that are seen to shape the future of tourism (Yeoman, 2012, 2018; Yeoman and McMahon-Beattie, 2018) via changes that will impact the way tourism and hospitality providers interact with travellers.
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  • A recent business report on key megatrends and market disruptors suggests that technology and new ways of engaging and interacting with customers are fuelling the rate of disruption as currently businesses are able to reach new customers in new ways and can reinvent customer engagement around service and convenience (Boumphrey, 2019).
  • One of the most important uses of data is to improve personalisation, travel companies using the information they gather to make specific adjustments to their offerings.
  • Currently, considerable amount of structured and unstructured data are produced globally (Nunan and Di Domenico, 2013; Verdino, 2013), a so-called “digital exhaust” (Wang, 2013; Barocas and Nissenbaum, 2014) that is passively generated by users of products and services using mobile devices (Shilton, 2009), an abundance of publicly available data shared on social networking platforms (Nov et al., 2010) and customer data and information purposely collected by tourism organisations’ booking systems or customer relations management (CRM) systems
  • This abundance of data and the act of processing data on a large scale has led to the concept of “Big Data,” which Mayer-Schönberger and Cukier (2013) define as “things one can do at a large scale that cannot be done at a smaller one, to extract new insights or create new forms of value, in ways that change markets, organisations, the relationship between citizens and governments, and more” (p. 6
  • ndeed, one of the latest Euromonitor International travel industry reports confirms that big data and analytics is expected to be the most influential technology impacting the industry in the next five years (Bremmer, 2019), followed by artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.
  • The use of data is viewed as a disruptive innovation in the tourism and hospitality industry, although it allows organisations in the industry to facilitate personalisation, offer convenience, save costs and overall gain competitive advantage (Evans, 2020).
  • These technological advances provide significant opportunities for businesses to harness the wealth of data to support their activities and gain competitive advantage. The efficient uses of data and analytics drive process and cost efficiencies and strategy and change (MicroStrategy, 2018).
  • In particular, in the tourism and hospitality sector, the effective use of big data is associated with revenue management (e.g. using and combining internal data, such as occupancy rates and current bookings, with external data such as information about local events, school holidays and flight information to forecast demand and maximise revenues); market research and strategic marketing purposes (e.g. identifying customer trends to best cater marketing opportunities); customer experience and reputation management (e.g. social media conversations and online reviews, service usage data and internal feedback via customer surveys). A good example of an organisation that successfully uses big data to gain competitive advantage is AirBnB (Evans, 2020; Guttentag, 2019).
  • These concerns have been intensified by recent global cyber-attacks and more specifically by significant data breaches in a wide range of industries and sectors, including the tourism and hospitality industry (Armerding, 2018; PwC, 2016, 2017). The hospitality industry is now in the media spotlight because of high profile breaches (PwC, 2016, 2017).
  • One of the biggest data breaches of the 21st century has affected one of the largest hospitality companies, Marriott International. Starting in 2014, the data breach occurred on systems supporting Starwood hotel brands, which were acquired by Marriott in 2016 and affected ∼500 million customers worldwide, with the breach only being discovered in September 2018. Data and information on names, contact information, passport numbers, travel information and other personal information were compromised, and information on credit card numbers and expiration dates of more than 100 million customers was stolen (Armerding, 2018).
  • Indeed, the 2018 Global State of Enterprise Analytics survey found that globally 49 per cent of companies surveyed believed that the primary challenges organisations most commonly face are data privacy and security concerns (MicroStrategy, 2018). Similarly, another recent industry report shows that over 40 per cent of tourism industry professionals claimed that data privacy and cybersecurity are one of the most influential factors impacting digital commerce in this sector (Bremmer, 2019).
  • Not surprisingly, privacy is now the top data issue and concern for organisations
  • When selecting analytics solutions, tourism and hospitality organisations are required to address the growing concerns around privacy and security of customer data by putting in place well-designed data governance frameworks capable of providing quality data and be able to provide effective frameworks of data security and protection for all stakeholders
  • Potential frameworks for ethical data management and digital privacy specific to tourism and hospitality would need to identify, in addition to the protections afforded under the recent General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (ICO, 2018), how data is collected, what it is used for and who has access to it and why
  • Big data and analytics are playing a crucial role in digital transformation efforts of organisations in general and in the tourism and hospitality industry, thus driving greater effectiveness and efficiency and the strategy to define new business models and bring about successful change (Evans, 2020; MicroStrategy, 2018)
  •  
    This was about the risks in the hospitality and tourism industry when it comes to big data and analytics. Big data is so important in the hospitality industry because it's how companies know who to cater to and with what and how. In addition to the importance of big data, there are risks that come with it. A few risks are data leaks, hackers, etc. Companies invest money in their systems so these things are avoided.
sosor012

The Pernicious Side of Electronics: The Growing Problem of E-waste - One Green Planet - 0 views

  • E-waste produces tonnes of toxic waste each year
  • In 2022, it was predicted that as many as 2.13 billion PCs, tablets, and mobile phones were shipped worldwide
  • requires a concerted effort from tech giants, consumers, and governmental bodies worldwide.
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  • The first step towards reducing e-waste is increasing consumer education
  • Another crucial step is improving the design of electronic devices to be more sustainable.
  • more aesthetically pleasing than before. Often, these shortcuts make devices harder to recycle at the end of their lives.
  • Local infrastructure needs to be improved to help consumers easily recycle electronic goods instead of hoarding or unsafely discarding them
  • . Designers must figure out how to create products that are both beautiful and can endure far longer
  • E-waste is a growing problem that requires immediate attention from stakeholders worldwide.
  •  
    The article "the pernicious side of electronics: the growing problem of e-waste," discusses e-waste and what we can do as a community to eliminate the issue. E-waste produces tonnes of toxic waste each year and it was predicted that within the last year around 2.13 billion PCS, tables, and cellphones were shipped worldwide. To eliminate this issue moving forward we must increase education on the harmful impacts of e-waste, improve designs for more sustainable electronic devices, and upgrade infrastructure where the consumer is able to recycle electronic goods safely.
chadidscha

GDS Technology : Overview, Pros Cons and the Future Ahead - 0 views

  • If you want to gain better marketing exposure without shelling out for additional marketing costs, investing in a GDS is a wise decision. The system places your property in front of numerous clients without dipping into your marketing budget
  • - GDS also reap the benefit of reaching untapped segments for your property.
  • Another perk that comes with a GDS is the ability to update product information in real time.
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  • As the industry becomes more collaborative and more inclusive, so does the technology. Some GDS firms are recognizing the need to include non-GDS, independent hotels in their searches in order to offer a better range of choices.
  • In addition to the positive economic outlook, the technology of GDS itself is proving to be a powerfully tool. With greater reach and increased visibility, GDSs make the jobs of agents easier, and in an information- based industry, ease of work is a high selling point. The GDS will have many more obstacles to face in its evolution, but the future looks bright for this inclusive booking software.
  •  
    The article discusses the pros and cons of the GDS. It also addresses the role it plays for helping smaller businesses in standing out to a large group of potential customers. Furthermore, the GDS has gone through many changes since the 1970's, but it is still thriving and overcoming new obstacles today.
blope130

The Next 100 Years: Innovators and Disruptors Shaping the Future of Hospitality | Cornell SC Johnson - 1 views

  • Whereas innovators develop “new products, processes, or business models to create value for customers or employees, “disruptors,” according to Professor Kim, take it a step further by “significantly [changing] how the industry works.”
  • Kim noted that while disruptors often “seem threatening,” most of them actually fail—it’s more important for incumbent companies to play to their strengths than to try and expand into every avenue.
  •  
    The article highlights major points of the next one hundred years for disruptors and innovators in the hospitality industry during a keynote webinar among female leaders at Cornell Nolan School of Business. According to one of the keynote speakers, Professor Kim, there is a difference between innovator and disruptor. Innovators create "new products, processes, or business models to create value for customers or employees," while disruptors "significantly change how the industry works". We are all aware of the major disruptor to the hotel industry which is Airbnb; however, according to the article, there are other disruptors such as CitizenM, a modular hotel company and Sonder, a short-term rental company. However, these disruptors should not be seen as competition because most start-ups actually fail. Hotels should rather make space for the disruptors and focus on enhancing on their companies' strengths. It is recommended that hotels formalize specialized teams that can create new products to build on the hotel's strengths. Personally, I believe that it is possible for smaller hotels to work in partnership with local Airbnbs. To do this, they can offer a specialized program with reputable Airbnb owners to offer their place as a recommendation with the same hotel perks if the hotel is fully booked. In this way, the hotel can take a percentage of profits rather than losing all profits to another hotel. Nonetheless, the implementation of cell phones is a driving force for innovation and disruption in the hospitality industry creating more convenience for guests. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic is still driving innovation such as contactless technology, work from home arrangements, Virtual reality and Metaverse. In conclusion, the panelists commented that future disruptions are unpredictable, and companies must look at both smaller and larger companies for changes.
rnobl005

How Facial Recognition Is Shaping the Future of Conferences - Skift - 5 views

  • How Facial Recognition Is Shaping the Future of Conferences – Skift
    • rnobl005
       
      MODULE 2: Hardware and Software (Rebecca Noble) I did a deep dive into recent developments in the hospitality software world and came across this article from September of 2017. It focuses on facial recognition software and there were some really great takeaways that I thought would be beneficial to share with all of you. The software mentioned here definitely falls under Application Software. The article gives multiple examples of how facial recognition software can be utilized in the hospitality industry, specifically events and conferences. The main benefit of this from an event planner's perspective is easing the registration process which the article mentions is one of the most difficult parts of event logistics. Coming from an events background I can definitely attest to this statement. In one instance, Zenus (the software mentioned) made the check-in process run 5 times faster for attendees to uploaded their photo to the system compared to those who didn't. Thanks to this innovation, event planners can use their time more efficiently. Instead of focusing on the headache of check-in they can make sure the actual conference is running on track. The article also says that it's not as expensive as you would think. Additionally, this benefits attendees too because they can zip through registration and get right to the trade show floor or speaker they want to hear. The end of the article mentioned another application of the facial recognition software: a "smile swag" vending machine. Hampton Hotels tapped into the experiential aspect here - people were interested in getting a prize but they also wanted to see how the machine worked. What I liked about this is that it made technology fun. I noticed a lot of students in the lecture video thought that technology puts barriers into the hospitality industry because you lose the personal connection. But here software doesn't come off as cold. Hampton encouraged people to smile and in doing so hopefully g
  • High-tech software companies and event production firms are rolling out new technologies
  • improve event security, streamline the check-in process, and measure the attendee experience.
    • rnobl005
       
      These are some of the benefits of incorporating the facial recognition software at a conference or event.
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • speeds up the check-in process, prevents registration fraud, and adds an extra level of security to an event or conference by ensuring that the person who registered for the event is actually the person attending
  • Of the more than 250 guests that attended, most of whom were in-house corporate event planners, 126 used the facial recognition check-in, resulting in a process that was five times quicker than the barcode or QR system used at the previous year’s events.
    • rnobl005
       
      Here is where the article mentions the software's impact on how much it can speed up the check-in process. Attendees don't necessarily have to participate, it's more of an additional tool. Not everyone may be a fan of this type of integration at an event but I definitely would be.
  • “insanely cost-effective” option,
  • facial recognition can drive down the costs of check-in to less than a dollar per attendee.
  • You can use a basic Android phone or an iPhone or tablet to work with the process, so you don’t have to invest a lot of money to make that work for you,” Wynant said.
    • rnobl005
       
      I thought this was a really smart feature. The software works on platforms that companies already own potentially so there is little overhead financially.
  • Hampton Hotels partnered with agencyEA to create a vending machine that used facial recognition technology to dole out “smile swag.”
  • I think brands are starting to see it as having a really good opportunity to broaden what some of their goals are and engage audiences in new ways
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