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This article is talking about how the hotel cybersecurity keeps guest information data secure and why is very important. Most of the hotel has a really big database of the guest's personal information. Thus, it's easy to have security problems happen in the hotel. Hospitality organizations have to understand their vulnerabilities and always have to make a plan about how to protect hotel guest's data. This article also introduced 4 key areas cybersecurity teams need to focus on. First of all, instill security as a Cultural Norm. When the customer chooses the hotel to stay, which means they trust this hotel, they feel the environment is safe and they trust the digital assets as well. They will connect the Wi-Fi with their personal laptop or smartphone. Therefore, hotelier have to train their employee about provide the safety environment for their guests is necessary and everyone have to focus on it. Secondly, Think Beyond the Credit Card. Every billing system need to be protect customers personal and financial information, the hotel need to think about the multiple endpoints. Third, Be Smart About Responses. When the cybercrimes happen, they need to be reported responsibly and they have to know this thing at the first moment. Hotel have to keep training their security teams and be aware of some bad things happen. The last one, Don't sleep on Insider Threats. There is one thing that hotel have to focus on that the employee may steal data to sell it to other company.

This article mentioned how hotels do not have as many transactions as popular stores have but their transactions are typically more than grocery transactions. Hotels have a lot of personal information for many people and that information should not be leaked, never. It was mentioned that hotels need security as it is a cultural norm, you have to think beyond the credit card, be smart about responses, and don't sleep on insider threats. "Hotels are vulnerable to cybercrimes through a variety of avenues that break with the traditional physical security measures deployed across the hospitality industry. Keeping guests and their assets - both physical and digital - safe is paramount to preserving both the image and financial security of hotels."

This article provides an overview of the importance for hotels to have a centralized function and not outsourcing the hotel accounting, meaning that hotels should not use a third party provider. Companies are compelled to change, to innovate, and in need to keep up with the competition. It says that some hoteliers are choosing to outsource because is trendy, but not always function in their best interest. This article emphasizes the pros and cons, but mostly all the negative results of outsourcing, using other companies to do the work that should be centralized.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4083889.html My article highlights the cons of outsourcing a hotel's accounting system from a third party provider. The author mentions that in the hotel industry, technology is constantly changing and every hotel is trying to stay on trend and "keep up with Jones'". The main issue with outsourcing is the reduced level of service. "In a full-service hotel, the accounting department provides a long list of services: receivables, payables, payroll, revenue control, cash management, systems oversight, audit, food and beverage controls, purchasing, receiving, general accounting and budget/forecasting to name but a few." When you outsource, there is reduced attention to these details. If a hotel's own accounting department handles these daily operation segments, there is less likelihood for error and they will be able to work with the various departments to correct the issues. It also saves tons of money to handle accounting in-house. Another important issue that was raised is that if accounting is outsourced then there is no room for development for an accounting department; no growth, no promotions. A pro is that outsourcing gives a financial manager the ability to focus on the bigger picture and see where changes can be made. If they are bogged down with little details, they might not be able to be the leader the hotel needs.

The article discussions the pros and cons of whether a Hotel should out source their accounting to a third party. The author of this article strongly agrees that Hotels should not out source their accounting. The author finds it "unintelligent move". Many Hotel owners believe it's "trendy" and necessary to out source their accounting to keep up with their competitors. I agree with the author, that Hotel should do their accounting on site. Management would have better control over functions and departments such as; payroll, auditing, food and beverage management.

This article talks about the importance of the pay at the table technology due to cardholder data and new methods of payment such as Apple Pay where you pay via your smartphone. This article also addresses the positives of having an at the table pay system. Some of the benefits are higher table turnover and higher customer satisfaction. I like how the article mentions that the servers need to be trained to use the system but also inform the customers as to why this method of payment is being used- to keep their data secure.

In the business world, as well as in many other fields, accounting is used to report (account for) an organization's money and other valuable property. Accounting is utilized by all managers in business and especially by those in the hospitality industry. In fact, in almost every hospitality job, accounting is important. Accounting in the hospitality industry is utilized every time a guest purchases food, beverages, or a hotel guest room. Accounting in business occurs even before a hospitality facility ever opens. This is so because business persons estimate their costs before they decide to build their facilities and often seek loans from banks to help them. Those banks will assuredly want to know about the proposed business's estimated financial performance before they decide to lend it money. Accurate accounting is important to many other individuals in the hospitality industry. The owners of a restaurant or hotel will certainly want to monitor their business's financial condition. These owners may be one or more individuals, partnerships, or small or very large corporations, but they all care about the performance of their investments. Investors in the hospitality industry generally want to put their money in businesses that will conserve or increase their wealth. To monitor whether or not their investments are good ones, investors will always seek out and rely upon accurate financial information. When it is properly done, accounting is simply the process of providing that information.

StayNTouch has released a PMS Evaluation Scorecard designed to help brands to decide the right PMS for their needs and budget. The scorecard takes into account functionality, flexibility, maintainability, and usability. Making well-informed decisions when it comes to PMS is especially important, as the PMS represents the backbone of an operation. Moreover, with the multitude of options now available, choosing the right PMS can be quite the ordeal. The market is filled with a variety of products that suit a diversity of needs. From "traditional" PMS to web-based and cloud-based formats, such a choice can be daunting for a hotelier. StayNTouch's PMS Evaluation Scorecard is designed to simplify the process by weeding out the worst options, leaving the prospective consumer with only the highest rated matches.

Air Canada's new platform, NDC Exchange, which works outside of the GDSes, allows the airline to manage the way its bookings appear on travel agency registration systems. The system was created by ATPCO (Airline Tariff Publishing Co.) and SITA, the latter of which transforms the data while the former provides the data services that make it have the ability to run,. Recently, several GDSes, such as Sabre, Amadeus, along with other entities like Verteil Technologies, Serko, and more, have also began to utilize their own NDC Exchange program.

"The Future of Revenue Management " Hotel revenue management is moving front and centre of the overarching business model for many hotels, and this trend is only set to rise further. Revenue management undergoes constant change, more so than other departments. This is because it is rooted in technological capability. Technology will continue to evolve and more sophisticated methods of guest analysis will come to the fore, as revenue managers keep searching for ways of becoming more competitive. This constant change has contributed in large part to the expanding roles that today's hotel revenue manager is charged with carrying out. After all, it is through inventive marketing strategies that hotels can generate business. Ecommerce, social media, client engagement and relationship management have all become central to the revenue manager's job in order to drive business. The hotel sector is probably more competitive than ever before. Hotels aren't only competing with their cross-town rivals, but inter-city and even international counterparts. Online travel agencies, the rise of hostels, and high guest demands make the industry even more competitive. So, hotels are turning to guest analytics; and new technology is making efficient analysis that produces unique, valuable insights possible.

Agilysys Inc., is a "leader" in hospitality software that is known for its guest-oriented innovations that increase revenue for many facets of the hospitality industry such as hotels and cruise lines. Recently they created a solution to POS and PMS that have a very accessible user interface with the ability to use tools to help the ability to capitalize on revenue.These interfaces are widely used in hospitality locations such as resorts and hotels as they have the tools needed to be functional, such as front office operations, guest history, housekeeping, reservations management, with modules for accounting, activities, guest marketing, and many more.

This article talks about the increasing cyber threats in hotels and its consequences for the guests. The hotel guests are paying more attention to how their data is being stored, pushing hotels to make some much needed changes in their data security plan. Despite these pressures, many hotels do not have any proper protection measures. "The Hospitality Technology's 2017 Lodging technology Study showed that a surprising 74% of hotels do not have proper protection measures in place". Steps to prevent such breaches and avoid millions of dollars in loss and reputation damages are mentioned in this article. Some practical ways highlighted in this article are: Provide on-going staff training, implement mobile security plan etc.

The recent cyberattack at Marriott International Inc. has many hoteliers wondering what are the legal and business risks associated with security attacks? The recent breach at Marriott further proves the point that businesses should prepare now or be willing to pay for it later. In November 2018, the Bethesda, MD-based hotel company revealed there had been unauthorized access to the Starwood guest reservation database, which contained guest information relating to reservations at Starwood properties on or before Sept. 10, 2018. Businesses face a multitude of risk when looking at the potential consequences resulting from a cyberattack or breach. As we've seen recently with the Marriott breach, there can be significant impact to brand equity in the marketplace. This impact can be far reaching for publicly traded businesses, resulting in material impacts to businesses and business valuation, and long-term impact to user adoption. In addition to the downside risk from the market, businesses must also mount expensive defenses against litigation that increasingly takes the form of class actions. Reputation is important in every trade but is especially important in the hospitality industry. This, coupled with the fact that consumers are becoming more sensitive to privacy and security related issues, means that businesses in the hospitality industry must manage against these types of risk and allocate appropriate levels of funding toward information security. What should hoteliers learn from the Marriott breach? Pay attention. Marriott was aware that there was a potential issue shortly after it acquired Starwood, but did not, apparently, investigate in detail. Marriott may not have created the problem, but it bought the problem and didn't treat it with the seriousness that was necessary.

Last year, Harbortouch released a new POS system that had all the features of a standard POS while also adding new features such as an easier search function, online reservations, online ordering, and tableside ordering. The POS system is cloud-based and uses Android as a platform, making it easily adaptable to standard POS systems and tablets. The company also made things easier and more affordable to smaller businesses by having a monthly fee of $49 for these businesses to get the POS system and everything that it includes, such as onsite training, 2/7 support, professional installation and more.

A leaked MGM Grand memo posted by Vital Vegas states that beginning Feb. 4, "All guest elevators at MGM Grand will be modified only to allow access to the floor to which the guest is registered.

An MGM spokesperson told KTNV, "Our processes and procedures are always evolving as part of our focus on providing the best possible service and keeping guests and employees safe." The spokesperson said that the security change is not in response to any specific incident

The MGM Grand in Law Vegas is implementing new changes into their security protocols in response to different violent events that have occurred within the last few years. Changes like this are necessary to "stay on top of the bad guys". In the past, anyone had access to most floors in the hotel. Additionally, this will allow the hotel to track and record any suspicious movement occurring and report it.

This was a very interesting article, it discussed how virtual reality and augmented reality are reshaping the event industry. Many high end brands are using it in their events to immerse the attendees. Additionally it is being used pre-event by both the attendee and organizer. The attendee can use it to pick their seats at a show and the organizer can use it to inspect a remote location without having to physically be there. I believe in the next few years we will see more events take advantage of VR & AR technology.

In this article titled "What Makes a Good Point-of-Sale System?", the author focuses on the advantages of an efficient POS system along with the key features that a POS system should have. According to Viknesh, "The appeal of POS technology lies in its interoperability - POS technology can function on desktops, laptops and tablets, as well as mobile devices such as Android phones, iPhones and iPads that function on different platforms, making it the optimal choice for small businesses, non-profits organizations and charities". For instance, on a retail level, a POS system not only manages customer transactions but it allows connectivity with cash registers, barcode scanners, receipts and credit card terminals. A POS ultimately offers a competitive advantage to larger players, and thus, it is important to identify key features that the best POS software should have, and which are effective for one's business. These include the whole hardware package, robust inventory management features, sales tracking capabilities, accurate and timely data, security features and reliable POS support. Having a complete POS system ensures quick turnaround times. For instance, if a customer is able to pay seamlessly by being given a choice on the mode of payment, such as credit card, cash, etc.., then they will feel it is effective and quick. Additionally, having a built in inventory system allows businesses to keep track of inventory levels in real time. Identifying which items are running low in order to replenish is crucial to ensuring customer satisfaction. Tracking sales and having the ability to generate reports helps further understand inventory and areas of room for improvement. A POS system should also offer accurate and timely data, especially if it has cloud computing for efficiency. In addition, considering that there is the risk of security and confidential data compromise, it is crucial to have a POS system with data encryption technology. Lastly, a business s

HRIS (Human Resource Information Systems) are needed to enable beneficial HR management and payroll functions. This system allows companies to keep track of data pertaining to employees like name, address, phone number, social security number, job title, employment history and education. This article explains how in order for companies to have a strong Talent management system they must first have their HRIS in order. The HRIS should be in order because it can provide the Talent Management Systems with data that can make auto processing easier and faster. Job codes, job titles and job grades are data elements in an HRIS that can help span all Talent Management modules. In result, this can make recruiting, retaining, and rewarding employees a simpler process.

Not all ADP systems are created equal. While the system is advertised as scalable In my experience the options for smaller operations leaves much to be desired. They have become the most prevalent system and can be a valuable experience for anyone entering the job market.