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This article is about the POS system at Hilton hotels and how it was breached by malware that put consumer data at risk. I found this article interesting because Hilton does not use unattended POS systems, which are what are most commonly targeted in information phishing attacks. This is definitely something that affects all aspects of the hospitality industry, and we know that consumer data is very sensitive. Hotels and other hospitality agencies are trusted to maintain high levels of confidentiality. It would be interesting to see how such a malware would have affected a smaller company with less counterattack resources.

POS Restaurant Management systems market are expected to generate a $30 bn revenue by 2026. The cause of the demand for mobile POS systems is driven by the increasing demand and the rapidly growing popularity of wireless technology. Overall POS systems are essential in registrations of payments, sales operations, and icreases work effiency by reducing time and cost.

Subsidizing a product to get a long-term use commitment from a consumer base is nothing new; it existed before high tech hardware was made affordable by software or service agreements. Think about the razors you buy, assuming of course that you're not a fully bearded male. The initial cost of the razor isn't all that expensive, but replacing the razors for a month costs upwards of twice the razor itself. And if you've shopped for a printer lately, you know the same strategy applies here. The printer itself isn't the greatest expense over the life of the asset; the ink, which is required and usually specific to the device itself, is where you will spend the most money. The most well known form of subsidization, or at least most glaring, comes from the coupling of cell phones and cell service providers. An iPhone, for example, costs a lot more than most people actually pay for it. The new iPhone 5, the basic version with 16GB will run you $649. Not to mention the cost of new adapters, chargers, cases, etc. However, if you commit to (or renew) a two-year service contract with AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint, the phone itself costs $199. How does this work? The same way the printers and printer ink work. The service providers (i.e. AT&T) subsidize the majority of the cost of the phone in order to lock customers into a contract that ends up costing much more in usage and data charges over the life of the contract. The idea is to make the cost of entry relatively cheap. Then, the cost the company loses at the initial purchase is recouped through purchases, or service charges, over the long term. Unscrupulous? Not really, although some would say so after receiving their phone bill. But that has more to do with not being aware of the stipulations of the contract you sign to get the cheaper phone at the outset. Although I personally find it annoying, I try to look at as something akin to amortizing the asset, and remember that, at least for me, a monthly fee

The author stated that "now is the time to upgrade your POS system" for many reasons: 1. This will bring you a competitive advantage, when you are more connected compared to others. Because more than 40 percent of sale has been generating through web and mobile ordering, with these ordering will not only cut the cost but also improve customers' satisfactions.  2. Because of PCI compliancy standards, the POS update is not a need but a requirements for most businesses. With the new POS system, all the information regarding customers' identification, credit card, etc. or owner's data base will be well protected to reduce a risk of data breach. Important issue is that, many manager recommended to upgrade your hardware instead of software, since many error will be continued without changing new hardware. 3. The initial cost of upgrading POS is definitely an investment, but to gain advantage over your competitors and cutting the cost in the long run are worth it. 4. Some key features to look at when considering an POS upgrade : Fit to the business, connections, and business insight.

This article provides a brief overview of the emerging trends for hotel management information systems. The trends focus on easy mobile access, unattended point of sale, radio frequency identification and near field communications. An increasing number of hotel are using the the cloud for on the go mobile connectivity to their POS systems and revenue management software SaaS. You can manage your hotel from anywhere and be up to date instantly. This trend and the next eliminates the need for desk or office time. Lilipad has created an I-product that allows guests to perform their own transactions at I-Pad kiosk which eliminates time at the front desk. The other large emerging trend is tracking devices that can be implanted in phones or even loyalty cards that link to bank and credit card accounts replacing the traditional wallet. While other articles say there is no rush to cellphones replacing wallets just yet, hotels like Aloft are using RFID's in there loyalty cards eliminating the issue of room keys. Notice in all these trends that the face to face contact with guests that we hospitality students enjoy and train for is decreasing with every new technology.

The best of both worlds is described in this article using a cloud computing system, PMS and POS are integrated to a user friendly system that helps manage retail, food and beverage and rooms in one. The system maintains pricing structure thru out a group of hotels in real time.

Hotel technology vendors release functionality previously unseen in hotels - enabling better guest service and tighter control hetras, the developer of cloud-based hotel management software, and Vectron, a leading provider of point of sale systems for hospitality and retail, announced today the certified integration of their products. hetras, the developer of cloud-based hotel management software, and Vectron, a leading provider of point of sale systems for hospitality and retail, announced today the certified integration of their products. The new seamless interface between the hetras hotel management system and Vectron's POS provides, in addition to the standard features one has come to expect, a host of highly advanced capabilities long desired, but before today never achieved, in a hotel environment. Some unique features of the interface include: Automatic discounts for loyalty club members at the article level. Front office credit limit detection at the POS with multiple resolution options (e.g. allow charge to room, allow partial charge to room, deny charge to room) Full guest check detail can be sent to PMS enabling detailed folios and statistics in the PMS. POS discounts can be sent to PMS in detail for full tracking of discounts in the PMS or accounting system Extensive handling of house bons (e.g. for hotels staff) between PMS and POS Both charges and payments (e.g. cash or credit card) can be sent from POS to PMS.

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

In this article, mobile POS systems are discussed. Popularity of these devices such as iPad and other tablets are constantly growing. Point of sale computers can cost upwards of $20,000 which is a pretty penny for a restaurant. If restaurants were to switch to tablets and mobile POS systems, the cost wouldn't be the only benefit. With the iPads and tablets, owners and managers can track how many guests enter the restaurant on a daily basis. Inventory is kept up-to-date and is easily accessible for corporations. An interesting point made in the article is "In the same way that some customers continue to write checks in an age of online banking, some merchants will continue to use the older point-of-sale systems out of habit." The times are changing and technology is improving every day. The mobile POS systems allow for small businesses especially to use the money saved for something that can benefit the restaurant- perhaps new equipment for the kitchen. This article describes a program that PayPal recently began to offer. PayPal agreed " to waive transaction fees for the remainder of the year if a business replaces its cash register with an iPad operating PayPal's free mobile-payment technology." The top three tablet POS systems are Groupon, Square and NCR. Each of these have their pros and cons, but over all, they are significantly less expensive than the only bulky POS system.

Being a technology kid it is interesting to see how things use to be even just a few short years ago. The different 10 years can make in the POS systems restaurants use is a huge. As times continue to change, most restaurants will be going from POS terminals to POS tablets. Changing to tablets is much more cost effective especially for smaller businesses that need to save wherever possible. Just like when POS terminals came out, there are now a number of tablet POS systems to choose from. Big companies like Groupon and Square have POS systems created for different hospitality segments. Although there are some wonderful creations with the tablets, this form of technology is not made for every business. It gave an example of a company who opened with tablets but within a year forked over much more for the traditional POS system.

The hospitality industry began to develop the mobile point-of-sale (POS) technology. Technology vendors brought POS capabilities to consumers' own devices. Hospitality Technology has scanned many of the latest releases in point-of-sale technology to help restaurants keep up-to-date on mobile solutions. For example, Tabbedout, a secure mobile payment solution, allows patrons to open, view and pay their tabs, for free, with an iPhone or Android smartphone. Another example is Micros Makes Memorable Menus. An interactive restaurant menu and marketing portal built for the Apple iPad that enables restaurants to showcase upcoming events, programs, food and beverage menus, and daily specials; as well as to facilitate tabletop ordering and payment processing.

This article describes the implementation of SaaS (software as a service) in the hospitality industry. It is forecasted that by 2020 the packaged software will decrease to 10 % of all new installations. Hospitality industry, a 24/7/365 fast paced business, is totally dependent on the functionality of its internal systems. On demand platforms in every category are needed in the hospitality industry to maintain continious performance. Essential property management systems (PMS), point of sales systems (POS), service and marketing systems as well as guest engagement platforms are often provided as SaaP nowadays. Cost savings, flexibility, scalability, employee productivity, and guest service are named among the benefits of SaaS. However, there are some disadvantages such as the issue of integration and interfacing. Sometimes there are more than 50 systems used to manage a single property, so the provider should be able to guarantee their complete integration. The author states, that SaaS will enable hotels gather information about the guests, their preferences and habbits not only from their own records, but also use other resources, including those from different industries. This gives the hotels an opportunity to provide excellent service to the guests. However, I suppose that using guests' profiles gathered by other institutions might be not legal in some states. Thus, hotels need to consider that while making a decision.

This article is a good one that demonstrates how GDS are now more often used than times before. The article states that the 2011 Global Travel Agent GDS study demonstrates how important GDS platform and shopping Displays are to the travel agents. They stated the 84 percent of those who took the survey stated that they are using the GDS just as much or even more than they did in the pass and 35 % of these stated that they were using it more than they did in the pass. The article explained how these numbers have greatly increased since 2009 where only 26% agents admitted that they used the GDS systems more than before. This study is 2011 reaffirmed Travel Click's projection, which was that GDS hotel bookings would surpass %50 million in the year 2011. This was far more than that of 2010. The article goes on to explain how the GDS will improve the booking and services of the industry all around. Furthermore, the article went on to explain a worldwide survey conducted for agents who were among the largest GDS in the world and some 495 responses were collected. The survey was conducted by Phoenix Marketing International, which is and independent marketing research firm Travel agents were indicated that promotional messages were effective and prompt during bookings and 66% of these agents request additional information about it. While, 68% of these agents looked into the GDS for more information. After this survey was complete the agents who were aware of promotional messages, 46% of them made North American bookings within 3 months as a result of the promotional messaging and 44% made non- North American bookings. The survey itself shows that promotional messages were and excellent way to get the agents interested. In the article it is quoted how the promotional messages acts in a chain reaction to reach the agent and then the customer, which allows sales all over the world.

GDS provides a perfect virtual marketplace for travel inventory sellers such as hotels, airlines, and car rental systems to showcase their wares to a global Internet travel audience. The GDS is a natural outlet for hotels, resorts, and even smaller inns that want to increase revenue and online marketing exposure. As the GDS channel produces one of the highest average daily rates of any booking channel, there is a huge opportunity for hoteliers to influence travel agents through the GDS at the point-of-sale.

Yes, GDS is of great importance for tourism development. It provides such a huge market of tourism information for customers, airlines, hotels, travel agents and any parts included in the tourism. Someone said that GDS will end travel agent, however, in my opinion; they have their own advantages and will supplement each other in the future.

I found this article very interesting because it gives us a walk through of the evolution of POS in the hospitality industry. Since the very beginning hotels and restaurants have relied on keeping record and storing data. Throughout the years there have been great breakthroughs that have made the life of the employees easier as well as lead to greater productivity. It makes me happy and feel very fortunate to live in times where work has been facilitated and has made work for efficient and reliable. I am sure that there is still much work to be done and many adjustments to be made but we are on a good path.

I like your reflection about the article very much because as you mentioned "it walk you through" the different stages of technology through time. Our industry had evolute from the paper record keeper all the way to a very efficient data storage and operating systems. I cannot even imagine what the future will withhold for the lodging industry.

The article focuses on trends that companies utilizing a POS system should look at deploying. Bolstered by figures supporting the success of the emergent trends, the article seeks to encourage operators to make the move sooner rather than later. The most prominent trends revolve around more efficient payment access. Customers appreciate the speed and available payment options. Companies are also able to manage customer data effectively and securely while also managing inventory and marketing. AI integration is also a forward trend that is allowing businesses to tailor their tactics to each customer individually. Perhaps the most important trend that is affecting other transaction systems as well is cloud based POS.

the article gives examples of retail stores and how they use proximity marketing to promote their products

This article takes you through why your restaurant may want to switch to a Cloud-Based POS. There are many positive attributes associated with making the switch, such as; data accessibility, cheaper operating costs, easier upgrades, less frequent downtimes, increased security, and adaptability. If you are a growing business, the Cloud would grow with you.

Cloud based POS systems can be apprehensive at first, but we are always satisfied once we are able to se the technology work to keep the business safe, effiecient and also more profitable. Cloud based POS systems are speedy and saves a lot of time which frees up staff to do other things in the establishment.

This article discussed the benefits of switching from a localized POS system to a cloud-based restaurant POS. The article touched on how cloud-based systems provide real-time data and how that instant data could provide a management team real-time solutions. You can save so much time and money by identifying issues before they even arrive. I found it very interesting that with cloud-based systems you have the "ability to add on a mobile POS unit that provides a number of benefits." With this option, your servers do not have to run back and forth to a POS station. They simply have the option in the palm of their hands. It also decreases the time spent waiting for a check or credit card to return to the table. This not only increases guest satisfaction, but helps with table turnover. The article also touched on how cloud-based POS systems are "better enabled to grow with you." They are super adaptable and the article mentioned that restaurants can update their menu whenever, launch new loyalty programs, and help with more precise inventory tracking. This article also touched on setup, increased security, staff accountability, and the ability to make better business decisions due to the cloud software being able to provide extensive business insights. Finally, the article touched on POS cost and how " upfront costs are kept to a minimum and monthly subscription fees are lower." It also ended with a case study about Homegrown Hospitality Group and their switch from Aloha to Upserve Cloud-based POS. It was very interesting and I'd recommend everyone read the brief two paragraphs about how the switch changed their business trajectory.

This article throws the popular notion that social media is one of the most important point of contact with customers for a loop. It points out that social media, like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, is only a customer engagement channel not a distribution channel where you can measure important date like return on investment. It is limited to building relationship and engaging guests. This article exposes a channel that can do all of this plus generate sales and measure ROIs as much as $33 for every $1 spent. It is direct marketing. Direct marketing motivates customers to "take action, to pick up the phone or click through your website." It can attract specific target segments with specific, tailored messages to get them to act. The article offered a quiz for hoteliers to measure how good hoteliers' sales strategies are, if they scored low they offered them to take up direct marketing. It is the ideal medium for them to reach consumers and generate direct sales. I did not think that direct marketing was such a strong and motivating factor in reaching consumers and generating sales. I have always had a negative view on it because of its cost and vague way to reach out. But I must agree, it is a more accurate way than Facebook or Twitter in measure the success rate of their investment.

Over the few years, travel agents are using booking through Global distribution systems. Hotels however are having to pay a 20% booking fee when people book through GDS. Travel agents are also now using Airbnb, and alternative booking, because they aren't seeing any commissions on them. GDS is a large computer network that represents a single point of entry to travel agents and meta search sites. GDS are heavily used in the business and corporate travel accounts. GDS corporate business typically delivers more revenue for hotels because business travelers usually eat and drink in the hotel, rather than travel outside the hotel and spend money. Travel agents use commissionable and non-commissionable booking that, where commissionable bookings must add typically 8-10% agency commission on top of the GDS fees. GDS can be a good source of incremental bookings and increase margins.

Over the few years, travel agents are using booking through Global distribution systems. Hotels however are having to pay a 20% booking fee when people book through GDS. Travel agents are also now using Airbnb, and alternative booking, because they aren't seeing any commissions on them. GDS is a large computer network that represents a single point of entry to travel agents and meta search sites. GDS are heavily used in the business and corporate travel accounts. GDS corporate business typically delivers more revenue for hotels because business travelers usually eat and drink in the hotel, rather than travel outside the hotel and spend money. Travel agents use commissionable and non-commissionable booking that, where commissionable bookings must add typically 8-10% agency commission on top of the GDS fees. GDS can be a good source of incremental bookings and increase margins.

This article focuses on how Mobile technology is changing the way the hospitality industry is utilizing POS systems. Ever since the rise of tablet  computer usage, open system POS solutions that integrate multiple transaction methods have become increasingly more popular. Entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry are opting to go with systems that follow clients and offer better table-side service. Instead of using the traditional POS system terminals, business owners are going with a POS system that can be run on mobile computers through an internet connection.  Mobile POS solutions are becoming more and more popular in the restaurant and hospitality business. Retailers are delivering different mobile applications, such as personal shopping solutions as well as encouraging customers to use their mobile devices to receive promotions and other marketing incentives. In january 2012 it was reported that almost half of all tablet computers are being used for some kind of shopping transactions. 

When considering mobile technologies, many hospitality managers are not convinced of the potential benefits resulting in enhanced guest engagement, improved customer satisfaction, and increased consumer spending. The common goals of mobile technology implementation are acceleration of guest traffic, heightened interactivity, promotion and sales of goods and services, and gathering of feedback relative to the guest's experience. Mobile services include special website configurations, fluent marketing campaigns, location-based activities, digital couponing, and point-of-sale settlement. Currently, the fastest growing segment of m-commerce service is mobile payments featuring cashless and cardless payment platforms. If not already in place, hospitality management should consider business payment choices of coin and currency, credit and debit card, and mobile options.