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Dongyun Oh

Red Robin CIO Drives Change Through IT Management - 0 views

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    Statistically speaking, CIOs don't become CEOs. But it's not because they don't want it. Research shows that nearly half of CIOs aspire to become chief executive, but only four percent actually get there. Much more frequently, CEOs for the world's top companies - about half in fact - come up through C-level financial or operating roles (Vanson Bourne, 2012). Chris Laping, CIO of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers (www.redrobin.com), strongly believes this is because technology executives are too often focused on engineering and it solutions to embrace their most valuable leadership quality: the ability to manage change. Technology leaders, he believes, possess powerful project management skills that can and should be leveraged across the business for even the most non-it initiatives, with the particular role of being agents for change. Laping's official role at Red Robin is indicative of that practice: he's the company's senior vice president of business transformation and CIO. In that role, he oversees the company's technology, learning and development, enterprise project management and operations services teams. In this exclusive interview with Hospitality Technology, Laping shares how the technology team has taken on a business transformation role at Red Robin, and describes his overall vision for it leaders. But it's not something CIOs are handed; they have to drive it, says Laping. Driving this change, perhaps, will also help more CIOs chase down their chief-executive dreams. HT: Let's start with some definitions: "business transformation" and "change agents" are pretty heady buzzwords that get tossed around executive boardrooms. What does business transformation really mean? LAPING: If you look at a classic Wikipedia definition of business transformation, it talks about people, process and technology. So when you push change through people, you usually do that through training. If you want to change business performan
anonymous

What's Driving IT Investment in 2011? | News | HospITalITy Magazine (HT) - 2 views

  • “Advances in wireless and mobile technologies, products and services are changing the landscape of the hospitality industry and how it operates,” says Craig Mathias, principal, Farpoint Group. “With a demanding client base equipped with increasing numbers of smartphones, tablet computers, notebook PCs and even rugged devices, successful hospitality it organizations recognize the need to upgrade their existing WLANs to improve network reliability, capacity and coverage to support customer-facing applications, as well as internal services that enable their own mobile workforce and improve the guest experience.”
  • Elevating the guest experience
  • The Motorola Solutions 2011 Hospitality Market Barometer reveals that 91 percent of hospitality decision makers realize the increasing importance of mobile and wireless technology, while 78 percent recognize the role mobility plays in ensuring a competitive advantage for their business.
  • ...20 more annotations...
  • Enabling operational efficiency
  • Empowering the mobile worker
  • Fifty-six percent of hospitality organizations plan to raise mobile investments to better equip their workforces, improve operational efficiencies and enhance the customer experience.
  • Advances in wireless and mobile technologies, products and services are changing the landscape of the hospitality industry and how it operates,” says Craig Mathias, principal, Farpoint Group . “With a demanding client base equipped with increasing numbers of smartphones, tablet computers, notebook PCs and even rugged devices, successful hospitality it organizations recognize the need to upgrade their existing WLANs to improve network reliability, capacity and coverage to support customer-facing applications, as well as internal services that enable their own mobile workforce and improve the guest experience.”
  • Improved guest experience is the top driver for mobility investments, cited by 76 percent of hospitality venues surveyed. Hospitality decision makers are investing in mobile technologies to support customer-facing applications that improve guest services by handling wireless email, guest/attendee check-in, table-side order/payment or event ticketing, among others. Sixty-one percent of respondents plan to deploy some form of video capabilities, including video surveillance, video conferencing and streaming video, in public access areas such as lobbies. Fifty-eight percent of surveyed hospitality organizations deploying mobile technology today see improved customer satisfaction. 
  • Key facts from the survey
  • A recent Motorola Solutions, Inc. study uncovered that information technology (IT) spending in the hospITalITy industry is expected to increase in 2011, wITh guest experience cITed as the top driver for investment.
  • The Motorola Solutions 2011 Hospitality Market Barometer reveals that 91 percent of hospitality decision makers realize the increasing importance of mobile and wireless technology, while 78 percent recognize the role mobility plays in ensuring a competitive advantage for their business.
  • Elevating the guest experience
  • Improved guest experience is the top driver for mobility investments, cited by 76 percent of hospitality venues surveyed.
  • Hospitality decision makers are investing in mobile technologies to support customer-facing applications that improve guest services by handling wireless email, guest/attendee check-in, table-side order/payment or event ticketing, among others. Sixty-one percent of respondents plan to deploy some form of video capabilities, including video surveillance, video conferencing and streaming video, in public access areas such as lobbies.
  • Fifty-eight percent of surveyed hospitality organizations deploying mobile technology today see improved customer satisfaction. 
  • Empowering the mobile worker
  • Fifty-nine percent of respondents currently deploying mobile and wireless technology witnessed an increase in employee productivity and efficiency, while 55 percent saw improved sales results.
  • Currently, the most popular applications on two-way radios are project management (51 percent) and collaboration (41 percent). Unified messaging and remote management/monitoring have the highest rate of planned deployments into 2012.
  • Among survey respondents, tablets and VoIP handsets are the top two mobile devices planned for new deployments by 2012.
  • Enabling operational efficiency
  • Seventy-five percent of hospitality organizations surveyed already have wireless LAN (WLAN) installed in their facilities.
  • “Advances in wireless and mobile technologies, products and services are changing the landscape of the hospitality industry and how it operates,” says Craig Mathias, principal, Farpoint Group. “With a demanding client base equipped with increasing numbers of smartphones, tablet computers, notebook PCs and even rugged devices, successful hospitality it organizations recognize the need to upgrade their existing WLANs to improve network reliability, capacity and coverage to support customer-facing applications, as well as internal services that enable their own mobile workforce and improve the guest experience.”
  •   More than one third of survey respondents represent companies exceeding $1 billion in revenues. Responses came from the executive suite, it functions and managers closest to the day-to-day implementation of mobile solutions.
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    "The Motorola Solutions 2011 Hospitality Market Barometer reveals that 91 percent of hospitality decision makers realize the increasing importance of mobile and wireless technology, while 78 percent recognize the role mobility plays in ensuring a competitive advantage for their business. As a result, hospitality venues are investing in new technology, as well as powerful wireless networks to handle greater data volumes and increasing demands for high-speed access from the customer and mobile workforce. "
  • ...12 more comments...
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    This is a survey from The Motorola Solutions , it reveals how it investment is gaining pace in hospitality industry. The resuults reveals that 91 percent of hospitality decision makers realize the increasing importance of mobile and wireless technology, while 78 percent recognize the role mobility plays in ensuring a competitive advantage for their business. As a result, hospitality venues are investing in new technology, as well as powerful wireless networks to handle greater data volumes and increasing demands for high-speed access from the customer and mobile workforce.
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    Widely utilization and application of IT technology especially wireless and mobile technology are expected to increase in recent years.More and more hospITalITy organizations are realize the important role the mobile investment played in improving operational efficiency and enhance the customer experience. WITh wireless devices, hospITalITy organizations can save time of doing guest/attendee check-in, table-side order/payment or event ticketing which will improve operation efficiency and customers' satisfaction. According to survey results, tablets and VoIP handsets are the top two mobile devices planned for new deployments. Furthermore, right IT investment will increase revenues and have a good sales.
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    Motorola Solutions, Inc (MS) conducted a study and discovered that IT (information technology) spending is expected to rise in the hospITalITy filed in the years to come, practically in 2011. The main reason for the increase in spending on IT is because of the guest experience. According to MS, fifty- six percent of hospITalITy establishments plan to increase mobile investment to better outfIT their workforces, advance operational efficiencies and boost the customer experience. The survey main facts included three areas; One, to elevate the guest experience HospITalITy decision makers are investing in mobile technologies to support customer-facing applications that improve guest services by handling wireless email, guest/attendee check-in, table-side order/payment or event ticketing, among others. Two, to empower the employees by giving them the correct tools, fifty-nine percent of respondents currently deploying mobile and wireless technology wITnessed an increase in employee productivITy and efficiency, while 55 percent saw improved sales results. Finally, to enable operational efficiency, improvement, reliabilITy, and extending range of current wireless data networks are the top three drivers behind 802.11n WLAN adoption - all crITical network features to meet greater data volumes and increasing demands for access from the customer and mobile workforce. Seventy-five percent of hospITalITy organizations surveyed already have wireless LAN (WLAN) installed in their facilITies. In North America, approximately one third of these venues have 802.11n, while European venues predominately have 802.11b/g.
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    This article is introducing a survey about information technology in the hospitality industry. it shows that there was a speedy increasing in it investing which is aiming to improve customers' satisfaction and experience. Almost fifty-six percent of hospitality organizations plan to equip it devices inside their organizations. Also, ninety-one percent of the hospitality decision makers have realized the importance of the mobile and wireless technology. There are three key facts that show the outcome of the survey. The first is to elevate the guest experience. The hotels are investing mobile and wireless technologies, also the video capabilities to improve customer satisfaction. The second one is to empower the mobile worker. The managers, security personnel and customer services all needs some applications to ensure the work efficiency and keep the management productive. The third one is to enable operational efficiency. it shows that the hotel wants to expand the ability of wireless and data transportation.
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    IT investment becomes a big part of the investment in the hospITalITy industry. A research had been done in 2011 to find what factors drive IT investment in the hospITalITy industry. There are three main factors, which are elevating the guest experience, empowering the mobile worker, and enabling operational efficiency. Management finds that improved guest experience is the top driver for mobilITy investment, and over half percentage of the respondents wITnessed an increase in employee productivITy. IT investment also enables operational efficiency and IT is said that 3/4 of the hospITalITy organization have WLAN installed in their facilITies. In my opinion, I believe IT is the trend to invest in IT, because people cannot live wIThout modern technology nowadays, and even if you do not want to change, your competITors will do so, which will ultimately makes you out of the market. So IT investment is very important, and businesses in the hospITalITy industry need to take more concern on IT investment.
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    The Motorola Solutions, Inc. study exposed that information technology spending in the hospitality industry is expected to increase in 2011, with guest experience cited as the top driver for investment. Mobility investments can elevate the guest experience by handling wireless email, guest check-in, tableside order/payment or event ticketing. Managers can empower the mobile worker by using smartphone. Installing the wireless LAN (WLAN) can enhance operational efficiency. Motorola Solutions conducts market research and provides indicators of the opportunities and challenges that mobility poses to hospitality enterprises.
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    This article shared information from a Motorola Solutions, Inc. study predicting that information technology (IT) spending in the hospITalITy industry would increase in 2011, wITh guest experience cITed as the top driver for investment. The study revealed that 91% of hotel decision makers recognized the importance of mobile and wireless technology and that they would be focused on enhancing guest experience, empowering the mobile worker, and enabling operational efficiency. Motorola Solutions conducts independent market research and collected surveys from 161 qualified participants. I found this article relevant because guests are now expected the hotels they stay at to be able to meet their technological needs. I attended a conference just this week and heard multiple attendees ask if the hotel had wifi and how/where to access IT. Nowadays, IT's more of a necessITy than an option for hoteliers to make the decision to invest in technology. Not only does this investment meet guests' needs and increase satisfaction, but IT also benefITs employees. According to the article, over half of the survey respondents who use wireless and mobile technology in their workforce saw increases in employee productivITy and efficiency. Often times, if employees are able to be more productive and efficient on the job, there is a posITive correlation wITh guest service and satisfaction. Thus, IT investments are crucial for hoteliers to make.
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    This article is talked about the IT trend in hospITalITy industry. From a recent Motorola Solutions, Inc. study, IT showed that information technology(IT) spending in the hospITalITy industry is expected to increase in 2011. What is more, 91% of hospITalITy decision makers realize the increasing important of mobile and wireless technology. Then IT introduced some key facts from the survey. They are elevating the guest experience, empowering the mobile worker and enabling operational efficiency. Advances in wireless and mobile technologies, products and services are changing the landscape of the hospITalITy industry and how IT operates. Successful hospITalITy IT organizations recognize the need to upgrade their existing WLANs to improve network reliabilITy, capacITy and coverage to support customer-facing applications, as well as internal services that enable their own mobile workforce and improve the guest experience. This is the information technology trend for hospITalITy industry. And IT will become an indispensable part in hospITalITy industry.
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    Just like the saying in the article, in 2011, the investment is mostly focus on the mobile investments. As we know that with the development of the internet, more and more people can not live without the internet. So, it is very important for hotel or hospitality industry to put investments on this section. it is become the necessary part of the hospitality industry. So, increase the investments of mobile and internet will bring a strong advantages for your business and make you stand on the market.
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    The hospitality industry is investing in new technology to satisfy guests demands, it is important for hotels to provide wireless connections that are fast and reliable, this now also considered part of the guest experience.
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    A recent study uncovered that information technology (IT) spending in the hospITalITy industry is expected to increase in 2011, wITh guest experience cITed as the top driver for investment. 56% of hospITalITy organizations plan to raise mobile investments to better equip their workforces, improve operational efficiencies and enhance the customer experience. 91% of hospITalITy decision makers realize the increasing importance of mobile and wireless technology, while 78 percent recognize the role mobilITy plays in ensuring a competITive advantage for their business. Based on elevating the guest experience, empowering the mobile worker and enabling operational efficiency, a survey about this was set up. WITh a demanding client base equipped wITh increasing numbers of smartphones, tablet computers, notebook PCs and even rugged devices, successful hospITalITy IT organizations recognize the need to upgrade their existing WLANs to improve network reliabilITy, capacITy and coverage to support customer-facing applications, as well as internal services that enable their own mobile workforce and improve the guest experience.
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    Nowadays more than ever does technology make a difference in how we run our operations, how effective our operations are which results in how satisfied our customers are. The article What's Driving IT investment in 2011 talks about the advances in the hospITalITy industry providing us wITh some important statistics in IT investments. According to the article, technology spending is expected to increase wITh the focus on customer experience. Fortunately, the statistics shows that 91 percent of hospITalITy decision makers realize the importance of mobile and wireless technology. As stated in the article, hospITalITy venues invest in new technologies to improve operational efficiencies and to enhance customer experience. As the survey shows, customer experience is the number on priorITy and driving force for implementing new technology. HospITalITy properties also invest in technologies that enhance the check in procedures, wireless e-mail or table side orders and payments. After implementing new technologies, 59% of respondents to the survey taken could see improve employee efficiency and 55% saw improved sales results. According to the survey that was filled out by 161 respondents representing variety of hospITalITy enterprises, 58% saw improved customer satisfaction. Even though this article does not state which technologies in particular yielded these results, IT is still important to see that investing in IT technologies does make a difference in customer satisfaction, employee efficiency and sales improvement. Many properties are afraid to invest new technologies, as they are unsure of the final results of the investment. I am strongly convinced that in order to keep up wITh the competITion and the supply in the market, business had to take the technology route and use IT to their fullest advantage.
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    The article analyzed why hotels do investment to It in 2011. It concluded three main reasons, which are elevating the guest experience, empowering the mobile worker, and enabling operational efficiency. It's already 2013 now and things can become different. Hotels should invent carefully according to Its specific necessary and customers' necessary.
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    Dear team! I found an article, very old but to me, very actual and interesting about how the Internet Technology is improving and progressing, and the investment bring benefits only. In 2011 , only 4 years ago, we can see that the companies were having a clear plan to improve the communication system. By introducing wireless, tablets, WLANs , to improve network reliability... Today we have it all on hands. We are using all the devices online , wireless and with no problem to access. No cords on the floor, no telegrams ... Internet technologies is a big progress in our century and is developing and growing, by leaving some of us behind. :)
ravicka

The future is here for the Hospitality Industry - 2 views

  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry.
  • ...88 more annotations...
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry.
  • . The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • . The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • . The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • . The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • . The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • . The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • . The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • . The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • . The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • . The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • Mr Sukesh Jain focused on the preferable advantage of customer loyalty aided by technology and said, “The overlying principle or advantage that comes out of use of technology is the customer loyalty which is fundamental to any business. Two more things I really look at are how the hotels can sweat their assets better by using technology and how operational efficiency can come in through it.”
  • The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry.
  • The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • Mr Sukesh Jain focused on the preferable advantage of customer loyalty aided by technology and said, “The overlying principle or advantage that comes out of use of technology is the customer loyalty which is fundamental to any business. Two more things I really look at are how the hotels can sweat their assets better by using technology and how operational efficiency can come in through it.”
  • Mr Sukesh Jain focused on the preferable advantage of customer loyalty aided by technology and said, “The overlying principle or advantage that comes out of use of technology is the customer loyalty which is fundamental to any business. Two more things I really look at are how the hotels can sweat their assets better by using technology and how operational efficiency can come in through it.”
  • Mr Sukesh Jain focused on the preferable advantage of customer loyalty aided by technology and said, “The overlying principle or advantage that comes out of use of technology is the customer loyalty which is fundamental to any business. Two more things I really look at are how the hotels can sweat their assets better by using technology and how operational efficiency can come in through it.”
  • Mr Sukesh Jain focused on the preferable advantage of customer loyalty aided by technology and said, “The overlying principle or advantage that comes out of use of technology is the customer loyalty which is fundamental to any business. Two more things I really look at are how the hotels can sweat their assets better by using technology and how operational efficiency can come in through it.”
  • Mr Sukesh Jain focused on the preferable advantage of customer loyalty aided by technology and said, “The overlying principle or advantage that comes out of use of technology is the customer loyalty which is fundamental to any business. Two more things I really look at are how the hotels can sweat their assets better by using technology and how operational efficiency can come in through it.”
  • Mr Sukesh Jain focused on the preferable advantage of customer loyalty aided by technology and said, “The overlying principle or advantage that comes out of use of technology is the customer loyalty which is fundamental to any business. Two more things I really look at are how the hotels can sweat their assets better by using technology and how operational efficiency can come in through it.”
  • Mr Sukesh Jain focused on the preferable advantage of customer loyalty aided by technology and said, “The overlying principle or advantage that comes out of use of technology is the customer loyalty which is fundamental to any business. Two more things I really look at are how the hotels can sweat their assets better by using technology and how operational efficiency can come in through it.”
  • Mr Sukesh Jain focused on the preferable advantage of customer loyalty aided by technology and said, “The overlying principle or advantage that comes out of use of technology is the customer loyalty which is fundamental to any business. Two more things I really look at are how the hotels can sweat their assets better by using technology and how operational efficiency can come in through it.”
  • Mr Sukesh Jain focused on the preferable advantage of customer loyalty aided by technology and said, “The overlying principle or advantage that comes out of use of technology is the customer loyalty which is fundamental to any business. Two more things I really look at are how the hotels can sweat their assets better by using technology and how operational efficiency can come in through it.”
  • Mr Sukesh Jain focused on the preferable advantage of customer loyalty aided by technology and said, “The overlying principle or advantage that comes out of use of technology is the customer loyalty which is fundamental to any business. Two more things I really look at are how the hotels can sweat their assets better by using technology and how operational efficiency can come in through it.”
  • Mr Sukesh Jain focused on the preferable advantage of customer loyalty aided by technology and said, “The overlying principle or advantage that comes out of use of technology is the customer loyalty which is fundamental to any business. Two more things I really look at are how the hotels can sweat their assets better by using technology and how operational efficiency can come in through it.”
  • Mr Sukesh Jain focused on the preferable advantage of customer loyalty aided by technology and said, “The overlying principle or advantage that comes out of use of technology is the customer loyalty which is fundamental to any business. Two more things I really look at are how the hotels can sweat their assets better by using technology and how operational efficiency can come in through it.”
  • Mr Sukesh Jain focused on the preferable advantage of customer loyalty aided by technology and said, “The overlying principle or advantage that comes out of use of technology is the customer loyalty which is fundamental to any business. Two more things I really look at are how the hotels can sweat their assets better by using technology and how operational efficiency can come in through it.”
  • With the global economic recovery and growing profile of domestic as well as international travelers, innovative technology is a must for the hospitality industry. The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • With the global economic recovery and growing profile of domestic as well as international travelers, innovative technology is a must for the hospitality industry. The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • With the global economic recovery and growing profile of domestic as well as international travelers, innovative technology is a must for the hospitality industry. The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • With the global economic recovery and growing profile of domestic as well as international travelers, innovative technology is a must for the hospitality industry. The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • With the global economic recovery and growing profile of domestic as well as international travelers, innovative technology is a must for the hospitality industry. The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • With the global economic recovery and growing profile of domestic as well as international travelers, innovative technology is a must for the hospitality industry. The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • With the global economic recovery and growing profile of domestic as well as international travelers, innovative technology is a must for the hospitality industry. The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • With the global economic recovery and growing profile of domestic as well as international travelers, innovative technology is a must for the hospitality industry. The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • With the global economic recovery and growing profile of domestic as well as international travelers, innovative technology is a must for the hospitality industry. The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • With the global economic recovery and growing profile of domestic as well as international travelers, innovative technology is a must for the hospitality industry. The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • With the global economic recovery and growing profile of domestic as well as international travelers, innovative technology is a must for the hospitality industry. The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • With the global economic recovery and growing profile of domestic as well as international travelers, innovative technology is a must for the hospitality industry. The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • With the global economic recovery and growing profile of domestic as well as international travelers, innovative technology is a must for the hospitality industry. The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • With the global economic recovery and growing profile of domestic as well as international travelers, innovative technology is a must for the hospitality industry. The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • With the global economic recovery and growing profile of domestic as well as international travelers, innovative technology is a must for the hospitality industry. The sector needs to take a proactive stance in implementing technological advances, while continually striving to build levels of service quality and guest loyalty to the boot.
  • Mr Sukesh Jain focused on the preferable advantage of customer loyalty aided by technology and said, “The overlying principle or advantage that comes out of use of technology is the customer loyalty which is fundamental to any business. Two more things I really look at are how the hotels can sweat their assets better by using technology and how operational efficiency can come in through it.”
  • Mr Sukesh Jain focused on the preferable advantage of customer loyalty aided by technology and said, “The overlying principle or advantage that comes out of use of technology is the customer loyalty which is fundamental to any business. Two more things I really look at are how the hotels can sweat their assets better by using technology and how operational efficiency can come in through it.”
  • Mr Sukesh Jain focused on the preferable advantage of customer loyalty aided by technology and said, “The overlying principle or advantage that comes out of use of technology is the customer loyalty which is fundamental to any business. Two more things I really look at are how the hotels can sweat their assets better by using technology and how operational efficiency can come in through it.”
  • Mr Sukesh Jain focused on the preferable advantage of customer loyalty aided by technology and said, “The overlying principle or advantage that comes out of use of technology is the customer loyalty which is fundamental to any business. Two more things I really look at are how the hotels can sweat their assets better by using technology and how operational efficiency can come in through it.”
  • This has created a willingness amongst the industry players to harness technology in order to ramp up service levels and efficiencies in the Indian hospitality sector. Meanwhile, with the customers getting highly tech savvy, an increasing number of them expect the hotels to meet their technological needs. This has further necessitated the industry to employ efficient technology tools.
  • This has created a willingness amongst the industry players to harness technology in order to ramp up service levels and efficiencies in the Indian hospitality sector. Meanwhile, with the customers getting highly tech savvy, an increasing number of them expect the hotels to meet their technological needs. This has further necessitated the industry to employ efficient technology tools.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry. This has created a willingness amongst the industry players to harness technology in order to ramp up service levels and efficiencies in the Indian hospItalIty sector. Meanwhile, wIth the customers getting highly tech savvy, an increasing number of them expect the hotels to meet their technological needs. This has further necessItated the industry to employ efficient technology tools.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry. This has created a willingness amongst the industry players to harness technology in order to ramp up service levels and efficiencies in the Indian hospItalIty sector. Meanwhile, wIth the customers getting highly tech savvy, an increasing number of them expect the hotels to meet their technological needs. This has further necessItated the industry to employ efficient technology tools.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry. This has created a willingness amongst the industry players to harness technology in order to ramp up service levels and efficiencies in the Indian hospItalIty sector. Meanwhile, wIth the customers getting highly tech savvy, an increasing number of them expect the hotels to meet their technological needs. This has further necessItated the industry to employ efficient technology tools.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry. This has created a willingness amongst the industry players to harness technology in order to ramp up service levels and efficiencies in the Indian hospItalIty sector. Meanwhile, wIth the customers getting highly tech savvy, an increasing number of them expect the hotels to meet their technological needs. This has further necessItated the industry to employ efficient technology tools.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry. This has created a willingness amongst the industry players to harness technology in order to ramp up service levels and efficiencies in the Indian hospItalIty sector. Meanwhile, wIth the customers getting highly tech savvy, an increasing number of them expect the hotels to meet their technological needs. This has further necessItated the industry to employ efficient technology tools.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry. This has created a willingness amongst the industry players to harness technology in order to ramp up service levels and efficiencies in the Indian hospItalIty sector. Meanwhile, wIth the customers getting highly tech savvy, an increasing number of them expect the hotels to meet their technological needs. This has further necessItated the industry to employ efficient technology tools.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry. This has created a willingness amongst the industry players to harness technology in order to ramp up service levels and efficiencies in the Indian hospItalIty sector. Meanwhile, wIth the customers getting highly tech savvy, an increasing number of them expect the hotels to meet their technological needs. This has further necessItated the industry to employ efficient technology tools.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry. This has created a willingness amongst the industry players to harness technology in order to ramp up service levels and efficiencies in the Indian hospItalIty sector. Meanwhile, wIth the customers getting highly tech savvy, an increasing number of them expect the hotels to meet their technological needs. This has further necessItated the industry to employ efficient technology tools.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry. This has created a willingness amongst the industry players to harness technology in order to ramp up service levels and efficiencies in the Indian hospItalIty sector. Meanwhile, wIth the customers getting highly tech savvy, an increasing number of them expect the hotels to meet their technological needs. This has further necessItated the industry to employ efficient technology tools.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry. This has created a willingness amongst the industry players to harness technology in order to ramp up service levels and efficiencies in the Indian hospItalIty sector. Meanwhile, wIth the customers getting highly tech savvy, an increasing number of them expect the hotels to meet their technological needs. This has further necessItated the industry to employ efficient technology tools.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry. This has created a willingness amongst the industry players to harness technology in order to ramp up service levels and efficiencies in the Indian hospItalIty sector. Meanwhile, wIth the customers getting highly tech savvy, an increasing number of them expect the hotels to meet their technological needs. This has further necessItated the industry to employ efficient technology tools.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry. This has created a willingness amongst the industry players to harness technology in order to ramp up service levels and efficiencies in the Indian hospItalIty sector. Meanwhile, wIth the customers getting highly tech savvy, an increasing number of them expect the hotels to meet their technological needs. This has further necessItated the industry to employ efficient technology tools.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry. This has created a willingness amongst the industry players to harness technology in order to ramp up service levels and efficiencies in the Indian hospItalIty sector. Meanwhile, wIth the customers getting highly tech savvy, an increasing number of them expect the hotels to meet their technological needs. This has further necessItated the industry to employ efficient technology tools.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry. This has created a willingness amongst the industry players to harness technology in order to ramp up service levels and efficiencies in the Indian hospItalIty sector. Meanwhile, wIth the customers getting highly tech savvy, an increasing number of them expect the hotels to meet their technological needs. This has further necessItated the industry to employ efficient technology tools.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry. This has created a willingness amongst the industry players to harness technology in order to ramp up service levels and efficiencies in the Indian hospItalIty sector. Meanwhile, wIth the customers getting highly tech savvy, an increasing number of them expect the hotels to meet their technological needs. This has further necessItated the industry to employ efficient technology tools.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry. This has created a willingness amongst the industry players to harness technology in order to ramp up service levels and efficiencies in the Indian hospItalIty sector. Meanwhile, wIth the customers getting highly tech savvy, an increasing number of them expect the hotels to meet their technological needs. This has further necessItated the industry to employ efficient technology tools.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry. This has created a willingness amongst the industry players to harness technology in order to ramp up service levels and efficiencies in the Indian hospItalIty sector. Meanwhile, wIth the customers getting highly tech savvy, an increasing number of them expect the hotels to meet their technological needs. This has further necessItated the industry to employ efficient technology tools.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry.
  • From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry. This has created a willingness amongst the industry players to harness technology in order to ramp up service levels and efficiencies in the Indian hospItalIty sector. Meanwhile, wIth the customers getting highly tech savvy, an increasing number of them expect the hotels to meet their technological needs. This has further necessItated the industry to employ efficient technology tools.
  • The use of information technology in the hospitality industry has grown leaps and bounds over the past two decades, making it a catalyst for the growth of this sector.
  • Emphasizing the same, Sukesh Jain, VP, Enterprise Business, Samsung India highlighted, “Technology comes in handy when we talk about personalization. There are a lot of technological tools, products and services available which people worldwide are using.
  • Mr Sukesh Jain focused on the preferable advantage of customer loyalty aided by technology and said, “The overlying principle or advantage that comes out of use of technology is the customer loyalty which is fundamental to any business.
  •  
    Manali Jaggi in his article "The future is here for the Hospitality Industry," highlights the importance and the benefits of Hospitality companies investing in Information Technology. He stressed that from the first point of contact; reservation to the guest's departure the role technology plays and the fact that it "expands revenue options and maintains operational efficiencies for the industry." He reported that Sukesh Jain, VP Enterprise Business, Samsung highlighted that "Technology comes in handy when we talk about personalization," which is the type of experience one aims to provide to the guest. This provides the guest with an increased customer service experience which in turn leads to customer loyalty which can only lead to financial rewards for the company. He concluded by stressing the point that the Hospitality industry must take a "proactive stance in implementing technological advances."
Jennifer Koren

Investment in Hotel Technology Pays Off with Increased Group Revenue - Charmed by Hospitality Marketing | Cvent Hospitality - 5 views

  • Hotels, conference centers and other meeting venues are increasing group business with new technology, and it isn’t just a hotel app. To invest in the property’s overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience. Technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center. What are some of these new hot tools for leisure and business travelers?
  • Investment in Hotel Technology Pays Off with Increased Group Revenue Tuesday, July 10, 2012 by Sarah Vining Hotels, conference centers and other meeting venues are increasing group business with new technology, and it isn’t just a hotel app. To invest in the property’s overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience. Technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center. What are some of these new hot tools for leisure and business travelers? Virtual concierge service on guest room TVs At Hyatt Hotels with in-room HD TVs by Roomlinx Inc., guests are able make service requests, check email/weather, use the Business Center, print documents, and receive customized messages from meeting planners. Service requests like housekeeping and in-room dining are instantly sent through the system, improving the venue’s departmental efficiency. All of these virtual functions are hoped to appeal to new markets and drive group business. More efficient billing In the article, “Insert IACC blog post title URL” we learn that in 2012, meeting and group planners are prioritizing finance as very important during in their planning process (which made the top 10 list for the first time). Hotels making large investments in revenue management systems are taking advantage of new features that automate and process data to improve efficiency and increase revenue for properties. Virtual business centers Socialization through technology and food and beverage outlets is increasing revenue for TRYP by Wyndham in the NYC Times Square South property. Google TVs and access to Google Chrome laptops near the Gastro Bar in the hotel’s lobby offers guests an opportunity to enjoy a dining experience with the comfort of complimentary technology use. On-staff it team When planners were surveyed, reliability was listed as a top concern of it services in the white paper “What Do Planners and Trainers Really Want in Their Meeting Service?” All IACC-certified conference centers are required to have an on-site it team to ensure technology functions properly. Now, the need for a knowledgeable it team that really understands technology and can cater to individuals and group business is spreading to other hotel markets.   These impressive technology tools improve the guest experience and lead to a quick return on investment, especially in F&B. As we move beyond the discussion of required hotel Wi-Fi services, there will be a focus on technology amenities that provide the same comforts of home or the office. To increase group business, hoteliers are comfortable with this investment knowing there’s a return on investment with generated buzz/venue marketing and satisfied guests. Want to learn about other ways hotels are using technology to build relationships? Check out Enhancing Your Social Networking Site with a Social Concierge! to maximize social media and connect with guests, attendees and planners!
  • Service requests like housekeeping and in-room dining are instantly sent through the system,
  • ...19 more annotations...
  • More efficient billing
  • ensure technology functions properly.
  • Virtual business centers
  • On-staff IT team
  • Virtual concierge service on guest room TVs
  • To invest in the property’s overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience.
  • Virtual concierge service on guest room TVs
  • These impressive technology tools improve the guest experience and lead to a quick return on investment, especially in F&B.
  • On-staff IT team
  • Hotels, conference centers and other meeting venues are increasing group business with new technology, and it isn’t just a hotel app. To invest in the property’s overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience. Technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center.
  • Virtual concierge service on guest room TVs
  • More efficient billing
  • As we move beyond the discussion of required hotel Wi-Fi services, there will be a focus on technology amenities that provide the same comforts of home or the office. To increase group business, hoteliers are comfortable with this investment knowing there’s a return on investment with generated buzz/venue marketing and satisfied guests.
  • On-staff IT team
  • Virtual business centers
  • To increase group business, hoteliers are comfortable with this investment knowing there’s a return on investment with generated buzz/venue marketing and satisfied guests.
  • Technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center.
  • These impressive technology tools improve the guest experience and lead to a quick return on investment, especially in F&B. As we move beyond the discussion of required hotel Wi-Fi services, there will be a focus on technology amenities that provide the same comforts of home or the office. To increase group business, hoteliers are comfortable with this investment knowing there’s a return on investment with generated buzz/venue marketing and satisfied guests.
  • Hotels making large investments in revenue management systems are taking advantage of new features that automate and process data to improve efficiency and increase revenue for properties.
  •  
    Hotels developing High IT technology have taken a great deal of advantages from IT which makes prosperous business and better customer service wITh high efficiency and goal-achieving process. In this article, IT proclaims some prevailing high-techs used in hotels. Such as the In-room HD TV in Hyatt properties. IT provide almost all the online computerized services accommodating customers wITh document-printing service, in-room dining service, restaurant reservation service, and even the email-checking, weather checking service. The on-staff IT team would oversee the IT application over the whole property, including upgrading, maintaining, and functioning. the impressive technology tools would be inevITable trend developing hotel industry.
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  •  
    "Investment in Hotel Technology Pays Off with Increased Group Revenue Tuesday, July 10, 2012 by Sarah Vining Hotels, conference centers and other meeting venues are increasing group business with new technology, and it isn't just a hotel app. To invest in the property's overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience. Technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center. What are some of these new hot tools for leisure and business travelers? Virtual concierge service on guest room TVs At Hyatt Hotels with in-room HD TVs by Roomlinx Inc., guests are able make service requests, check email/weather, use the Business Center, print documents, and receive customized messages from meeting planners. Service requests like housekeeping and in-room dining are instantly sent through the system, improving the venue's departmental efficiency. All of these virtual functions are hoped to appeal to new markets and drive group business. More efficient billing In the article, "Insert IACC blog post title URL" we learn that in 2012, meeting and group planners are prioritizing finance as very important during in their planning process (which made the top 10 list for the first time). Hotels making large investments in revenue management systems are taking advantage of new features that automate and process data to improve efficiency and increase revenue for properties. Virtual business centers Socialization through technology and food and beverage outlets is increasing revenue for TRYP by Wyndham in the NYC Times Square South property. Google TVs and access to Google Chrome laptops near the Gastro Bar in the hotel's lobby offers guests an opportunity to enjoy a dining experience with the comfort of complimentary technology use. On-staff it team When planners were surveyed, reliability was listed as a top concern of it serv
  •  
    ARTICLE SUMMARY Hospitality industry is not only using technology to improve customers' experience but also to improve the bottom line as well as increase group use of the property. Hotels operators and owners are increasingly using conference centers and other meeting venues to attract business groups, seminars and conferences with new technology, and it isn't just a hotel app. Many of the branded hotels such as Hyatt Hotels with in-room HD TVs by Roomlinx Inc. are using the technology to allow guests to make service requests, check email/weather, use the Business Center, print documents, and receive customized messages from meeting planners. Hotels are investing in technology to provide these services and to compete effectively.
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    Due to the market segment of the Groups, hospitality industry has focused on the it investment on Groups. And there are some technologies for leisure and business travelers like virtual concierge service on guest room TVs, more efficient billing, virtual business centers, and on-staff it team.  All these implements can benefit hotels and customers with a convenient, reliable, and profitable outcome. Besides that, it is super cool. 
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    Nowadays, technology becomes one of the most important issue in hospitality industry. More and more hotels are going to pay more attention to their technologies such as APP application. Besides those technologies benefiting leisure travelers, investment in hotel technology also pays off with increased group revenue. Conference and convention become important parts in hotels, which means lots of meetings or events are choose to be held in hotels and lots of hotels decided to target their markets as convention directly. As in this article, it is talking about creating cool technology to increase the revenue based on group business. it stated Hyatt Hotel as an example to put virtual concierge service on guest room TVs, which is object to attract new markets as well as group business. What's more, an on - site it team are going to be required in order to ensure hotels' technology functions properly. Having this kind of it team, any questions can be responded fast. Therefore, investment fo those kinds of technology not only can bring more new markets or customers but also lead to quick return on hotels' investments, especially in F&B. 
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    I don't understand where this document will print if you don't have a printer with you? Will it print at the front desk somwhere? What if it's confidential information and how secure is this system? If you put more technology and have it be so accesible even when your having a meal you would have to hope that dinners continue to order otherwise you'll never be able to turn the table. Also, some dinners must not be as savy as others and won't like this idea of being able to do everything from the TV in your Hotel room. I know I wont even use the feature at the end of the day I dont feel like playing with tech. Others may want to escape tech because they have been around all through the work day, it may feel like you never stop working.
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    This article talks about the benefit of investing hotel technology. As it mentioned, technology is another way of gaining group business and marketing the hotel and meeting center. Here are four of these new popular tools for travelers. They are Virtual conceirge service on guest room TVs; More efficient billing; Virtual business centers; and On-staff it team. For the Virtual conceirge service on TV, guests can do many things and request services through this system immediately. it can improve not only the departmental efficiency, but customer satisfaction as well. By using the virtual business center, cutomers can enjoy a dining experience. These impressive technology tools improve the guest experience and lead to a quick return on investment, especially in F&B. To increase group business, hoteliers are comfortable with this investment and they know that there's a return on investment with generated buzz/venue marketing and satisfied guests
  •  
    This is an interesting and useful article that reminds me of the importance of new technology investment in hotels' conference centers and other meeting venues. Technology has become an efficient method in winning group business and marketing a hotel. There are several new hot tools for leisure and business travelers. For instance the virtual concierge service on guest room TVs, efficient billing, and virtual business centers. If a guest is able to make service requests, check email, use the Business Center, print documents and receive customized messages from meeting planners through an in-room HD TV by Roomlinx, the whole departmental efficiency can be improved and the guests' satisfaction can be enhanced to a higher level. This is useful to attract business travelers who care about these areas of service and it also leads to a quick return on investment too. When the discussion of hotel Wi-Fi services has been outdated, the topic of investment in technology amenities that provide the same comforts of home or the office is becoming another focus in hotel industry.
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    This article introduces some new technology applied in the hotel. Nowadays, the hotel will adopt some new technology to attract more and more guest. Like the article said, "technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center". The article introduce the Hyatt Hotels adopt the virtual concierge service on guest room TVs that offer a good service for guest and try to appeal to new markets and drive group business. The article also involves the revenue management system that the hotels are investment can help the hotel deal with data effective and increase revenue for properties. The new technology that the hotel applied will not only improve the guest experience but also can increase the revenue of the hotel.
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    Further analyses of our data suggest that as industries become more competitive, the effect of it on profitability increases. it investments also had a greater effect on profitability in the service sector than in the manufacturing sector. A possible explanation for this finding is that services allow greater it-enabled customization and professionalization. One key takeaway from our research: All other things being equal, executives should accord higher priority to it projects that have the potential for revenue growth over those that focus mainly on cost savings.
  •  
    Hotels, conference centers and other meeting venues are increasing group business with new technology. To invest in the property's overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience. There are some of these new hot tools for leisure and business travelers. 1. Virtual concierge service on guest room TVs 2. More efficient billing: Hotels making large investments in revenue management systems are taking advantage of new features that automate and process data to improve efficiency and increase revenue for properties. 3. Virtual business centers: Socialization through technology and food and beverage outlets is increasing revenue for hotel.
  •  
    This article examines the new technology that hotels are investing in. In room concierge, billing ease, on- staff IT team, and virtual business center all make the hotel guests experience more comfortable and easy. Whether traveling for business or pleasure, the new technology is worth investing in for these hotels.
Gabriela Moreno

5 pressing hotel security concerns for 2012 - 2 views

  • areas of top concern for 2012, the usual suspects still top the list: information-technology breaches and terrorism, hoteliers said.
  • 1. IT
  • 2. Terrorism
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • 5. Security as taboo
  • 4. Liability and insurance fraud
  • 3. Skimmers
  • The hot-button issue within the realm of hotel-information technology is mobile and cloud technology.
  • Ironically, one of the main reasons terrorism tops the list is because it has become less of an issue in recent years, sources said.
  • “The greatest business risk, as I see it … is insurance fraud. And it’s the most expensive,” he said.
  • A related threat is that of “skimmers,” or devices that catch credit card numbers when consumers use them for payment. The problem primarily is contained to the restaurant industry, but Callaghan is concerned it could spread to hotels.
  • “Liability” as a general label refers to hoteliers being held liable for the acts, which are often criminal, of third parties, the AH&LA’s Callaghan said.
  • “Security” still is something of a taboo in the global hotel industry, said Paul Moxness VP for corporate safety and security at The Rezidor Hotel Group, a Brussels-based hotel management company, with more than 400 hotels and nearly 90,000 rooms in its portfolio.
  •  
    1. IT The hot-button issue wIThin the realm of hotel-information technology is mobile and cloud technology.A company could have tens of thousands of smartphones or laptops in the field at any given point-each a potential gateway to hackers and other criminals. To the problem the core principle is to provide end-to-end data protection wITh looking at cost and benefIT and how IT's supports the business. 2. Terrorism Ironically, one of the main reasons terrorism tops the list is because IT has become less of an issue in recent years.Hoteliers need to keep their staffs and travelers mindful of possible threats, but they don't want to scare them. 3. Skimmers A related threat is that of "skimmers," or devices that catch credIT card numbers when consumers use them for payment.The best prevention measure is to have an investigative team or third party on hand and making that known to employees. 4. LiabilITy and insurance fraud These two related issues can double, triple, quadruple and quintuple corporate insurance premiums in the blink of an eye. The advisement is hoteliers to educate themselves on the issue, consulting wITh an attorney, if necessary. 5. SecurITy as taboo "SecurITy" still is something of a taboo in the global hotel industry.Hoteliers need to do a better job of "turning on the light" by talking about securITy openly and regularly at staff and association meetings, and hotel executives should insist their GMs make securITy a priorITy
  • ...9 more comments...
  •  
    The first security matter that is brought up in this article is the cloud computing mobile devices on cell phones and laptops. With each device its own danger center of being hacked into a company's systems. The second point is "terrorists." Even though there has not been an issue with terrorists for about 10 years now it is still a big issue. According to the article companies are slacking on being vigilant because of the lack of activity.The third is what are know as skimmers, they are devices that gather information like credit card numbers.The last two issues are liability and security itself. Hotels claim to have security matters under control but when it comes to it, it is for show. Hotels need to buckle down on their security measures.
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    "Terrorism and information technology breaches are familiar areas of concern on hotel security professionals' 2012 to-do lists."
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    This article talked about five important hotel security concerns in 2012. As more and more new technology applied in the hospitality industry, it professionals now face with challenges and risks associated with the new technology. When asked for the areas of top concern for 2012, hoteliers consider the usual suspects still top the list: information-technology breaches and terrorism. Hoteliers interviewed for this report recommended focusing on t five areas during 2012. The first concern is it. The hot-button issue within the realm of hotel-information technology is mobile and cloud technology. Hotels have to protect data and information, especially the financial data. The second concern is Terrorism. Hoteliers need to keep their staffs and travelers mindful of possible threats, but they don't want to scare them. Thirdly, a related threat is that of "skimmers," or devices that catch credit card numbers when consumers use them for payment. The problem primarily is contained to the restaurant industry, but it could spread to hotels. The forth is Liability and insurance fraud. These two related issues can double, triple, quadruple and quintuple corporate insurance premiums in the blink of an eye. The fifth concern: Security as taboo. "Security" still is something of a taboo in the global hotel industry. Hoteliers need to do a better job of "turning on the light" by talking about security openly and regularly at staff and association meetings
  •  
    In the top 5 hotel security concerns, number 1 is it Security. Many businesses now are working off of laptops and smartphones which is making it easier for hackers to get in to and steal information. The same goes for hotels which are becoming more hands-free, eco-friendly which is working off of computers. The hotel industries are spending more and more money on making sure that they are secure from any hackers logging in to their computers to get their guests information.
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    When thinking about hotel security we do not necessarily jump to anything other than terrorism or things like that but in this article it talks about five different things that can be issues in hotel security. it is a large issue due to mobile and cloud technology. There are so many devices used that it is easy for hackers to get in the system. Terrorism is of course an issue even though it is not so prominent as it has been in the past. Skimmers are becoming more popular in hotels and restaurants having someone working on the inside who swipes the credit card though a machine before processing the payment to take all of the information off of it. Liability and Insurance Fraud can be something as little as stubbing a toe to a large workers comp case. This is the most expensive security issue hotels face. Security is still taboo in hotels because it scares some guests but at the same time once one thing happens all of the bad things will happen. If nothing happens than it will stay like that.
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    This article makes great points that we do not think about as normal people. Before taking this class I would never think of all of these issues that could be happening to me while at a hotel or restaurant but anything is possible.
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    This article really made me think outside the box in order to enhance security, specially when in regards to it, skimmers and liability/insurance fraud. All too common are people looking for ways to beat the system, we hear about it constantly but don't pay attention. From worker claiming worker's comp, foreign fingers and hazardous items in food, to Publix's ATM being the victims of attached skimmers and hackers attacking sensitive information transmitted by the world wide web. The best solution is to be proactive with training and technology and the benefits of being ahead of the curve.
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    Great Article...hotel security is so important not only for the company but also for its stakeholders and consumers. it is the responsibility of the company to ensure that the correct steps are in placed to ensure guests and company information is secure. At my current job, it is my responsibility to ensure that employees are not utilizing credit card devices to catch customer's credit card information. We also address any possible theft concerns with the employees to ensure these issues are avoided.
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    Great Article- There are so many security issues that we usually don't think about on a daily bases and this article highlights them well. Terrorism is something that has become rather laxed over the the last five years and usually the last security concern in the hospitality industry instead of the first that we process as a true risk. Concerns should also be focus on liability and insurance fraud from both guest as well as employees; a slip and fall and bed bugs can result in costly lawsuits.
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    1. ITAccording to the article, most mobile devices that are used for business are unprotected. Meaning that the devices if the device even have a password and if IT does the password is not very complex. There could be thousands of employees accessing company information via the cloud through unprotected smart phones or other mobile devices. This could organizations at risk to hackers and other criminals  2.  TerrorismAlthough terrorist threats are less of a concern nowadays, that does not mean hotel managers should discontinue stressing the importance of securITy wIThin their establishments. Keeping employees aware and diligent can prove to be a delicate assignment but IT is a necessary of part of maintaining a safe work environment in the twenty-first century. 3.  SkimmersSkimmers are devices that steal credIT card numbers when consumers use them for payment. Unfortunately, IT is most commonly an employee on the inside who is commITting the crime.  A third party investigation team will be needed to prove who is stealing from the establishment.  4. LiabilITy and Insurance FraudCombined, these two issues could sky rocket a company's insurance costs through the roof. IT is crucial that hoteliers be aware of the legal system and educates themselves on issues concerning liabilITy. Both patrons and employees alike could potentially file claims against an establishment and entITlements can quickly get out of hand.    5.  SecurITyDespITe the best securITy measures, there is always the possibilITy of unforeseen danger. This fear of the unknown is a concern for hotel workers. To confront this fear of the unknown managers must regularly and openly discuss securITy wITh employees.  SecurITy should be held as a top priorITy. 
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    This article discusses five main concerns brought on by the current state of hotel security. I must say that some of this information surprised me. Something that especially surprised me was learning that mobile devices that are used for business hardly use passwords. The article states, "Amplifying the problem is the sheer number of devices, he added. A company could have tens of thousands of smartphones or laptops in the field at any given point-each a potential gateway to hackers and other criminals." This piece of information is very unsettling to me. How could such valuable information not be protected? The article suggests the solution to this problem is PCI DSS. Terrorism as number two on this list also surprised me because that is not something that would first come to mind for me. The article states that it is ironically on the list for becoming less of an issue. I suppose this reminds hoteliers to never let their guard down when it comes to issues of safety and security within the hotel. However, "skimmers" and liability on this list does not really surprise me. The article suggests that hoteliers be educated about these issues to protect the hotel against them.
noreen1

The Property Management Puzzle | Top Stories | | Hospitality Magazine (HT) - 0 views

  • The company is in prototype on a social media integration project that would, among other things, let guests book a room through Facebook and then send a confirmation text to their mobile device.
  • The company is in prototype on a social media integration project that would, among other things, let guests book a room through Facebook and then send a confirmation text to their mobile device.
  • “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • ...70 more annotations...
  • Over the long-term, the result is the same: a massive, impending re-architecting of how properties are managed.
  • . “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • . “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • The company is in prototype on a social media integration project that would, among other things, let guests book a room through Facebook and then send a confirmation text to their mobile device.
  • Over the long-term, the result is the same: a massive, impending re-architecting of how properties are managed.
  • “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • Over the long-term, the result is the same: a massive, impending re-architecting of how properties are managed.
  • “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • The company is in prototype on a social media integration project that would, among other things, let guests book a room through Facebook and then send a confirmation text to their mobile device.
  • The company is in prototype on a social media integration project that would, among other things, let guests book a room through Facebook and then send a confirmation text to their mobile device.
  • The company is in prototype on a social media integration project that would, among other things, let guests book a room through Facebook and then send a confirmation text to their mobile device.
  • What’s still not clear is the extent to which social media can and should be integrated into formal property systems, so that user-generated content can be stored, mined, analyzed and tracked.
  • What’s still not clear is the extent to which social media can and should be integrated into formal property systems, so that user-generated content can be stored, mined, analyzed and tracked.
  • “One of the promises of the cloud is that it becomes easier to integrate, so you can go more best-of-breed in your solution choice, but you still have issues with data structure and architecture.”
  • What’s still not clear is the extent to which social media can and should be integrated into formal property systems, so that user-generated content can be stored, mined, analyzed and tracked.
  • What’s still not clear is the extent to which social media can and should be integrated into formal property systems, so that user-generated content can be stored, mined, analyzed and tracked.
  • “One of the promises of the cloud is that it becomes easier to integrate, so you can go more best-of-breed in your solution choice, but you still have issues with data structure and architecture.”
  • “One of the promises of the cloud is that it becomes easier to integrate, so you can go more best-of-breed in your solution choice, but you still have issues with data structure and architecture.”
  • If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • cloud.”
  • “We’re an hour and a half from a major metropolitan area. There are enough providers selling the bandwidth we’d need for redundancy in a true web-based cloud environment,” says Nickelson, whose 2,000 acre property is located in North Carolina’s rural heartland. “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “We’re an hour and a half from a major metropolitan area. There are enough providers selling the bandwidth we’d need for redundancy in a true web-based cloud environment,” says Nickelson, whose 2,000 acre property is located in North Carolina’s rural heartland. “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “We’re an hour and a half from a major metropolitan area. There are enough providers selling the bandwidth we’d need for redundancy in a true web-based cloud environment,” says Nickelson, whose 2,000 acre property is located in North Carolina’s rural heartland. “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “We’re an hour and a half from a major metropolitan area. There are enough providers selling the bandwidth we’d need for redundancy in a true web-based cloud environment,” says Nickelson, whose 2,000 acre property is located in North Carolina’s rural heartland. “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “We’re an hour and a half from a major metropolitan area. There are enough providers selling the bandwidth we’d need for redundancy in a true web-based cloud environment,” says Nickelson, whose 2,000 acre property is located in North Carolina’s rural heartland. “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “We’re an hour and a half from a major metropolitan area. There are enough providers selling the bandwidth we’d need for redundancy in a true web-based cloud environment,” says Nickelson, whose 2,000 acre property is located in North Carolina’s rural heartland. “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “We’re an hour and a half from a major metropolitan area. There are enough providers selling the bandwidth we’d need for redundancy in a true web-based cloud environment,” says Nickelson, whose 2,000 acre property is located in North Carolina’s rural heartland. “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “We’re an hour and a half from a major metropolitan area. There are enough providers selling the bandwidth we’d need for redundancy in a true web-based cloud environment,” says Nickelson, whose 2,000 acre property is located in North Carolina’s rural heartland. “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “We’re an hour and a half from a major metropolitan area. There are enough providers selling the bandwidth we’d need for redundancy in a true web-based cloud environment,” says Nickelson, whose 2,000 acre property is located in North Carolina’s rural heartland. “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “We’re an hour and a half from a major metropolitan area. There are enough providers selling the bandwidth we’d need for redundancy in a true web-based cloud environment,” says Nickelson, whose 2,000 acre property is located in North Carolina’s rural heartland. “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “We’re an hour and a half from a major metropolitan area. There are enough providers selling the bandwidth we’d need for redundancy in a true web-based cloud environment,” says Nickelson, whose 2,000 acre property is located in North Carolina’s rural heartland. “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • “We’re an hour and a half from a major metropolitan area. There are enough providers selling the bandwidth we’d need for redundancy in a true web-based cloud environment,” says Nickelson, whose 2,000 acre property is located in North Carolina’s rural heartland. “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • The industry is also mid-stream in a massive replacement cycle, with 40% planning to upgrade their PMS by the end of next year.
  • Over the long-term, the result is the same: a massive, impending re-architecting of how properties are managed.
  • Over the long-term, the result is the same: a massive, impending re-architecting of how properties are managed.
  • Over the long-term, the result is the same: a massive, impending re-architecting of how properties are managed.
  • next year.
  • next year.
  • “We’re an hour and a half from a major metropolitan area. There are enough providers selling the bandwidth we’d need for redundancy in a true web-based cloud environment,” says Nickelson, whose 2,000 acre property is located in North Carolina’s rural heartland. “If I look at it from a city hotel perspective, absolutely; there’d be no downfall to cloud.”
  • The industry is also mid-stream in a massive replacement cycle, with 40% planning to upgrade their PMS by the end of next year.
  • The industry is also mid-stream in a massive replacement cycle, with 40% planning to upgrade their PMS by the end of next year.
  • The industry is also mid-stream in a massive replacement cycle, with 40% planning to upgrade their PMS by the end of next year.
  • Over the long-term, the result is the same: a massive, impending re-architecting of how properties are managed.
  • The industry is also mid-stream in a massive replacement cycle, with 40% planning to upgrade their PMS by the end of next year.
  • The industry is also mid-stream in a massive replacement cycle, with 40% planning to upgrade their PMS by the end of next year.
  • The industry is also mid-stream in a massive replacement cycle, with 40% planning to upgrade their PMS by the end of next year.
  • The industry is also mid-stream in a massive replacement cycle, with 40% planning to upgrade their PMS by the end of next year.
  • The industry is also mid-stream in a massive replacement cycle, with 40% planning to upgrade their PMS by the end of next year.
  • Hotel management systems are shifting from on-property to cloud-based, from tethered to mobile, from data-heavy to insight-rich.
  • A significant chunk of hotel IT budgets -- 19% -- is spent on property management systems (PMS)
  • Some are ready to embrace cloud-based solutions; others want to expand their mobile capabilities; and others are excited about the possibilities rich data can provide in personalizing the guest experience
  • I think it’s really about the ability of the PMS to grow with the changing need. What we need today isn’t what we needed just two years ago
  • Both Nickelson and Yelley are experiencing different symptoms stemming from the same challenge: better integration between systems.
  • Every vendor and most of the hoteliers HT spoke to predicted that property management systems would eventually migrate to the cloud.
  • “We’re an hour and a half from a major metropolitan area. There are enough providers selling the bandwidth we’d need for redundancy in a true web-based cloud environment,”
  • “Just because they’re in the cloud doesn’t make it easier to integrate,
  • I agree, from a PMS standpoint, that I want to know everything about a guest when they show up at the front desk. I should be able to see that you’ve stayed with me, and if you posted about our hotel in our social space, and if it was a complaint.
  •  
    Hoteliers are expecting a lot more out of their PMS's such as data acquisition, integration with other systems, mobile capabilities, and social media. This article describes some of the different directions hoteliers are taking based on their specific focus and desired results. Some of the advantages and disadvantages of cloud based PMS's are discussed such as mobility, internet connection redundancy for rural vs. urban areas, and multiple system integration. The increasing role of social media is also explored and the degree to which it should be utilized by the hospitality industry. There are many possibilities including using social media posts to mine guest reviews, as well as the ability to book your hotel on Facebook and receive a confirmation via text. I apologize for the diminishing hi-lighting towards the end, my tool bar is having some issues!
Panpan Xie

How IT Can Go Green | Top Stories | | HospITalITy Magazine (HT) - 2 views

  • In the world of information technology (IT), the green movement is taking shape. There are numerous opportunITies for IT professionals to take leadership roles in helping their organizations to adopt sustainable practices. Technology is a tool to provide solutions, but regrettably, technology can also be a source of the problem due to factors like energy consumption and the environmental impacts when disposing of obsolete or broken technology (i.e., e-waste). Therefore, we will need to look at sITuations and technology usage via multiple lenses to try to assess the net impact to determine if the outcomes are truly desirable and posITive versus negative. This often requires asking tough questions and looking for possible unintended consequences before decisions are being made
  • Like any business initiative, green it projects will require strong commitment from an organization’s top management and investment in time and resources at all levels.
  • In order for tourism to prosper, we cannot afford to let our environment erode.
  •  
    Green information technology(IT), referred to as green computing, is a term used to describe the application of automated resources in an efficient manner. Green IT originates wITh system manufacturers producing environmentally friendly products and encouraging users to adopt eco-friendly practices such as reducing paper usage through minimal printing, operating more efficiently wITh power management,and exercising proper recycling habITs.As global information technology environmental standards continue to expand, IT is highly likely that guidelines governing product life span, power consumption and recyclable resources will be in the forefront.
  • ...2 more comments...
  •  
    This article shares how IT is going green in several areas including hospITalITy. IT speaks to digITal marketing, e-waste, and appealing to employees to aid in using technology responsibly. The use of energy saving techniques and energy star products.
  •  
    As our natural resources are being depleted rapidly and technology is changing faster than ever resulting in mountains of "e-waste", I believe the IT industry should focus a vast amount of their efforts in the area of sustainabilITy or going green. In the hospITalITy and tourism industry maintaining natural resources and cutting down on the consumption of water, energy and paper is an IT issues that we can all support. The focus of this article was about revealing opportunITies where IT can go green. SustainabilITy is good for the environment, the viabilITy of the hospITalITy industry, the guests, and the bottom line. According to the article, IT leadership needs to take "a leadership role in helping their organization to adopt sustainable practices". Some of the areas where IT can look at going green are as follows (information taken directly from the article): * Using IT responsibly and effectively to reduce energy, water and paper consumption * Deploying effective technology practices such as Energy Star compliance to power down computers automatically after periods of inactivITy and server virtualization * Tackling e-waste and deploying recycling technologies to reduce environmental waste and impacts * DigITal marketing practices * Marketing strategies to report and promote green practices A commITment of time, money, and resources will be required from all levels of leadership in order for green IT projects to work. Companies have to educate their employees and guests to create awareness, implement practices such as energy audITs, device shut downs to force people to use media, and give rewards to get the buy in. Even though the payback of green inITiatives may take a long time, the upside is that you are being environmentally conscious and doing the right thing.
  •  
    I highlighted in blue the sections I was most interested in, I found the passage about reducing faxing and photocopying to be most interesting. There is no reason to be so reliant upon these when you can send attachments through your smart phone. Hotels and other properties can unplug these machines to save money on the electric bill. There are otherways to be paperless, for example.The article I spoke of was about how hotels can limit the need to priint itemized bills and reciepts, all charges can be posted right to the mobile app on the smart phone. The mobile app on the smart phone will even unlock and lock your room doors and allow enterance to the spa and fitness center. There won't be a need for plastic room keys anymore either.
  •  
    In hospitality industry, it technology brings many benefits to us, but it is also a source of pollution when disposing of broken technology. There are many advantages of green it movement such as reducing energy, water, paper, environmental waste and impacts, etc. Although it has many benefits, green it projects need support from company's top leaders in both time and resources. The ROI of green it is a little bit longer than other types of projects, but it has upside potential and intangible benefits. Green it practices are not contrary with making money, so hoteliers should take measures to lead the organization on its journey to green action.
cleon087

Green IT | Green Hotelier - 2 views

  • Reducing energy, emissions and waste are concepts that have been around for many years, but one area that is often overlooked is information technology (IT).
  • it was estimated that 360 million computers were manufactured.
  • quiring over 10 times its weight in fossil fuels to make.
    • cleon087
       
      Computers waste a lot of energy and parts
  • ...30 more annotations...
  • 22kg of toxic chemicals, 240kg of fossil fuels and 1,500 kg of water.
  • consuming 15% of the total electricity used in offices
  • 50 million tons of e-waste was generated worldwide, but only 13% was recycled. US Environmental Protection Agency
  • Reusing working computers is up to 20 times more energy-efficient than recycling them
  • hich utilises the naturally cool environment below ground to reduce power consumption, and increase energy efficiency.
  • o date, more than 28,761 IT assets have been recycled (waITing for latest stats), which equates to 629,408lbs of e-waste diverted from landfill.
    • cleon087
       
      I wonder where is the recycling actually taking pace
  • Big hotel companies have wised up to the costs involved in operating inefficient hardware and are driving system changes to cut wasteful expenditure.
  • nt. A data centre’s life expectancy is relatively long so it is imperative it is built to the highest standards in terms of efficiency as any excess energy use will lead to significant cost implications over the years.
  • most energy-efficient data centre possible.
  • Get the right equipment.
  • Only get the data storage capacity that is currently required and forecast for the lifespan. Many d
  • Don’t have servers or equipment that will not be used.
  • , such as water cooling.
  • Data centres last 30-odd years and you can’t go back in and fix them, so they need to be efficient. Over time, this saves money as they run efficiently. Servers have to be Energy Star-compliant or I won’t even talk to vendors.”
  • cloud computing
    • cleon087
       
      We discussed this in class about the benefits of it.
  • e. Once you know what’s using the power, focus on why and whether it’s possible to reduce consumption. Spotlight on Fairmont Hotels & Resorts - T
  • into account not only the initial outlay cost of hardware, but also the running costs.
    • cleon087
       
      It's not only important to know the start up cost but what It cost to maintain It.
  • e up to 30% more energy, making it significantly more expensive when looking at the total cost of running that appliance during its lifespan.
    • cleon087
       
      It doesn't seem obvious but getting something cheaper will cost heavy in the long term.
  • investigate options to upgrade with the latest energy-efficient components to extend appliances’ working life and efficiency
  • Green labels
  • allows a single user to access several physical devices on one terminal. A computing device dedicated to an individual member of staff or allocated for one software application is highly inefficient and expensive. Virtualisation consolidates resources, requiring less power and cooling.
  • is to reuse, not recycle
  • and flat screens often being replaced well before the end of their shelf life and ending up in landfill, it’s imperative that the most is made of these materials by reusing them productively.
    • cleon087
       
      Normally people just upgrade because something new came out instead of using it until it stops working.
  • Dumping e-waste on developing countries was until recently commonplace, and it has caused huge environmental problems and harm to human health in countries such as Ghana and China. But new legislation, including the EU WEEE Directive and the 2010 US Responsible Electronics Recycling Act, has stopped countries from being able to export e-waste.
  • dopted a scheme where the cost of recycling an electronic item is included in the purchase price. In Switzerland, they’ve been able to return all electronic waste to their place of purchase since 2005, and in the European Union, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan manufacturers must by law recycle 75% of the e-waste they produce.
  • Smaller, more efficient processors.
  • which have greater memory storage capacity while requiring less energy and space. They are due to be on the shelf in about three years.
  • pecialist data centre design.
  • all sizes are starting to view IT outsourcing as a viable option to gain flexibilITy and reduce short-term costs and increase transparency of cost structures and processes.
  • 6. Water cooling
  •  
    Green IT is an aspect of technology that many people do even consider when thinking about sustainabilITy. According to Computer Aid International, "The production of a computer requires 22kg of toxic chemicals, 240kg of fossil fuels and 1,500 kg of water. 80% of life-cycle energy use is accounted for before we even swITch a PC on for the first time." This statistic alone should be enough for us to take action. Marriott has started taking action, however. They created an underground data center where the power consumption goes down and efficiency goes up. Cloud computing is also a massive help due to the fact that the physical software wont be on the desktop computers or laptops being operated so the power consumption will be lowered there as well.
  •  
    Green IT is an aspect of technology that many people do even consider when thinking about sustainabilITy. According to Computer Aid International, "The production of a computer requires 22kg of toxic chemicals, 240kg of fossil fuels and 1,500 kg of water. 80% of life-cycle energy use is accounted for before we even swITch a PC on for the first time." This statistic alone should be enough for us to take action. Marriott has started taking action, however. They created an underground data center where the power consumption goes down and efficiency goes up. Cloud computing is also a massive help due to the fact that the physical software wont be on the desktop computers or laptops being operated so the power consumption will be lowered there as well.
  •  
    This article focuses on the importance of having green IT in business. IT shows example of other hotels that have already adopted green IT. Not only this but IT offers tips for businesses that are looking to adopt green IT. IT highlights the issue of recycling computers instead of reusing IT . They recommend to use the appliance until IT doesn't work.
Jing Huang

Hotel Lock Firm's Security Fix Requires Hardware Changes For Millions Of Keycard Locks - Forbes - 4 views

  • Good news for the security of hotels and travelers: Onity, whose keycard locks can be found on at least four million rooms around the world, has a plan to fix a security flaw
  • Black Hat security conference by Cody Brocious, a Mozilla developer who showed that he was able to insert a device he built for less than $50 into the data port on the underside of Onity’s locks, read their memory to find a decryption key, and use it to gain access to the lock’s firmware and trigger its open command in a matter of seconds.
  • The company’s response to that epic security bug has two parts–a quick fix, and a more rigorous one, both of which it plans to make available by the end of August: First, it’s issuing caps that cover the data port Brocious’s hack exploited, which can only be removed by opening the lock’s case.
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • “If such a significant issue were to exist in a car, customers would likely expect a complete recall at the expense of the manufacturer,” Brocious adds. “I can’t help but feel that Onity has the same responsibility to their customers, and to customers staying in hotels protected by Onity locks.
  • But since then, two hackers who asked not to have their names revealed have claimed in emails to me that they independently replicated the exploit and refined it, so that it now works on any Onity hotel room lock. Brocious tells me he’s spoken with eight or nine hackers who have all been able to replicate his work to some degree.
  • “We want to assure you that Onity is working on providing you with a solution that will address any potential risks related to the alleged vulnerability of these locks,”
  • Onity isn’t the only one to come under fire in wake of its security flap: Brocious has also been criticized for failing to warn Onity ahead of his Black Hat demonstration and for selling a licence to use his Onity-hacking trick to a locksmith training firm for $20,000 long before he made his findings public.
  • Onity issued a statement responding to last month’s presentation at the Black Hat security conference by Cody Brocious, a Mozilla developer who showed that he was able to insert a device he built for less than $50 into the data port on the underside of Onity’s locks, read their memory to find a decryption key, and use it to gain access to the lock’s firmware and trigger its open command in a matter of seconds.
  • Onity will offer its customers new circuit boards and firmware that ostensibly fix the problems Brocious demonstrated–But Onity is asking owners of some models of its locks of some to pay a “nominal fee” for the fix, while offering others “special pricing programs” to cover the cost of replacing components.
  •  
    In the article, "Hotel Lock Firm's Security Fix Requires Hardware Changes For Millions Of Keycard Locks," it talks about how Onity has a plan to fix a security flaw that allows hackers to insert a homemade device into the lock and open the door in a matter of second. The only problem with this new plan is that it requires hardware changes to every affected lock and it even might require it customers to pay for it. "Black Hat security conference by Cody Brocious, a Mozilla developer who showed that he was able to insert a device he built for less than $50 into the data port on the underside of Onity's locks, read their memory to find a decryption key, and use it to gain access to the lock's firmware and trigger its open command in a matter of seconds." it seems crazy that hackers can break in so easily, so maybe this expensive security could be worth it in the long run. The company responded with two different parts, first, it's issuing caps that cover the data port Brocious's hack exploited and the second more substantial: Onity will offer its customers new circuit boards and firmware that ostensibly fix the problems. Before reading this article I had no idea that it was so easy for hackers to get into hotel rooms, this really makes you think twice before you decide which hotel you will be staying at!
  •  
    The hardware of hotel is the locker. This article showed us there is a new key card locker was discovered by Onity's. it is more security but it need to change all the affected lock. it is a lock built for less than $50 into the data port on the underside of the Onity's locks. The company's response to that epic security bug has two parts-a quick fix, and a more rigorous one, both of which it plans to make available by the end of August: First, it's issuing caps that cover the data port Brocious's hack exploited, which can only be removed by opening the lock's case. To further stymie hackers who would try to open the locks and remove that cap, it's also sending customers new, more obscure Torx screws to replace those on the cases of installed locks.The company's response to that epic security bug has two parts-a quick fix, and a more rigorous one, both of which it plans to make available by the end of August: First, it's issuing caps that cover the data port Brocious's hack exploited, which can only be removed by opening the lock's case. To further stymie hackers who would try to open the locks and remove that cap, it's also sending customers new, more obscure Torx screws to replace those on the cases of installed locks. The safe issue became the most important issue of the new products. it will cost more money of each hotel and it is really safe or not is still a question. 
natyangel

How IT Can Go Green | Top Stories | | HospITalITy Magazine (HT) - 1 views

  • In the world of information technology (IT), the green movement is taking shape.
  • Technology is a tool to provide solutions, but regrettably, technology can also be a source of the problem due to factors like energy consumption and the environmental impacts when disposing of obsolete or broken technology (i.e., e-waste).
  • Like any business initiative, green it projects will require strong commitment from an organization’s top management and investment in time and resources at all levels.
  • ...13 more annotations...
  • Clearly, hotels and resorts are in the business of making money, but they must do so in a conscientious manner
  • The environmental focus is here to stay and must be embraced.
  • The focus on sustainability or "going green" is quickly becoming a major trend. But let’s face it, being environmentally conscious is the right thing to do, and it should be a business imperative for everyone. After all, a significant portion of the hospitality and tourism industries rely on the natural beauty and desirability of destinations: beach resorts, mountain ski lodges and canyon-land ranches
  • Using IT responsibly and effectively to reduce energy, water and paper consumption: Energy management systems are effective at controlling guest comfort while saving energy consumption and costs.
  • There are numerous opportunities for it professionals to take leadership roles in helping their organizations to adopt sustainable practices.
  • Deploying effective technology practices such as Energy Star compliance to power down computers automatically after periods of inactivity and server virtualization: This means having applications which share a common server rather than each application hosted on a separate server.
  • Tackling e-waste and deploying recycling technologies to reduce environmental waste and impacts: Many electronic firms offer responsible recycling programs for used hardware. Technology can also be utilized to assist in the recycling process
  •  Digital marketing practices: Using digital media instead of print media is a great way to save money while reducing the impact on the environment. By tapping into social media, you can let guests be involved in green practices and spread the word virally about all the good the organization is doing
  • There is a growing environmentally conscious market, a profitable segment to tap
  • .    Educate employees and guests to improve awareness of environmental issues and green practices in your organization and the industry.
  •    Conduct an energy audit to see where and how energy is being consumed and to establish a baseline. Continue these audits on a regular basis.
  • Seek suggestions from employees and guests, and offer rewards for ideas that get implemented.
  • Celebrate and market key successes
  •  
    This article emphasizes the positive and negative aspects of the hospitality industry adopting to sustainable practices. it recognizes that this industry is in the business of making money, while appoints the importance of doing so conscientiously, respecting the environment. it shows the steps that the organizations should take on its journey to action. I believe that sustainability should be a business imperative and not a lifestyle choice, as the sustained interest among consumers in tourism products and services are continuously increasing. That should be beneficial for the organization, positively affecting the operating revenue.
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  •  
    The articles describes, how technology helps a hospitality firm in conserving non renewable resources. it focuses on sustainability of hospitality industry. The article describes one interesting point, educate the employees and the guest, employees and guest are the pillars of any hotel. If they understand the concept of going green, it would be easy for the organization to conserve energy. use of E marketing by the hotels has reduced the use of paper, which mean many trees are being saved from getting cut. Use of recycle bins by the firms makes people aware of the waste which an be recycled should be disposed off separately. The use of tablets in the rooms is another way which the hospitality firms have adapted to go green, it not only saves paper but also gives a new amenity in the rooms.
  •  
    The emphasis on sustainability and going green is everywhere, including hospitality and tourism industries. Within the scope of information technology, there are numerous opportunities to becoming greener and more sustainable both in the short and long term. First, using it responsibly and effectively to reduce energy, water and paper consumption are advantageous and can also be seen as consumer driven. For instance, if a hotel offers a guest the convenience of controlling temperature through their smartphone or using their smartphone as the room key, not only is the hotel becoming greener but also the guest will appreciate these value added features. Instilling technology practices such as Energy Star compliance will lead to less consumption. Additionally, addressing the issue of e waste and creating recycling technologies to reduce environmental waste and impact adds on to the sustainable strategy. Lastly, with the growing environmentally conscious effort, creating marketing strategies to promote green practices improves the company's image, increases awareness on becoming more sustainable, and educates the public on becoming greener. it takes time, as employees need to be trained in order to become aware of environmental impacts (such as printing less paperwork and shutting off a printer when idle), track energy consumption, and instill these behaviors on a day to day basis. According to this article, it was noted that " for many guests, particularly Millennials, environmental stewardship is a key topic that resonates with them. it has become one of the decision-making criteria used to select companies in which they do business, including hotels and resorts". I believe that sustainability and the promotion of green practices is not a fleeting trend, but rather it is a change in mindset in which younger generations appreciate this adopted conscientious value.
  •  
    The article discusses the many ways the IT world is finding new ways to be sustainable in the hospITalITy industry. Changing the way a hotel runs by introducing e-mails to guest and other companies to reduce the paper flow or allowing guest to do mobile check-ins can reduce a lot of paper waste. Also, having guest use their phones as key cards for their rooms can aid in avoiding wasting and needing to create key cards. By hotels having an energy saving system, they reduce electrical waste by having computers on low power consumption mode. One main thing the article mentioned that I personally see a lot of hotels doing is digITal advertising. Instead of relying on paper advertisement, hotels rely heavily on ads on social medias, facebook, google, and third party vendors.
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    This article discusses the IT green movement that has been in action since the rise of technology and ways on how IT can go green. Some opportunITies in the green IT movement include the following: - Using IT responsibly and effectively to reduce water, energy, and paper consumption. This gives IT teams to take advantage of a few technical enhancements wIThin their hotels to provide key cards available on smart phones, email to reduce paper, and digITal signage. - Deploying effective technology practices such as Energy Star compliance to shut down computers automatically after periods of inactivITy and server virtualization. This would mean for everything to be on one common server, and companies can save money on computer hardware and power consumption. - Tackling e-waste and deploying recycling technologies to reduce environmental waste and impacts. This could be implementing by introducing a safe recycling system for used hardware. - DigITal marketing practices. This could be like using digITal media to save money or using social media to encourage guests about the green practices that the hotel is implementing. - Marketing strategies to report and promote green practices. This could be having the business properly use marketing strategies to target these environmentally conscious market and find ways to promote green practices to this market segment. These are all very effective ways for IT teams to go green wIThin their hospITalITy businesses. These green IT projects will need approval from top management and investment in time and resources.
lvela051

Greening your IT infrastructure | Green IT Best Practices - 1 views

  • Incident
    • lvela051
       
      Ways to make office spaces more "green."
  • going green makes good business sense because it cuts costs in many areas.
  • Many forward-thinking organizations have already developed strategies to incorporate green IT factors into their everyday business decision-making processes. Stretching far beyond just facilITies and information technology, leading companies are creating holistic green IT plans that include the Finance, Purchasing, and even Human Resources departments.
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  • Chances are that your IT department is directly and indirectly one of the largest power consumers in your company.
  • The benefits range from lower costs to happier employees:
  • Reducing environmental impact.
  • Lower operating costs.
  • Improved morale and workplace health.
  • Improved company image.
  • Lower capital costs.
  • Consolidate
  • Rightsize.
  • The five principles of green IT
  • use devices that perform more than one function so that you only have one device to power.
    • lvela051
       
      Multi-purpose device helps with reduction of excessive amounts of it systems.
  • Virtualize.
  • Virtualization is one tool you can use to consolidate multiple workloads onto a single server while making it easy to move them from server to server in order to balance workloads or take systems offline for maintenance or replacement.
  • “Where to start?” You start by taking a baseline measurement of where you are today, making incremental improvements, and measuring the impact you’ve had.
  • Manage your waste stream
    • lvela051
       
      Always make sure to reuse before recycling. If it comes to recycling, make sure to dispose properly where no environmental harm is done to the community.
  • Your network connections (and power) come in at the top, meeting a core router that’s probably in your data center. (You may have a data center, or you may have a closet, but you probably have some place with a set of central switches, servers, storage, and backup devices). The tree gets wider as your network fans out to your offices, where you may have an IP phone and workstation in each office, plus copiers, fax machines, and printers in common areas.
    • lvela051
       
      Important to know how everything connects to be able to see what is really needed.
  • Techniques for greening your office space.
  • Use one PC per employee, and size the machine to the task being performed.
  • LCD monitors are the norm today.
  • Set up sleep schedules on your PCs and your monitors;
  • Consider the waste stream that office equipment generates.
  • Measure.
  • Measure your energy consumption
  • Set goals
  • Make incremental changes
  • Measure again to evaluate
  • Repeat.
  • Control.
  • Get Experienced Help.
  •  
    The article explores the concept of "Green IT" to help reduce the amount of energy and e-waste and make IT more sustainable. The five principles mentioned in the article are to: Rightsize, consolidate, virtualize, measure and manage e waste, all used to be able to operate a better IT system that works efficiently to reduce energy consumption. Also providing a visual representation of an IT infrastructure to break down how IT works and providing ways to reduce power and purchase of each structure. Some ways mentioned where to create a new data centres, installing new printers and purchasing energy-efficient equipment to reduce consumption and also cost of energy. The idea is to become more aware of how to start change and be able to control and monITor the IT used to make IT more sustainable and minimize "ecological impacts." Based on the article and the quick evolution of technology, i don't think we can stop the use of IT systems but there are ways to reduce and monITor the amount of IT systems. One point that was not mentioned was "cloud computing" which seems to be an effective strategy set in place to reduce the amount of IT systems used wIThin business. Not only does IT reduces the hardware costs but also saves energy from having several systems to locate information.
jordanskj

Leading Through Disruption in Hospitality - 2 views

  • Ninety per cent of all the data created by mankind … has been created in the last two years
  • Virtual reality (VR) also allows users to get 360-degree views of a hotel’s facilities
  • HotelTonight. This platform targets people seeking to make last-minute hotel bookings and helps participating hotels maximize their occupancy rates
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  • Advanced technology can make life easier, but it cannot replace human beings
  • All in all, disruptive innovation is undoubtedly resulting in challenges for the hotel industry. At the same time, it is also a ‘wake-up’ call for hoteliers to turn these challenges into opportunities and competitive advantages
  • New business models such as alternative accommodation (Airbnb, HouseTrip, etc.) and ride-sharing platforms (Uber) are also changing the public’s perceptions to traditional hospitality businesses
  • Technology helps make the world connected and transparent.
  • In short, it’s all about the amount of effort hoteliers are prepared to make to keep their service commitments to their guests. 
  • Disruption brings with it uncertainty through unexpected consequences. People are nowadays more prepared to check themselves in at the airport, use self-service cashier lines at the supermarket, or order food via a mobile app.
  • In hospitality, people’s expectations are also changing. Long queues to check in at the hotel become unacceptable; unresponsive or slow room service lead to negative hotel comments on TripAdvisor; and some expect 24 hours’ housekeeping even in a budget hotel
  • Technological disruption in the hotel industry is therefore challenging but it also brings with it significant opportunities. Due to the large numbers of internet users, including mobile, online review platforms, attract lots of traffic which, in turn, means plenty of business potential for the online travel agencies (OTAs) in particular.
  • Like it or not, technology will always keep progressing and hotel brands could turn such tech challenges into their competitive advantages.
  • No matter how much technology has impacted the hotel industry, hospitality – and the human touch – will always exist and should never be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI).
  • A machine can cook dishes exactly to order, but it cannot experience how the guest feels; a robot might be able to deliver a pot of hot water to a hotel room, but it is unable to tell whether the guest is feeling unwell; an advanced voice control system could make it easier to order room service, but it cannot tell whether the guest enjoys the meal.
  • Many hotels have hired a designated team to respond to selected online reviews with personalized messages because they know the reviews represent ‘real feedback’, not the type of comments which effectively ‘threaten’ hotels with a bad review in a bid to get something for nothing. However, many hotel managers are afraid of getting bad reviews and either choose to ignore them or give a refund. There are many ways to handle this ‘disruption’ and run the business; the key is to find the right way.
  • Hoteliers should be prepared to seize those opportunities, while looking to improve their services and enhance their hospitality offerings.
  •  
    This article dives into the ways that technological innovation is disrupting the hotel industry. Hoteliers are struggling to keep up with guest needs and demands. Technological innovations, while a necessity, can never replace human touch. This rapid change represents a challenge and opportunity for the industry to overcome.
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  •  
    Technology advances at a rapid pace. While automation is occurring, it will not replace the element of the human touch. Managers should decide what will provide the best service to their guests.
  •  
    This article explains the technological advances in the hospitality industry and how this has been attributed to being a crutch for the industry and/or a burden. With the utilization of technological software such as kiosks, automated checks in's, and mobile ordering, the hospitality industry has had a disruption in the product that they are offering. The article also undergoes the understanding of taking the implementation of technology and the human interaction and combining them to work cohesively in the hospitality industry. Understanding that it is a balance that both must intertwine in order to find success in hospitality.
  •  
    In this article, all the incredible sides of innovative technology within the hospitality and tourism industry are highlighted and discussed. Along with the discussion of what some of the newest technology is, it touches on how it positively and negatively affects the industry. For example, the article talks about how the average person is so much more willing to go about self-service check-ins and hotels and airports, as well as ordering from a kiosk at a restaurant. From this, while it can be super convenient for the customer, it can also cause extreme damage to the business. Because so much of the industry has transformed to just being at the will of your fingertips, it leaves customers forgetting that not everything comes with instant gratification. "Long queues to check in at the hotel become unacceptable; unresponsive or slow room service lead to negative hotel comments on TripAdvisor; and some expect 24 hours' housekeeping even in a budget hotel", a quote from the article reads. The article also talks about how while there can be many negatives, there are equally as many rewarding positives. For example, "Due to the large numbers of internet users, including mobile, online review platforms, attract lots of traffic which, in turn, means plenty of business potential for the online travel agencies (OTAs) in particular". One of the main points in the article talks about how even though many hospitality jobs are being taken over by computers and AI, the one thing a robot will never be able to grasp and give is human interaction. "A machine can cook dishes exactly to order, but it cannot experience how the guest feels; a robot might be able to deliver a pot of hot water to a hotel room, but it is unable to tell whether the guest is feeling unwell; an advanced voice control system could make it easier to order room service, but it cannot tell whether the guest enjoys the meal". In conclusion, while there are indeed many disruptive changes that have bee
Chengcheng Feng

Global Distribution Systems in Present Times - Four Major GDS Systems; Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre, Worldspan / Oct 2002 - 1 views

  • Among the “shelves” on which buyers search for travel services are world’s global distribution systems and the Internet distribution systems
  • The airlines realized that by automating the reservation process for travel agents, they could make the travel agents more productive and essentially turn into an extension of the airline’s sales force. It is these original, legacy GDSs that today provide the backbone to the Internet travel distribution system
  •  
    October 2002 - The travel marketplace is a global arena where millions of buyers (travel agents and the public) and sellers (hotels, airlines, car rental companies, etc.) work together to exchange travel services. This is a good article talking about four major GDS System companies in the world nowadays. When we do some research in GDS area, it is better for us to know some information about these four companies. They are Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre and Worldspan. The author said that Aadeus is Number 1 inlocations worldwide compared to other three companies, Galileo International is a cautions follower when it comes to technology when compared to other GDS companies. Sabre's competitive strenghs are market position, global reach, stable product line, diversification of revenue streams and intellectual capital. And Worldspan has successfully developed the strategies and solutions to ensure the company's long-tern success. After read this article, I think I have the big picture of what GDS System is. The author gave us the strength of different systems. I know what are these GDS companies doing right now in the world. And what is the best is that the author used some accurate data to support the point. So in my point of view, I don't only understand the knowledge related to GDS System, but also learn the way to write my paper, that is using lots of numbers.
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  •  
    I don't know why but I was failed to highlight this article. I did it in My Library.
  •  
    It is a great article that provides some detailed information on the four most famous GDS. and It was separated into four parts by explaining the four major GDS one by one. It is talking about the history, current status and development of these four major systems to help readers understand what exactly It is and how It works. I like this because It helps me create an overview of GDS systems.
  •  
    Interesting article that summarize important information about major GDS companies. GDS companies such as Amadus, Galileo and Sabre are platforms in which a range of travel related services are offered through electronic switches and routers .
  •  
    This article introduces four major GDS systems' characteristics and strength. I think these information will be useful for hotels when they choose the GDS systems.
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    According to the World's Leading CRS/GDS System 2011, Sabre is the winner profile. And the Amadeus, Galileo, Worldspan and Zurich Systems were nominated.
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    This is about GDS!
  •  
    In the travel marketplace it is global where buyers and sellers work together to exchange travel services. Global distribution systems and the internet distribution systems have become electronic supermarkets linking buyers to sellers and allowing reservations to be made quick and easy. Travel today is sold most on the internet, it is a vast networks of suppliers and a wide customer pool in a centralized maket. Currently today there are 4 major GDS and they are continuing to grow. This article pretty much summed up what we learned in the past 2 classes
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    SUMMARY A global distribution system (GDS) represents a computerized system used for managing different transactions within the air travel and hospitality industry There are currently four major GDS systems: 1. Amadeus (2) Galileo (3) Sabre (4) Worldspan Amadeus Founded in 1987 by Air France, Iberia, Lufthansa, and SAS, Amadeus is the youngest of the four GDS companies. Amadeus is a leading global distribution system and technology provider serving the marketing, sales, and distribution needs of the world's travel and tourism industries. its comprehensive data network and database, among the largest of their kind in Europe, serve more than 57,000 travel agency locations and more than 10,500 airline sales offices in some 200 markets worldwide... Galileo International Galileo International was founded in 1993 by 11 major North American and European airlines: Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Olympic Airlines, Swissair, TAP Air Portugal, United Airlines, and US Airways. it is a major player in the GDS business throughout the world: North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia/Pacific region. Galileo International is a diversified, global technology leader. Sabre For more than 40 years, Sabre has been developing innovations and transforming the business of travel. From the original Sabre computer reservations system in the 1960s, to advanced airline yield management systems in the 1980s, to leading travel web sites today, Sabre technology has traveled through time, around the world, and has touched all points of the travel industry. Worldspan Founded February 7, 1990, Worldspan was originally owned by affiliates of Delta Air Lines, Inc., Northwest Airlines, and Trans World Airlines, Inc. it is currently owned by affiliates of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (40%), Northwest Airlines (34%), and American Airlines, Inc. (26%). Since its 1995 advance into the world of Internet technology fo
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    This article is about the GDS system, and it introduced four major GDS system in present times. GDS is a worldwide computerized reservarion network used as a single point of access for reserving airline sears, hotel rooms, rental cars, and other travel related items by travel agents, online reservation sites, and large corporations. The for major GDS systems, Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre, and Worldspan owned and operated as joint ventures by major airlines, car rental comopanies, and hotel groups. GDS is also called automated reservation system (ARS) or computerized reservation system (CRS). Among the four major GDS systems, Amadeus is the youngest one and has done remarkably well during its short tenure. With its strong company infrastructure worldwide, impressive product set, and growing customer base, Amadeus is one of the most significant players in shaping the future of the GDS. Galileo's competitive strengths include market share, well-balanced and global presence, relationships with diverse groups of travel vendors, technologically advanced information systems, highly skilled personnel, and a stable product line. Gralileo is a follower when it comes to technology, but is has established successful relationships with entities such as Go, UK's best low-cost airline. Sabre's competitive strengths include market position, global reach, stable product line, diversification of revenue streams, and intellectual capital. Sabre business model is a strong one, and continues to make significant progress in advancing both its electronic travel distribution and its information technology solutions businesses. The last one Worldspan has a legacy of industry firsts that are not well known. it continues to look at benefits of creating its own consumer brand and has been partnering with different companies to expand the services that it can provide to its customer base.
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    GDS is started on the airline industry. And with it development, the airline company recognized that the GDS is becoming more and more important and necessary. And in my opinion, the GDS can not only focus on the airline. it can be on the internet. That is means they should built some sub-company around the world and it will help to form a kind of net that can cover all over the world. So that it is reduce the pressure of airline and increase the short distance distribution. it will be more efficiency for the guest and less human labor.
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    More and more customers rely on global distribution system to buy hospitality products in present time. This article introduces four major type global distribution systems, Ama dues, Galileo, Sabre and Worldspan. There are also some smaller GDS existed in the world. Amadeus is the youngest of the four GDS companies. Galileo International is a diversified, global technology leader. Galileo's competitive strengths include well-balanced and global presence, relationships with diverse groups of travel vendors, technologically advanced information systems and a stable product line. Sabre's competitive strengths include market position, global reach, stable product line, diversification of revenue streams, and intellectual capital. Worldspan provides worldwide electronic distribution of travel information, Internet products and connectivity, and e-commerce capabilities for travel agencies, travel service providers, and corporations.
smaka004

How Marriott Wants to be the Red Bull of the Hotel Industry | Variety - 0 views

  • Marriott International today announced the formation of an internal content studio through which it will develop, produce and distribute a slate of entertainment projects that will include web series, short films, TV shows, music events and movies. The goal for the Bethesda, Maryland-based company is to appeal to the “next-generation traveler” — made up mostly of millennials — with story driven content marketing.
  • With 18 brands, Marriott is the world’s largest hotel company with over 4,000 hotels in 78 countries. Through its individual properties, in-room TVs, websites, mobile platforms and reward program, Marriott certainly has the network through which it can distribute entertainment.
  • To promote the projects, Marriott will use its website; its mobile app; various social media channels; in-room TV network; and Marriott Rewards, a loyalty membership program that has over 45 million subscribers.
  •  
    Marriott is seeking to become the Red Bull of the hotel industry. While I first thought that this meant that it wanted to become synonymous as a brand with hotels generally, as Red Bull's brand is with energy drinks, what Marriott is actually pushing for is a sophisticated eMarketing strategy. The company is focusing on content marketing by developing and producing (in-house or through contract) its own videos, shows, web series, movies, musical events, etc. and distributing it through their network of properties. The distribution strategy will focus on using Marriott's 4,000 rooms, which are located across 78 different countries globally. In addition to pushing content through in-room TVs, Marriott will also use its rewards program and mobile app to distribute what it produces to its consumers. Marriott does not plan to abandon its print or online advertising; it is simply adding another platform to increase and diversify its global reach and strategy. The ultimate goal is to fill rooms, but with Millennials, creating long-lasting, individual, memorable experiences is important to overall brand loyalty. Thus, content marketing provides a means by which Marriott can offer original, targeted content to its consumers. In the future, it can become a full-fledged development studio providing complete content for its consumers, in turn pressuring companies like Netflix, Hulu, etc. In the short-term, producing content and releasing it through their app will allow Marriott to increase brand awareness, loyalty, and the overall guest experience. Over time, Marriott is not simply pushing a product or service; they are building meaningful relationships with their consumers.
kabir joshi

Hotels taking steps to improve data protection - 2 views

  • This being the case, it is encouraging to see some hotels are making moves to lock down their data security practices. There is clearly a great deal of work that needs to be done, but if a hotel can demonstrate it is capable of protecting customer information, it may be more likely to inspire confidence in consumers, which, in turn, could afford the hotel a competitive edge.
  • According to a 2010 Wall Street Journal report, the most common security vulnerability in hotels is point-of-sale software. Often, hotels do not require employees to change the default names and passwords of these programs, making it easier for hackers to break in and steal customer information. To overcome some of these and other concerns, McBeth said hotel operators are applying the best practices detailed by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which aims to address data security for businesses that handle payment cards. However, he admitted that the task of ensuring protection throughout an organization is difficult, given the number of channels where vulnerabilities could be uncovered.
  • According to a USA Today report, a panel of IT executives from Starwood Hotels, Hilton and other lodgings operators recently told an audience at the LodgeNet’s Customer Technology Symposium in Chicago that protecting customer data is becoming their top priorITy.
  • ...21 more annotations...
  • This type of situation was brought to a head earlier this year when marketing services giant Epsilon experienced a massive breach to its email systems. According to a SecurityWeek report, among those impacted by the breach were several hotel operators, including Hilton, Ritz-Carlton and Marriott.
  • According to a USA Today report, a panel of IT executives from Starwood Hotels, Hilton and other lodgings operators recently told an audience at the LodgeNet’s Customer Technology Symposium in Chicago that protecting customer data is becoming their top priorITy.
  • According to a 2010 Wall Street Journal report, the most common security vulnerability in hotels is point-of-sale software. Often, hotels do not require employees to change the default names and passwords of these programs, making it easier for hackers to break in and steal customer information
  • According to a 2010 Wall Street Journal report, the most common security vulnerability in hotels is point-of-sale software. Often, hotels do not require employees to change the default names and passwords of these programs, making it easier for hackers to break in and steal customer information.
  • According to a USA Today report, a panel of IT executives from Starwood Hotels, Hilton and other lodgings operators recently told an audience at the LodgeNet’s Customer Technology Symposium in Chicago that protecting customer data is becoming their top priorITy.
  • According to a 2010 Wall Street Journal report, the most common security vulnerability in hotels is point-of-sale software. Often, hotels do not require employees to change the default names and passwords of these programs, making it easier for hackers to break in and steal customer information
  • According to a USA Today report, a panel of IT executives from Starwood Hotels, Hilton and other lodgings operators recently told an audience at the LodgeNet’s Customer Technology Symposium in Chicago that protecting customer data is becoming their top priorITy.
  • According to a USA Today report, a panel of IT executives from Starwood Hotels, Hilton and other lodgings operators recently told an audience at the LodgeNet’s Customer Technology Symposium in Chicago that protecting customer data is becoming their top priorITy.
  • Hotels
  • According to a USA Today report, a panel of IT executives from Starwood Hotels, Hilton and other lodgings operators recently told an audience at the LodgeNet’s Customer Technology Symposium in Chicago that protecting customer data is becoming their top priorITy.
  • otels, Hilton and other lodgings operators recently told an audience at the LodgeNet’s Customer Technology Symposium in Chicago that protecting customer data is becoming their top priority.
  • According to a USA Today report, a panel of IT executives from Starwood Hotels, Hilton and other lodgings operators recently told an audience at the LodgeNet’s Customer Technology Symposium in Chicago that protecting customer data is becoming their top priorITy.
  • According to a USA Today report, a panel of IT executives from Starwood Hotels, Hilton and other lodgings operators recently told an audience at the LodgeNet’s Customer Technology Symposium in Chicago that protecting customer data is becoming their top priorITy.
  • Hotels
  • According to a USA Today report, a panel of IT executives from Starwood Hotels, Hilton and other lodgings operators recently told an audience at the LodgeNet’s Customer Technology Symposium in Chicago that protecting customer data is becoming their top priorITy.
  • According to a USA Today report, a panel of IT executives from Starwood Hotels, Hilton and other lodgings operators recently told an audience at the LodgeNet’s Customer Technology Symposium in Chicago that protecting customer data is becoming their top priorITy.
  • According to a USA Today report, a panel of IT executives from Starwood Hotels, Hilton and other lodgings operators recently told an audience at the LodgeNet’s Customer Technology Symposium in Chicago that protecting customer data is becoming their top priorITy.
  • According to a USA Today report, a panel of IT executives from Starwood Hotels, Hilton and other lodgings operators recently told an audience at the LodgeNet’s Customer Technology Symposium in Chicago that protecting customer data is becoming their top priorITy.
  • According to a USA Today report, a panel of IT executives from Starwood Hotels, Hilton and other lodgings operators recently told an audience at the LodgeNet’s Customer Technology Symposium in Chicago that protecting customer data is becoming their top priorITy.
  • According to a USA Today report, a panel of IT executives from Starwood Hotels, Hilton and other lodgings operators recently told an audience at the LodgeNet’s Customer Technology Symposium in Chicago that protecting customer data is becoming their top priorITy.
  • According to a USA Today report, a panel of IT executives from Starwood Hotels, Hilton and other lodgings operators recently told an audience at the LodgeNet’s Customer Technology Symposium in Chicago that protecting customer data is becoming their top priorITy.
  •  
    This article is related to IT securITy in hotels. Around six months back a panel of IT executives from Starwood Hotels, Hilton and other lodgings operators met at the LodgeNet's Customer Technology Symposium in Chicago to discuss on how protecting customer data is becoming their top priorITy. This type of sITuation was brought to a head earlier this year when marketing services giant Epsilon experienced a massive breach to ITs email systems. According to a SecurITyWeek report, among those impacted by the breach were several hotel operators, including Hilton, RITz-Carlton and Marriott. According to a 2010 Wall Street Journal report, the most common securITy vulnerabilITy in hotels is point-of-sale software. Often, hotels do not require employees to change the default names and passwords of these programs, making IT easier for hackers to break in and steal customer information. To overcome some of these and other concerns, McBeth said hotel operators are applying the best practices detailed by the Payment Card Industry Data SecurITy Standard (PCI DSS), which aims to address data securITy for businesses that handle payment cards. However, he admITted that the task of ensuring protection throughout an organization is difficult, given the number of channels where vulnerabilITies could be uncovered. This being the case, IT is encouraging to see some hotels are making moves to lock down their data securITy practices. There is clearly a great deal of work that needs to be done, but if a hotel can demonstrate IT is capable of protecting customer information, IT may be more likely to inspire confidence in consumers, which, in turn, could afford the hotel a competITive edge.
  •  
    Its a tough task to monItor this, because at the end of the day, the responsibilIty is at the property level to ensure that data is secure across the board. So training employees on the importance of data securIty and what a breach means could go along way.
anonymous

Impact Of E-Commerce On The Hospitality Industry | YOSAKI - 0 views

  • E-commerce has now become a very important and basic part of people’s lives and since it is the selling and buying of products and services via the internet it has not only impacted on the business industry but the hospitality industry as well.
  • The hospitality industry being one of the most essential industries must move together with the evolving world in order to fully satisfy consumers and this has brought an unavoidable combination of E-commerce and hospitality.
    • anonymous
       
      Society is constantly changing and a big part of that change is due to technological advancements. In order for the hospitality industry to move forward and keep up with society it must stay up to date with these changes and make constant improvements in the system.
  • E-commerce creates quick access to the hospitality industry as it markets the best services so that people don’t have to waste too much time looking for where the best hospitality services are.
    • anonymous
       
      People want to be able to access what they are looking for or what they need quick and easy.
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  • As tourists look for the best places to tour on the internet they are also provided with hospitality facilities such as accommodation (hotels), social functions, foods and cultural attractions among many others  that are displayed all over the internet.
    • anonymous
       
      The hospitality industry and tourism seem to almost work hand in hand through eCommerce as this example shows.
  • From a mobile phone or computer it is now very simple for to look up for where they can find the best services
  • The hospitality industry is majorly dependant on wildlife and natural scenes which are very easy to advertise through E-commerce
    • anonymous
       
      Being advertised through the internet gives them a better chance of having more people find them and want to use their services. People expect to find everything online.
  • Since customers can know whatever they need to know through internet, all extra costs have now been eliminated yet made everything more convenient and thus leading to a really drastic rise customer satisfaction.
    • anonymous
       
      eCommerce makes transactions faster by allowing guests to pay immediately for their services and since all information is available online they can have anything they need to know available for them right there. Thus it is understandable why customer satisfaction has increased.
  • When using the internet it is super fast and easy for a customer to get into contact with the supplier of the particular service or product that they need. Using emails and different social media app chats communication which is one of the key issues in developing the industry has greatly been simplified.
    • anonymous
       
      For customers it is very important as well to get in touch with their suppliers for any questions or concerns that they may have. When they contact them they expect to be able to do so fast and just like that they also expect a quick response from them.
  • Through the various web services, customers have been motivated to try out the most famous hotels and inns no matter how far they are and also people who were never interest in travelling are encouraged to go to destinations far away.
  • Everyone loves to have various options to pick from in order to have their needs perfectly satisfied and that is exactly what e-commerce has brought into the hospitality industry
  • All a company needs to reach out its ideal customers is create a website through which it can offers its services directly to customers, display each and every service they offer and also the necessary conditions and requirements without having to pay extremely high costs for it.
    • anonymous
       
      This reduction in cost makes more hospitality industry want to try eCommerce. Then with this extra money that was saved up, the company can invest it in something else to improve their services or to add things to their inventory.
  • Each and every company puts out their rates in the open giving customers the advantage of comparing prices before they can actually go on to spend the money.
    • anonymous
       
      This a very important thing for customers. People like being able to compare prices in order to choose the one that saves them money. They also want to be able to make the right choice in terms of what is really worth their money. But of course this means more competition within the hospitality industry.
  • Much as they work hand in hand with other industries it is now an independent industry of its own
  • Most of the companies that deal in hospitality services now allow customers to have their places of stay booked earlier, they make the payments online and have all of the details including where to find tickets, how they will be welcomed, what is required of them and so much more.
    • anonymous
       
      Now that all the information is available online it makes it easier for the guests to be informed beforehand and have some knowledge as to what to expect. eCommerce makes finding information about the services effortless.
  • Through the bookings and reservations done from the internet customers end up giving out way too much information something that has become overly dangerous as it exposes innocent customer’s information to unauthorized that end up using it for in wrong ways and for the wrong purposes.
    • anonymous
       
      Some people may also have their concerns and preoccupations about eCommerce and how safe it is. Nobody wants their personal information to end up in the internet for everyone to see and possibly steal/use.
  • E-commerce has created a world where it is extremely easy to rob, steal, kidnap and even more criminal offences such as killing among so many others.
  • The owners of such places must put strict security and warning on such attractions or else suffer with the unruly members who may use them recklessly.
  • Marketing countries with overly attractive facilities has become a threat as it has overly attracted the wrong crowd, not everyone that travels into a country come into the country with the best of intentions.
    • anonymous
       
      This is another possible side effect of advertising in the internet. Everyone nowadays has access to the internet and therefore can see all this information and as is mentioned here not everyone has good intentions and could turn something pleasant into something offensive and hateful. One just has to be very careful with these things.
  • The internet attracts all sorts of people since it puts out way too much information and the same way hackers get into other online businesses they have also managed to get into the hospitality industry and caused innocent countries to face huge problems with such people.
  • Since the customer never gets to meet personally with the owner of the service, a seller can easily provide them a service different from what they actually wanted, some do this by mistake while others do it intentionally due to lack of ethics.
    • anonymous
       
      This a very common things that does happen maybe very often depending on how well the communication between the customers and the suppliers goes. Sometimes customers end up paying for a service that wasn't exactly whet they wanted or whet they needed. This then leads to customer dissatisfaction and to poor service.
  • Service providers need to check their services to ensure that they deliver customer satisfaction
  • In conclusion, e-commerce has increased the popularity of the hospitality industry through the different ways of marketing its facilities and making them more accessible to the customers who are mostly tourists and people who enjoy lives of leisure and luxury.
  •  
    This article talks about both the pros and cons of eCommerce in the hospitality industry. it talks about how it has changed and helped the industry but also the side effects that it may have.
galca008

How the cloud is disrupting the hospitality industry | Lightspeed POS - 1 views

  • Now, years later, technology is once again making its mark. The hospitality industry is at “a tipping point in terms of cloud adoption”, with hoteliers expected to invest 7 – 8% more in cloud technology over the next 2 to 3 years. The current and future impact of cloud-based solutions is huge: it’s revolutionizing the way hoteliers run their businesses and interact with their customers.
  • A Frost & Sullivan study showed that business can save 50% with cloud computing solutions. The apparition of the cloud and its flexible pricing has slashed businesses’ hardware costs, making it possible for even hotels with small budgets to run an advanced management system.
  • With a cloud-based system, hoteliers can meet these evolving demands. Firstly, they can offer personalized experiences with the help of captured customer information. The cloud lets hoteliers record this data – their preferences, transactions and behavior – every time the customer interacts in some way with their hotel, such as ordering room service, eating in the hotel restaurant or even booking a day trip or spa session.
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  • Secondly, they enable you to provide guests with the convenience and seamless experience they expect, even before they step into the hotel reception. Armed with a cloud-based system, you can give your guests the convenience they now expect from a hotel stay, such as booking rooms on their mobile phones or accessing their room from an app, to name a few examples. This personalized service will help you meet the needs of the evermore connected modern traveler and gain a competitive advantage.
  • Cloud-based software gives hoteliers a hotel management system that facilitates rather than restricts business operations. Unlike their on-site predecessors, cloud-based hotel management systems are entirely scalable – they have an unlimited capacity to expand. They give hoteliers the agility and freedom to add or remove resources in line with their growth and scale their hotel management systems to the services they offer.
  • One of the biggest strengths of a cloud-based hotel management system is that it can be easily connected to other software applications, even if these applications don’t share the same provider. For hoteliers, this capacity and the possibilities that it brings are revolutionary. They now have limitless flexibility to work with the vendors of their choice and can bundle applications together thereby creating a truly customized management suite that meets their needs.
  •  
    This article introduces cloud technology and its implementation in the hospitality industry. The author highlights the positive impacts of using cloud-based management systems in hotels. One of the benefits is that it cuts it costs by 50% by using cloud solutions, without needing to spend on expensive hardware and it personnel for upgrades for example. Another plus is that the data collected from guests through the cloud is being able to provide better guest experiences. If you can understand what the guest desires through the data collected then you can give them a more customized stay. The use of the cloud also allows for each business to customize their features as they desire, to scale it up, scale it down, and add or remove features they use or not. Finally, cloud-based programs are able to better connect and integrate with other programs due to its flexibility. My opinion is that this technological advancement in the hospitality industry has been a breath of fresh air. it has made the labor inherently easier and more reliable, the information it houses seems limitless, and its affordability makes it possible for smaller scale hotels to be able to implement it as well. I think this has been one of the best advances for our industry.
Alyssa Westmeyer

Hotel technology trends that are changing how hotels do business - 1 views

  • Choice created the software in 2003 as an inexpensive solution for franchisees of its economy brands.
  • The PMS had a lot of growing pains at first, but eventually it became more and more cloud enabled and was adopted across the company.
  • “A lot of companies had outsourced their IT and now they’re bringing IT back in house because they can do almost everything they need on the cloud or through software as a service.
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  • pects of a franchisee’s business, from guest check-ins and housekeeping services to billing and finances. Over time new features have been rolled into the software platform making it more robust and useful for hotel owners—it’s currently distributed in eight countries and available in four languages. And while plenty of cloud-based PMS packages are now available from third-party vendors like Micros, Maestro, and RoomKey, Choice’s internal solution has garnered its fair share of attention. “We had been getting knocks on the door from it vendors at other hotel companies and individual Choice franchisees that own other brands, saying they were interested in our product,” says Pacious, “So we set up a new division so we could take a look at other opportunities we could develop.” This led the company to launch SkyTouch last year, a new division that develops and markets cloud-based software solutions to hotels inside and outside the Choice system. Pages: 1 2 3 4 2013-06-18 Sean Downey !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })(); (function() { var li = document.createElement('script'); li.type = 'text/javascript'; li.async = true; li.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https:' : 'http:') + '//platform.stumbleupon.com/1/widgets.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(li, s); })(); inShare0 Related Articles attachment-3
  • Switching to the cloud from a client server platform pays off with a big drop in both the initial capital outlay and the ongoing operating costs for the property management and other systems.
  • his led the company to launch SkyTouch last year, a new division that develops and markets cloud-based software solutions to hotels inside and outside the Choice system. Pages: 1 2 3 4 2013-06-18 Sean Downey !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })(); (function() { var li = document.createElement('script'); li.type = 'text/javascript'; li.async = true; li.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https:' : 'http:') + '//platform.stumbleupon.com/1/widgets.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(li, s); })(); inShare0 Related Articles Hotel Market Insight: Cleveland a
  • This led the company to launch SkyTouch last year, a new division that develops and markets cloud-based software solutions to hotels inside and outside the Choice system.
  •  
    Choice Hotels has been a industry leader in the cloud PMS movement. They identified the opportunity to create their own platform 10 years ago when cloud was barely on the radar and have now successfully distributed it to 5,500 of their properties. Unique functionality built into the system is internet redundancy via cellular data plan, company-wide campaign pop-up messages to staff, interface to Pegasus and revenue management through predictive analytics. The platform has been so successful that, in response to inquiries from other companies who wanted to use Choice's proprietary system themselves, they created an additional revenue stream by establishing a separate company that sells and creates custom cloud PMS systems. One advantage pointed out is that managers no longer need to be on property to access and make changes to their PMS. While this is hugely beneficial to the majority of the industry (who already work long hours and visit the property on their day off), there may be some who take advantage of the situation. If this becomes the case, less oversight at the property means that operations has the potential to slip. it doesn't seem that this is a concern for Choice Hotels but it should be considered.
biancafavilli

How Cloud-based Hotel Software is Changing the Industry - 8 views

  • Couple that with the fact that in the next two to three years hoteliers are expected to invest seven to eight percent more on cloud technology
  • Additionally, increased accessibility, greater profitability, and user-friendly dashboards make cloud-based software enticing for hoteliers
  • For starters, cloud-based hotel software has the ability to host a property management system (PMS) from a remote location, allowing hoteliers to access their property data from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. This feature is unique to cloud-based software and eliminates the need for hoteliers to be physically present at their property to be able to check in on daily management operations.
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  • Cloud-based hotel software has been shown to boost productivity, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness
  • Additionally, through the centralization of operations, hoteliers can eliminate the need for on-premise servers at each property
  • In fact, the hotel group, Triple C Hotels and Resorts, reported a 60% savings on software costs when they switched to Cloudbeds’ cloud-based hospitality software
  • Unlike locally installed software, one of the more attractive elements of using a cloud-based hotel software system is the ability to adapt, grow, and integrate with future trends
  • The high-level security standards followed by cloud-based hotel software is due in part to its rigid compliance with PCI requirements.
  • For example, Cloudbeds hospitality software implements periodic auto-logoff features that require users to re-enter their password, two-factor authentication for an added level of user verification, and automatic removal of guest credit card data after 14 days
  • Unlike conventional hotel software models that require hoteliers to purchase licenses and hardware, cloud-based hotel software is sold as a service that enables clients to add on as many or as few tools and features as needed.
  • In fact, a study by Frost and Sullivan showed that businesses can cut IT costs in half by implementing cloud-based computing solutions to customer support.
  • ability to host a property management system (PMS) from a remote location, allowing hoteliers to access property data from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. This feature is unique to cloud-based software and eliminates the need for hoteliers to be physically present at their property to be able to check in on daily management operations.
  • Give staff more mobility and accessibility around the property
  • Eliminate the need for manual data sharing and processing
  • next two to three years hoteliers are expected to invest 7-8% more on cloud technology
    • cleon087
       
      This could be a determination if a hotel succeeds. It is important to not lag and instead adapt to the times.
  • an spend more time attending to guests
  • ransitioning to a cloud-based hotel software solution can seem like a daunting task at first
    • cleon087
       
      Not all bosses are even comfortable with technology to begin with so it would be difficult for them to spend the money to transition.
  • Accelerate hotel check-in / out
    • cleon087
       
      People value fast check in, especially someone that came to the hotel on a business trip and just wants to get to their room.
  • Eliminate the need for manual data sharing and processing
    • cleon087
       
      This saves a lot of time because you wont have to manually record data.
  • frequent security updates t
  • In an industry that is always changing, this kind of flexibility is priceless.
  • across multiple properties simultaneously
  • faster for operations, online booking and customer service.  
  • customizable
  • Cyber attacks and tighter regulations on privacy policies have made the need to protect guest information more important than ever. This topic is a main concern for those considering switching to a cloud-based PMS system since data servers are hosted off premises.
  •  
    Cloud-based hotel software is able to host a property management system from a remote location which therefore allows hotel staff to access data from wherever they are in the world. It is showing posItive signs of increased efficiency and overall cost-effectiveness.
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  •  
    Cloud-based software is the future of the entire hospitality industry. The benefits of having this software heavily outweigh the cons. it would allow employees to better assist guests with check-in/out processes and it would also give them increased mobility throughout the system, accelerating the services we can offer to our guests. In addition, cloud-based systems allow for better data storage, giving us the tools we need to be prepared for returning guests and their accomodations.
  •  
    Providing the best customer service is the goal of any hotel. It is what attracts your guests to return and suggest your hotel to others. Imagine a software that eliminates the need for hoteliers to be physically present to check on daily management operations or even automate mundane daily tasks, allowing staff to spend more time attending to guests and improving the customer service experience. This software is known as cloud-based hotel software. This software is not sold as a product; It is sold as a service that allows hoteliers to add on as many or few features as needed, making It completely customizable. Cloud-based software is hosted by a vendor's server and gives hoteliers a scalable system that is flexible and easily updated across multiple properties simultaneously. A great key feature to this software is that the system is able to adapt, grow, and integrate wIth future trends. FlexibilIty is so important in this generation because new technologies are constantly being innovated and staying up wIth trends is a great way to satisfy your guests. Cloud-based software has shown to boost productivIty, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. What more could you ask for?
  •  
    The cloud based hotel software is a great addition to he hospitality industry because it gives the hoteliers a chance to be flexible with their stay. it gives the staff member a more relief on updates of property housekeeping status. Cloud based technology gives advantages of moreover frequent updates and enhancements for hoteliers inquiring.
  •  
    This article highlights the benefits of switching to Cloud-based hotel software. One of the highlights is the reduction in cost, by switching it allows employees to focus more on service then repetitive tasks. This is also an attractive deal for hoteliers because they're allowed to check on important data from their house. This software makes it more efficient and soon all hoteliers will have to invest in a innovative software.
  •  
    A general trend is that hoteliers are considering to use cloud-based systems more. Data have proved that hoteliers will invest more in cloud technology. Cloud-based hotel software can provide its users with many benefits like cost-efficiency, increased accessibility, and user-friendly dashboards. Furthermore, it makes remote/offsite information sharing and real-time offsite management possible. With a cloud-based system, staff can spend more time on guests and improving service. For security issues, cloud-based systems upgrades often and therefore reduce the risk of being hacked. Cloud-based systems are also enough flexible to meet the future needs of users. In sum, cloud-based technologies can help the hospitality businesses to deal with the changes better.
  •  
    Hotels are beginning to transition to cloud-based software because they are realizing the great impact it has caused on their business. The article mentioned, "in the next two to three years hoteliers are expected to invest 7-8% on cloud technology". This percentage exhibits how hotels are going to be ran in the future. Cloud-based software has brought positive impact to a hotel business such as "increased accessibility, greater profitability, and user-friendly dashboards". All of these benefits have caused hotels to run their business smoothly bringing back satisfied guests. This software allows check ins/out to be more quick and gives easy access to areas in the hotel for employees. Another gain received by using this software is that its cost-effective. it has been disclosed that a hotel has saved "60% on software costs". Using this software has saved a hotel a lot of money that can be used to satisfied guest more. Security on data is more secured using cloud-based software because the vendors take it seriously making it harder for hackers to retrieve information. Some hotels may halt to install new technology such as cloud-based software but with all the benefits it has given to other hotels, this is going to be the future for the hospitality industry.
galca008

Green IT | Green Hotelier - 1 views

  • With the world becoming ever more reliant on it, from computers and laptops to smartphones, the issue of how you make it more sustainable, in terms of reducing energy requirements and electronic waste, becomes ever more pressing.
  • In 2010, it was estimated that 360 million computers were manufactured. A computer is one of the most resource-intensive pieces of equipment, requiring over 10 times its weight in fossil fuels to make
  • The production of a computer requires 22kg of toxic chemicals, 240kg of fossil fuels and 1,500 kg of water. 80% of life-cycle energy use is accounted for before we even switch a PC on for the first time. Computer Aid International About 2% of the world’s total energy is consumed by building and running computer equipment. BBC Office equipment is the fastest growing energy user in the business world, consuming 15% of the total electricity used in offices. This is expected to rise to 30% by 2020. In the UK, the cost of running this equipment is estimated to be around £300 million annually and rising each year. Carbon Trust 200 million computers and 550 million mobile phones reached the end of their life in 2008.  Computer Aid International 50 million tons of e-waste was generated worldwide, but only 13% was recycled. US Environmental Protection Agency Reusing working computers is up to 20 times more energy-efficient than recycling them. Computer Aid International
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  • A data centre is a facility used to house computer systems and their components, and it can be far and away the biggest contributor to an organisation’s carbon footprint. A data centre’s life expectancy is relatively long so it is imperative it is built to the highest standards in terms of efficiency as any excess energy use will lead to significant cost implications over the years.
  • 1. Build the most energy-efficient data centre possible. This will save energy and costs over its lifespan. 2. Only get the data storage capacity that is currently required and forecast for the lifespan. Many data centres have excess capacity that burns energy (and therefore costs) unnecessarily. Don’t have servers or equipment that will not be used. 3. Cooling data centres. Traditionally cooling has been done by air circulation, which is very inefficient. Larger data centres already use other technologies to cool more efficiently, such as water cooling. 4. Virtualisation technology. Improve your system’s resource utilisation through virtualisation technology. Virtualisation is the creation of a virtual (rather than actual) version of something, such as an operating system, server, network, etc. and allows a single user to access several physical devices on one terminal. A computing device dedicated to an individual member of staff or allocated for one software application is highly inefficient and expensive. Virtualisation consolidates resources, requiring less power and cooling. 5. Consider cloud computing. This is a location-independent it service, typically available over the internet, where shared servers provide resources, software and data to computers and other devices on demand, increasing it capacity and capabilities without an organisation having to invest in new infrastructure. Keeping data virtually, or “in the clouds”, means less information stored on it systems and therefore less energy being used to run the systems. Systems such as BT’s Virtual Data Centre, a hosted data centre that enables businesses to create, deploy, monitor and manage their own service through a self-service portal, claim to offer savings of up to 40% of the total cost of running one’s own data centre as well as reducing the space required, the level of emissions produced and the power consumed.
  • 6. Measure and monitor power usage. Once you know what’s using the power, focus on why and whether it’s possible to reduce consumption.
  • 1. Upgrade. Before buying new, investigate options to upgrade with the latest energy-efficient components to extend appliances’ working life and efficiency. 2. Green labels. Look out for the certification labels denoting more energy-efficient equipment, from Blue Angel in Germany to TCO in Sweden and Energy Star in the US (see below). 3. Screens. Opt for flat screen monitors, which reduce energy use by over two-thirds. 4. Get the right equipment. Consider your information technology needs against the tasks required. For example, laptops may be a better option in some circumstances because they have been developed to be energy-efficient and generally match the computer to the task required. Remember: not all staff have the same needs. 5. Consider running costs. Look at the life cycle costs, not just the purchase cost. Take note of running and standby costs of equipment. These can vary enormously.
  • Top 10 Tips to reduce running costs of office equipment (source: Carbon Trust) 1. Computers. Activate energy-saving features. In fact, most office equipment will have these features, so make sure they’re activated. 2. Standby features. Introduce a policy to activate standby features, don’t assume employees will do it. 3. Turn it off. Buy seven-day timers. These can save up to 70% on energy costs. 4. Monitor and manage the equipment that is peripheral to computers, such as speakers, printers, etc. and consider installing intelligent switch-off solutions. Printers can consume 30%-40% of their peak power demand when idling between printing and standby modes, so minimising this can produce cost savings, reduce heat output and increase its operating life. 5. Educate your staff. Consider a screen saver with an energy-saving message. 6. Rationalise your equipment via networking to reduce the number of printers (for example) in any office area. 7. Printers Use only black and white for internal documents and colour only when absolutely necessary. Consider the benefits of inkjet printers v laser printers. Inkjet energy use is much lower than that of a laser printer. Encourage staff to use print preview functions. Set default printing mode to double-sided. Use lower-specification printers, such as inkjets, for internal documents and encourage staff to use these for day-to-day use.
  • 8. Photocopiers High volume copiers use more energy so should be used sparingly. Use low melting point inks (available from stationery suppliers). Encourage staff to copy in batches to increase standby time. Stick to black and white copiers and only use colour when absolutely necessary. Set default copying to double-sided. 9. Invest to save and purchase only what you need. 10. Don’t forget to motivate staff. Keep repeating the message of the importance of energy saving in ways that they can understand (for example, a computer monitor switched off overnight saves enough energy to microwave six dinners).
  • WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), or e-waste, is the term used for old or disposed electronic equipment. It covers both the toxic and valuable materials found in appliances. The most important lesson is to reuse, not recycle. WIth so much e-waste, and electrical devices such as computers and flat screens often being replaced well before the end of their shelf life and ending up in landfill, It’s imperative that the most is made of these materials by reusing them productively.
  • Options to investigate when trying to reduce e-waste are: 1. Can you upgrade your equipment with new energy efficient components? 2. Can it be used by someone else in the company? 3. Can it be given to a charity? (Note: charities must be registered to take WEEE.) 4. Will the manufacturer take back the old equipment and reuse parts in new products?
  • Developments on the horizon include: 1. Smaller, more efficient processors. The continuing development of microprocessors means a mobile phone can have around the same computational power as the average desktop computer back in 2000. 2. Memristors. Electronics giant HP is in the process of developing “memristors” (see photo above), which have greater memory storage capacity while requiring less energy and space. They are due to be on the shelf in about three years. 3. Specialist data centre design. Siemens recently launched its transformational Data Centre Solution, a groundbreaking strategy in data centre energy-efficient design and operation. it claims the system, which uses virtualization and efficient power and cooling, offers many benefits for businesses, including up to 50% energy savings through ground water cooling and it costs reduced by 30%. 4. Outsourcing. Hotels of all sizes are starting to view it outsourcing as a viable option to gain flexibility and reduce short-term costs and increase transparency of cost structures and processes. 5. Optimisation of resources. This will become a necessity either through virtualisation, networking or cloud computing. 6. Water cooling. IBM is currently working on a supercomputer that is cooled by water (a given volume of water can hold 4,000 times more waste than air), which claims to be 50% more energy efficient than the world’s leading systems. The Aquasar stacks many computer processors on top of each other with cooling water flowing between each one. IBM’s Dr Bruno Michel told the BBC in November 2010: “We plan that 10 to 15 years from now, we can collapse such a system into one sugar cube — we’re going to have a supercomputer in a sugar cube.”
  •  
    This is a great article that provides tips on how to use green practices within the it realm. it starts by giving statistics on how much energy can be consumed by equipment, and also how much electronic waste can be done when not reusing or recycling such equipment. There is tips on how to increase efficiency with your technology and also providing tips on how to properly purchase needed equipment. Another set of tips covers reducing the running costs of office equipment and reducing e-waste by the 'reduce, reuse, and recycle'. Lastly, developments for green technology and equipment are provided for us. My opinion is that this article is very informative and should be read by all hoteliers to look into and apply the tips given. Showing the statistics paints a great picture for the reasons why we should be going green with technology.
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