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Since the Pandemic hit Hoteliers realized that their PMS could be giving them more and making their operations easier. They have been asking since that their PMS should be able to run multiple outlets from one single data base, to give employees the ability to work in different departments without having to learn how to work different systems, have a PMS with the options of flexible deployment, having a PMS that works in multi-properties, has one client profile across all properties, provides elearning and built in tutorials for employees to use at their own pace, even at home and lastly for PMS to provide 24/7/365 customer service. These are all changes that hoteliers are asking from PMS companies to develop and i think would be ideal to ease and help hotel operations. PMS should be more developed and should be able to keep up to pace and speed of the ever evolving technology.

PMS is common in hotel operation since its powerful fuction which can be streamed into two parts involving reservation and revenue management. As we all know, reservation is the beginning of hotel operation and it is the first expression the hotel leave to any customers. Thus, it is important for us to pay enough attention to the performance of this system no matter what size of properties we operate. A competent PMS can provide efficient experience for both guests and operators in that it can help them finish some jobs always frastruated them before. Another contribution of PMS is the ability of revenue management which has been treated as the most important job for seniors in hospitality industry. Based on powerful PMS, managers can easily get any information related to current operation and budgeting issues. For these reason, PMS is an necessary installation for each hotel with specific features.

This article is describing the power of having a property management system in a business industry. The PMS can offer many advantages to its customers. Customers can access the system wherever they are and whenever they want. This article offers many software ideas that can help hotels running smoothly. For example, there is the InnQuest roomMaster 2000, which has the right features (reservations, reservations, guest services, etc) and offer the right tools to help run a hotel. Hotel staff can learn it quick as well. This system is secure which is very important in a business industry. It also talks about the Reservation Master. In hotels, reservations are important especially when it offers its guest the choice to do its own reservations on the internet. It is good for smaller hotel businesses like motels. Another one is the Maestro, which is a powerful PMS system that helps companies have full control of their files. Last but not least, there is the RoomKey, which is a system that can help a company to have the right to use and activate it wherever they are.

Physical plant or mechanical plant engineers can be found in almost every business sector and industry and are responsible for maintaining large facilities. These individuals usually monitor their facility's heating, cooling and ventilation systems. Additionally, physical plant engineers must also service and repair their facility's plumbing and lighting. According to 2010 data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national annual mean salary for a stationary engineer was $52,620. These individuals earned a national mean hourly wage of $25. Physical plant engineers, stationary engineers and boiler operators have a strong background in mechanics. Individuals working in this field often receive formal apprenticeship training with the International Union of Operating Engineers or formal education through vocational or trade schools. Certain states may require licensing for positions in this field. Generally, employers prefer to hire people with at least a high school diploma or GED who have experience in the field.

"Physical plant or mechanical plant engineers can be found in almost every business sector and industry and are responsible for maintaining large facilities. These individuals usually monitor their facility's heating, cooling and ventilation systems. Additionally, physical plant engineers must also service and repair their facility's plumbing and lighting. Physical plant engineers are paid an average salary of at least $50,000 to make sure a plant's systems run safely. "

In an effort to cut expenses the Renaissance Club Sport Hotel installed the Pelican Wireless HVAC Thermostat. This saved them $41,160 a year on energy related costs giving them an ROI of 8.5 months. Through research presented by Pelican Wireless it was discovered that HVAC energy consumption drives over 60% of most hotel energy bills each month. The Renaissance Hotel discovered that by implementing the Pelican Wireless technology they could save substantially each month on energy costs. The previous room configuration had basic thermostats installed in the rooms which were left running even when the rooms had no checked in guests. They also had no way to monitor the health of their existing HVAC units and their facilities department was being called upon by the front desk to regularly check the AC. Installation took only 3 days with 2 installers in a sold out hotel consisting of 175 hotel rooms, conference center, spa and workout facility. Pelican's technology interfaces with the Hotel's PMS and to the internet to access the Pelican Site Manager. Initial setup is done via an easy to understand graphical user interface accessible on any Web Browser. Cloud based servers allow access to resources and have control of information from anywhere there is an internet connection.

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

Having a clear understand of what makes a great hotel, resort, or conference centre and how to run it profitably is an essential part for a successful management company. Benchmark Hospitality International win the market through its day-to-day management decisions on the numbers. They built a  centralized 'private cloud' technology hub and data gathering platform based on which the managers can make decisions every morning while not wait until month end or later to see property financials. The private cloud helps to reduce its ownership costs and to protect data. Benchmark also uses the Internet-enabled Profitvue enterprise back office system from Aptech Computer System to centralized property accounting.  This is technology plays an important part of hotel operations. The Profivue back office accounting system is internet-enabled, so a PC is the only back-office hardware. The same for the front office systems. It is a great saving for its owners. Since Profivue is flexible enough for Benchmark to have a standard chart of accounts and general ledger for all its properties, Benchmark can quickly integrate a new property into Benchmark's processes. It just bring financial team members from other properties, who are familiar with the system and chart and G/L. So a new property can be ran very quickly without the usual hardware and software installation and staff training. Another advantage of this system is that Benchmark's financial stockholders, management teams, and guests benefit a lot from it, so they always support these innovations, which can later stimulate the company's success. Applying new technology in operation management can help company win a larger market share and develop fast.

Technology absolutely plays important role to facilitate meetings and conference running smoothly. The Audience-response systems (ARS) ease the communication between attendees and speaker, which encourages the engagement from participants. As one big goal of meeting and convention is to bring people together and let them know each other, technology like ARS is essential for a successful meeting. According to most planners' experience, it's really annoying to pass around the microphone when somebody wants to ask question. The new microphone function is also added into ARS so that attendees can ask question without waiting for passing the microphone. In addition, ARS can track attendance for crediting purpose. As long as WiFi is available, surveys can be sent by laptops, iPads and iPod touches.

Instead of introducing some new technology, this article is more like an advertisement. it does not introduce much information about this technology and it is not a news for us to know a cloud based PMS. But cloud based PMS is still not widely used in the industry, while Benchmark is one step ahead. Except the benefit of reduce hardware costs for investors, closed based accounting system also make it easier for its headquarter to protect corporate and guest data as well as maintain these data. With this benefit, corporate is able to monitor the operations of its hotels. 

This article introduces the accouting systems developed by Benchmark Hospitality International. Benchmark invested in the hospitality industry's first "private" cloud platform to host its property's systems and data. Profitvue back office accounting system was mentioned, which has the advantages of more flexible, simple and faster to use, and save money. Also, it is safer to use this private cloud-based to save data, which can bring lots of benifits to shareholders and management teams. In my opinion, all hospitality organizations should enhance their accouting and financial systems to create a safer financial environment, and to get clear information of the financial operations and make further plans to control costs.

The way a property is designed, managed, and positioned in its market all contribute to solid operation makes a great hotel, resort, or conference center. Benchmark invested in the hospitality industry's first 'private' cloud platform to host its propertys' systems and data. Its strategy means that we add properties on a regular basis.The system is Internet-enabled, so the only back-office hardware the hotels need is a PC.It could have the new property up and running quickly without the usual hardware and software installation, and staff training. This saves time and money, and it can turn the property around much faster.

This article talks about a group of New York City hotels that have pledged to become greener. Seventeen hotels have joined the NYC Carbon Challenge, an initiative originally created to get the city's universities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. These hotels have pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 30% in the next ten years, which can significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases produced by the city's buildings. This is all in an effort to reduce the city's overall greenhouse gas emissions 80% by the year 2050. The Office of Sustainability worked with the Hotel Association of New York City, a coalition of hotels in the city, to get this first group of hotels involved with this green initiative. The hotels that have already started working towards making their property greener are already on the right track to meeting their goals and these implementations will involve minor construction and little hindrance to guests. The article talks about some of the changes that these hotels are making, such as changing to LED light bulbs, installing more energy-efficient elevators, implementing sensors that turn off bathroom lights after a certain period of inactivity, and using an energy-conserving air-conditioning system. Although these changes will cost the hotels a hefty sum of front, they also know that these changes will save them money in the long run. Most of these changes will not be visible or known to guests, but people who want to stay someplace that is environmentally-conscious can educate themselves about what these hotels are doing.

This article expounds how Google is contributing to the future green advancements of the world by implementing them in their every day operations. Although developing next-generation consumer electronics is an extremely lucrative sector of technology, Google has shifted their thinking away from the immediate consumer electronics field, moving towards the development of green technology. The article further mentions Google's wide-range of environmentally-friendly initiatives which includes the development of an application plug-in that would help automobiles determine where the driver is going that in turn reduces energy use, incorporates renewable energy, and offsets carbon emissions. Also, despite the large amount of Google data centers, Google has managed to cut their energy use in half through practical thinking that included purchasing a wind farm in Iowa with plans of running entirely on renewable energy in the near future. The company also made it a point to cut down on greenhouse gases by having goats roam their Google campus to eliminate the need for fertilizer and lawn movers. In conclusion, by adopting unconventional techniques for effectively lowering its environmental impact, the company has become a model example for more companies to think outside of the box and focus on implementing green technology in an efficient and innovative manner.

A technological startup company called RaceMenu recently launched a mobile application to ease the process of onsite registration for running events. The new application allows event managers to focus more on the runners and not so much on finding people to process the paperwork when registering guests onsite. This app benefits both race event managers as well as guests and entrants. It allows for ease of registration and collection of information to run smoothly and easily. Being a runner, I believe this is an incredible app and will really improve how races are run and organized in the future.

This seems to be the ideal registration of the future. It bypasses the five page list, saving you printing costs and allows you to search by scanning the QR code, which is in essence anonymously. As a volunteer I would much rather use a mobile device that I am familiar with than risk a paper cut or even worse the impatient people waiting in line. I would be willing to use my own personal device, that is if I had unlimited data. I wonder how many other people would as well...

Running a hotel in the cloud is a very new technology and most of the hotels are still in the trying process. There are pros and cons of Running a hotel in the cloud, the atticle has solved most of our concerns about the problems that be occured when Running a hotel in the cloud. However the temptation of the cost will be the most competive advantages of the cloud based PMS system.

The article clearly cleared up some of the myths in terms of internet connectivity which is a major concern. It is clear that if cloud computing is used as the option then internet redundancy should be utilized as well. It was interesting to note that a major corporation like Hyatt as moved its micros Pos and accounting systems to cloud. This will certainly encourage other hotels to get on board. On the matter of security especially for credit cards, it is good to know that PCI compliance is a must when utilizing cloud computing. Great article.

Nowadays, there are many concerns for hoteliers to adopt the cloud computing PMS system. People are reluctant to use the new technology because of the issues of control, security and connectivity. Hyatt and some benchmark hotels put most of their systems into cloud. Actually, when using the cloud PMS, data is not in the property which decrease the risk of operator. Also, as backups, network disconnection is rarely found. There are many benefits of the cloud, such as low cost, easy to upgrade software. Besides, it also has financial benefits. Many servers replaced the cloud PMS saw ROI within a year.

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

This article talks about a conference that took place in Las Vegas concerning how hospitality organizations should automate accounting processes. Representatives from BlackLine Systems, a financial software developer, alongside panelists from MGM Resorts Intl and Caesers Entertainment will be discussing how hospitality organizations should utilize technology to automate accounting processes. Technology and software can reduce the often frustrating feelings associated with spreadsheet accounting. Additionally these tools will help organizations run more efficiently especially for hotels that operate on a global level. These automated systems can increase productivity and reduce costs with the ultimate goal of achieving balance sheet integrity.

KingSmart is a popular and successful HPMS because of its automatic, flexible, and customised. Similar with most HPMSs, it can be installed in any types of hospitality establishements. At the same time, it can help each departments within the hotel finish their work more efficiently. It can cover all aspects of daily operation in a hotel such as reservation & registration, group handling, yeild management, sale & marketing, housekeeping modules, revenue management, and so on. Among these aspects, I think some of its applications are more necessary in modern hospitality environment. First of all, KingSmart allows us to run a hotel in its maximum capacity through its powerful, comprehensive, and flexible tools. In addition, managers can increase the profit without any other efforts except using this smart system. KingSmart can force the operaton toward the most profitable rate depending on some marketing strategies installed by managers before. All of the other works are processed by KingSmart automatically. Another automatic application of this system is that it can assign and check in of multiple rooms by one touch of button. In my opinion, it is more important for group reservation of different preferences and behaviors. At last, it establishes a connection between the hotel and customers. Through sending some emails or messages, the hotel can target and keep some loyal groups easier. In a word, KingSmart has so many common benefits with similar softwares and some of its own advantages. It is a good choice for hotels, resorts, and other hospitality properties.

This article is about how the POS system works with the ipads. Nowadays, as the Apple products-ipad attract so many people, more and more restaurants notice that applying ipads as part of their point of sale system is a good decision. iPad users are running the terminals in a variety of POS system configurations, including those centered around remotely hosted software running at so-called "cloud" data centers, to which store-level devices communicate via wireless Internet connections. Many restaurant operators feel satisfied with the POS running work with the ipads. The ipads are attractive, and many guests are interested in the products. The most important, using ipads as part of the POS system, they can help speeds up the ordering process in the restaurant. However, using the ipads is not a perfect idea because there is a high cost associated with the high technology products. In my opinion, it is good the combining the POS system with the latest popular products. As on one hand this can make the restaurant more attractive, on the other hand, it is a good way to increase the service speed.

This article describes how there are an increasing number of eco-friendly hotels,(popping up) in general, but more specifically in urban center. The article points to be the cost of energy and the new abundance of green technology as the primary reasons for the surge in the number of eco- friendly lodging. The article gives several examples of how city hotels are employing eco-friendly practices and products. First, Sheraton has introduced fuel cells in four of its urban locations. Fuel cells are ultraclean power plants with up to twice the efficiency of fossil fuel. Second, Hyatt is using renewable energy source (wind, hydro, and solar). Finally, Marriott and Hilton are even seeking difficult- to- attain leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certificates for the U.S Green Building Council, which can yield significant tax benefits.

This article is a good one about the cloud and how the hotels are finding benefits with using it. The benefits that they are seeing is that the cloud allows them to move their hardware off of the property to a central location to be operated. Another point they focused on is how it allows hotels to run their software and hardware more efficiently and it is also a lot cheaper. They have found that it allows them to get rid of IT in the hotel. They also touched on the cons and one being that if their is no internet or not enough internet connection there will be problems. Another issue is security.

This article is a good one about the cloud and how the hotels are finding benefits with using it. The benefits that they are seeing is that the cloud allows them to move their hardware off of the property to a central location to be operated. Another point they focused on is how it allows hotels to run their software and hardware more efficiently and it is also a lot cheaper. They have found that it allows them to get rid of IT in the hotel. They also touched on the cons and one being that if their is no internet or not enough internet connection there will be problems. Another issue is security. Many people feel that as complicated the industry is, it is somewhat important for hospitality type businesses to have the cloud. With having the cloud, this will ensure that the systems are always updated. A point that stood out to me was how the La Quinta saved 30-50% in telecommunication at each of their locations. Many hotels will find themselves using the cloud in the future

Peppered throughout this article on Groupon's CEO Andrew Mason are snippets of knowledge or understanding of the importance of efficient accounting systems to run a successful business. While working as a host in a restaurant, Mason learns first-hand the inefficiency of its RMS, stating that there are 2 separate systems for the front and back of house. His experience working in a small business is a stint to help develop more relevant and seamless applications and software with merchants to help them manage payment and inventory, rather than inundating them with coupons, customers, or no business at all. The major takeaway related to this class is that finance and accounting are so unappealing to businesses that even the CEO of a major public company was surprised by how disorganized, even non-existent, an efficient POS was within a small restaurant in Chicago. And perhaps that is also a reflection of his own business model, as Groupon has been reported to have lost money, and even passed up a billion-dollar deal with Google. To survive, any business, large or small, must approach their finances intelligently.

In this weeks reading, the article, "Why Investing in Hospitality Technology is Investing in Good Business", mentions how due to the economic downturn hotels have turn to cutting technology and staff levels as a method to minimize costs, yet this is a recipe for disaster, if not conducted adequately. Technology is continuously evolving, it is important to make decisions regards IT investment that will be useful in the coming 3-5 years. Technological infrastructures should operate to facilitate a process or procedure for the overall benefit of the hotel, rather than take a day-by-day approach. In an ever-demanding industry, it is critical for hoteliers to be adequately prepared with automated systems, reducing if not eliminating important manually conducted tasks which are damaging the operations of the hotel due to the lack of real time information which will help revenue maximization. In moments of recessions, companies minimize their cost reducing what is foreseen as unnecessary such as IT investment, yet is important to maintain a level of preparation and not losing the opportunities presented by the market.

Hotel owners and managers are putting eyes on technology in the hospitality industry slow recovery period. All pundits agree this method can bring some recovery. The international hotel organizations have made many plans of improving investment in technology and staff. Progressive hospitality organizations have updated and invested in new technology and training, change the industry requirements and market. Before investment, the most important is to look at what operational efficiencies the technology can bring and how the technology will benefit the hotels. There are many technologies are good choices for investment, such as Revenue Management Systems. This technology is efficient and can help hotels track historic data, forecast future demand and so on. We also need to technology is changing all the time. So this is a big challenge of managers to make decisions for a long development. We also need to realize that the hospitality industry is changing, strategies will not always be applicable to new, unique situations. It is important for hotels to increase advantages in the competition.

Those hotel groups that fail to recognize the speed of change in technology and what this can bring to the business will find themselves significantly under prepared when the market starts to strengthen. While "its never too late" to act - there is a significant opportunity cost in doing nothing or worse still, cutting technology out of the day to day operations. For a hotel to effectively operate and ensure it is maximizing its incoming revenue, the right technologies needs to be in place. Through investing in the right technology at the right time, savvy hoteliers will be ensuring that their facility(s) are able to effectively maximize their ongoing revenue capability now and into the future.