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A telecommunication network used to refer to the collection of switches of wirings used by telephone service; it is now include internet, microwave and wireless equipment as well as telephony. The main function of a telecommunication network is to provide efficient and effect transmission of information. A telecommunication network can set up as WAN and LAN. A telecommunication set up as WAN allows reliable communication between nodes that are geographically located across large distance. Hotels chains that located in different area would like to use this network model. With the same level of security, a telecommunication network set up as LAN is used on a smaller geographic area. It provides phone, data, and internet within an enclosed setting. One example is a hotel, where the phones and internet access are all routed through a network located within a hotel. As technologies continue to advance, the definition and the scope of the telecommunication network will also continue to change. But what will remain the same is the core concept. Before I read this paper, my opinion on a telecommunication network is always indicates telephone service, and now I understand it also include internet, microwave and wireless equipment. I have to say that technology have been changed very fast so that we must keep in mind to update our knowledge on these new technology as well.

As technology continues to advance, companies are looking into what works well for what kinda consumer. RateTiger is targeting corporate consumers, who want to be in control of room rates and have the ability to negotiate better deal based on services provided. RTC uses RPS, rate parameter shopping that searches thru hundreds of travel sites, hotel brand sites and GDS offeres corporate buyers, OTA's and travel companies the opportunities to build a rate around the best room rate for the perks and services, in comparison to what the public pays.

Excellent Article!...While corporate travelers are noticing fluctuations in "Best Available Rates (BAR)" I can only imagine that hotel owners and stakeholders are seeing a decrease of revenue caused by the ADR (Average Daily Rate). During the recession hotels had to re-shape their thinking and lower Corporate Room Rates to stay afloat; these changes caused the ADR to be lower than usual. As the economy improved, it has been harder for companies to re-negotiate corporate rates in an attempt to increase the ADR and profits for owners/stakeholders. http://www.bcdtravel.com/global/show_document.asp?id=aaaaaaaaaadsveg

This technology will provide business travelers the ability to compare hotel prices based on the type of rooms. This will help the customer in customizing their own needs during travel, while being price savvy. The traveler also has the ability to have default settings that will meet their own room specifications.

Nowadays global distribution systems interconnect almost everything within the hospitality industry, from hotels to car rental companies and travel agencies. There are four major GDS available: Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre and WorldSpan. Some of the advantages provided by GDS are their availability (99,9% of the time), their response times (up to a fraction of a second), their multiple booking capability, as well as their top of the line architecture. On any given day, a GDS will be capable of accessing over 50000 hotels and approximately 1000 airlines. Through GDS systems, people are able to book various hotel rooms, tours, airline seats, cruises and even limousines.

Nowadays, as travelers turn to the internet and mobile devices to research and book their travel online increasingly, the online marketing in hospitality has become a important sign for success. At the same time, the hospitality industry tries best to enhance their online booking service, hoping to turn general online travelers into loyal repeat customers that book directly on hotel websites. However, there are still are challenges as the industry has many complex factors. And this article gives solutions and results by introduce Adobe products.

In this article it talks about e business strategies. One of them being mobile device because research and booking travel have been so critical for people on the go. The HeBS is a big digital marketing firm for the hospitality industry. There are profitable online strategies to come by in the hospitality industry. These opportunities do not come easy many time it very complex but also very successful if it done right .Hotel budget have come to a plateau. Hotel need to step up the plate because online travel agencies have taken over the industry. In addition social media and smart phone have added new dimension for market that require new skills with their ideas. HeBS face a challenge by multichannel marketing success, improving return on ad spend, and making more online marketing to be able to come back by doing this they would have the solution and the result. The solution being, keeping clients of the curve of the competition by building direct online revenue. The result for that is providing insights. The market and the driving force for the differentiate competitors. The benefits will build a leading- edge for the hospitality industry

Internet marketing is an essential part of the overall marketing portfolio of hotels. These top ten ecommerce promotion ideas, channels, and strategies can drive maximum Return on Investment. 1. Search friendly website design has new meaning - fast and integrated. Hoteliers should consider which channels their target customers are utilizing, and develop integrated promotion plans across all channels. 2. Hoteliers should focus on improve conversion and usability when they provide an increasing volume of information. 3. Search is becoming more local in nature. 4. Expand paid search beyond traditional channel. 5. Real time search - Natural Ranking (SEO) becomes more real, local and social. 6. Image and Video search is an effective way to capitalize on different search traffic. 7. Mobile search continues to be local in nature. 8. Embracing social media - it's here to stay! 9. Hyperlocal is really an extension of your local social search marketing. 10. Utilizing Blogs to connect and promote time sensitive information.

Social media has revolutionized the way businesses are able to interact with consumers - It sets an unprecedented opportunity for brands to raise the bar in providing unique, personal experiences for customers past, present and future. The hospitality industry in particular has an enormous opportunity to market in innovative ways via tools like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogging, mobile-based initiatives and more. Now is the time for the hospitality business to use social media to target their customers. It is important for hotels to realize the importance of this and invest money in improving their company's image and awareness.

Social media has been around for a while but slowly has become more and more popular. We as a hospitality industry have so many opportunities with social media. For example.. I work in a restaurant and we do so much promoting on Facebook And twitter for specials and upcoming events. With social media in the industry it allows us to interact with customers from the past, present, and potential future guests. The author of this article hits it right on when talking about ways to use it with all the different allies there are now a days.

This is a great article. This is the wave of the future as hospitality business can place ads and deals on places like facebook and travelocity. It is great as well to see reviews from other people when it comes to things like hotels and restaurants, so you too can choose if the place is right for you. While reviewing a place is great for future customers, it may not be a great tool for the establishment, if it receives bad reviews. One bad review can damage an establishments reputation over night.

Surface interactive table is very popular in recently years. It is a technology that through glass capacitive touch screen. The technology is used to capture guests touch on acrylic surface. This kind of interactive table could be included games, internet and communication to offer a complete interactive experience. Guests can pass by, touch or approach the screen to activate the system and the content will start immediately when guests use finger to point the device. The technology has a lot of methods to use. The screen not only can click, double-click but also rollover, multi-touch. Because some users are use the same screen for meeting, playing game and organizing, the interactive table has a lot of ways to use even to perform activities which use two hands in parallel. If the hotel has this technology, it is really a surprise. The businessmen will use it for meeting and communication. The children use it to play games together and the travelers are likely to design maps, mark destination and organize their tourism.

In the hotel that I used to work in Down Town Miami they have two surface interactive tables. Guests love them! As you mentioned before they play games such as chess, Chinese checkers, and you can play the piano too. You can also check for directions, listen music, and look for information. I know there is a restaurant in Orlando that have Surface interactive tables too, it would be nice to check it out.

That is a great idea that Paris is putting into practice. For only 199 Euros which is around $256 dollars you can get a room like that, I will totally do it! Comparing rooms here in South Beach that are much more expensive and do not have The Eiffel Tower as the view, that is a great deal. And, they are just testing this concept for 3 months and if they see that the demand is high enough they will keep it for longer. This, at the end will result with higher profit and product differentiation. Customers will love it!

Typically, the guest room energy costs will take up 40% to 80% of total energy costs of a hotel property, which depend on hotel size, location, and occupancy. There are 80% guest room costs related to the air conditioning and heating (HAVC). Another 20% of guest room energy costs are tied to electrical. Hotel HVAC systems are designed to maintain a guestroom at a fixed temperature both day and night. In many hotels - whether the guests are business or leisure travelers - the rooms are frequently unoccupied for much of the day. During those times, it will save hotels money to setback the thermostat or completely turn off the heating and cooling. Occupancy control system accomplishes just that. There are two major occupancy control system: cardkey system and occupancy sensor system. The primary benefit of occupancy control systems is that they reduce energy use for the hotel. Orchard Garden hotel installed the cardkey system to control their HVAC system and lights in guest room. According to calculate, there are average 26% reduction in HAVC energy costs. A second benefit is that occupancy controls reduce peak demand. However, both of cardkey system and occupancy sensor system have some weakness. They still need to enhance their technology and design to fix the problems

This article was particularly intersting to me because it highlights the active "green movement" in the industry, but it also points out that many hotels that claim to be "going green" are actually employing practices that are anything but sustainable. The "green" notice you see when you enter the property, is nothing more than a marketing ploy in case they may encounter a customer who actually values sustainability. As much as eco-friendly organizations may inspect, certify, and supervise the industry, it is still very easy for companies to take the cheaper, more traditional road of ignoring the very principles of sustainability they claim to operate by. As much as we may try to regulate this movement, our efforts are never enough. Becoming environmentally sustainable has had a global impact already, but the level of awareness is not high enough to reach a globally effective level yet. Sustainability is our obligation to the earth that lets us live rent free. It is our responsibility and we must all take the initiative to ensure our global destinations are still around for future generations to enjoy. The problem, as this article points out, is that you can still polute and waste energy and hide behind the sign on your property that says you are eco-friendly just in case you come across that customer out there who actually values sustainability. It is sad that with all the sustainable technology available today, we still don't appreciate its importance. We have the technology to manage HVAC systems, waste processing, and renewable energy to name a few, but it is cheaper and more convenient to employ the traditional methods that are not sustainable. Many travel industry organizations have figured out that all they have to do is post signs saying they have sustainable technology and what it does without actually having to practice what they preach. I believe government agencies need to move in the general direction of coercing sustainable practices under s

This article talks about IT software that can reduce costs and energy consumption if the technology is implemented. HVAC, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, is a hotel's 'biggest power consumption culprit,' especially with guests who are not mindful of their consumption because they are not in their own homes and in essence do not have to pay. HVAC and lighting control system can be utilized without active involvement from a guest. So his or her stay wouldnt be hindered by having to keep track of their energy use. Guests do not want to be bothered with the day to day running's of a business.  This system would be greatly beneficial for a hotel to implement because it is keeping up with the latest trend, it doesn't disrupt a guest's comfort and it reduces expenditure

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.

This article discusses a new trend in hotels - women-only floors. Some hotels are starting to dedicate entire floors for women. I think this is an interesting concept. I would have thought this would only exist in places like hostels where there may be public bathrooms. However, this seems to be a growing trend in hotels that cater to business travelers. The floors are accessible only with the room cards and they are only given to women.  The article mentions a couple of times, that it makes women feel more secure but it didn't really explain why. One woman said she was new to the area and that's why it made he feel more secure. Seeing as how I am a man, I don't really see how being on a same sex floor of a hotel room could make you feel safer. Ladies could you help me out with this?

This article briefly introduced some new ideas about transportation tools for green technologies developing in the tourism industry. Although discovering and implementing a new thought of recycling for environmental friendly is very difficult and expensive, the green activities are significant and need to be continual going on.

As most customers are supporting the green movement hoteliers had the need of applying green practices in their properties to attract potential clients. That is the case of Hilton Hotels such as the Strater and The Double Tree. "The Doubletree has been listed at the silver level by Green Seal, a nonprofit, third-party certifier in Washington, D.C. The Strater has been designated as meeting Energy Star standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency." Nielsen the Director of Marketing and Sales and green team leader at the Double Tree explains how the hotel had worked rigorously to become Green Seal certificated. Among the green practices that take place in the Double Tree as well as in The Strater are " recycling, energy efficiency, elimination of chemicals and the hotel had word volatile organic compounds, low-flow showers, toilets and sinks, and contracting with suppliers whose business practices are shades of green." The hotel also takes left over food and amenities to different organizations. With the implementation of the green practices the hotel has saved 26 percent on its energy costs by having lights with timers in low occupancy areas, low energy bulbs in offices and halls, and energy efficient lighting in guest rooms and restaurants.

Good article about the Doubletree receiving the silver level. They don't use chemical on their pools anymore and they also collect the leftovers from the restaurant and take it to a local ranch. Indeed, this shows that investing a great amount of money at first to become more and more green will lead them to save a lot of money in the long run!

As good an example as you will ever find about the benefits of the implementation of green technologies from top to bottom. I think this will begin to become common practice in the industry as more states adopt green certified practices in the lodging and hospitality industry in general.

This article informs us on the different levels of integration to accounting, ecommerce, rental, shop management and other software modules. There is a slight difference between integrated and interfaced. Interface is when the system is linked to another accounting system like quick books or Peachtree in order to transfer data between them in order to communicate with third party programs. Integrated modules use the same file and information, data is consistent in order to avoid double entry. Most accounting systems are built in and tightly integrated into the software so there is an instant update of inventory quantity, customer history, account receivables etc. There are some advantages of a separate accounting package which include saving money, no retraining, and better overall design with stand alone accounting systems. Some disadvantages of a separate accounting package will be out of date information, updates and maintenance can cause problems, difficult configuration. The built in (integrated) accounting includes updates, quick reference, and easy configuration. Disadvantages are poor design. According to this article it seems that accounting systems which are integrated are far more efficient then interfaced accounting systems. Although it clearly states that both words are used interchangeably and both can give plenty of problems with the software. But with integrated individuals are just working with one program while with interface individuals have to learn two programs and user interfaces.

Having a content aggregation would be a great development in any industry specially in Travel business. At first place GDS  was ment to be  designed for airlines but as the time passed other sections of travel business got involved and took their share in this powerful content aggregation. Now one of the most powerful sectors of GDS is Hotel industry and reservations of hotel rooms which are made through this computerized system.  However, this improved system of GDS could not be much of success in rail industry. Because the railing system is much more sophisticated than air transportation system. There are numerous rail stations existing out there which would be hardly controllable and arrangeable to be collected under a single computerized system.  However, if every and each of the major owners of GDS consider the whole chain and don't look for their very own profit this system would not only work out but also improves and reaches higher standards. 

This article identifies the importance of green initiatives within operations and how to link them to available BI solutions. By specifically looking at analytics organizations can assess how they are meeting targets and monitor their performance in relation to their "green" goals. This article also discusses considerations related to expanding BI use to include green initiatives.

Company priorities are shifting towards cost savings and becoming more environmentally aware and business intelligence can help to achieve these goals. BI's ability to monitor performance and alert decision makers about changes in behavior makes it a complementary approach to organizations wanting to become more eco-friendly. Although BI applications are well poised to fill this need, businesses still require a roadmap to successfully tie-in their BI use with their green initiatives. Outside of technology adoption and lowering energy consumption, organizations also support social action initiatives and invest in R&D efforts that work towards more environmentally friendly products and internal processes. This in turn has a broader effect on the environment at large. The benefits that expand beyond the organization include what occurs within the company as well. Whether managing recycling programs, reusing raw materials, lowering consumption, etc. businesses require a way to monitor these initiatives and to identify ways of becoming more efficient over time. This is where the use of BI and analytics comes in.

Summary: This article is about a study done at Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne on the investment of PMS training and its relationship to a hotels performance. The study resulted in positive correlations between PMS training and revenues. Opinion: Training employees on the PMS seems like common sense but most hotels do not believe it is necessary. This study and its results make perfect sense but I am also a little surprised by the significant increase in revenues that is created from properly training employees on PMS. 

This article is about a current study, in which about 150 mid-scale and up-scale hotels around the world answer the questionnaire. This study analyzes the relationship between PMS training and business performance, and the investment in training in PMS. Although every hotel manager knows the PMS is the key factor for hotels development, not only for getting customer data but also for decision making. The result shows that most of PMS system in hotel have not been made full used, there are many potential abilities can't be exploited. According to the study, most hotels don't have budget on PMS training. And also 32% of hotels don't provide training to all employees on the PMS. Plus, even they have training, it is very short and just in internal, no using the PMS providers. This study also shows us the hotels have a higher level of occupancy when they allocate more budgets on PMS training and have PMS suppliers training. There is also a relationship between PMS training budget and hotel revenues, the more budget on training bring a higher revenues. And the revenues are much higher than budgets. Hotels also need efficient management of PMS training, which means more revenues and full use of PMS.

The property management system is a tool not only is customer data but it can also help strategic and operational decision making. The study undertaken investigates the investments in training in PMS and the relationship between training and business performance. A big majority has no training or offer a very little training. There is a support that underutilization of the PMS is due to the lack of training. There is a higher occupancy level when hotels allocate higher budgets to PMS trainings. There is a significant positive correlation that shows a relationship between PMS budget and the gross operating revenues of hotels.

This article looks at the growing trend of the cloud system. You hear the opinions from a few different companies in varying industries on the trending system and how they are implementing the cloud system. Some of these companies are slowly moving towards a total cloud infrastructure, but none of them are fully there quite yet.

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