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The Future of Hotel Security - AOL Travel Ideas - 0 views

  • With futuristic systems like scent and iris scanners and digital facial-recognition, hotel security is being taken to the next level. #plain_module { width: 590px; height:170px; border: none; float:left; margin:0px; font-size:12px;} #plain_module img {border:none; width: 13px; height:14; border: 0px; margin:0px; } #plain_module .mini_main { margin: 0px; padding:0px; width:585px; height:220px; repeat scroll 0 0} #plain_module .mini_item_header {padding:10px 0px; margin: 0px 0px; font-size:16px; color: #555555; border-bottom:1px dotted #CCCCCC;} #plain_module .mini_item {padding:5px 0px; margin: 0px 0px;} #plain_module a { color: #49A3CA; text-decoration:none; } #plain_module a:hover { color: #F98419; text-decoration:underline;} span.gray {color:#949494;} .mini_main li{list-style-type: none;background-image: url(http://www.aolcdn.com/travel/bullet);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: 0 1px;padding-left: 10px;}
  • The new thing is contact-less Smartcards and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) cards that need just be waved to allow room access.
  • But travelers worried they will constantly have to traipse back to reception every time they lose their card need not despair. Security systems in some hotels do away with cards altogether.
  • ...8 more annotations...
  • "I think that you will begin to see more hotels going to RFID and smartphone entry before using biosystem recognition," says Wolfe. "These systems are expensive, and there are many consumers who just don't want this information stored somewhere -- for a variety of reasons."
  • Systems that track the other qualities that make each human unique are in development as well.
  • Yet more card-free security systems are on the way.
  • Many industry watchers are keeping an eye on Houston's largest hotel, the vast 1,200-room Hilton Americas–Houston. The hotel has a facial recognition system that can identify and track guests, employees, and even suitcases. With 700 employees and an annual $16 million payroll, the system offers benefits such as employee time-theft monitoring and prevention for the hotel. But travelers aren't that concerned about employees taking an extra cigarette break. What it means for you is that the system includes alerts if unwanted people are on the property and a response time of mere seconds if there's an incident. Customer service is heightened as well: Returning guests will be recognized and greeted by name. And with 1,200 rooms worth of luggage in transit, the system makes it a lot easier to find lost or misdirected bags.
  • not everyone wants to be on-camera, all the time. With concerns about "snooping" and a Truman Show-like lack of privacy, might guests feel that systems such as this are too intrusive in our hotels? "
  • Technology is opening new doors to hotel safety, and the way we navigate hotels is set to change in the blink of an eye. Or the swipe of a cellphone. Or the print of a finger. With futuristic systems like scent and iris scanners and digital facial-recognition, hotel security is being taken to the next level. #plain_module { width: 590px; height:170px; border: none; float:left; margin:0px; font-size:12px;} #plain_module img {border:none; width: 13px; height:14; border: 0px; margin:0px; } #plain_module .mini_main { margin: 0px; padding:0px; width:585px; height:220px; repeat scroll 0 0} #plain_module .mini_item_header {padding:10px 0px; margin: 0px 0px; font-size:16px; color: #555555; border-bottom:1px dotted #CCCCCC;} #plain_module .mini_item {padding:5px 0px; margin: 0px 0px;} #plain_module a { color: #49A3CA; text-decoration:none; } #plain_module a:hover { color: #F98419; text-decoration:underline;} span.gray {color:#949494;} .mini_main li{list-style-type: none;background-image: url(http://www.aolcdn.com/travel/bullet);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: 0 1px;padding-left: 10px;} Those plastic key cards that once seemed so innovative will soon go the way of the actual key. The new thing is contact-less Smartcards and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) cards that need just be waved to allow room access. Much like the cruise world's one card system, these cards may soon make hotel stays easier by allowing guests to pay for services, as well as to check-in and check-out, through a single device. Travelers may even be able to save preferences on the cards, from pillow type to floor choice. RFID cards are already in use at New York's Plaza Hotel, and Starwood Hotels are considering introducing them into their hip Aloft and Element properties. But travelers worried they will constantly have to traipse back to reception every time they lose their card need not despair. Security systems in some hotels do away with cards altogether. "In addition to Radio Frequency Identification, there are also systems that use a smartphone, such as an iPhone," says Frank Wolfe, CEO of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals. "When a guest checks into a hotel and provides their phone number, they get an encrypted sound code via text message." You can then play back the code to unlock your room door.
  • Systems that track the other qualities that make each human unique are in development as well. Movement-activated video-capture systems were showcased in New Zealand in September 2010. Researchers are at work on devices capable of recognizing an individual's gait or walk and even their DNA. Frank Wolfe says, "If you want to go 'way out there', there are some systems being explored that can allegedly sniff someone, and also systems that can recognize the pattern of blood veins on a human being which are apparently unique to the individual," says Wolfe. Quite common in Japan, vascular-recognition systems such as this are still "several years off," according to Wolfe. "I think that you will begin to see more hotels going to RFID and smartphone entry before using biosystem recognition," says Wolfe. "These systems are expensive, and there are many consumers who just don't want this information stored somewhere -- for a variety of reasons."
    • xsun015
       
      Nowadays, more and more hotels pay attention to IT security. They use high technology security equipment to protect the security of hotel and customers. These equipments will record every details about the hotel and customers. One one hand, this is a way to protect the security of the hotel. But they forget to care about the customers' feeling. Not all customers like it. Some customers want to protect their privacy. So I think that hotel needs to  consider the boundary about the hotel security. Keep the benefit and privacy for the customer. Then compare all the security devices, which is the best.
  •  
    This article is about the advanced hotel security achieved through improved technology. Today's hotels tend to integrate the existing technology with high-tech methods, such as iris scanners and digital facial-recognition, to increase security. There are newly introduced contact-less Smartcards and RFID cards. These cards enable people not only to pay for service but also check-in and check-out on a cruise ship. Thus, there is double security system that uses their Smartphone to unlock the door in addition to RFID cards. Even, card-free security systems like finger print entry system and an iris scanner are in progress. These systems are developed for providing guests as well as increasing their property security by identifying employees. Moreover, a camera system that verifies individual's identity through tracking the human unique characteristics like a gait, walk, and DNA is being developed. However, any novelty and valuable technology is useless, if the consumers do not accept. Therefore, considering guest's unwillingness, hotels are going to employ RFID or Smartphone entry system first, not biometric systems. Lastly, the low tech, such as hotel staffs who get in-depth training and awareness of guests and staff and your fellow travelers who are interdependent on one another, is one of the greatest security measures in addition to biometric and high-tech method ironically.
  • ...3 more comments...
  •  
    The hotel security will be raised to a new and next level with s lot of new technology. The plastic key will be innovated to smartcard with RFID. By usting the smartcard, the customer can stay easier by using it to check in or check out, also to choose the type of the pillow. Also, without the smartcard, the smartphone also can be that role and will become more popular and more easier. The card free security systems are on the way. The fingerprint may be used to enter the room. The Houston's largest hotel has a facial recognition that can identify and track guests and employees. This system will improve the security and the business. However, not everyone wants to be on camera, it sometimes depends on the background of the customers. New security measures will become such a part of our daily life that they will become the norm. One of the greatest security measures of late is actually low tech.
  •  
    The article highlighted reports the advancements in technology in the hospitality industry. These technologies are presented as security features as well. The highlights are about RFID cards, biometrics, hand scanners, iris scanners, facial recognition and even veins scanners. RFID cards is presented also as a security feature, however, it may give margin to a lot of fraud. Facial recognition systems are presented with a lot of emphasis and could be a great security feature if monitored for unwanted people. Some hotels have introduced iris scanners for special rooms such as presidential suites. Biometrics are being installed in hotels where your key card or credit card is replaced by your fingerprint. In order to add security, these hotels have added a password after fingerprints are placed on the reader. This extra security step will change consumer's perspective and maybe increase acceptance. The author also mentions that customers may not accept intrusive methods. The facial recognition seems to be a great advancement in hotel security; however, customer may feel uncomfortable to know that they are being recorded on cameras at all times. It is also mentioned that this may be a cultural issue. London was mentioned because it is very common to find security cameras in public areas and street in London . The main message transmitted is that no matter which one but technology and security will be taken to next level in the next few years. Security will have to move along with technology to avoid the downfalls of technology. It shouldn't hindrance the guests' security.
  •  
    It's amazing how technology can aid in hotel security and this article describes just that. The future will be bright with all the new and innovative security opportunities for the hospitality industry. The main points of security mentioned in this article include the finger print entry system where they would have a touch screen where a guest would put their finger and that's how they would get in their room, saying goodbye to key cards. There is also a system that can track a person such as a movement activated video capture, where it can actually recognize an individual. Another security system that is coming into development can identify guests, employees, and suitcases. For instance, if a suitcase was lost or misplaced the system makes it easier to find the lost bags.
  •  
    The uniqueness of human has been used for security tech in many ways, such as finger print, movement pattern, blood veins etc. And facial recoginition system is used by Hilton Americas-Houston now. It can be used to track guests, employees and even suitcases. However some customer feel unconfortable for the survillance everywhere and don't want to be on-camera all the time.
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    The article described the future of hotel security systems. The security level is more and more important in hotel, for customer when they travel to a unacquainted place they need a safe hotel to guarantee them safety. Not only the security systems but also the details in everywhere the hotel management team must be pay more attention.
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Investment in Hotel Technology Pays Off with Increased Group Revenue - Charmed by Hospi... - 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!
  • More efficient billing
  • ...19 more annotations...
  • Service requests like housekeeping and in-room dining are instantly sent through the system,
  • ensure technology functions properly.
  • Virtual concierge service on guest room TVs
  • On-staff IT team
  • Virtual business centers
  • 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.
  • ...9 more comments...
  •  
    "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.
  •  
    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. 
  •  
    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. 
  •  
    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.
  •  
    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.
  •  
    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.
  •  
    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.
74More

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!
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7 technologies that are transforming the hospitality industry | Hospitality Magazine - 4 views

  • Despite the many changes that are being brought on by these technologies, the truth is that they are there to enhance, not to replace, the core offerings of a hospitality business.
  •  
    The hospitality industry is experiencing a technological transformation. Current technology is improving and being put to better or new uses. According to this article in Hospitality Magazine, there are seven technologies that are taking the industry by storm. 1. Online Booking Systems I agree with the many industry insiders that now consider an online booking system essential. Penetrating the online marketplace is an absolutely mandatory part of the formula for success. However, opinions differ when it comes to how to accomplish this aspiration. As expressed in the article "Taking back control of the direct channel for hotels" posted on the class ScoopIt!, using online travel agents as a properties online booking system has easy setup and maintenance but lacks true customization and can put a sizable dent in profit margins, but building and utilizing a 100 percent customized system does not necessarily grant instant access to hundreds of travels sites on the web. Over all, I am of the opinion that online travel agents are still the best option-for now-because the pros out way the cons. 2. Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) Primarily used for mobile or self-ordering, EPOS systems can replace waitresses' use of paper orders and remote/hidden POS systems. In my opinion, this streamlines the look of the restaurant floor and provides better and more instantaneous service. Panera Bread uses self-order tablets as some of their locations that allow customers who know what they want to order traditional menu items quickly and independently. Having used this system, I find it more of a novelty than a convenience because the system isn't exactly self-explanatory. Currently, the technology is much more enjoyable as an aid to waitresses where the restaurant can experience increased efficiency and a higher standard of service while guests can experience the "that's cool" factor without the frustration of having to navigate the service themselves.
  •  
    3. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) CRM technology provides efficient electronic storage and management of contracts and customer information and many versions also feature cloud-based applications that provide easy access to frontline employees. Electronic storage and online back-up are not totally new ideas (i.e. the floppy disc) and despite the long way these technologies have come is, in my opinion, not enough to do away completely with paper back ups. Even with electronic files, my previous property kept basic papers for 1 year and more sensitive files for much longer. Basically, CRM technology is something we should utilize more, but I doubt many will do away with a paperback up system anytime soon. 4. Marketing Automation Automatic email and text communications have been made possible by the development and improvement of marketing automation technology. Having worked with this type of technology, there is not an overabundance of companies/technologies from which to chose; however, the technology available various greatly in effectiveness and quality. In my opinion, Constant Contact is the best marriage of quality and ease of use for marketing automation technology available. This type of marketing can really step us a properties game, but beware of poor performing products. 5. Social Media According to the article, photos are the most popular posts by social media users, but the arena has become a bonafide space for reviews. While sites such as TripAdvisor and Expedia provide a niche arena for travel/tourism/hospitality related communication, general social media sites also invite open, unfiltered discussion. Whole social media is BIG, it is important for companies to assess and utilize only the social media outlets that their demographic are actively using.
  •  
    6. Smartphones Smartphones are already super convenient. They are constantly being integrated and synced with our daily lives. Applications such as Apple Pay, in combination with CapitalOne, have provided another level of integration. Currently, there is talk and work on guests being able to use their cell phones as hotel room keys but I wouldn't be surprised if in the future we will have QR Code or RFID storage for our driver licenses, insurance policies and other important information. 7. Smart Appliances A part of American households for sometime, smart appliances are beginning to make their way into the hospitality industry. Luxuries such as electronically controlled blinds, thermostats, lights and more are something we can expect to see in hotels sometime in the future. My biggest concern is the time between now and implementation because while these products are available for purchase by consumers directly, they have not taken off nor seemed to gain any ground in the typical household. Could the hospitality industry be just as slow to adopt these technologies? I believe that it is likely so-mainly due to the high cost of implementation. In conclusion, technology is still advancing and most industries are feeling the pressure to update existing technology and adopt new technology. In the hospitality industry this is especially true.
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Hotel Maintenance Management Software Saves Time and Money - 0 views

  • Benefits of Hotel Maintenance Management Software
  • • Track, assign, and prioritize incoming work orders • Mapping functions allow you to view the work the needs to be completed in a list view or highlighted on a map of your existing floor plan • Generate comprehensive maintenance and inventory reports to help you plan your annual budget • Access your hotel’s maintenance management software remotely so that you can instruct your employees while you aren’t at work • Monitor the amount of hours each employee works • Manage corrective actions • Create a scheduled maintenance calendar • Keep track of lost and found items • Manage suppliers and contractors • Manage hotel information needed for periodic hotel inspections • Track your on-site inventory • Dispatch tasks to selected employees • Track energy and water usage to spot unusual trends that could indicate a problem
  • Impress Your Guests
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  • hotel maintenance management software allows you to implement a plan for scheduled maintenance. By regularly maintaining the equipment used in each room, you can spot problems early on and fix any issues.
  • Save Money by Conserving Energy
  • With hotel maintenance management software you can track the amount of energy and water that is normally used at your hotel on any given day. You can also set alerts to notify you if an excessive amount of energy or water is being used.
  • In addition to spotting problems, your new maintenance management software can monitor high-energy consumption equipment, like boilers or walk-in freezers, to ensure that the equipment maintains an energy-efficient level of operation. Not only does this help decrease your hotel’s costs, but guests like to know that they are staying in a hotel that is environment friendly
  • Track Your Inventory Levels
  • With hotel maintenance management software, you can track the levels of all of your supplies so that you know when you need to place inventory orders.
  • In addition to tracking your inventory, you can also track your suppliers and allow your suppliers to have access to the amount of inventory you have on hand. This gives you access to the suppliers contact information if you need to place an order and allows you to contract suppliers that can monitor your inventory levels and automatically ship what your hotel needs.
  • Track and Prioritize Your Work Orders
  • Tracking work orders allows you to see which work orders are open, in progress, and completed as well. Because your employees will always know what needs to be completed, they can easily stay on task
  • Track Your Employees Hotel maintenance management software also allows you to track all of your employees’ information. You have the ability to create work schedules for your employees, monitor the amount of time each employee works, track corrective action, and run payroll reports. Having all of this information located in one place makes it easy to manage multiple employees.
  • Plan Your Annual Budget
  • You can separate the expenses by department and use the information gathered in detailed reports to help you create each department’s budget for the following year. This way, you know an average amount of money that each department spends per month so that you allocate your funds appropriately.
  •  
    In this article, the author has introduced how a hotel maintenance management software does good to a business in the hospitality industry. The physical plant software enables hotels to be more efficient to manage bookings, monitor utilities and sort finances, which helps ensure daily operations run smoothly. There are several benefits of the physical plant software mentioned in the article. Firstly, the software allows hotels to implement a scheduled maintenance plan. By regular maintenance, hotels can spot problems and fix the issues. In addition, the software enables hotels to track the amount of energy and water, which will help save money and decrease the costs. Moreover, the software allows hotels to track the levels of all of the supplies and allow the suppliers to have access to the amount of inventory the hotels have on hand. Next point, such software has the ability track and prioritize work orders. Not mention the software allows hotels to track all employees' information, which makes it easy to manage multiple employees. Lastly, the physical plant software helps hotels plan an annual budget by tracking all of the hotel's expenses.
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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.
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  • The environmental focus is here to stay and must be embraced.
  • Clearly, hotels and resorts are in the business of making money, but they must do so in a conscientious manner
  • 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
  • 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.
  • There are numerous opportunities for IT professionals to take leadership roles in helping their organizations to adopt sustainable practices.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  •  
    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.
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The High Risk of a 'Wait and See' Approach - Big Think - 0 views

  • On the surface, taking a “wait and see” approach seems to make sense
  • In the past, when we were going through rapid change (not massive transformation like we’re seeing today), a company could use a “wait and see” approach because it was harder for competitors to develop and deploy new offerings quickly, and it was harder for established competitors to change the game or redefine completely
  • Anyone, at any time, can quickly become more relevant than you because the barriers to entry are low and the ability to scale is fast
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  • deciding to “wait and see”—can quickly put you on a path of increasing irrelevancy or a rapid demise.
  • you can see how detrimental a “wait and see” approach can be—how you’re actually missing major new opportunities for sales and growth
  • Blockbuster Video may have changed how we rent movies, but Netflix transformed it
  • This year, many forward-looking school districts across the country are moving away from textbooks and issuing tablets filled with ebooks to students
  • This is a game-changing move, and one that will save the school about $25,000 each year
  • The way you can design for mobile users, engage visitors, increase sales, track people, and improve your rankings with search engine optimization are changing so rapidly that if your site is two years old, it’s obsolet
  • In reality, a “wait and see” approach has much more risk than the action being avoided.
  • Today, new competitors can emerge rapidly, and they can even be from another part of the world. Geography is increasingly less of a hindrance
  • deciding to “wait and see”—can quickly put you on a path of increasing irrelevancy or a rapid demise.
  • We’re transforming all of these things plus more, and if you don’t initiate the transformation, someone else will.
  • To see the difference between mere change and game-changing transformation, consider these examples: Barnes & Noble may have changed bookselling by creating the super bookstore, but Amazon transformed how we buy books and so much more
  • Therefore, you have to evaluate what you’re saying “no” to in terms of potential lost opportunity, because what you could gain by saying “yes” will often outweigh the perceived risk and expense.
  • Because technology is increasing so fast and because we are in a period of rapid transformation are the exact reasons why you can no longer “wait and see” what will happen.
  •  
    This article discussed the importance of being ahead of the curve and why the 'wait and see' approach is not beneficial in most cases. If you 'wait and see' you can become irrelevant very quickly as there are many others out there, in many cases other parts of the world, making new inventions and discoveries daily. This article gave a great example where a school system implemented tables and the amount of money they saved was $25k/year. There are many benefits to staying ahead of the curve and as the article states "If you don't do it, someone else will".
  •  
    A "wait and see" approach has a higher risk than it being avoided. One of the cons is that it can pave the way to a company no longer being relevant. New opportunities for sales and growth may be missed if a company does not begin to evolve quickly.
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6 Key Benefits of Restaurant Menu Digitization - Outsource2india - 0 views

  • There are many benefits to digitizing menus for restaurants.
  • Digital menus can be updated frequently in creative and fun ways.
  • relying on digital menus instead of print can reduce the cost incurred in printing takeout regularly.
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  • Digital menus can include high resolution photos of the food served.
  • Digital menus also increase accuracy in ordering.
  • make the menu accessible on all devices - from PCs to tablets and mobile phones,
  • They can include additional nutritional information, details on gluten free ordering, diabetic recommendations and markers, and other information that may not make it into a paper menu.
  • A digital menu can upsell or recommend paired dishes automatically, resulting in higher sales and better customer satisfaction.
  • easier to produce menus in multiple languages when they are digital,
  • Having a digitized menu can give a restaurant the competitive edge it requires to grow a business and build a loyal following.
  • digitized menus can be updated quickly with ease, a majority of patrons can instantly view the updated menu and order latest food offerings, leading to an increase in business.
  • Ways in Which Menu Digitization Can Benefit Restaurant
  • Visual Formatting
  • Increased Order Accuracy
  • Easier to Update
  • They can be updated to include new deals, combos, offers, or tweaks in pricing that could be delayed in print because of the cost or other factors
  • Provide Additional Information
  • Digital menus are not restricted by space or margins.
  • Upsell Menu Items Automatically
  • Multiple Languages
  • catering to a larger number of potential customers than if they were only printed in one language.
  •  
    Since we spent time discussing both the positives and negatives of utilizing an electronic restaurant menu, this article primarily focuses on six positive things about utilizing electronic menus. One positive thing I did not even consider is that it allows for people that speak different languages to communicate what they want better since they would have a menu that is in their native language. It also makes updating the menus much easier on the restaurant owners because everything is online which makes adding and deleting items much easier overall.
  •  
    This was light, I wonder why they never mentioned Chain Wide deployment as a key benefit? Imaging instantly changing all branch menus (adding/removing/editing) instantly across hundreds or thousands of stores...that is powerful.
  •  
    A very straight forward article highlighting various benefits of the eMenu. Namely the: Visual Formatting (Pics easily added). Increased Order Accuracy. Easier to Update (edited in practically real time). Additional Information (ie. nutritional information etc. can be easily inserted as opposed to a traditional menu) Upsell Items Automatically (ie. recommend paired dishes automatically). Mutiple Languages ( save cost, while increasing the number of potential customers).
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4 Cyber Security Insider Threat Indicators to Pay Attention To | Ekran System - 0 views

  • Insiders can target a variety of assets depending on their motivation.
  • they focus on data that can be either easily sold on the black market (like personal information of clients or employees) or that can be crucial to company operations (such as marketing data, financial information, or intellectual property)
  • Usually,
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  • he most frequent goals of insider attacks include data theft, fraud, sabotage, and espionage.
  • Detecting a malicious insider attack can be extremely difficult, particularly when you’re dealing with a calculated attacker or a disgruntled former employee that knows all the ins and outs of your company.
  • Of course, behavioral tells that indicate a potential insider threat can vary depending on the personality and motivation of a malicious insider.
  • 1. Disgruntlement
  • 2. Unusual enthusiasm
  • 3. Unusually frequent trips and vacations  
  • 4. Unexplained changes in financial circumstances  
  • Insider threat detection is tough. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. However, every company is vulnerable, and when an insider attack eventually happens, effective detection, a quick response, and thorough investigation can save the company a ton of money in remediation costs and reputational damage.
  •  
    "Insiders can target a variety of assets depending on their motivation. Usually, they focus on data that can be either easily sold on the black market (like personal information of clients or employees) or that can be crucial to company operations (such as marketing data, financial information, or intellectual property). Frequent targets of insider attacks include:  Databases"
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iBeacon Technology for Hotels: Transform the Guest Experience | Cvent Blog - 0 views

  • One of the latest trends to impact hotel marketing and the guest experience is the iBeacon, which sends a Bluetooth push notification to guests' mobile devices when they come within close proximity of the iBeacon.
  •  key to improving guests' experiences
  • It can help you streamline check-in and check-out, guide guests around the property, and notify them about targeted offers at your restaurant, bar, or spa.
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  • iBeacons are a super effective source for gathering customer insight
  • By leveraging iBeacons, hotels can catch guests at the exact time and place where they’ll most likely pay for an upgrade.
  • Once a guest has checked-in, a digital room key can be activated on his or her smartphone via the hotel app.
  • Through a series of iBeacons around a geo-fenced property, guests can be directed to their rooms or other indoor locations in the hotel, such as restaurants, shops, meeting rooms, spas, etc
  • By sensing that a guest is in his or her room and signaling the user’s proximity to Bluetooth enabled devices that control lighting, temperature, TV, etc, the iBeacon could trigger a message to the app which lets users control these settings from their own smartphones or tablets.
  • An iBeacon hotel app can keep track of the guest’s food preferences.
  • By providing the right offer at the right place and the right time, location-based mobile marketing can yield exceptionally high conversion rates with precise ad targeting
  • To achieve this, hotels can use iBeacons to present "location-specific offers" to their guests.
  • In the case of loyalty customers, predictive analytics of data compiled from previous stays allows highly personalized marketing.
  • Hotels can send guests a push notification at the end of their stay to either check-out digitally or extend their stay
  •  
    In hotels, the iBeacon can send notifications to guests' mobile devices when they are in close proximity of a beacon. Not only can this streamline the guest experience, but it also gives the company chances to increase revenue.
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Importance of Computer Networking & Security | Your Business - 1 views

  • networking brings with it security threats which, if mitigated, allow the benefits of communication to outweigh the risks. Risks of poor security to your business network include theft, intrusion and even destruction of digital property.
  • Programs can actually be written which will divide a task evenly between computers connected to a network, decreasing the time needed for that task
  • Companies, organizations and even homes use an intranetwork -- or intranet -- to communicate between devices
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  • the point where “intra” meets “inter” is where security comes in to play.
  • Encryption scrambles the bulk of a data transmission, and can only be unscrambled by the parties involved.
  •  
    Advantages and Risks of Networking Operating Systems NOS help connect people at a much faster and more organized rate than pen and paper- even email. But with this, there are threats that can come with this convenience. It is important to know the precautionary measures to take and when done properly, how with risk, can come reward. But if measures are not taken properly, the reward can be greatly sacrificed by data being stolen, information being taken and destruction of digital property. We learned that the server can communicate a lot of data to individuals at different locations at once and how this becomes a very big advantage and allows for an increase of productivity. There are also more ways to communicate data with technology as the intrAnet. This allows for a company to use their network to communicate messages between their devices. But when the inter-network is mixed with the internet, the security can become compromised.
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Your Hotel Operations Will Fail Without Tech - 0 views

  • Running a hotel is no easy task and hotel operations are insanely complex. Between managing rates and reservations on dozens of channels, keeping your teams in sync across multiple shifts, assigning rooms across various room types, and, most importantly, ensuring that guests are happy, there are a lot of opportunities for things to go wrong
  • With a property management system in place, the front desk agent can find the guest’s booking in just a few clicks and immediately see the guest’s history, preferences, and reservation details. From there, the agent can check the guest in or out, move them to a new room, extend their stay, change their payment method, and more in seconds.
  • A modern cloud based property management system like Jonas Chorum sits at the center of reservations processes and acts as your property's single source of truth with regards to inventory management.
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  • Without a modern PMS you risk poor connections with key systems.  A bad connection with your channel manager could lead to overbooking and a weak connection with your RMS means that you are likely losing revenue from inaccurate pricing.
  • A modern cloud based PMS like Jonas Chorum also helps your team collaborate on reservations.  Your call center agents can quickly access and manage current bookings.  Your sales team can check to see which inventory is available and can be promised to new groups.  Your front desk agents use the PMS to create last minute walk in bookings.
  • A good property management system not only makes basic hotel operations more efficient for your front desk team, but it also allows the check-in process to be a positive part of the guest experience.
  • With the right hotel technology, you can make every department more efficient, streamline your basic hotel operations, delight guests, keep your property in tip-top shape, and even increase your RevPAR. Without it, your hotel could suffer from overworked staff, dissatisfied guests, and even physical damage.
  • Financial software can not only keep your finance department sane, but also help you uncover trends that can prevent your hotel from losing money. 
  • Good finance technology can save your accounting team from a mountain of work by automating payroll, creating invoice templates, and even compiling reports on the hotel’s financial activities.
  • Revenue management software does the heavy lifting for you by analyzing market trends to recommend the best rates for your hotel, which prevents you from leaving money on the table.
  • The engineering team needs help from other departments (especially room attendants and front desk agents) and from technology to receive, action, and track service requests.
  • Engineering software allows hotel staff to submit service orders that can be actioned by the maintenance team, ensuring that nothing gets overlooked or forgotten. The engineering team can even access these systems from their smartphones, so if an urgent service request comes up, someone can handle it immediately.
  •  
    This article is about the important reasons why an hotel needs to have a proper property management system to operate. How effectively the system is going to work in the different departments. Specifically the article talks about Jonas Chorum as a modern cloud based property management system.
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Recognizing-events_4.0.pdf - 1 views

shared by marble_bird on 22 Jul 20 - No Cached
  • The purpose of this research is to explore and define the digital maturity of events using the Industry 4.0 model (I4.0) to create a definition for Events 4.0 (E4.0) and to place various relevant technologies on a scale of digital maturity.
  • These surveys and the thorough literature review that preceded them allowed us to map the digital technologies used in events to levels of a digital maturity model.
  • This study has responded to calls from the academic literature to provide a greater understanding of the digital maturity of events and how events engage with digital technology.
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  • We found that engagement with technology at events and delegate knowledge satisfactorily coexists for and across a number of different experiential levels. However, relative to I4.0, event research and the events industry appear to be digitally immature.
  • Events are in the midst of rapid social and technological change. With a growing variety of technological means, the industry is fast-paced and increasingly delivered to a discerning consumer market while finding ways to connect with consumers through technology
  • Digital technology is the thread of the fabric of organisations (Li et al., 2018). It is an increasingly important part of how they engage with their customers.
  • Moreover, engagement with events as fans, spectators, delegates or organisers can be augmented with digital technology by improving access and sociability capabilities, refining the personalisation of events, and thereby creating enhanced experiences.
  • As we advance into what many in business and academia consider to be a fourth industrial revolution, the capacity to control and exchange data electronically has extended our ability to create, edit, maintain, transmit and retrieve information.
  • I4.0 can be described as the digitisation and automation of the manufacturing environment. It also creates digital value chains to enable the communication between products, their environment and business partners. Digital applications have impacted the tourism sector too giving rise to ‘Tourism 4.0’
  • The events industry is an ideal environment to benefit from the implementation of a widespread digitised approach with numerous organisations empowering managers and improving the overall event experience with the integration of extensive ICT practices and systems.
  • With the more widespread adoption of digitalization in event delivery and as the supply chains of all events become intertwined with technology, we can learn how the digital maturity of events in the 21st century is shaping event management and event control.
  • The team set out to answer the following research questions: RQ1. Can digital maturity in events be defined? If so, RQ2. How should the levels of digital maturity of events be classified with regard to the digital maturity of the events industry and the development of event management theory?
  • Successful events are no longer measured by simply achieving a respectable attendance, a great deal more engagement is manifest through digital technologies
  • Successful events require organisers to create something that is considered by those who attend as a valuable and memorable experience (Pizam, 2010; Tung, 2011). Creating memorable event experiences can be described as being dependent on a number of factors including creating regular attendee engagement, providing appropriate activities, relevant subject matter, topical and contemporary focus and targeted to a sizable receptive audience.
  • technological factors being one of the most important areas of demand for companies along with the implementation of I4.0. SMEs (Small to medium enterprises) are [lagging] behind in developing strategies to implement new solutions.
  • The development of digital maturity in events can be compared to smart tourism, which Gretzel et al. (2015) expressed as a logical progression from traditional activities. Smart tourism is characterised by an ability to transform large amounts of data into enhanced tourist experiences and increased destination competitiveness thanks to the interconnection of the different stakeholders through latest ICT advancements
  • As the components of I4.0 become more prevalent in the events industry, much value can be obtained from understanding how businesses are adopting new levels of digital engagement in order to engage their audiences
  • it is prudent to suggest that the survival, and future success of events can depend upon digital maturity and transformation
  • owever, dealing with digital maturity requires careful attention as Neuhofer (2016) urges caution advising that applied technology solutions have proven to have the ability to create or destruct the value of the experience.
  • I4.0 therefore acknowledges the impact of connected computers with the key constituents being cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things, cloud computing and cognitive computing
  • highlighted that the use of communication networks globally has risen dramatically and become ubiquitous due to the rise of smartphone ownership. This has been fuelled by social media, apps and faster broadband speeds to create a networked society
  • By combining the Internet of Things data and big data (extremely large data sets that may be analysed computationally to reveal patterns, trends and associations, especially relating to human behaviour and interactions), event managers are able to create a competitive advantage.
  • As event companies develop new and innovative ways to connect, the events themselves are absorbing aspects of I4.0 at every stage of the process; pushing the boundaries of event experiences far beyond the physical world
  • They are used to promote events before, during and after delivery and are used to gather data and inform decision-making. Generating responses from an event can be achieved using a number of methods and through both qualitative and quantitative data.
  • With the advent of big data and analytics, new sources of valuable data are available to guide decision-making processes in a more informed manner. Businesses were once looking at historical data, but advances in database technology and system processes have led to near real-time data collection and analytics
  • Failure to adopt aspects of digital technology does not necessarily suggest a poor experience or the end for those businesses less digitally mature; not every event business relies on this kind of data support to survive. Instead, this research provides an opportunity to better understand where event businesses do engage and more importantly, how communication between non-digital and fully integrated individuals/businesses can be improved.
  • Digital maturity and transformation today differs from previous periods as it not only provides the change in the main business processes but also reveals the concepts of smart and connected products through service-driven business models
  • Our analysis begins with an attempt to uncover the potential challenges, on-going developments and various strategies that will provide the events industry and academics with a forward-facing approach to the growth of technology within events. By including industry professionals and academics, the research contributes to bridging the gap between practise and academia.
  • Because the research and empirical data collection includes industry perspectives, we believe this research will provide value to event managers, marketers and practitioners around the world who wish to understand more about the digital maturity of events.
  • After conducting the social media analysis (1), it became evident that the discussions appeared to be around topics that utilise digital technology rather than the technology itself. Furthermore, and probably a reflection on the value of the group, a lot of the data included questions about understanding the topics rather than providing usable information to our research.
  • We did not have detailed information about the precise characteristics of the individuals who contributed to the dataset of posts. However, to an extent, their roles listed in LinkedIn were informative. These included events consultants, social media managers, marketing professionals, EventTech managers, CEOs at tech companies and events students.
  • Although this response rate of 52 academics may be considered low, this did allow for the creation of the initial insights into the E4.0 concept and crucially it provides a starting point to better understand the levels of the developing digital maturity model.
  • The most referenced themes were social media, marketing, apps, GDPR and mobile. The top 14 themes are shown in Figure 1 below.
  • The results of the thematic analysis reveal the most pertinent events and technology topics in this group in the time period specified. The most common topics were social media and marketing. Marketing appeared alongside other topics as a verb, a noun and an adjective. This certainly influenced its prominence.
  • This statement reinforces the knowledge and general use of social media during events. Mobile and event apps were recognised as presenting opportunities to enhance events and were considered to be a permanent part of events.
  • Carefully managed and fully integrated data and digital systems including social media, apps and CRM create digital value chains to enable the communication between events, their environment, and business partners.
  • Event organisers invest heavily on social media engagement and expect a great deal in return through social media retweets, tagging and sharing of images. However, it is just as important to understand if delegates consider technology at events that important.
  • Our expert respondents were asked if they considered the events industry to be at the cutting edge of technology. Responses were largely supportive of the suggestion that it is. 64% agree, 22% neither agree nor disagree and 14% disagree.
  • Online registration/digital booking was very familiar with 65% ‘extremely familiar’ with the technology.
  • The survey also collected a selection of qualitative data as respondents were asked to if there were any specific examples of connected/digital technology considered to be essential to the delivery of an event that had not been discussed in the survey. Significantly, 23% answered no to this question.
  • With regard to the digital maturity of the events industry affecting the development of event management theory, the literature review indicates that academics are making contributions to theory and a broad understanding of digital technology exists.
  • industry appears not to be digitally mature. Also, our findings suggest that relative to I4.0 not all events are digitally mature. Therefore, the ‘digital immaturity’ of the events industry may be having some effect on event management theory
  • It became evident from the survey that many respondents suggested they were not familiar with technology that they would all have experienced.
  • The results from the survey suggest that widespread academic understanding of technology at events is extensive. Some digital technology is considered routine, while other comprehensively used technology appears to be unfamiliar to the end user.
  • The growing digital maturity levels form the foundation for E4.0 and will contribute to what Gerbert (2015) described as greater efficiencies and changing traditional relationships among suppliers, producers, and customers.
  • Therefore, satisfaction from the event comes down to providing delegates with the right communication levels they need to complete their individual objectives. This can range from the most basic social engagement to the gathering or observation of big data. Events are evidently a melting pot of experiences and goals and not all of them demand the highest levels of technology to complete.
  • Artificial intelligence has the ability to provide events with endless systems that sense, learn and decide throughout the delivery process though many gaps exist.
  • The data also indicates that there is good knowledge across all types of digital technology. This is reassuring for the development of education as the events industry embraces digitalisation
  • However, as more value is placed on the use of digital technology and events mature through greater access to technology, we see the emergence of an E4.0 era.
  • Thus, this model anticipates that events will grow in their digital maturity to level E3 and E4. Thus, digital technologies may become sufficiently embedded so that data related to one element of an event will be used to inform other elements of an event in real time
  • Online registration and wearable technologies such as delegate smart badges are superficial digital experiences and only considered as a process rather than as a fully perceived digital experience.
  • Our findings indicate that digital communications have enabled a shift in the content of events, marketing and the use of social media as a communication tool before, during and after the event.
  • On the limitations of our research, one might argue that engagement with technology, or indeed lack of it, does not provide evidence of the immaturity of digital technology in events. However, the digital maturity model that we propose is principally informed by the literature on digital technology and events.
  • This research has provided a revealing perspective on the use of digital technology in events. It has built on theory that has been previously developed in this and similar subjects of research, such as business and tourism. From this, the research can claim a number of contributions. It (i) provides an empirical investigation into how event businesses and individuals engage with digitally technology at events, and (ii) it provides a definition of E4.0 and other preceding levels that contribute to digital maturity.
  • Our research has shown that event delegates are aware of the ability to communicate in a reciprocal process with technology rather than through a linear/top down process. This in itself is evidence of E4.0. Furthermore, this research highlights how industry is continually striving to optimise the delegate/event relationship through apps and other technology. The industry’s on-going mission to create deeply flexible communication opportunities is eliminating the possibility of gaps in the communication process in order to optimise delegate engagement at events.
  • A broader discussion on potential issues such as IT & data security, skill-sets, expensive production costs and outages; these are significant problems within internet and cloud-based technology. Furthermore, the emerging topic of E4.0 itself requires both conceptual and empirical development.
  • This research has shown that there remains a great deal to discover about the use of technology at events and many opportunities exist for further research from academics and practitioners working together to provide mutual benefits for both industry and education.
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    This article covers a study performed to determine the digital maturity of events. The research conducted reveals that the majority of industry professionals are aware of technology in events. The study ultimately finds that events have a low digital maturity, but high potential for advancement. The article also addresses the limitations of the study performs and agrees that additional research should be performed to determine the relevance of technology in the events industry while acknowledging that digital engagement is not necessary or conducive to every type of event.
  •  
    This article has discovered the fact that the event industry was digitally immature. It also introduced a new concept which is called E4.0 into the academic literature. The article is meaningful since it has filled a gap in the literature relating to events and digital maturity and responded to some of the calls for research. The authors were also planning to make further research on E4.0, events, and digital maturity. They have mentioned that the studies on E4.0 itself were also requiring deeper research.
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A Green Computer System In Your Hotel - 1 views

  • With a high speed internet connection and up to ten monitors and keyboards per CPU, you can enter the internet society world. This could beat offering a wireless internet service as far as computer and internet security goes, as well as keeping the connection speed strong. It's a green system because of the resources saved by not producing as many CPUs and because of the energy conservation you experience by running fewer computers.
  • If you have a high speed internet connection, you can provide internet service to your guests and clients with this internet portal and workstation system. Put the power of a desktop PC at your guests fingertips.
  • This new computer networking solution is being marketed as a green action. There is clearly a green component involved. With only one CPU instead of ten, you save on plastics and electronics, thereby saving resources. And you save energy in the process too -- energy conservation from beginning to end is a component of sustainability.
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  • One problem this helps to solve is the challenge of providing a reliable wifi connection to your guest rooms. Sometimes the signal is too poor to be of any service to guests on their personal laptop computers. Sometimes the connection gets overloaded with users so it's ineffective for everyone. If some of your guests are using your computer system, the internet load is taken off the wifi connection so people using it have better service.
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    As this article mentioned, we are striving for the goals that makes the Internet available to our guests and environmentally sensitive. Because it does not produce many CPUs and can run fewer computers for conserving the energy. It can save resources. This article introduces a green system. With only one CPU instead of ten, you save a lot of resources and energy. In my opinion, I like this idea. It can provide more convenient and better service to customers and save resources and energy. In addition, if we can provide a reliable WIFI connection to our guest rooms, people can be more comfortable to use it.
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Event Planning In The Hotel Of The Future - 0 views

  • As one of the strongest drivers for change in the event industry, technology plays a prominent role in the planning and management of events
  • This includes robot butlers, entertainment, greeters and business services which for planning events can be more cost effective and reduce human error, streamlining the process of communicating with the systems to get exactly what you want.
  • home and collect a suitcase, you can go straight from the office and jump on a plane.
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  • Automated systems can be limited and therefore the personalization and “special requests” that can be organized between event planner and venue as part of a long-lasting relationship might be lost
  • This is a fantastic opportunity for event professionals as it makes event themes limitless and allows the location to be designed around the event rather
  • than the other way around.
  • Event planners will also be able to use this information to personally plan itineraries to the precise likes and dislikes of individual guests and have more accurate data for destination events
  •  
    With technology advancing so rapidly now a days, event planners within the hotel industry started using it to plan events. When it comes to event planning, a lot goes into it to keep everything on time and in order. Technology can assist planners with tasks. Using technology within this industry can assist in decreasing human error. Some hotels started using robot butlers to serve guest. This can help reduce costs because they don't have to pay employees. A very interesting idea about these robotic butlers is they are able to speak multiple languages so if an event is having people from around the world coming to it, it will break the language barrier. Planners can use personal travel avatars. These avatars help them plan itineraries for the guest. A technology improvement planners use are made-to-order venues. These venues assemble based to their environment. It is easier for planners to use these when setting up an event. These few examples just shows how technology advancements has increased opportunities for hotel planners to plan their events more efficiently.
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What is Network Redundancy and Why Does It Matter? - 0 views

  • The underlying concept of redundant networks is simple. Without any backup systems in place, all it takes is one point of failure in a network to disrupt or bring down an entire system. Network redundancy is the process of adding additional instances of network devices and lines of communication to help ensure network availability and decrease the risk of failure along the critical data path.
  • All valuable data should be backed up regularly, preferably in another location. A good data center location strategy maps out the best places to replicate and store data so it can be easily accessed in the event that other redundant systems fail and the main network goes down. By using more than one data center, companies can ensure that even if some disaster occurs, they will be able to carry on with minimal disruption.
  • Colocation data centers regularly conduct tests to assess the integrity of their backup systems and redundant networks. They can test different connections by physically disconnecting hardware to make sure failover occurs as anticipated. If things do not go as planned during testing, data center managers then create an after-action report that lists the items they need to fix as a result of the testing. They also create a procedure to follow for both automatic and manual flip over. 
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  • For many companies, their networks are the primary point of contact for delivering products and services to their customers.
  • A network outage, then, whether it's caused by equipment failure, an unexpected cyberattack, or some form of human error, can be devastating for a business. Every moment of system downtime translates into very real financial losses in the form of lost revenue, diminished brand reputation, and missed opportunities.
  • Network redundancy is the process of adding additional instances of network devices and lines of communication to help ensure network availability and decrease the risk of failure along the critical data path.
  • Without any backup systems in place, all it takes is one point of failure in a network to disrupt or bring down an entire system. Redundancy in networks helps to eliminate single points of failure to ensure better network stability and uptime in the face of events that would otherwise take the network offline.
  • fault-tolerant redundant system provides full hardware redundancy, mirroring applications across two or more identical systems that run in tandem.
  • Ideal for any operations in which any amount of downtime is unacceptable
  • A software-based redundant system, high availability uses clusters of servers that monitor one another and have failover protocols in place.
  • there is a brief loss of service while the backup servers boot up applications.
  •  
    Network redundancy is the process of adding network devices and other instances of communication lines to help ensure network availability and reduce the risk of failures on critical data paths. One of the first steps in the network redundancy plan is to create a network strategy that reviews the existing infrastructure. A high-quality hosted data center should have an extensive backup system to ensure that it is always available. All valuable data should be backed up regularly, preferably in another location. By using multiple data centers, companies can ensure that even if certain disasters occur, they will be able to proceed with minimal losses. In addition, a well-maintained UPS system ensures that the server can be switched from power to backup generator power without losing any data or applications.
  •  
    A network outage whether it is due to a cyber attack or simple human error can be devastating to a company. It makes them look very bad, damaging their reputation, and can cost the business millions of dollars. Network Redundancy can help ensure network availability and decrease the risk of failure. There are 2 forms of redundancy. Fault Tolerance where there is a mirrored backup system that takes over with no loss of service, and High Availability where the backup servers take over and restart applications that were running on the failed server.
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Hotel Recycling Programs Make a Major Contribution to our Environment - 0 views

  • Hotel waste management can be an issue, especially when it comes to recycling. How can hotels increase recycling to improve the environment? There are a lot of questions about how hotel recycling programs can help the environment; here are a few.
  • hotels are far more likely to be replacing their equipment and electronics than many other types of businesses.
  • Some hotels managers might assume it’s too difficult to successfully launch and operate an in-house recycling program. They have very large staffs, operate 24 hours a day, and have the challenge of providing immediate and reliable service to their guests.
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  • By recycling their used equipment in bulk, the managers and operators of hotels across the country will help keep those products out of landfills, where the toxins and chemicals inside electronics can pose significant environmental risks to our soil, water, wildlife and even our personal health. The risks are real and well-documented.
  • Waste Management in the Hotel Industry
  • If guests arrive expecting the highest standards, it can make a bad impression to have computers that don’t work or furniture that looks run down.
  • a number of hotels have already proven they can establish successful recycling programs.
  • Cost savings alone should be a top concern for the hotel industry. It’s been estimated that hotel guests generate up to two pounds of waste per night. Because of the prohibitive cost of waste disposal services in New York City, for example, a hotel can spend up to $100,000 annually to get rid of their waste. If recycling can cut that down significantly, that can amount to significant cost savings. And a growing number of hotels are recognizing that they can manage their waste in a sustainable manner, including by recycling.
  • A smart approach would be to offer incentives for workers who provide waste-saving ideas that can be implemented and to educate guests about the hotel’s recycling and environmental policies.
  • The creation of a successful hotel recycling project offers a lot of long-term rewards that include: • cost savings; • strong public relations to their guests; • an engaging program for employees and even guests to become part of.
  •  
    this article goes through the importance of recycling within the Hospitality industry as well as the benefits associated with doing so.
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Can New Technologies Recycle the 90% of Plastics That Don't Get Recycled? - America's P... - 0 views

  • advanced recycling. These technologies turn used solid plastics into their gas/liquid raw materials to be remade into “virgin” quality plastics for use in virtually any plastic product or packaging.
  • Plastics that once ended up in landfills and incinerators now can be remade and stay in use.
  • With proper support, these technologies can scale quickly, potentially doubling the plastics recycling rate in the U.S. and canada by 2030
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  • Over the past few years, more than $8.7 billion has been invested in plastic recycling, mostly in advanced technologies. That’s enough potential to divert 13.6 billion pounds of waste from landfills each year.
  • These technologies are poised for rapid growth and can lead us down the path toward a circular economy in which used plastics are remade into new plastics that can be remade again and again.
  •  
    Advanced recycling technologies can significantly increase the different types, and amount of plastics that can be recycled. The overall goal is to turn plastics that once ended up in landfills back into new plastics that can be remade again and again. With these new technologies, there is potential to divert 13.6 billion pounds of waste from landfills each year and potentially double the plastics recycling rate in the U.S. by 2023. That is pretty impressive.
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Cloud Computing in the Hospitality Industry | Some Interesting Facts | SOEGJOBS - 1 views

  • Cloud Computing in the hospitality industry has already started to play a crucial role. May it be SaaS in the Hospitality Industry or infrastructure-related services; the cloud is sure to play even a bigger role in future.
  • Cloud Computing is definitely one of the biggest innovation in the hospitality industry and for almost every other industry
  • So, now you see the opportunities your hotel business can have in terms of shifting some or all of your software services to the cloud and saving huge on costs. Plus, cloud computing gives you more flexibility
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  • It’s a mixture of SaaS, PaaS and IaaS. Which means Cloud Computing in hospitality can play a big role through Software as a Service, Platform as a service and Infrastructure as a service.
  • Most of the hotel businesses pay fortunes to the Online Travel agencies as commission.Cloud computing in hospitality has made the technology available to even small and medium businesses.
  • 95% of people have used the cloud in some way or the other but are not aware of it.
  • Hotel businesses now don’t need to give away most of their profit to online and offline travel agencies. They can improve their own website and start taking direct bookings.
  • 87000 companies have already migrated to the cloud.
  • The hospitality and travel industry can save huge costs by integrating cloud computing in a lot of their service offerings.
  • Plus, cloud computing gives you more flexibility. It is the future with technology taking the front seat as far success within any industry is concerned.
  • Best practices for improving direct bookings include using technology to your advantage. Cloud computing just makes all this a lot cheaper and convenient.
  • Hospitality businesses which know the importance of cloud ensure that their services are seamlessly integrated.
  • Data Analytics in the hospitality industry is already used to the best advantage for understanding and acquiring customers.Cloud computing and data analytics can go hand in hand for the benefit of the business on the whole.
  • It’s cost advantage and automation advantage that would continue to be key to success in the hospitality industry.
  • In fact, over 65% of companies in the USA had shifted to the cloud by 2011 itself. Think of the number by now.
  • Cloud computing is a revolution that is becoming a commodity across all industries.
  • Cloud computing is just about managing things through remote services rather than through local infrastructure like Hosted Virtual Desktop , Cloud servers, file storage like dropbox GPU Dedicated Server and more.
  • Cloud computing does have a bigger impact on a lot of other industries than it has on the hospitality industry. However, its impact and importance are increasing even in the hospitality sector.
  • Cloud computing is just about managing things through remote services rather than through local infrastructure.
  • So, there is a big chance that you are using cloud computing in more than one way.It can be for saving and viewing pictures (Facebook, Dropbox etc.).
  • over 95% people have used it but might not be aware of it.
  • Hospitality businesses which know the importance of cloud ensure that their services are seamlessly integrated.
  • Technology is becoming a major driving force as far as the success for hospitality organisations are concerned
  •  
    Cloud computing is proving to be the way to go. It's pros are much more than the cons, this including the financial saving any company can have by implementing cloud computing. "95% of people have used the cloud in some way or the other but are not aware of it." Cloud computing is becoming essential for hospitality, specially hotels and resorts, because of the flexibility it provides the business. Also because people are becoming used to certain services that are only possible because of cloud computing. Benefits of cloud computing can be allowing clients to check-in and out without having the need for a front desk clerk. This alone saves time and money for the business and guest alike.
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  •  
    Over 87,000 companies have already migrated to the cloud. Due to cloud hotel business don't have to give away their profit to online and offline travel agencies because they have improved their own website to where they are taking booking straight from their own website.
  •  
    In this article, there are discussions on many interesting and helpful facts about cloud computing in the hospitality industry. Cloud computing plays a very crucial role in the industry, and has changed the game for the industry in such monstrous ways. It has been extremely helpful for the hospitality industry, making the functionality of a business much simpler. An example of one of fun facts about cloud computing is that it makes taking bookings from guests a breeze. "Hotel businesses now don't need to give away most of their profit to online and offline travel agencies. They can improve their own website and start taking direct bookings". It can eliminate a hotel having to outsource or pay a third party company to take their bookings, meaning that the hotel can take home all the profit and not have to give a cut to someone else. Another fun fact touched on in the article is that by 2021, "Over 50 billion devices would be connected by Cloud". This is beneficial for hospitality companies (and in other industries as well) because data analytics that are found in cloud usage can help build a better customer experience, and that "services are seamlessly integrated". Overall, cloud computing in the hospitality industry has been increasing over the years and will further shape it into a more technologically advanced industry.
  •  
    This article is showing us that cloud computing is a big innovation in the hospitality industry as well as other industries. It tells us that cloud computing is a mixture of SAAS, PAAS, and IAAS. It shows us a diagram explaining why it is a mixture and it also gives you different opportunity ideas. The article is mostly mentioning hotels and different examples like how cloud computing makes it more convenient to be able to do a faster check-in. Technology really is becoming a major driving source regarding hospitality.
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