Hospitality Technology

Great article on the rise of mobile payment systems and how businesses who in the past may have been cash only or otherwise are seeing increased sales as the ability to take credit card payments with little hardware and software infrastructure costs. Down the street from me is probably my favorite Rib joint in town, Uncle Rodney's House of Ribs is the name. I love that place, but rarely go because they are a cash only business due in large part to the fact that the owner does not wish to pay for wireless or otherwise internet related services to make his business able to accept credit cards. What are everyone's thought to the increased use of mobile payment systems for restaurants and other businesses?

This is an interesting article, and it is quite amazing to see how the way of payment is drastically shifting with new technological devices such as smartphones, card readers. Just a couple of years ago, if I wanted to buy something online, I had to start my computer then go on whatever website I bought something from which took some time. Now, however, I don't even have to turn on my computer to purchase something on the web because I can buy many things through my smartphone whenever and wherever I want. It is a lot easier and faster than what it used to be.

Spasibo bolshoe za interesting article! Ona mne ochen pomozhet v moem research!

From this article,I think it is amazing to have such revolution of POS system. First of all, POS system itself is wonderful for the hoteliers all these years. The latest i-trends and NFC put it much further step to not only free the employees,but also bring efficiency to the customers. It is said that "the point of sale on the move" which free the employee to use the mobile device to control everything it matters of the business. It makes hoteliers more flexiable and at the meanwhile, it provides quantity information. The other innovation here is that there is one IPAD POS kiosk which allows self-service card swiping system so the customers can complete their own transaction. Though this technology is the only IPad enclosure, it help eliminate theft and tampering. Then ,when the growing trend of Near Field Communication comes, it free the customers another further step to eliminate the necessity to carry money/credit cards to pay their bills. This technology is also come with the smartphone by just swiping the mobile device across a special kiosk at the counter, and the payment is done quickly. This technology also developed another growing technology "RFID" card readers. Another name for the NFC is the digital wallet means that a customer's device can store all their bank account details and credit card information with no need for a real wallet. That's amazing for the people who are not good at financing. This technology can really impact the hotel market and bring the competitive advantages for the hotels. It's a new trend for the hotel to update themselves to level-up. This trend is also fit the market nowadays, the consumer is more and more younger, they curious about the high-tech things, the success of Apple proves this trend. In order to meet with the customer needs in current hotel industry, this technology is worth to have a try.

This article talks about the importance of POS systems in the hospitality industry and the new technological trends that are affecting it. POS systems are extremely important to hoteliers primarily to keep track of sales and bookings. With recent technological developments though, POS systems have revolutionized that hospitality industry by increase efficiency and production. The newest trend in these accounting and POS systems are cloud-based technologies. I believe this type of technology will allow for busy hotel managers to track all accounting information through either a smart phone, PC, or even tablet. This type of technology, as stated in the article, would allow for managers to keep track of sales data and profits even when they are away from the office. All in all, I believe this is a very helpful technology for hotel operations and will benefit the industry in the long run.

Allow the customers to to use smartphone across a special kiosk at the counter to pay may benefit restaurants a lot. It may reduce the stress of the servers in the peak time. Customers no longer waiting a long time for the servers to get their bill, they can pay by themselves through mobile devices. Moreover, the customers do not need to bring their wallets to the restaurants which may improve the security of the restaurant environment.

A relatively unsophisticated group of hackers stole millions from Subway by hacking through their poorly secured POS systems. These franchise businesses possibly failed to adhere to the standard required by Subway Corporation and failed to establish two points of entry for remote access into the POS system, making it easy for hackers to steal credit card information. These types of crimes are likely to increase in the future as hackers from around the world take advantage of sub-par security systems. Businesses can no longer concern themselves only with the sale of an item, they also need to offer a sense of security to their customers and accept the reality that cyber theft is a rising problem.

It seems everybody should check their online accounts frequently=_=

Jeremy, I can appreciate the transparency of those restaurants. I wish more businesses would be open about their security. People are wound pretty tight about money right now and need to feel that the business world does care enough to protect their information.

Would you pick your seat based on an app for your next plane ride? Well on KLM you can and Virgin is working on one too. Personally I use that time to relax but if I could use it to avoid an avid stamp collecting chatter box it would be worth it. There may be a small fee and possible sell of personal information to marketers but on a long haul flight sitting next to a like-minded individual might make all the difference in a good vs awkward ride. Very neat! Unfortunately, the fun and celebrations of the Christmas season are often dampened by the stressful experience of holiday air travel. ...

I feel that an app that uses information from social media may be too personal for most. However I do see an opportunity from this idea. Airlines may consider adding an option for their passengers to select if they are travelling for business or pleasure. They could assign seat depending on the purpose of the passengers trip.

To tell the truth, I will try it if it is free to choose people around you. But on the other hand, I think it is hard to implement this system.....

Americans eat out at restaurants almost as much as they eat at their own houses. Customers would prefer to eat at a certified green restaurant than one that is not. Americans do care about the environment and want to do things that can help it survive longer. For restaurant the Green Restaurant Association has steps to help you make the changes necessary to become green certified. Some little things that can be changed immediately are using recycled paper products or purchasing locally grown foods. There are immediate and long term savings that are a positive to this as well. Some of these include: installing an energy efficient lighting system, and fixing gaps in any doorways to prevent air from leaking out making the system run harder to produce the air.

The easiest and the most costless way for Green--by the local food.

Ipads changing our life is absolute. In fact, if there is no ipad, something electronic products can also bring revolution in hotel Wi-Fi networks. To tell the truth, free hotel Wi-Fi is too slow.....last year, I had a internship in Holiday Inn Central Plaza Beijing. There had two kinds of Wi-Fi networks. Free network was cover the whole hotel but the speed was slow. The other that must be paid was faster. Some people had video session prefered the faster one. In addtion, hotels should upload their Wi-Fi networks. It can be an attraction of the hotels.

For a hotel the WiFi system is really important because guests prefer the hotel with WiFi system. The guests even willing to pay a small premium to stay at a WiFi equipped lodgings. As the rise of smart phones and ultra-lightweight laptops case the bandwidth problems. I think the hotel can deal with this problems by create various account levels for guests, stuff and visitors. The hotel can allow the visitors to use free WiFi and provide high level account to overnight guests.

I personally prefer to use WIFI in my own room when I visit a hotel because I have more privacy. Some hotels they may offer free/complimentary WIFI in the public area, for example, the lobby, the lounge, etc. At the same time, to limit the overuse of public WIFI, the WIFI in the guests' room are charged by different time period and the length of using the WIFI. It seems to be not fair to those business people who require internet all day long. However, it lowers the expense of the WIFI service and improves the guests' satisfaction of the internet service.

This is an interesting article about Google, who is quickly becoming a big name player in just about every business segment out there. The article addresses Googles new search tool called Hotel Finder, which is still in testing phases. This tool is designed to make it easier for users to find, compare, and book hotels, by drawing on a map around an area they want to stay in a certain location or city and it lists the hotels in the search area, with prices, availability, star rating's and reviews. In addition it lets you filter the results by price, price compared to usual, Hotel class, and user reviews, and allows the user to book directly through the hotel or through an intermediary site with a click of a button. This article also talks about a possible downside to Googles new service in the online travel agency segment. The article explains how some are concerned, because Google is placing comparison ads in premium space on top of the Google search results for hotels, which when clicked by a user takes the them to the full Google site and pushes OTA sites like Expedia, Hotels.com, and Orbitz and hotel websites farther down the search results list, which is making them pay more for premium Comparison Ads. Also the OTA's are concerned about how the Price Per Click may go up, making the OTA's pay more to Google. I went on and played around with Hotel Finder, and I have to say it is very easy to use, and allows you to really customize your experience and pick exactly where you want to stay. http://www.google.com/hotelfinder/#search;l=miami+florida;d=2012-01-22;n=1;v=l;r=0;s=m;fv=

I love the part of the Google Hotel Finder about the comparison ads that help me know how much I would pay if I book the same hotel from other websites by only visiting one Google Hotel Finder website. I hate to search the same hotel on different websites to choose the best price. It costs me much time to make a plan of travel. The page of Hotel Finder is clear and easy to understand how to use it. All results of hotels would be sorted by price and I could get best price fast. Yesterday was my first time to use Hotel Finder and I used it just like I already knew how to use. I don't need to spend much time to study the search website and the page has several recommended words to help me get what I want.

Facts show that when your product is more expensive than competition it limits sales and as the article shows it aided ipad to have higher sale rates Intels atom processor and Microsoft's Windows 7 Starter Edition operating system found a way to tender a distinguished product that could justify lower expenses to help create further market share. If Microsoft and Intel learned from their occurrence with net book, the prospect of lower costs could let them compete based on price. Microsoft still has the possibility of succeeding along side Windows 8 tablets and that is by leaving Intel out, and instead run on ARM based hardware which is less expensive.

Overall some ways that Microsoft can win against Ipad besides prices is functionality. If Windows 8 desktop or intel tablet improved by ensure ample app offerings, watched quality control, and figuring out how users with a full version of Microsoft Office are able to work together with users packing ARM-powered tablets and their less-capable Microsoft's productivity tools.

Event planners has to negotiate with hotel sales to lower some of the expenses.  This article speaks of ways to save money which is by hosting most of your  events at the same property throughout the years; this will get clients to  return. Hotel sales manager should discount guest rooms offer because they offer  great profit margin than any other event service. Sales planners should compare  prices and try to secure the best price.  It's best to try and negotiate food  and beverage requirements because hotel managers and event planners will always  try to keep their guests happy. Negotiate the audio and visual expense by asking  for discounts and expenses to be waived if possible. Also be flexible on time,  space and dates. 

Identity theft in hotels is now running wild in the black market.The hotel trojan is being sold in the underground for $280 dollars.Its bad enough these cruel people have the conscious to commit the crime themselves but then to pass along the tools so others can indulge in the caos is just wrong. The program takes screenshots from point of sale applications as credit card and other personal information is being uploaded. Its scary to say that your personal identity isn't even safe when you are booking a hotel room as a walk in guest, word to the wise use your phone to check in the next time you find yourself needing a hotel room with out a reservation.

This is a pretty scary situation however identity theft has become more amplified with the inclusion of the Internet in hotel and business industries.

This article describe a new smartphone app based on Android system in Samsung phone. At the first, this article introduce the long history about the room key development. It points out that the physical keys always have a problem that key itself can be stolen, and thus used by someone who doesn't have access privileges. Then the article introduce the  new Samsung's system. What amazing me is the phone is not only can be used as a door key but also a control center in guests' hand. "Once inside the room, the same phone can be used to order room and laundry service, book other hotel facilities, and act as an in-room phone extension. " The app has powerful features and I thought it will become a trend in the future.

Jingjia...this is a great article. I agree with you, I am impressed with the functionality of the phone application and how it works. It eliminates the middle man and any room for human error. I wonder how much more we can do with our phones. On this article listed below, it talks about how you can start a car directly from your IPhone (http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/10/start-your-car-from-your-iphone/). Soon, we will be able to do many things with simply the touch of a button.

The article I read was called, "What is a Hotel Management System?" In the article it states that in the early 90s Gartner came up with the term ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) that automates a large number of business functions such as finance, accounting, and human resource. "A hotel is a hive of numerous operations such as front office, booking and reservation, banquet, finance, HR, inventory, material management, quality management, security, energy management, housekeeping." All of these activities need to be taken care of at hotels and doing so can sometimes be a lot of work. This led to the introduction of property management systems, an automated software which can optimize hotel operations and keep a tight control on costs. It important for hotels to understand the needs of their guests, if they want them to come back to their hotel, they need to know what they like and dislike. Using the PMS it allows them to make a profile of each guest and they write in if they want a beach view room or if they want a mini bar in their room. There is a difference when it comes to PMS and ERP. "A property management system usually consists of front office software and other best of breed solutions." The ERP, is usually a comprehensive solution from a single vendor. I really enjoyed reading this article and it helped me get a better grasp on how hotels use property management systems.

I completely agree that technology is making deep inroads into the hospitality industry, and hotels across the world are looking to use technology to make operation smooth and efficient. Any operating system that can help optimize the hotel experience is going prosper in their business.

I didn't really care for the passage that talked about PMS vs ERP, I though they could have been more specific... they just said ERP is better, could someone provide an example? Also, they mentioned how when a hotel becomes more complex problems arise in the PMS, how? All the hotel would have to do is come up with another PMS system that would provide them with greater resources, etc whats the problem??

These five requirements are basic for staff tech training. I think the last one is more important than other four. Trainers must have experience in hospitality industry before, then they can understand what tech knowledge they can teach and train others.

In the staff tech training, the trainer plays a very important role. I think the basic factor is the trainer should have rich knowledge about the new technology and the working experience in the hotel. The most important factor in my mind is trainer should know how to adapt the technology to the hotel. The new technology can't be used by every hotel, so the trainer should know which technology can bring more benefit to the hotel.

Agreed, the training typically is better for the users if they have a trainer that can relate to their specific needs. I also think #3 is of great importance as workers often times get so used to working with a previous system, they are opposed to a new one simply because of how unaware they maybe of how the new system will increase productivity and make their workday easier.

This article basically talks about a front-desk bypass solution that allows guests to head straight to their room without standing in lines to obtain a plastic room key as long as a guest has a mobile phone.  To sum up the article, mobile key by Open ways is compatible with any cell phone, as all of the 6+ billion mobile devices in the world. It simplifies hotel Master Key management by harnessing mobile technologies to make all locks 'on line' without the costly infrastructure. It also enhances a hotel's sustainability program because the Mobile key is made only of data and not plastic. Moreover, hotels can eliminate costs originally spent on toxic plastic key cards. It is a creative way to move the technology of mobile keys forward, giving hotels an added dimension to guest satisfaction and a new means of attracting the ever-important business traveler. In my opinion, this solution could be beneficial to hotels' revenue since the system is compatible with not only smartphones but also all kinds of cell phone. It works with all major lock technologies and relies on a combination of text messages and its Crypto Acoustic Credential (CAC) technology. The only modification required to a lock for it to work is the addition of a decoding listening device. I think this is a great convenience for both the hotel management and consumers. Furthermore, there might be a good marketing opportunity here modifying the system to pop up a special offer on a phone once the rock has been deactivated. For example, a free dink at the hotel bar, or a half price meal at the hotel restaurant.

Mobile Key by OpenWays allows hotel guests to bypass the front desk and go straight to their room upon arrival by simply using their cell phone as a room key. Many people do not want to wait in line at the front desk merely to get a plastic key card for their room. As long as the guest has a cell phone and the hotel is equipped with OpenWays they can get secure access to their rooms. Mobile Key by OpenWays is also very beneficial to the hotel as well. Since Mobile Key is only made of data, it cuts the hotel's costs of making room keys out of toxic plastic for guests as well as master keys for employees. The hotel is now "greener," saving money, and improving customer service. With technology growing and customers relying more and more on mobile technology while travelling, Mobile Key creates an easier and more enjoyable way to travel.

In my personal opinion, I love this renovation on mobile key. I don't like to wait a long time for check-in. With the Mobile Key, guests don't have to carry their room key anywhere anytime and if they leave it in the room, they have to wait a long time in the line to the front desk to ask for another one. My favorite part of the Mobile key is that this technology is green. Even though current room keys that used by most hotels made of plastic are reused and recycling, the plastic itself is a material that would pollute the environment. But I still have a question about it that how about guests lose their cell phone during their stay. Does the hotel have a plan B for helping guests to open doors without the plastic key?

Great article summarizing various elements a mobile device can be used for in a hotel. Mobile devices are becoming a priority in younger generations & are often used not just for phone calls, but also text messaging, web searching & games. It's no surprise they are now being used to check in at hotels, pay bills & order room service. Cell phones provide guests a unique customer service that is inexpensive, quick & simple to use. Using mobile devices as room keys is an example that will save the hotel money in not having to purchase thousands of room keys & having to deal with replacement cards for guests. There are several benefits to utilizing mobile devices in the hospitality industry, but there are also drawbacks. Guests may choose to play games on their phone or watch movies on their phone's screens instead of paying to watch a movie on the hotel's television or attending activities offered by staff. This reduces the face-to-face customer service that many hotels are recognized for. It may take away from the hotel's superior guest service if a request does not go through the mobile device or it malfunctions when a guest is trying to enter their room. Whether or not hotel managers like it, mobile devices are becoming popular among guests & should be implemented.

This article discusses how technology is changing the experience you have while staying at a hotel, by making it much easier for the guest. The article specifically address 11 areas in which technology is changing the whole experience. First is a mobile wallet, which will make paying the bill a breeze, by wirelessly sending credit card information directly to the hotels computer. Next, how about using your smart phone as a room key, as well as using it as the in room phone, connecting you to the front desk anytime any place. Or using it to order room service, and having it delivered to you anywhere on the property by using your phones location services. Next the article discusses virtual concierge desk, which can be scattered around the property, making it easy to make dinner reservations without having to wait in line. And the last main points that are discussed are controlling the temperature, lighting, and in room entertainment from an app on your smart phone, letting you turn off and on lights from bed, and changing the temperature before you even get back to the room. And one day when you forget your smart phones power cord and think your taking a step back in time, because you cant use any of the new technology, no worries their will be one in the room.

Mobile technology is constantly changing the way we do everything. Smart mobile devices dictate how we live our lives and how we travel. Here is a sampling of eleven items that may be drastically different in some hotels of the near future: 1. Currency 2. Hotel Room Keys 3. In-Room Phone 4. Concierge Desk 5. Room Service 6. Front Desk Attendant 7. Printed Hotel Promotional Material 8. Alarm Clocks 9. In-Room Entertainment 10. Thermostats, Light Switches and more 11. Power Cords

Great article about the use of Siri, Apple's voice activated virtual assistant, and the use of voice activated travel search. The video demonstrated by the CEO of Bonvoy Group travel demonstrates voice activated flight status searches as well as searching of future flights to which the Bonvoy systems emails you the results based on your search. The potential for voice activated flight is enormous and it will be interesting to see if other travel OTA sites such as Travelocity, Hotels.com, Orbitz etc, adopt similar uses of this technology. I can see the use of this on hotel booking sites either via thrid party as well as direct through the hotel. Also sites like Open Table make use of Siri for voice activated reservation. With Siri still in its "beta" phase, the opportunity for developers and the travel industry to build apps like these is very good.

I posted this article on Scoop.It. This is more evidence of the push towards mobile computing. It begs the question, when will we begin to see this adversely effect PC sales?

This article describes accounting software functions within the Hotel industry. The article states that "Accounting software is used to track the profitability of hotel operations and identify trends in the hospitality industry". It is said that when selecting accounting software, you must identify what results you are looking for from the software; and also the functions that you are able to receive. You must also understand the needs of your property, and industry. The article also discusses various decision criteria, which is a part of the selection process. Some of these criteria's that you must look out for are: annual revenue, budget, location, multiple sites, national or international locations, in-house verses outsource operations. I love the fact that this article also discusses the functions of hotel accounting software. Some of those functions that were stated are: account payable, account receivable, and payroll. The article also brought up some trends about hotel and lodging accounting software. One of the trends that stand out to me was the fact that some companies hand over their entire accounting responsibilities to major accounting companies or, accounting firms; this is referred to as outsource. Having a accounting software is a very beneficial asset for a company.

The hospitality industry has had steady growth, with increasing demands for internal controls and financial accountability. Accounting software is crucial in measuring and tracking the hotel's profitability. Accounting software is used to track the profitability of hotel operations and identify trends in the hospitality industry. So it's important for hotel manager to choose the suitable accounting software. This article tells how to select hotel accounting system properly. Including the decision criteria used in selection process, areas of functionality in hotel accounting software and standards used for accounting and auditing in hotel industry, etc.

Hotel managers are often faced a lot of problem to deal with the accounting system. Now hotel manager can manage all of the accounting responsibilities by use hotel accounting technology. Using Web-based hotel accounting software can save your business money . The functions covered in all of the accounting systems.