OCTOBER 19 - NOVEMBER 1, 2005
TOP O' THE NEWS
- Corporate travel policies driving strong demand for e-folios
- Carlson Wagonlit recommends corporate travel buyers focus on driving down hotel costs
The growing influence of corporate travel policies has been noted before, but demand for e-folios is likely to grow significantly along with it, according to a MasterCard-sponsored survey by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE). When a traveler using a corporate credit card checks out of a hotel with an e-folio-capable PMS, an electronic copy of the folio is sent automatically to the payment card provider for consolidation and forwarding to the company. This pre-populates the company’s expense reporting system with itemized data on the traveler’s room rate, taxes, charges for parking, in-room movies, mini-bar, etc., eliminating the need for manual input. In addition to speeding reimbursement to the traveler, this helps travel managers monitor compliance with company policies and gather more complete expense data for future rate and discount negotiations.
The study reports that while only 12.5% of corporate travel managers currently receive line item hotel folio data from their payment card providers, 76.6% plan to obtain that data in the near future, and almost half (47%) rated getting electronic transmission of hotel folio data in their expense management system as ”very critical”. Over 60% already have a mandated corporate card program and an electronic expense reporting tool, which over 70% say already accepts a feed from their corporate card for summary level charges, if not yet line-item details. PMSs that don’t provide detailed folio line item reporting against corporate cards electronically are likely to find themselves at a distinct disadvantage.
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Emphasizing the importance of corporate travel policies, a Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) report recommends that company travel buyers apply the same focus to hotels as they have to air fares in successfully driving down costs. CWT estimates that hotels represent 30% to 40% of the total travel spend and that most businesses will face a 6% rise in hotel rates at the beginning of 2006. The report adds that yield management strategies adopted by hoteliers may prove beneficial for hoteliers but the value to their corporate customers has "yet to be proven." No doubt Carlson’s hotel managers would disagree with the report’s emphasis, but it does point up the value to both sides of having accurate data on a company’s total booking productivity with its preferred – or mandated – hotels.
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PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
- Valyn Perini (née Erickson) joins Open Travel Alliance (OTA) as Executive Director
- Gustaaf Schrils joins Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) Board of Directors
- Steven Shapiro hired by Passkey International as CFO and SVP of Operations
- Leo Illouz promoted to Chief Executive Officer at Bartech Systems International
Valyn Perini (née Erickson) has joined the Open Travel Alliance (OTA) as its Executive Director. Ms. Perini brings more than fifteen years experience in hospitality and travel operations, sales and marketing, systems, consulting, and software development, most recently as Director of Product Strategy and Marketing at Newmarket International. She had earlier worked as a principal consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers, and before that held various management positions with Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts, Westin Hotels & Resorts and InterContinental Hotels. Her industry service also includes three years as a member of the HEDNA (Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association) board of directors, membership on the HITEC Advisory Committee and active participation in the OTA’s Hotel Work Group.
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Gustaaf Schrils, Vice President of Hotel Technology and Services at InterContinental Hotels in the Americas, has joined the Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) Board of Directors. Mr. Schrils joined IHG (then Bass Hotels & Resorts) in 1995 as Director of Global Telecommunications, and was promoted to Vice President of Hotel Technology and Services in 2000.
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Steven Shapiro as been hired by Passkey International as its CFO and senior vice president of operations. With over 25 years of financial, administrative and operational management experience, Mr. Shapiro was previously CFO and COO at SquareAnswer, and earlier served as CFO at companies in the software, telecom, biosciences and retail industries. He began his career in public accounting and was a Senior Manager at Arthur Andersen.
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Leo Illouz has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer at Bartech Systems International, which he joined in May 2000 as President/EMEA. Prior to joining Bartech, Mr. Illouz served in several executive positions in the pharmaceutical industry, most recently as International Marketing Business Unit Manager at Organon (Akzo Nobel Group). Prior to Akzo Nobel, he was a sales manager at Astra Zeneca France.
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PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
- Carlson selects MICROS’ OPERA Enterprise as PMS component of Harmony Plus
- HIS integrating HBSI distribution channel management into core and epitome systems
- MAI files reverse stock split to take it (and its HIS subsidiary) private
- MSI purchasing Pegasus Solutions’ NovaPlus and GuestView PMSs
Carlson Hotels Worldwide has selected MICROS’ OPERA Enterprise Solution as the property management component of the Harmony Plus technology platform for its global hotel brands. The full OPERA system will be used in the full service brands - Regent, Radisson, and Park Plaza – with the limited-option OPERA Xpress version going to the Country Inns & Suites and Park Inn units. Carlson is currently rolling out Harmony Plus to its new hotels; all existing properties will convert to Harmony Plus by the end of 2007. (www.carlson.com, www.micros.com)
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Hotel Information Systems is integrating Hotel Booking Solutions Incorporated (HBSI) distribution channel management into its “core” corporate application and “epitome” PMS.
MAI Systems Corp has filed to complete a reverse stock split, effective November 23, 2005, to take it (and its HIS subsidiary) private, allowing it to terminate its public reporting and avoid the costs, administrative burdens and competitive disadvantages associated with operating as a public company.
(www.hbsconnect.com, www.hotelinfosys.com)
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Multi-Systems Inc. (MSI) is purchasing Pegasus Solutions’ NovaPlus and GuestView property management systems, following Pegasus’ withdrawal from the PMS arena. NovaPlus is the private-label PMS used by over 450 Best Western hotels. MSI has committed to continuing support for NovaPlus and to completing its two-way interface with Best Western’s central reservation system. MSI already has a two-way XML interface to the Best Western CRS for its own WinPM product. MSI is developing a migration tool from NovaPlus to WinPM for NovaPlus users wanting an immediate two-way Best Western interface. (www.msisolutions.com)
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RESERVATIONS
- TravelCLICK acquires Vantis
- Sabre, TravelCLICK launch Precision Path online analytical tool
- Disneyland Resort Hotels select SynXis RedX distribution services for three hotels in Anaheim
- Kayak.com launches “Every Hotel on Earth” program
TravelCLICK has acquired Vantis International, bringing Vantis’ customer base of over 5,000 hotels into TravelCLICK’s inventory. Calgary-based Vantis offers electronic and voice reservations for hotels, car rental companies, and regional airlines, plus complementary marketing services; it’s customer base includes Historic Hotels of America, Interstate Hotels, Destination Resorts, ResortQuest, and Mandalay Resort Group.
Sabre Travel Network and TravelCLICK have launched Precision Path, an online analytical tool for Sabre’s Hotel Spotlight hotel subscribers which specifies the exact shopping and booking path taken by travel agents in searching and selecting hotels within the Sabre GDS. The information is market code specific, offers decision support regarding a hotels preferred placement and conversion, and includes benchmarking metrics for market code subscriber and non-subscriber comparison.
(www.vantiscorp.com, www.sabre.com, www.travelclick.net)
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Disneyland Resort Hotels has selected SynXis for its RedX distribution services for its three resort hotels in Anaheim, CA: the Grand Californian Hotel, Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier Hotel. They will begin using SynXis at the end of 2005. SynXis is developing an interface with Disneyland Resort’s PMS. (http://disneyland.disney.go.com, www.synxis.com)
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Kayak.com has launched its “Every Hotel on Earth” program to increase the number of searchable properties beyond what it estimates is the 15% that are marketed through traditional online agency sites. Users can add a hotel via a “Tell us” link from the hotel homepage or in Kayak’s section on hotels. A no-charge basic listing includes name, address, contact information, lodging type and Web address; a premium listing is also available. Kayak aims to have more than 100,000 hotels in its inventory by the end of the year. (www.kayak.com)
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MARKETING / MANAGEMENT
- SynXis signs with Leonardo for worldwide Digital Asset Management Platform
SynXis has signed with Leonardo for a worldwide Digital Asset Management Platform, a centralized repository and distribution system for the production, ownership, management and distribution of rich content (images, text and multimedia) for all properties using its RedX distribution management system. (www.synxis.com, www.leonardo.com)
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REVENUE MANAGEMENT
- Jolly Hotels implementing RateTiger’s RTAllocator and RTShopper
- Baha Mar Development Co implements EzRMS at three locations in the Bahamas
Italian chain Jolly Hotels is implementing RateTiger’s RTAllocator and RTShopper channel management applications for its 38 hotels in Italy, 6 in Europe and 1 in New York. (www.jollyhotels.com, www.ratetiger.com)
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The Baha Mar Development Company has implemented the EzRMS Internet suite at three locations on Cable Beach, The Bahamas: the Wyndham Nassau Resort and Crystal Palace Casino, the Radisson Cable Beach Resort and the Nassau Beach Hotel. Each property’s PMS (Fidelio, LMS and Softbrands Medallion) is interfaced to EasyRMS. Together, the resorts comprise 1,941 guest rooms, a 35,000 square foot casino, over 50,000 square feet of meeting space, 27 food and beverage outlets, tennis, golf, and various water sport activities. (ww.bahamar.com, www.easyrms.com)
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F&B/POINT OF SALE
- Mandarin Oriental chooses InfoGenesis POS for Hong Kong and Tokyo
- JTECH paging systems now available for use with HSI’s Profit Series POS
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has chosen InfoGenesis POS for the Landmark Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Tokyo. (www.mandarinoriental.com, www.infogenesis.com)
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Hospitality Solutions International (HSI) division announced that JTECH paging systems are now available for use with its Profit Series POS system. Both HSI and JTECH are divisions of MICROS. The ServAlert and GuestAlert systems operate independently of the POS system and provide paging for servers and guests, respectively. (www.micros.com)
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GUEST SERVICES
- Accor introducing TeleAdapt’s DeskBridge to its French properties
Accor is introducing TeleAdapt’s DeskBridge to its French properties, including Sofitel, Novotel, Mercure, Suitehotel & Ibis. DeskBridge, a wireless to wired network connection point designed for the hospitality market, enables a non-Wi-Fi laptop to access the Internet in a Wi-Fi environment. (www.accor.com, www.teleadapt.com)
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BACK OFFICE
- UniFocus enhances STAFFScope employee attitude measurement system
UniFocus has enhanced its STAFFScope employee attitude measurement system, using enhanced statistical analysis to yield automated identification of the most critical organizational issues and focus dialogue between management and staff on areas where improvement will make the most difference. The system then establishes goals with action planning and result monitoring. UniFocus’ ACTIONScope integrated on-line action-planning application monitors the progress of follow-up and tracks the results. (www.unifocus.com)
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COMMUNICATIONS
- Teledex announces iPhone IP and iPhone Hybrid guest room telephones
Teledex announced its iPhone IP and iPhone Hybrid guest room telephones, expected to ship in Q2/2006 and featuring a 5.6-inch color touch screen display. The iPhone IP is a full VoIP unit, ready for integration into a SIP environment; the Hybrid model combines analog voice with an IP-based, data-driven display, and can be converted to a pure VoIP phone with a firmware upgrade. Customizable content such as hotel or local information, room service ordering, news, sports, and weather information can be distributed to the units using Teledex’ iPhone Content Management Console (CMC) and Content Aggregator Server (CAS). Revenue-generating implications include paid advertising from local vendors and more robust marketing for hotel services and products. (www.teledex.com)
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SECURITY
- Onity announces entry-level Laptop 50 guestroom safe
- Safemark expands into Mexico
- Vingcard announces new Signature Series guestroom lock
Onity announced an entry-level in-room safe, the Laptop 50, sized to accommodate any size laptop computer. The Laptop 50 is secured with a user-chosen 3- to 6-digit PIN code, uses 4 AA batteries, and provides an on-screen power status display to prompt maintenance staff to change the batteries as needed. (www.onity.com)
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Safemark Systems announced several sales in Mexico for its guestroom safes, including Esperanza an Auberge Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Residencias La Loma in Mexico City and Villa de Ensueno Hotel in Guadalaraja. (www.safemark.com)
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VingCard announced its new Signature Series electronic guestroom lock, designed in partnership with Bresslergroup. The new unit features only a card insertion slot on the door exterior instead of the more common fascia panel, and offers handle options from Italian manufacturer Valli & Valli. The units can also be upgraded to VingCard’s Contact Less Technology as required to use RFID-based proximity keycards. (www.vingcard.com)
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