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at HITEC for details PHOENIX � JUNE 19, 2006 � According to industry research firm PhocusWright, one third of all travel purchases are presently made online and that number will continue to grow at a rate of 30 percent each year. To help hotels increase reservations bookings online, Multi-Systems Inc., a leading supplier of property-management and integrated operations/marketing technologies for the lodging industry, will debut its Web-booking engine at HITEC in Booth No. 1015. �MSI is bringing the power of the Internet to our hotel customers by giving them the ability to capture online reservations directly on their Web sites�and with real time inventory control,� said Rick Munson, MSI President. �This new Internet utility is highly intuitive for travelers, allowing them to make room reservations from virtually anywhere with just a click. Not only will this drive immediate revenues directly to a hotel�s bottom line, additionally, it will drive a new group of online shoppers creating a new customer base.� MSI�s Web-booking engine will enable hotels to accept reservation transactions in real-time when interfaced with its Windows-based WinPM property-management system. Increasing property-direct reservations reduces the need for a hotel to use third-party distributors or wholesalers, and also adds perceived value to the guest because he or she is informed of the hotel�s cancellation policies. The Web-booking engine also eliminates the need for the customer to prepay and avoids snags with cancellation or change-date policies. "While it�s reported that online channels will generate 60 percent of U.S. travel bookings by 2008, direct bookings through a destination�s proprietary Web-site still is imperative,� Munson said. �A hotel�s own Web site is its lowest-cost, highest-return distribution channel. More importantly, having the ability to capture a guest�s email address through the PMS at the time the reservation is made will help improve pre-stay and post-stay communications with guests, thus supplementing or initiating a hotel�s e-marketing campaign.� Simple, Fast and Efficient When booking an online reservation using the MSI Web-booking utility, a traveler is instructed to click on the �Book a Reservation� link on the hotel Web site. The user may have up to four choices with regard to the type of reservation booking that can be selected: Individual Booking, Corporate Booking, Group Booking, and Group Inquiry (not all hotels will offer every option). Once the selection has been made, a listing of available room types will be displayed on the web page. The guest may then choose the room type desired, based on the description and the rate offered, by clicking the �Book Now� button indicated for that room type. �MSI�s Web-booking engine will enable hotels to display rates that are specified in WinPM by each hotel,� said Mark Houser, MSI Chief Information Officer. �The system also displays average daily rates � in case there are rate changes during the stay dates specified by the guest � and the total stay rate for all nights of the requested stay. � Houser explained that when making an �individual booking,� once a room type and rate is selected, a Reservation Details page is displayed to confirm the guest�s requested stay information. This page will display the nightly rate for each date of the stay, instead of an �Average� rate. The Reservation Details page will confirm/display the hotel�s Cancellation Policy, and a tax disclaimer. The guest will click Continue to proceed to completing the reservation. �Once the Finish button has been selected, if all entered reservation information is valid, a Reservation Confirmation will display to confirm the reservation,� Houser said. �It�s a very simplistic, fast and efficient system for any individual looking to make a reservation direct with the hotel.� The Confirmation number provided to the guest will be the same confirmation number that is used in the hotel WinPM system, Houser said. The guest will be able to use the confirmation number at check-in; no cross-reference from another source will be needed to retrieve the reservation in the WinPM system. An existing reservation may be cancelled via the MSI Web Booking Engine. Informing guests of a hotel�s cancellation policies � and making the cancellation process possible online � adds value because the customer is better informed and therefore is more comfortable with the online booking process. �In addition to all the guest-service benefits, MSI�s Web-booking engine enables hotels to apply yield management strategies at any given time,� Houser said. �The moment market demand changes, a hotel has the ability to make adjustments in rates to maximize revenues. Because the system is interfaced with WinPM, inventory is updated immediately, and the hotel is informed instantly of existing availability. �This new booking process substantiates MSI�s dedication to delivering solutions that increase operational efficiency for our customers and enhance the overall experience for the guest � from making the initial online booking to streamlining the guest check-out process,� he said. For more information on using MSI�s Web-booking engine for booking corporate or group business, visit MSI at HITEC in Booth No. 1015. To pre-schedule an appointment at HITEC, call Bridget Oliva at 800-331-7890. About MSI
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