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Shows Hotels are Ready for Shared Technology Services
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News for the Hospitality Executive |
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CHICAGO
(June 4, 2010) – The
emergence of cloud computing and reliable networks has led to an
opportunity to
dramatically alter the cost/performance landscape for the hospitality
industry
through the sharing of many technology services across multiple hotel
companies. But many questions exist about the
model. Are hoteliers willing to give up
enough control to make the model work? How
could the hospitality industry use a shared services model to generate
greater
operating efficiencies? What are the
opportunities for vendors in this space? Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG), the non-profit trade association for hospitality technology, recently published the results of an extensive research effort into these questions. The position paper summarizes key findings and opportunities based upon the opinions of CIO and top IT strategy executives from about 20 of the largest hotel companies. While some barriers and concerns exist, there is great interest on the part of hotel companies in pursuing this computing model. “We believe that we’re at a watershed moment for this industry. This model can offer efficiencies and performance enhancements that will redefine standards of delivery, quality and performance for hospitality technology functionality for decades,” said Douglas Rice, Executive Vice President & CEO of HTNG. To be sure, many hotel companies consider certain applications to be strategic, and have no desire to share them. But the survey and analysis revealed a large set of less critical applications and services that most companies were willing to share. Indeed, more than 80% of the participating IT executives were willing to share such applications as guest-room device management, concierge, point of sale, housekeeping, facilities management, and applications for several back-office and human resource functions. The report proposes some potential “first steps” to fill hotel technology needs that are not adequately addressed today, and where shared services are widely viewed as desirable. Based on the research findings, HTNG selected two potential shared services areas for some initial efforts to define and jump-start the model: shared-service application(s) to manage interfaces to guest-room devices, and a global hospitality data network. “We think that our organization is uniquely suited to bring together hospitality vendors and hotel technologists in order to lay the groundwork for this exciting new operational model for hospitality,” said Rice. Other areas of significant interest for shared services, which HTNG may explore in coming months and years based on industry interest, include:
The full report is available to the hospitality industry in PDF format at the organization’s website at: http://htng.org/about/mediacenter.htm. About Hotel Technology Next Generation The premier technology solutions association in the hospitality industry, HTNG is a self-funded, non-profit organization with members from hotel and hospitality companies, technology vendors to hospitality, and other industry members including consultants, media, and academic experts. HTNG’s members participate in focused workgroups to bring to market open solution sets addressing specific business problems. HTNG fosters the selection and adoption of existing open standards. Where necessary, it also develops new open standards to meet the needs of the global hospitality industry. Membership in HTNG is open to hotel and hospitality companies, technology vendors to hospitality, consultants, academics, press and others. Currently more than 400 corporate and individual members from across this spectrum, including most of the world’s leading hotel companies and technology vendors, are active HTNG participants. HTNG’s Board of Directors alone represents more than 2.3 million guest rooms. Workgroup proceedings, drafts, and specifications are published for all HTNG members as soon as they are created, encouraging rapid and broad adoption. Specifications are released to the public domain as they are ratified by the workgroup. For more information, visit www.htng.org. |
| Contact:
Hotel Technology Next Generation Brian Larson, Marketing Consultant +1 847 303 5560 www.htng.org |