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August - 2016 issue

Redefining Hospitality - Cloud and Mobility

By Vignesh Anantharaj

For many years hospitality technology was known to be old, cumbersome and expensive. However with the advancement of SaaS products which are known to be more efficient and less of a strain on the budgets, CIOs in the hospitality industry today breathe a sigh of relief. The involvement of tech in today’s hospitality industry has created a level playing field.

However, not all SaaS products solve the current needs of hoteliers’. But it is possible to witness vendors and existent players take up the game a notch and bring in newer and improved services in the future. Similarly, there is a keen inclination towards cloud computing as hoteliers today move away from servers in storage rooms that took away valuable space. Cloud computing is also growing drastically in terms of reliability and security. In terms of budget constraints, cloud technology provides the advantage of paying for only what is required and the computing power that is necessary. The cloud is also traditionally known to cut down project timings.

While talking about the prominence of cloud, nobody can deny that the cloud and big data are going to be in a close knit group along with the mobility phenomenon. More specifically, mobile ubiquity! What mobile has resulted in is in the production of a permanent sense of immediate consumption. It has changed how guests interact with hoteliers, and vice versa. It is forever critical to be on the toes so as to know what exactly the client requires and needs. This can range from room access; check in options to mobile bookings. Many hospitality companies are today rushing towards getting their own personalized mobile applications to attract customers into their dens.

It is also safe to say that hotels for a long time have been amassing a huge data pool, but have not applied the technologies to utilize them to their maximum potential. The industry has now realized that data is the most valuable asset for their brands, and tapping into the same will be a priority to deliver the personalization that is expected by travelers. It is also interesting to note that a high percentage of data has a location based element attached to it and most hospitality players are tapping into this gold mine.

Do let us know how you are utilizing tech to make your business successful.

Vignesh Anantharaj
Managing Editor
vignesh@cioreviewindia.com