Technology

A sneak peek at HITEC product launches

14 Jun, 2010 By: Jason Q. Freed

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Orlando—Sometimes new hospitality technology products are launched that will truly revolutionize and streamline the way property-level employees go about their day-to-day activities. Other times, new technology products are simply really cool. If you can hit the mark in both areas, you’re destined for success.

It’s always fun gearing up for the Hospitality Industry Technology Expo and Conference and predicting which companies will introduce the best products. Product launches certainly follow trends; last year a slew of companies

introduced iPhone applications at HITEC and this year it looks as if many companies will be introducing iPad applications. Some will be flashy and eye-popping. The best ones will be revenue generators or help staff on the hotel floors perform their jobs more efficiently.

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the new, innovative products that will be introduced at the show:

— Alcatel-Lucent (booth #751) will demo the My IC Phone: the multimedia hub for guestrooms that enables guests to have instant access to a variety of hotel services, communication options, entertainment choices, room controls and Web applications, all through an intuitive, high-resolution touch-screen interface.

— Alloso Technologies (booth #1141) will unveil a business intelligence iPhone application. The app displays a comprehensive dashboard on an iPhone or iPod Touch that accesses real-time summary information for GMs, regional managers and executives. It includes key performance indicators, P&L data, budget comparisons, revenue segments, expenses, competitive set data and links to guest reviews.

— Aptech Systems (booth #723) is launching EV Lite and announcing its Next Generation Aptech Accounting Solution. EV Lite is a cost effective, Web-based financial reporting tool for operators who need daily performance reporting and automated multi-property data gathering. The system gathers and consolidates financial and other performance data from multiple hotels and delivers a wide variety of management reporting.

— Avaya (booth #661) will launch a hospitality technology platform to help hotels more effectively tailor in-room guest services by running interactive applications on a next-generation guestroom phone, which acts as a type of in-room media hub. Avaya Guest Media Hub features a touch-screen interface that allows guests to make phone calls, set alarms, get stock quotes, check the weather, make restaurant reservations and tee times and peruse the wine list.

— Cendyn (booth #931) will announce an eCRM suite — a one-platform tool for sales, guest preference tracking, follow up satisfaction survey and follow-on marketing. eCRM Suite is installed at The Breakers and is increasing the resort’s revenue through a better understanding of how to market more effectively to guests preferences.

— Flyte Systems (booth #651) is announcing FlytePad, its iPad-based airline information service. Flyte monitors which city you are in and sends airline flight information for the nearest airports so guest service staff can assist guests anywhere on property, even in the airport shuttle.

— hotel SystemsPro (booth #856) is launching its iPad Internet-based hotel ServicePro solution that lets operators create and monitor all property or hotel chain maintenance, service and guest service needs from one screen. It enables executive management review of required services that include scheduled maintenance, insurance renewals, health inspections, deep cleaning cycles and many other duties.

— Northwind-Maestro PMS (booth #523) will unveil ResWave direct website bookings using social media and mobile devices. The mobile-ready ResWave Booking Engine levels the playing field for independent operators by delivering a mobile-optimized marketing and booking experience to guests at a lower cost-per-reservation than third-party online travel sites.

— O’Rourke Hospitality Marketing (booth #1234) will introduce an iPhone app for hotels called Smartstay, a new ‘white label’ iPhone app that hotels can customize to represent their own brand. Hotels can enter hotel information, images, videos and news updates with a content-management system they can access online.

— Travel Tripper (booth #1326) will introduce RezTrip 2.0, a private-label online booking engine offering new ways to merchandise, price, package, up-sell and cross-sell. Flexible packaging options will result in guests booking more than just guestrooms and drive higher value reservations.

— VingCard Elsafe (booth #1017) will introduce a wireless online system offering benefits beyond wireless online electronic locks, which will have an impact on the efficiency at hotel properties to immediately improve the bottom line and positively influence the guest experience. Based on the success of VisionLine, VingCard Elsafe’s new wireless solution will provide a cost-effective, reliable solution.

— VTech (booth #451) will announce its entrance into the hospitality market, demonstrating its new product line dedicated to hospitality.

I’ll be spending a lot of time at HITEC bouncing from booth to booth, watching demos of how these new products work. I’ll certainly snap a lot of pictures and corral a lot of information, so stay tuned to our  On the Road page for continuous HITEC coverage.

In any case—if I do nothing else at HITEC—my No. 1 priority is to sign up for as many iPad giveaways as possible. The following companies have announced they’ll be holding drawings in which the winners will receive an Apple iPad.

— Register to win a free Apple iPad or iPod nano when you speak with a representative of RCN Business Services (booth #1344).

— Visitors to the O’Rourke Hospitality Marketing booth (#1234) can enter to win an Apple iPad by filling out a raffle form, which can be downloaded from the Smartstay website. A drawing will be held at 11 a.m., June 24 at the booth, and the winner must be present.

— Northwind-Maestro PMS (booth #523) will give away an Apple iPad to booth visitors who test drive Maestro’s new ResWave Booking Engine on Facebook, Twitter or mobile.

— Revpar Guru is giving away an iPad to any revenue manager or hotel owner that signs up for the system, starting June 1, for a limited time. The iPad will allow revenue managers to access the Revpar Guru system's control panel from anywhere, enabling revenue managers to make rate changes, view up-to-the-minute statistics and graphs and monitor the performance of the automated system.

— Visit PrinterOn at booth #629 and get your Passport to Technology stamped for a chance to win an iPad. PrinterOn will be giving away two.

— Stop by ActiveResorts booth #509 for your chance to win an iPad.

— At booth #112, Movitas will be giving away three Apple nanos and an iPad. From HITEC, send a text message to 77950 with the message nano and your email address. You'll automatically be entered to win one of three nanos and you'll also receive an exclusive mobile entry form to enter to win the iPad. A video nano will be given away each day during HITEC and the winner of the iPad will be drawn from mobile web form entries at 1:30 p.m. Thursday. You must be present to win.