Stephen Clay, product manager, represented Agilysys in the workgroup assembled to discuss the GDPR and its impact on the hospitality industry. The workgroup was coordinated by Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG), a not-for-profit trade association.

 

The GDPR is a law governing personal data, and it will be enforced starting May 2018. The aim of the law is to protect all EU citizens from privacy and data breaches in an increasingly data-driven world. The extended jurisdiction of the GDPR will have an especially big impact on the business world, as the law will apply to all companies processing personal data of EU citizens regardless of the company’s location. Failure to understand and comply with the GDPR may result in additional risks and significant financial penalties.

 

The “GDPR for Hospitality” workgroup has met regularly since its establishment last year, to discuss the impact that the GDPR will inevitably have on the hospitality industry around the world. The aim of the group was to provide guidance for hospitality chains, trading partners and vendors to navigate the pitfalls associated with compliance to the updated law. 

 

“Agilysys is passionate about personal data security and we work to make it as simple as possible for our customers and other industry professionals to comply with these new regulations,” said Stephen Clay, product manager at Agilysys. “I’m confident that the workgroup’s whitepaper on GDPR provides the information and direction that hospitality industry professionals need in order to prepare and adapt to compliance with the new regulations.”