December 15, 2011
Siegel Sez
by: Rich Siegel
Oh, the memories. I was in Phoenix last week for business and contacted David Sjolander from Pegasus who lives in the area. David and I have known each other for years and I told him to get his wife and let’s have dinner. Then I figured I should find someone else to go since four is always more fun than three even though I live in the three world. You have to love Facebook and the ability to connect with friends from your past. I asked Lynn Hayes who I have known for many years if she would join us and she said yes. For those of you reading Siegel Sez for the last 11 years, you might remember this story I shared with David and his wife. About eight years ago I had to be in Phoenix for business and asked Lynn who I had met through a vendor if she wanted to have dinner with me. I guess you could have called it a date. She was nice enough to pick me up at the airport and we went to a very popular Mexican restaurant for dinner. When the dinner ended, I just figured that she would give me a ride to my hotel which was downtown about six miles away. She didn’t. Since she lived in the opposite direction she said the restaurant could call me a cab and then left me in the parking lot suitcase and all. I wrote about this on Siegel Sez eight years ago and everybody thought it was funny. When I told the story at dinner last week, David and his wife were crying they were laughing so hard. Lynn of course said she didn’t remember it, but I knew better. Ah, great memories.
I went from Phoenix to Las Vegas for the HEDNA Conference, which seemed to be experiencing a rebirth. It was a great conference with great sessions and more than enough socializing to make the trip worthwhile. I had lunch with Peter Holmes from TravelClick and Colleen Birch from the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Colleen asked how long Peter and I knew each other. We actually worked together in 1981. Wow. Then I was back in Atlanta and we had our company holiday party and Diana Bishop was there. Diana’s husband Worth is in charge of the technology for Hotel Online, but I met Worth through Diana. It was 19 years ago when she was working at Bass Hotels. I looked around the table at our dinner and realized that Geneva has worked with me for 16 years. All these people, all these years and I came to a very simple conclusion. Darn, I must be getting old.
Yes, this is the time of year for reflection. We look back, but as importantly we look ahead. We are thankful for many of the things we did and we cringe at those things we wish we hadn’t. Mid-December, the holidays are approaching and people seem to get in different moods. I know I have a lot to be thankful for, but like everybody I have gaps in my life that I would like to fill. But isn’t that the way life is supposed to be? I believe so.
Before I close I must thank Don Hay from Digital Alchemy for inviting me to the New York Giants/Dallas Cowboys football game at Cowboy Stadium this past Sunday night. That stadium is unbelievable; it is amazing what $1.4 billion will build. Of course, he might have regretted inviting me as the New Yorker in me had me cheering for the Giants against the 95,000 who were cheering for the Cowboys. Yes, the Giants won in one of the most exciting games of the year. It was a great stadium, great people and a great night. If Don ever sends me the picture he took of us I will get it posted, maybe we will put it on our Hospitality Upgrade Facebook page. It is fun putting silly pictures on there, and we do, so check it out. http://www.facebook.com/HospitalityUpgrade
This is the last Siegel Sez of the year. I hope everybody has a great holiday season, takes a moment to be thankful and doesn’t hesitate to help those in need. Here now is the real reason we are here, Jon Inge’s review of the technology happenings in the industry. I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at you-know-what. Don’t forget that after the first of the year Jon will do his much anticipated annual year in review. We will see you then. Happy Holidays.
Rich@hospitalityupgrade.com
Technology NEWSSTAND
by: Jon Inge
Systems News in Plain English from Jon Inge
TOP O’ THE NEWS
- A time to look forward, with hope
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It’s been quite a year. Not what most of us had hoped for in terms of economic recovery, to be sure, but there are promising signs that businesses are beginning to be more optimistic about the future, and that travel is on the rise. Certainly if you judge by the number of press releases reported below, vendors are ending the year with a real surge!
So all I’ll say at this holiday time is this: may our wishes for good things be realized, and may we be filled with understanding, see the good in others and work together to bring improvement to our industry and the world. However you celebrate the season, may it be filled with happiness.
**
http://www.joninge.com
GUEST SERVICES
- Quadriga introduces multiday, special offer service bundles for Sensiq and Genesis platforms
- MTech’s HotSOS now uses Verizon Wireless phones
- TravelShark launches “rather” tourist content on 16 destination sites
- Safemark Systems acquires Best Lockers
- Hilton Amsterdam replacing digital TV system with Swisscom’s Connected Hotel TV
- Marriott offers mobile app for iPhone, iPod touch® and Android in Chinese, Spanish, German and French
- Intelity appoints McLaren International as its ICE distributor for Asia Pacific
- Starwood links loyalty program with China's Jiepang location-based social mobile app
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For more information on Guest Services for 12/15/11
BACK OFFICE
- Image Technology Systems offers Merchant Link payment services for Visual Matrix GMS
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Image Technology Systems now offers Merchant Link payment gateway and data security services for its Visual Matrix guest management application.
http://www.merchantlink.com,
http://www.visualmatrixpms.com **
INVENTORY/PURCHASING
- Nemacolin Woodlands Resort selects Yellow Dog Software
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Nemacolin Woodlands Resort has selected Yellow Dog Software’s back office inventory application to manage its warehouse and 11 retail operations.
http://www.yellowdogsoftware.com **
SECURITY
- Hotel Williamsburg in Brooklyn installs VingCard's Signature Trend locks, VISIONLINE system and Elsafe SENTINEL II safes
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The newly opened 64-room Hotel Williamsburg in Brooklyn has installed VingCard's Signature Trend door locks and wireless VISIONLINE system, as well as Elsafe's SENTINEL II in-room electronic safes.
http://www.hwbrooklyn.com,
http://www.vingcardelsafe.com **
GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
- La Dolce Vita Resort and Spa, Palm Springs, Calif., picks MICROS’ OPERA
- Lindner Hotels and Resorts moves 32 properties to MICROS Data Center for OPERA and myfidelio.net
- RDP announces 15 new clients
- Rocco Forte Hotel Abu Dhabi opens with protel’s MPE central guest management
- Stout Street Hospitality interfaces Hotel Concepts – Brilliant IDPMS with Passkey’s GroupMAX for five Magnolia Hotels
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For more information on Guest Management Systems for 12/15/11
RESERVATIONS
- Expedia.com releases tablet versions of Expedia Hotels app
- Vantage Hospitality Group signs with Sabre
- Genares links Genares CRS with Appnostic's SocialBooker App for hotel Facebook fan pages
- Sabre to enhance TripCase mobile site with capabilities from Sabre VirtuallyThere and GetThere Mobile
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For more information on Reservations for 12/15/11
MARKETING/MANAGEMENT
- FastBooking contracts for STR Global’s surveys and market analysis
- Festiva Hospitality Group expands use of UniFocus’ GUESTScope
- Jefferson Hotel and Plume Restaurant signs with TIG Global for websites and Internet marketing
- Washington County Visitors Association picks TIG Global for Oregon wine destination websites
- Pegasus launches OpenFlex mobile website design
- Expedia stockholders approve spinoff of TripAdvisor
- Webjet signs VFM Leonardo for hotel visual media and media display technology
- VFM Leonardo officially launches VBrochure Facebook Apps Suite
- Sabre receives Best Hotel & Lodging Website Award and 21 other WebAwards
- ContactPoint announces public beta version of LogMyCalls.com call tracking and management
- VIZERGY receives two gold and four bronze HSMAI Adrian Awards
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For more information on Marketing/Management for 12/15/11
REVENUE MANAGEMENT
- RateTiger releases version of RTSuite for Apple’s Macintosh OS X®
- First Hotels to pilot EasyRMS’ new Ez-LITE
- BHG – Brazil Hospitality Group contracts with EzRMS for 20 properties
- Dusit International implementing IDeaS Revenue Solutions in 13 properties
- Beijing Landmark Towers adopting IDeaS RMS and Hospitality Consulting programs
- Amadeus launches Market Pricing, an enhancement to its revenue management application
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For more information on Revenue Management for 12/15/11
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
- Eric Orkin joins d2o as chief of research and development
- Bernard Ellis joins d2o as senior vice president of sales and marketing
- IDeaS announces 2011 scholarship winners: Matthew Wilson, Nicola McDougall, Jeff Tang
- Chris Hall hired by M3 Hotel Accounting as M3 Link sales executive
- Robert Arnold is new vice president of sales at VIZERGY
- Rob Webb, Hilton CIO, named to
Computerworld Premier 100 IT Leaders for 2012
- Glenn Garland appointed to Telkonet’s board of directors
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For more information on People on the Move for 12/15/11
SALES & CATERING, MEETING PLANNING
- OTRUM completes migration of all digital signage clients to IBM’s SmartCloud Enterprise
- Stonewall Jackson Hotel & Conference Center selects The Knowland Group’s Target Net
- Oceana Resorts picks Target Net for seven hotels in Myrtle Beach, Fla.
- Passkey announces multi-room booking tool for GroupMAX
- Stout Street Hospitality interfaces Passkey’s GroupMAX with Hotel Concepts – Brilliant IDPMS at five Magnolia Hotels
- PSAV now offers Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) and BGV A3 Testing to clients in United Kingdom and Germany
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For more information on Sales & Catering, Meeting Planning for 12/15/11
COMMUNICATIONS/INFRASTRUCTURE
- Phybridge receives patent for identifying IP phone locations by their wall/faceplate jack IDs
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Phybridge announced that it has been issued US Patent N 8,059,631 for Location System and Method for Assisting Emergency Services in Identifying the Physical Location of an IP Telephony User, which uses the physical location of the wall/faceplate jack that provides the network connection to report and update the location of all connected IP phone devices. This is intended to address the challenges associated with VoIP E911 location identification and asset tracking.
http://www.phybridge.com **
You-Know-What
And now for you-know-what…
Three men are waiting to go to heaven. St. Peter is at the gate and says, "However good you were to your wife, that is the vehicle you will get in heaven."
The first guy comes up to the gate and announces, "I never, ever cheated on my wife and I love her." So St. Peter gives him a Rolls Royce.
The next man comes up and says, "I cheated on my wife once a long time ago, but I love her very much." He gets a Mustang and drives off into heaven.
The next guy comes up and says, "Unfortunately, I cheated on my wife quite a bit." So he gets a scooter.
The next day the guy that got the scooter is riding along and he sees the guy with the Rolls Royce crying. He asks, "Why are you crying when you have such a nice car?"
And the man sobs, "My wife just went by on roller skates."