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Mills
Some hotels have less flexibility as their infrastructures cannot enable strategy,
connectivity, and new opportunities. The costs become problematic for the value chain; hotels
must look for new ways to exploit IT. It is suggested that a convergence of portable devices,
common appliances, computer hardware, software, telecommunications, media, and content are
bringing about new and exciting capabilities. Carlson’s Scott Heintzeman says that this requires
new ways of thinking, such as, more integrated or cross-functional thinking, which will be
essential in launching e-business solutions. Dan Rothfeld and Brad Douglas, both vice-presidents
at Choice Hotels International, shared innovative approaches utilized by Choice for web-based
purchasing; Mike Clouser, founder of iLodging.com, discussed innovative web-based
applications for marketing, procurement, and outsourcing to support the restaurant’s chain. The
issues associated with the Internet enforce the idea the “the customer is king” and has zero
tolerance for errors or poor service delivery. The issues prior to 2000 and those that survived
Y2K are long forgotten, but issues surrounding the EURO still are prevalent. Guillaume Lepecq,
Director of Corporate Relations for the Association of the Monetary Union of Europe, and Hasa
Alemar, Senior Manager of Visa’s Euro Single Currency Unit presented challenges of how to
afford technology and sophisticated and demanding technology needs. This conference paved the
way for the questions and exciting times of the future in technological service; that time is here
now.
As we reflect on these major issues, it is apparent that the concerns in 2000 are still
prevalent, but new obstacles are now added to the already complex problems of technology and
the hotel guest. For example, the subject of the internet and marketing the property were
important then and are increasingly urgent today. Auction sights and outside investors were of a
major concern and are increasingly important in 2007. The 2000 meeting of the Roundtable
discussed the HITIS (Hotel Industry Technology Integration Standard and how it would impact
jobs and companies; primarily how technology initiative put forward standardize interfaces
between systems. One participant said, “One of the concerns I would have is we’re putting
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