42 TRAVEL TECHNOLOGIES
42 TRAVEL TECHNOLOGIES protel Air - “Hotel Management in the Cloud” @ ITB Berlin Protel Air is a web-based hotel management solution and a true Software as a Service (SaaS) application, which is hosted in a secure data center environment. SaaS solutions outsource the hardware, software and the data to the Internet “cloud” and open up completely new possibilities for the hotel industry’s IT management. protel Air is the perfect solution for all hoteliers who value flexibility, reliability and security without having to take care of it themselves. Hall 8.1 Stand 103 MICROS Pushes Managed Services with MICROS Assure While MICROS has a very broad range of products on show at ITB Berlin, “MICROS Assure” provides a set of services designed to drive down the cost of IT administration by reducing the number of on-site human resources required. It covers all areas of IT, including monitoring, alerting, auto remediation of common problems, patching, upgrading, backups and end-point security options. The Tech Factor Get ahead or fall behind… there’s no middle ground People in the business frequently talk about improving efficiency through various technical means. In this sense, there are two factors that need to be taken into account – having a competitive advantage and not being ‘overtaken’. A hotel business can, of course, run without SaaS (Software as a Service) solutions, cloud-based PMS (Property Management Systems) or web-based hotel management systems, just like the ‘slow-toadopt’ businessman can get by without the latest smartphone or tablet. But both, inevitably, will be left behind. Indeed, it is no longer just a case of finding differentiation factors through technology, but of realising that one must keep up with the times in order to be at all competitive in today’s “jungle-like” marketplace. By being well informed, hoteliers can gain a competitive edge over their ‘tech-unfriendly’ competitors who lag behind. Touring the technology areas of ITB Berlin, around Halls 6.1, 8.1, 9 and 10, is thus an essential part of the hotelier’s visit. Cloud Services The cloud removes the technology burden from owners and operators, yet ensures a high degree of technology is maintained through central facilities management. All is transparent to the guest but efficiencies are enhanced, and this quantum leap will result in major cost reduction. Where will the cloud take up in the future? How about centralized telephone systems, entertainment or facilities monitoring? Data security is important on many levels. With a fullcloud solution, the data is transferred via public Internet and this means the data has, of course, to be encoded. At the data centre, the data is generally stored and distributed in databases across multiple servers, so that if a server fails, there is no interruption of daily business processes and no lost data. In addition, backups should occur several times a day and the data should also be stored externally. This high level of security is usually not guaranteed on locally installed systems. When selecting a partner for cloud services, it is important to verify that such security and backups are ensured. Top innovation from Triometric Triometric is launching Web Services Analyzer version 6.2 at ITB Berlin, adding new reporting and visualisation features to track revenue and operational issues for web-based travel operators. Chosen as a top innovation in the travel industry by PhoCusWright, Triometric Web Services Analyzer delivers actionable intelligence from live XML feeds to improve product availability, performance, relevance and price. “We are building on our foundation of travel big data analytics by making the product even easier to use and simplifying the process of extracting actionable business intelligence,” said Matthew Goulden, Managing Director at Triometric. “We are doing this by adding a more intuitive user experience and new visualisation capabilities.” Slicing and dicing data has become even faster via features such as drillable global heat maps that allow users to quickly diagnose and react to changing demand, supply and operational performance. The Web Services Analyzer aims to help travel operators visualise their business challenges and make faster and more accurate business decisions. Hall 6.1 Stand 102 © protel protel air Matthew Goulden Managing Director at Triometric ITB BERLIN NEWS • Friday 8 th March 2013 www.itb-berlin-news.com
TRADE NEWS 43 Expedia Online Bookings Boost Partner Revenues Cyril Ranque Senior Vice President Expedia Lodging Partner Services As Senior Vice President of Global Market Management at Expedia, Inc., Cyril Ranque is responsible for overseeing Expedia’s lodging of supply relationships globally. Ranque joined Expedia in 2006 to expand partnerships with the leading international hotel chains in EMEA and APAC, and then served as Vice President of Asia-Pacific Air and Lodging Supply. Prior to Expedia, Ranque was Vice President of Marketing & Distribution for Louvre Hotels, where he developed multi-channel distribution strategies and brand reengineering initiatives for Concorde Hotels & Resorts, Kyriad, Campanile and Premiere Classe. Previously, Ranque was head of the French CRM practice for Management Consultancy AT Kearney and has also served as a CRM consultant at Accenture. Ranque has held roles with LVMH in Tokyo and Morgan Stanley’s investment banking division in London. Many travelers visit an Online Travel Agency (OTA) site before they book directly with a hotel website As well as an online sales service, Expedia performs a marketing role for its partner companies Expedia Lodging Partner Services group is the central point of contact for hotels to reach travelers in more than 70 countries through all of the Expedia, Inc. brands, including Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Venere.com and Expedia Local Expert. The latter service helps consumers plan, reserve, and book activities at home or when they travel. Expedia offers hotels international reach; access to multiple channels in a single marketplace; exposure that positively influences direct bookings on the hotel’s own website; and a dedicated team of market managers in diverse world cities who provide deep market insight and are committed to helping hotels increase their profitability. Expedia also gives advertisers the opportunity to reach a highly valuable audience of in-market travel consumers through Expedia Media Solutions. In addition to hotel bookings, Expedia also powers bookings for airlines, top consumer brands, high-traffic websites, and thousands of active affiliates. Cyril Ranque, senior vicepresident Expedia Lodging Partner Services, talked to ITB Berlin News about how Expedia is helping raise profits for hoteliers globally. Expedia helps increase revenue of our hotel partners by capturing bookings from across the globe through technology and brands, powerful marketing, and market insight. How can Expedia help hoteliers find ways to increase bookings through their own websites? Many travelers visit an Online Travel Agency (OTA) site before they book directly with a hotel website. According to PhoCusWright travel market research, 27-33% of consumers who visit an OTA book directly with the hotel’s website. Presence on an OTA like Expedia can drive more bookings both through Expedia channels and through direct channels. How do you work with hoteliers? Can they make direct contact with someone at Expedia? Yes, we have a global market management team of more than 500 market managers and market associates in more than 50 offices worldwide that can help hotel partners optimise their distribution strategy. What are your key goals at ITB Berlin? We want to reach out to existing and future hotel partners and discuss how we can help maximise their profitability. Hall 9 Stand 322 Nearly 40 Travel Brands to Integrate the TourWrist Record, View and Share 360-Degree Panorama (Pano) Virtual Tour Technology in Their Apps and Websites TourWrist, the virtual tour platform, announced Wednesday at ITB Berlin that nearly 40 travel companies have licensed their new Software Development Kit, to integrate TourWrist technology into their apps and websites. “Our virtual tour technology empowers travellers to make faster, more informed and confident travel planning and booking decisions,” said TourWrist Founder and CEO Charles Armstrong who was also a speaker at the PhoCusWright@ITB travel-tech conference. The following new travel industry licensees were announced: 529:App Solutions, Barefoot Technologies Corporation, Blynk, Contac Services Inc, DataArt Solutions, HotelMe, The Independent Traveler, Inc., LookBermuda, Runtriz, Spark, @TravelDeals, TribalTourist.com, WorldVentures. TourWrist ITB BERLIN NEWS • Friday 8 th March 2013
