Restaurant And Hospitality IT News For VARs — February 3, 2014
By Anna Rose Welch, Editorial & Community Director, Advancing RNA
In the news, a pilot program is under way to gauge acceptance of smartphone apps that turn a phone into a digital hotel room key. Also, an NRA survey reveals more than half of consumers have used restaurant-related technology, and table service and quick service restaurants are planning to invest in technology that closes the gap between what they offer now and what consumers want.
Hotels Experiment With Digital Room Keys
A new pilot program has been launched that could encourage more hotels to experiment with digital room keys, Tech Crunch reports. Smartphones that have the appropriate app installed can communicate via Bluetooth 4.0, enabling guests to tap or gesture with their device and open their room doors.
Restaurateurs Plan Investments To Close Technology-Consumer Demand Gap
Nation’s Restaurant News features a discussion on a recent National Restaurant Association technology survey. According to the survey, more than half of consumers, or 63 percent, have used some sort of restaurant-related technology. Mostly, consumers used mobile devices to look up locations or directions and used computers to order food, review menus, and make reservations. However, table service (54 percent) and quick service (48 percent) operators plan to invest to close the gap between the technology they currently offer and what consumers want. The article also includes various experts’ viewpoints on the types of technology/strategies that restaurants should be considering.
2014 Data Protection Predictions
Business News Daily has compiled a list of 7 data security predictions for 2014. Data-centric security will become a priority for all enterprises, as opposed to perimeter security. More security will be required for supply chain organizations, and companies will require encryption and access control for cloud-stored information. There will also be more Big Data usage for security intelligence. The article also addresses “self-aware” malware, PCI DSS 3.0, and “hardened” enterprise applications.
Eighty Percent Of Retailers Planning Technology Investments
An NRF/Demandware survey reveals 80 percent of retailers in the U.S., U.K., France, and Germany plan to maintain or increase store technology investments over the next three years. The survey shows 26 percent of retailers are equipped for mobile sales in physical stores. Roughly 40 percent of retailers also say they are considering single-platform systems to merge technologies and data for merchandising, supply chain, and business administration applications. Fifty percent of retailers plan to invest in POS hardware improvements in the next three years. Similarly, 30 percent of respondents say they’re interested in e-commerce platform software that could run store registers.
Customer Loyalty Industry Will Rely On Analytics, Data Mining
Jim Daleen, CEO of AppSuite, says that the customer loyalty industry will be reliant on technology that offers several key features and benefits. These technologies, Daleen says, will have analytics and data mining tools that will help restaurants create valued offers, rewards, and benefits. These technologies will also provide integration between all systems so restaurants gain a clear view of customers. Integrating communications channels, getting an SAAS system, and investing in mobile apps can all help boost loyalty.
Restaurant And Hospitality IT Talking Points
While many hotels have begun phasing out business centers, USA Today reports that there are still some hotels trying to adapt these centers to appeal to modern travelers. Wireless printers, free Wi-Fi in lobbies, and videoconferencing technology are just some of the offerings hotels continue investing in. However, other hotels consider themselves “connectivity centers” because of free, property-wide Wi-Fi, which enables business travelers to complete their work anywhere in the building.
FSR Magazine has compiled a list of restaurant industry ingredient, marketing, design, beverage, and industry trends from Mercadito Hospitality.
For more news and insights, visit BSMinfo’s Hospitalty Tech Center.