Restaurant And Hospitality IT News For VARs — June 25, 2014
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
In the news this week, cybercriminals make a ransom demand for data stolen from Domino’s Pizza. Also in the news, a study shows limited-service restaurants will need technology to compete.
Hackers Make Ransom Demand To Domino’s Pizza
The Guardian reported that hackers who stole personal data on more than 600,000 French and Belgian customers have demanded a ransom of €30,000 ($40,796) from Domino's Pizza. Data stolen included postal and email addresses, phone numbers, passwords, delivery instructions, and even lists of favorite toppings. The hackers, a group calling themselves Rex Mundi, posted a sample of the stolen user data along with the ransom demand to prevent them from publishing all of the stolen data. The Domino’s Pizza break-in is the latest attempt by the hacker group Rex Mundi to extort money from global companies by stealing user data.
Limited-Service Restaurants Must Evolve to Compete in a Take-Share Market
According to a new study from Technonic, technology that enables online services and order/delivery could benefit your limited-service restaurant customers. Consumers surveyed state convenient delivery or ordering services, such as call-ahead or online ordering, could encourage them to patronize limited-service restaurants more often. The update also found, among other things, that delivery has increased slightly at LSRs. Further, more than a quarter expect fast-food (30 percent) and fast-casual (28 percent) delivery, while similar proportions say this service could encourage patronage.
Restaurant And Hospitality IT Talking Points
In a recent press release, Domino’s announced that it is launching its own voice recognition software for mobile orders. Customers will now be able to place orders on the pizza chain's mobile app by talking to "an intelligent virtual assistant" named Dom. The platform — now in beta — is powered by tech company Nuance's Nina Mobile system and is said to deliver a "human-like, conversational customer service experience that allows users to speak an order and quickly add items to their cart." customers will only have to type when putting in their credit card information for payment.
The world's largest fast-food restaurant has a new office on San Francisco's Market Street, opened with the intent of creating new digital technology for the company, according to Ad Age. McDonalds’ joins other national brands, like Target and Wal-Mart, in the digital technology marketplace in San Francisco. According to Reuters, Target opened up a similar office last spring to work on an augmented reality project and partner with Google and eBay.
Hotel Interactive reported that a new partnership between Choice Hotels and Zuppler, a mobile and web-based menu ordering platform, has produced “ChoiceHotelsMenus.com,” a robust, easy-to-use destination that allows Choice Hotels’ guests to conveniently order and pay for in-room dining delivered from the area’s most popular restaurants. Over 250 hotels in the chain have rolled out the new service, including Quality Inn, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Econo Lodge and the Rodeway Inn. Adding the Zuppler platform to Choice Hotels has resulted in a portfolio of more than 4,500 different restaurant chains across the country who have signed on to participate in the program.
For more news and insights, visit BSMinfo’s Hospitality Tech Center.