Retail, Grocery, And Hospitality IT News For VARs — December 22, 2014
By Phillip Britt, contributing writer
In the news, another form of malware targeting retailers, “Spark,” has been identified. Also, hotels are offering more services online in response to customer demand, and new hotel Wi-Fi ratings are available. In addition, mobile ordering and payment stood out as a significant technology trend for restaurants in 2014.
Another “Spark” Of POS Malware
eWeek reports “Spark” as another form of malware targeting retailers. This strain of POS virus is a part of the Alina malware family and seems to be similar to previously discovered JackPOS. Spark has been found in many POS terminals at automobile repair locations. This virus only seems to work on Microsoft Windows Platforms and its sole purpose is to steal credit card information and deliver it back to the hacker. It does not move on its own. Spark’s code is harder to detect as it can be altered to avoid antivirus detection. The best way to protect against Spark is to isolate payment networks, have strong passwords, and disable computer services not in use.
Hotels Respond To Customer Demands With Online Services, Apps
Skift interviewed the CEO of Denihan Hotels about hospitality technology, a sector that’s quickly changing. Hotel customers want easy booking experiences online and to be able to find their way around without having to wait in line to ask the concierge a question. Some of the Denihan hotels have apps one can use to not only check in and check out, but also order room service without having to pick up the phone. The app can also send push notifications if they are near certain parts of the hotel to generate more business.
New Hotel Wi-Fi Ratings Available
Rotten WiFi has created a new ranking of hotels by their Wi-Fi signals. Users can have hotels listed by Wi-Fi rank, average download and upload speeds, customers’ satisfaction rates, and name. The list can be narrowed down by selecting a country and city where a customer would like to stay. The scale is a typical 1-10 ranking with 10 being the best. However, if a hotel’s Wi-Fi can handle more than 50 Mbps, it is rated a 10+. Customers often identify “free Wi-Fi” as one of the factors for choosing a hotel. Now hotel customers can compare how “good” that free Wi-Fi is.
Restaurant Technology, A Year In Review
Nation’s Restaurant News reports technology’s role in restaurant operations increased this year, with mobile ordering and payment overshadowing all other tech trends. The article provides examples of how a variety of restaurants are leveraging the technology — and expects 2015 to “be all about execution.”
Retail, Grocery, And Hospitality IT Talking Points
ReadWrite reports that Square’s new payment plan is actually its old one. Earlier this year, Square discontinued its wallet app, an app that allowed one to pay by simply saying their name. However they’re bringing back the pay by name feature and offering it to retailers for free in an effort to compete with Apple, Amazon and PayPal. Square has also created a new app where a consumer can order items and pick them up in store, and the app has a feature that allows the customer to pay without a card.
For more news and insights, visit BSMinfo’s