Evaluation of External Information Communication Technologies - Essay Example

Analysis and Evaluation of External ITC (information communication technologies) in Hospitality Industry Table Of Content: Abstract..1 1) Introduction...1 2) IT its nature and relevance in hospitality industry.1 3) Strategic IT applications..3 4) Internet and Intranet developments.4 5) Case studies of hospitality sector organizations5 6) Conclusion..6 Work Cited.7 References..8 Analysis and Evaluation of External ITC (information communication technologies) in Hospitality Industry Abstract: The topic has a goal to identify the Information Technology application in the hospitality industry. This report will cover various aspects of the application of IT in the industry, its advantage and other features. The results after application of IT has also discussed. The development of Internet and Intranet in context with the hospitality industry is also an issue. The case studies of different hotels are also showing the application of IT. The IT has brought the development to the hospitality industry. 1) Introduction: The hospitality sector is basically a sector with a wide framework consisting of various industries like hotels, pubs, travel and tourism etc. The hospitality sector is a very complex structure and very anonymously expanding industry. Thus the need to reduce this complexity and to have a flow of information and other facilities, the use of computer technology has been proved to be a major milestone in this industry. The computer technology now a day is termed as Information Technology (IT). The Information Communication Technology (ICT) may be taken as sub part of the IT. 2) IT its nature and relevance in hospitality industry: The Information Technology has an extensive use in hospitality industry today. It has brought the latest facilities to this industry. The IT has aided the new features of development to this industry. The service quality has also improved with the application of IT. Thus the customer is satisfied with this improvement and the productivity has also increased. The condition 5 years ago has been enhanced a lot as the communication between the customer and the service provider. Now the customer can be in direct contact with the management of hotels due to the websites. This reduces the gap and enables the customer for going to the hotels, restaurants directly with the advance booking. This saves the time and put the surety in the mind of owner. This has lead to security in the owner's mind about the money and customer. The customer in turn acquires a improved service. In the tourism industry, the online bookings in from 1999 to 2002 shown a double figure growth in four years with 58% growth in 2001 and 28% in 2002 (Zongqing Zhou page 3). This shows the benefit of IT in the tourism industry. The travelers with online bookings have spent over 13 billion dollars in 2001 (Zongqing Zhou page 3). Thus with the help of information technology every businessmen in hospitality industry can market its qualities, services offered, management through websites. He can upgrade his features of services, products, future plans by updating the websites. The businessmen can directly influence the customers through online services. The e-commerce is also an application of IT by which there can be online money transaction between the management and the customer. The customer has an upgraded facility of not holding the money every time. The e-commerce is secure way of money transaction. The customer, when doing online booking can directly pay through the credit or debit cards or at the check out time he can also pay through these cards with the help of electronic money transaction machines. Thus IT has a helped in advancement of the hospitality industry and furnish is with a new direction. 3) Strategic IT applications: The role of IT is employed now a day in every division of this industry. The IT has fetched different facilities like online transaction of money as well as to the service improvement. IT has globalized the features of hospitality industry helps in the promotion of the hospitality business. The IT has helped the hospitality industry for making new and innovative strategies. The hotels can be managed by using computer technology as the customer in a room can directly call the service by simply pushing a button and at the service end the person can see directly that from which room he gets the call. The customer can give his order directly by using Intranet services. There may be other facilities like controlling room-temperature, smoke detectors, lock system etc. which may be served with the help of software. The websites provide full details about the hotels, restaurants, pubs etc. So the person can choose his liking according to his needs and can have internet bookings for his ease. Thus the IT has provided an easy way for the industry as well as for the people. The IT has given a security and safety measures for the hospitality industry. The staff in case of any theft can easily control the people with the help of close circuit cameras and can even close the doors also by just pushing a button. Many hotels U.S.A., Asia, Europe and in other countries also use electronic lock system. The RFID technology can be used for selling the food, beverages etc. by having a RFID tag in hotels and restaurants. The communication between the management and staff and customers can be using computer via internet, intranet or other electronic devices. This enables a quick message transfer between various levels. The Wi-Fi technology can also be used in the hotels, restaurants etc. Thus this improves the service quality and facility and makes the business plans more lucrative. The data analysis can be done with help of some software for accounting as well as for the data collection of the tourists in the hotels. 4) Internet and Intranet developments: The Internet is interconnection of the computer networks which are interconnected through the protocols like TCP/IP. The Internet is considered as a wide crowd of computers which are interconnected with each other. The internet is basically used all over the world, so the communication between the customers and businessmen is easy and convenient by using internet. The Internet is globalized in the starting of decade of 90. With the increasing trend of use of Internet all over the world, it was easy for the businessmen to conduct their businessmen with the help of internet. The online business marketing and ordering of the product was becoming a fashion. With the advancement of internet it is easy and convenient for the customers for secure transaction of money as well as it is suited to businessman for to have payment directly using e-commerce. Thus the development of internet has brought an astonishing change in business field. The Intranet is considered as a small version of internet. The Intranet is small group of computers within a particular area. The intranet is quite similar to internet and works on same protocols and system but the internet is used for connecting computers world wide and the intranet is used within a particular area. With the development of Intranet, it is easy for implementing low cost communication system within a particular area. The intranet is useful in an organization, building for contact between the staff, customer and management directly and speedily without troubling other. The intranet is considered as the individual group of computers which are interconnected. The intranet has been a constructive and valuable tool for communication system within the industry. The computers can be connected with each others without any worth. Thus this made communication system quick and less expensive. The intranet is also applicable in case of transferring the data from one system to other. The various software for enabling various instruments, security systems etc. can be controlled through various computers at same instant through intranet. 5) Case studies of hospitality sector organizations: The hospitality industry has many new developments after the application of IT in this field. Hospitality eBusiness Strategies, Inc. (HeBS) in New York is a leading firm for making internet marketing strategy for hospitality industry and travel and tourism. It has helped the various industries for marketing through internet, thus help in increasing the profits as well as the productivity. It helps the hoteliers in their marketing strategy. It helps in increasing online bookings and thus there is establishment on interact-ional relations with the customers. It has over 300 clients in various fields with top tens leaders also like hotels, restaurants, multinational hospitalities, casinos, pubs etc. They just make the internet marketing strategy to enhance the customer ratio. HeBS is the innovator in the internet marketing field. The HeBS makes strategy for both the corporate level as well as for the consulting services. Another case study can be taken in the field of e-business in hospitality industry. The hotel chains are going to draw their stress on the online business promotion. For example, Six Continents PLC chain and Starwood Hotels and Resort Worldwide Inc. have started their promotion of business through internet. The online bookings also get increase. With the 24 hours online services provided to the customer, satisfaction has also increased. The hotels combine themselves as a group and start one booking website. Five major hotel chains (Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Six Continents, and Starwood) started their online booking on a single website in 2002. Thus the IT has helped in the development of the business in hospitality industry. The role of IT in the industry is a very wide in terms of application. 6) Conclusion: The IT has developed the services, facilities, profits, productivity in the field of hospitality industry. The IT thus improved the condition as compared to just 5 years ago. Thus with the application IT the development is just gone as a habit of the hospitality industry. As the hotel owner has now opened the hotel and restaurants chains now with the communication by the Information Communication Technology. Thus the IT has become the necessity of the hospitality industry with adopting the new software and technology everyday with the key goal as the customer satisfaction. Work Cited : 1) Zongqing Zhou, E-Commerce & Information Technology in Hospitality & Tourism, published by Thomson Delmar Learning. http://books.google.co.in/booksvid=ISBN0766841405&id=nPi7rsQgsXkC&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&ots=NF-c6OrXeJ&dq=information+technology+in+hospitality&sig=9TV0lNwbUpGgKecH2tQJWndQHDI#PPR6,M1 References: 1) Jiaqin Yang, Jan Flynn, Krista Anderson, E-Business Application in the Hospitality Industry: A Case Study, Communications of the International Information Management Association, Volume 3 Issue 1. http://www.iima.org/CIIMA/CIIMA%20V3%20N1%201%20Yang.pdf 2) Hotel Internet Marketing Services With Proven ROI. http://www.hospitalityebusiness.com/ 3) INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, [Nov. - Dec., 2006, 04 April, 2005, http://www.fhrai.com/Mag-News/magIT.asp#efficient 4) Zongqing Zhou, E-Commerce & Information Technology in Hospitality & Tourism, published by Thomson Delmar Learning. http://books.google.co.in/booksvid=ISBN0766841405&id=nPi7rsQgsXkC&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&ots=NF-c6OrXeJ&dq=information+technology+in+hospitality&sig=9TV0lNwbUpGgKecH2tQJWndQHDI#PPR6,M1 Read More