With recovery on the horizon and as hotels across ramp up their operations, hospitality technology providers are rolling out new and enhanced solutions, partnerships, and integrations to help hoteliers capture demand, streamline their business, and improve the guest experience. Read about some of the latest announcements below.
DataArt Partners with PROVision
DataArt, a global technology consultancy that designs, develops, and supports unique software solutions, announced a new partnership with PROVision Partners International, a strategic growth, marketing, technology, and commercial advisory firm serving the global hospitality and travel industry. The partnership is designed to further extend hospitality and travel companies’ confidence in their ability to not only modernize but lead their digital offerings. The two companies will help clients address challenges and enable strategic, business, or product roadmap with appropriate software solutions so their businesses are ready for the future.
IDeaS Announces Optix for G3 RMS
IDeaS, provider of revenue management software and services, announced IDeaS Optix, a cloud-based advanced reporting and analysis module for IDeaS G3 Revenue Management System (RMS). Optix is designed to empower hotel leaders and revenue managers to quickly understand their revenue performance and where they can improve across an entire estate, cluster, or within a single property. The module allows hotels to spot trends and outliers, identifying problem properties or segments to understand where to invest time. Analysis tools enable revenue managers and leaders to quickly explore, investigate, and focus on revenue-impacting, actionable insights hidden in data. Optix also replaces time-consuming data exports and spreadsheet mergers with automated data collection and intelligence.
Knowland Introduces GroupAdvantage 2021
Knowland, the leader in AI-powered meetings and events data for hospitality, announced Knowland GroupAdvantage 2021, a program that brings together the core prospecting and sales training tools needed to help hoteliers win emerging group business. Core elements include a meetings and events intelligence platform powered by the largest database of historical events, enabling users to target prospects that match a hotel’s specific needs quickly and easily with actionable, immediate results; sales skills coaching and outreach training via strategic alliances, including a preferred partnership with hospitality sales experts Master Connection Associates; and proactive prospecting strategy and support from industry experts within Knowland’s account management and customer success teams.
Kontactless Partners With FreedomPay
Kontactless, the QR-code-enabled hospitality tech solution that enables customers to order, pay, and leave feedback on their smartphone, announced a new partnership with leading payment service provider FreedomPay. The partnership will allow Kontactless customers to connect to all major credit card processors in North America through one secure and reliable payment platform. The FreedomPay integration will also offer Kontactless customers security with its Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE), which tokenizes credit card data, eliminating the storage of credit card numbers within the PrismSuite system.
Relay Adds Panic Button Feature
Relay, the communications disrupter known for displacing traditional walkie-talkies, announced the launch of a panic button feature available for the company’s enterprise model Relay+ device. The panic button feature is an added security measure to help companies comply with state and local panic button mandates promoting worker protections. Relay’s push-to-talk, hockey-puck-sized device has been widely adopted for its cellular range, two-way communication, GPS tracking, and cloud-connected dashboard. The device can also be integrated into existing operations systems.
UgoVirtual Launches UgoConference
UgoVirtual, a global provider of a comprehensive digital platform of modular engagement solutions designed to meet the rapidly expanding needs of the virtual/hybrid conference and event management industry, announced UgoConference, a browser-based online event and presentation solution that enables organizations to easily connect, engage, educate, and interact with audiences around the world with no limitation on audience capacity. UgoConference provides a single point of registration and access to digital presentations and content for virtual and hybrid events that are focused on workshops, plenaries, keynotes, corporate training, and one-on-one meetings. This new addition to UgoVirtual’s modular solution set eliminates the need for plug-ins and onboarding.
Virdee Integrates With Infor, Partners With ASSA ABLOY
Virdee, a SaaS company serving the lodging, multifamily, and commercial real estate industries, announced certification for the integration of its virtual reception platform, Virdee Concierge, with Infor’s HMS Property Management System. The partnership further accelerates Virdee’s ability to help hotels solve staffing and expense challenges through its end-to-end, contactless check-in/check-out technology at the property level. Virdee has also entered into the Certified Partner program by ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions, a global leader in access solutions, to deliver a robust contactless check-in and Mobile Access solution to joint hospitality customers and third-party integrators. Virdee’s secure, contactless check-in flow allows ID-verified users to obtain keys for building access either at an in-lobby check-in station and/or digitally through its mobile app.
Visual Matrix Partners With Shift4 Payments
Visual Matrix, a hotel property management software providing an all-in-one PMS with revenue management, channel management, and operational tools, announced an agreement with Shift4 Payments to offer enhanced payment processing capabilities to Visual Matrix PMS hotel customers. This all-in-one payment offering includes Shift4’s secure platform with PCI-validated point-to-point encryption as well as free hardware, contactless solutions, and a wide range of value-added services to meet all the payment needs of the hospitality environment. Secure EMV payment processing allows hotels to store and use credit card information without the risk of exposing sensitive customer data. Shift4’s payment processing technologies—including QR Pay—allow the Visual Matrix PMS to facilitate a fully contactless payment experience.
Volara and GuestHub Integrate
Volara, the voice hub for the hotel industry, has partnered with GuestHub to streamline interactions between hotel staff and guests without need for personal interaction. The GuestHub guest-experience management solution captures and routes guests’ requests and facilitates other service tasks. Guests can speak service requests to an in-room Volara-powered Google Nest Hub or an Amazon Echo voice assistant to avoid physical contact with staff or other in-room equipment (such as the bedside phone, TV remote, or tablet). Then, the voice request will be captured by GuestHub, a ticket will be created within the system, and the request will be routed to the proper department for fulfillment, ensuring a contactless experience.
