Travel, Technology and More…

Not so long ago, clean bed linen was enough to keep a hotel guest satisfied, but technology services have become the new luxury standard in order to attract a new breed of discriminating consumers who can search, compare prices, check reviews, and book online—anytime, anywhere. “The Internet has changed the marketing of hotel rooms and services. Today every hotel must be linked to several reservation networks and business through the internet is growing,” says Karl Waelti, CEO at Core Hospitality International.

Resorts and conference centers have transitioned from static structures to interactive hubs of technology from check-in to check-out. Here state-of-the-art technology unites with extremely comfortable, well-appointed hotel rooms where the integration of voice, mobility, high-speed Internet access, and TV entertainment services with existing back office systems results in a smart room and a luxury hotel experience.

“Tailoring the guest environment is critical to retention,” says Karl Waelti, “We are technology driven and we will achieve our goals through an information and technology infrastructure that enables us to deliver superior service to guests and efficiently support our staff and management.“

The three primary drivers of a hotel’s technology infrastructure are guests and residents, staff members, and the hotel’s owners. The infrastructure must support advanced guest service applications, which means equipping front-line staff with the tools and capabilities that they need to anticipate guests’ needs and deliver excellent service. It must also increase management efficiency, to help the hotel operate profitably in spite of rising utility, labor, medical, and other operational costs. The third reason is to enable quick and easy deployment of new services in the future as new technologies and applications emerge.For example, travelers’ demands for high-speed Internet access from their hotel rooms emerged almost overnight. Today 75 percent of business travelers travel with laptops, and 62 percent spend 75 minutes online per day accessing corporate networks and the Internet. Supporting the connectivity needs of travelers has become mission-critical for hotels, yet deploying the appropriate technology can be difficult in older properties.

“Being a business hotel, the most important piece of technology for us is WiFi access” says Eric Faivre, general manager at Alila Hotel. “The business guests expect Wi-Fi high-speed internet access all over the property without entering a password or going through a landing page available on their multiple devices. And, all of this free of charge.” Alila hotels also offer projectors to their guests to connect their laptops to and again, the main request is fast internet. To fulfill all the needs of guests at any time, the hotel also provides a 24-hour business center with modern computing infrastructure is available.

Think advanced video, collaboration, and networking technologies to create a unique and exciting experience, delighting leisure travelers and providing world-class collaboration capabilities for business travelers. Business guests would be able to interact with coworkers, customers, or hotel concierges in other locations with ultra-high-quality video and audio rivaling the in-person experience. Even the mundane aspects of hotel stays, such as arrival and wakeup calls, could be delivered in memorable and exciting ways.

Digital signage is another ‘high impact, low touch‘ effective use of technology to market hotel services. Hotel restaurants, retail stores, and spas advertise their services in an attention-grabbing manner, using large flat screen display screens. Guests appreciate finding out about hotel offers, and the hotel maximizes revenue potential from Digital Signage integrated with other hotel systems to automatically display special offers based on specified conditions.

Technology can even tailor each guest’s individual experience. For example, guests can specify certain preferences at check-in, such as room temperature or type of music played. That data is captured in the hotel property management system and sent to the room automatically, so the thermostat is set correctly and the desired music is playing when the guest walks in. Preferences of returning guests are captured from the room’s devices at the last visit, and the room adjusted accordingly, from stocking the mini-bar to a preferred style of artwork on the room’s plasma screen.

The fundamental business aim of all successful hotels: satisfy guests and at the same time increase profitability for the hotel enterprise. With increasing competition now, more than ever, hoteliers need to create truly memorable experiences if they are to increase occupancy rates and return visits. In the current scenario hotel guests are technology-savvy and expect the world’s best business tools, room amenities, and business services.

As published in the Jakarta Post

“Out in the woods

Or in the city

It’s all the same to me

When I’m drivin’ free, the world’s my home

When I’m mobile.”

~ The Who

Mobile computing has evolved as a result of shrinking portables and growing (wireless) networks. The mobile business users are quickly integrating their favorite applications for collaboration and data sharing on the go. Personal users gain from remote access apps allowing them to monitor home security systems, PCs or DVRs, and from social networking mashups that let them share photos and video or incorporate their phone address books and calendars.

Mobil Cloud Services

Cloud Services provide support for real-time applications and services which are accessible by mobile devices and the laptop while connected to the wireless web. Cloud Computing is a paradigm shift and changes the way organizations views IT. Some examples of these growing  web services you can avail of to complement your mobile office services are:

Social networking

Mobile devices are perfectly suited to social networking, which is increasingly a big part of every business these day but honestly, most small business owners have hardly any time for it. The only time you can catch up with your Twitter or Facebook is when you are you are stuck somewhere waiting. Leverage the social networking apps and 24/7 connectivity through the mobile phone to keep connected.

Blogging

Most blogging platforms provide a mobile interface to keep it current whenever. In fact you can email a blog post with your smartphone, on the road. Manage your blog’s content through the mobile app, post news, edit content etc.

Online Storage

Cloud services also provide for file-sharing, collaborating, and automated backup of your work (no need to carry around external hard drives or USB thumb drives). Dropbox provides 2GB of cloud storage and a new service CX provides a whopping 10GB for free.

Online Collaboration and Project Management

Online collaboration tools such as Google Docs allows many different people to work on the same documents simultaneously. Only a google account is needed to setup this online collaboration platform for free and giving you the flexibility to be productive from your desk, on the road, at home and on your mobile phone, even when you’re offline.

Web-based project management services such as Basecamp and Ace Project can be valuable for collaboration, tracking milestones and deadlines

Mobile Invoicing

Freshbooks is wonderful for near-effortless electronic or paper invoices. No printing or postage needed on your end; they’ll handle all that for you if you need to send out a paper invoice.

The best part? All of these have free basic accounts, so you can start using them right now with no excuses or money up front.

Take advantage of technology to outperform competitors and achieve efficient business growth. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!

Business Technology Facts

As Stephen Covey has said ‘Start with the end in mind…’

Technology changes so fast!  What’s hot today is obsolete tomorrow.  It’s really not possible to keep up with what’s new all the time–even for someone like me who works with it every day.

The need to have a technology plan for the small business has never been more important.  The first step is to understand what technology does, or can do for your business.  It’s not about the devices–it’s not about software, it’s not about the hardware.  The purpose of the plan is to ensure that human and technological resources are used in ways that best support the strategies, goals and processes of the organization. An information system and technology plan must therefore mesh with organization’s overall strategic interests, and it must also serve the interests of the units being served by the system.

The business drivers that dictate an organization’s IT strategy, paired with insight into how success is measured — in terms of profits, new business acquisition, depth-of-product sales or customer retention.

Forecasting what hardware and software your business needs to remain competitive requires planning and organization. You also need to generate a plan to maintain your environment, train your staff and support all employees who use the technology in their daily tasks.

The steps to developing your customized technology plan should include the following:

Step 1: Assess your company needs. SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis is an effective technique used to develop the company technology plan to effectively to address their business challenges. Gather your requirements from every level of your business. Establish the operational metrics associated with your IT environment. For example, set goals for computer server performance, network availability and software application reliability.

Step 2: Choose technology that can grow and change with your company and that supports your strategic objectives. Use templates, tools and resources to help you decide how much you can spend on technology investments.

Step 3: Evaluate software and hardware products according to your needs. Ensure that any software you purchase is compatible with your hardware technology solution platform.

Step 4: Develop a disaster readiness plan to cope with emergencies. If you depend on your technology to run your business every day of the week, you may need to establish a backup site so that you can run your operation in another location in the event of a natural or man-made disaster. Evaluate your options and develop a viable plan.

Step 5: Arrange for support services, such as installation, upgrades and troubleshooting for your business technology solutions. Ensure that operations such as accounting, sales, inventory, order fulfillment and shipping can proceed without disruption during maintenance. Establish a robust security plan to ensure company data is protected. Provide training and support to your employees. Ensure additions to your IT environment integrate well with existing software and hardware.

Step 6: Establish a policy and procedure for employees to follow when requesting new hardware and software to supplement your company’s main investment. Allocate a budget for buying office supplies such as ink cartridges and paper for your printers.

A well planned technology manifesto definitely gives any business a competitive edge, consolidated inputs and strategies causing faster awareness of future problems and opportunities. Implementation of systems and technology subsequently in a planned and coordinated fashion would save costs, contribute to organization development of skills required and significantly assist in speedier growth and decision implementation.

As published in the Up Date magazine

The idea for movie ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ must have been inspired by Jakarta traffic jams. There are days when I spend more time in the car than at the office. Let’s face it, everyone hates being stuck in traffic, BUT this is seriously an amazing opportunity to increase productivity.

Today’s technology has evolved to the point where you don’t actually need a physical office for every business, as more people are working over the internet from home and on the road. With increasingly sophisticated smart phones, smaller netbooks and  widespread Internet connectivity, you can do practically all the functions, from performing video presentations to passengers, printing out a custom receipts and contracts, to having it signed scanned and sent to all parties via email or fax.

A well-equipped mobile office should include all the elements necessary to conduct your affairs while you are away from your office. Here’s how to create just such an effective mobile office in your car and enjoy enhanced productivity:

1. A Smartphone

Smartphones have become indispensable and apart from making phone calls (obviously!), text messaging and emails. Mobile browsers and thousands of applications enhance usability for all communication needs on the go. Have a look at the various accessories available for use with your mobile phone.  A dock that can be attached to a surface in the car, as well charging your phone, is highly recommended.

A Bluetooth system for your car is also worth considering.  While Bluetooth headsets are quite common, a system that remains in the car often proves easier to manage.  Once enabled to connect to your phone automatically, every time you step into your car your hands free system will be ready to go.

2. A netbook (or equivalent mobile computer) and printer

Keeping a laptop in the car with you will enable you to use free moments to work on projects.  You may want to make a few quick changes to a presentation or type up some notes on a meeting.  Small portable printer such as the Canon Pixma will allow you to print important documents in full-color on standard A4 paper. The printer also has optional Bluetooth interface allowing you to print wirelessly from your laptop.

3. Mobile internet access

Pervasive as it is, we cannot always find a hotspot where we can connect to the Internet using Wi-Fi. What if we want to be able to move around and stay connected at the same time? We will need more than just Wi-Fi. A great solution is to use a 3G USB modem. Many cellular operators offer it as a USB dongle that houses a SIM card and connects us to the Internet via the 3G network. It actually works in the same way as connecting your 3G Smartphone to the Internet.

4. Power

Use a car inverter to keep your electronics powered. It harnesses the power of your car’s battery to supply power to multiple AC outlets at once. This makes it possible to keep your laptop, cell phone and even printer running while on the road.

5. Car workstation

Car Workstation

Stop tossing your work gear into the seat next to you and build your mobile office around a well-organized portable desk unit. Various models of mobile workstations are available that can be secured in the passenger seat next to you with the seatbelt and it provides easy access to all of your business necessities. A well-configured unit will have a non-skid surface on top keeps your laptop from sliding around and side compartments for file folders and compartments for paper clips, staplers, pens, pencils and writing pads.

6. Headphones

You’ll need a solid pair of headphones for music while you work, for Skype calls, and for cancelling the noise while you work. If you can afford it, noise-reducing in-ear earphones are best.

Business is accelerating towards 24/7 availability. To stay abreast, and indeed ahead, you need more than a gadget. You need a mobile office that allows you to take full advantage of exciting technology that provides an enhanced communications experience, high speed internet connectivity and more battery life. Maintaining a mobile office can be very rewarding to the management of projects and relationships by utilizing the long hours in the car.

As published in Indiase August 2011

My computer’s hard disks fill up faster than my cupboards and currently I have only 2 GB of free space on my primary hard drive. I have data everywhere! Seriously… it’s rather scary. You know exactly what I am talking about: email inboxes are overflowing while photos, files, and folders are piling up on the computer desktop. Not to forget the videos, movies and interesting websites that I have every intention of visiting again. My music library too, is now bursting at the seams.

Spring cleaning typically meant dusting out corners and straightening up clutter – but now I need to tackle my digital chaos. Bulky email folders and full hard drives slow down the fastest computers and can lead to frustrating digital disasters.

You too can follow my steps to digitally unclutter and organise for a more enjoyable, fresh and productive experience. Don’t underestimate the value of uncluttering your computer. The benefits far outweigh the time investment that is required.

1. Unclutter Your Desktop: Treat your desktop as you would the top of your actual desk and keep only active files and shortcuts there for convenience. Use your My Documents folders for more lasting storage. Remove unnecessary shortcuts that clutter the screen.
2. Organize your Files: Once your desktop is sparkling clean, take a look through your folders. Can you consolidate? Are there old files you can remove, or drafts that are no longer relevant? Remember, your time is valuable and storage space is plentiful, so archiving to a folder or external storage space is usually a better use of time than wading through lots of old documents.
3. Do an application inventory: Look through the applications on your computer. Note the last time you used them, as well as how often you use them. An easy way to do this if you’re a Windows user is to go to your Control Panel, and click “Add or Remove Programs”. From this window, you can see a list of (almost) all your installed software, as well as sort them based on frequency of use or the last time you used them. This will give you an idea of how ‘necessary’ a program is in your everyday life.  Uninstall any applications that you have not used and do not plan to use.
4. Streamline your Inbox: Do you really need to send those attachments via email? Save your large files to an online storage drive like Dropbox (www.dropbox.com) or even Google docs. Easily upload videos, photos and files, and share them with whomever you’d like – without overloading their inbox.
5. Email Overload: Practice the “A.R.T.” of e-mail reduction. Process your emails by categorizing them into Action, Reference, or Trash. File your mail in specific folders and unsubscribe from all promotional email that is not of interest and is filling up your mailbox.
6. Back up Important Files: This is important! Your valuable photos and documents are irreplaceable. By saving them to an external hard drive, you’ll never worry about losing precious memories and information.
7. Optimize Your Computer’s Performance: For greater efficiency and avoiding technical problems, remember to update and run important utilities like spyware and virus scans and defragment your hard drive periodically.
8. Organize Your Favorites: Find and access your favorite web links from anywhere and share them easily with your friends through online bookmarking.  Organize your favorites in your favorite browser and synchronize them with an online storage drive, and you can access them from any computer and keep them up to date as you find new things to remember and share online.
9. Utilize the Cloud: The cloud is just fancy terminology for saving your data to online services that host your data on their servers, not your computer. For example, if you use Google Docs or Zoho you are utilizing the cloud by having them store your documents. Another example of the power of the cloud is streaming audio and video like Pandora, Last.fm, or Hulu. Think about your watching or listening habits– could you possibly replace the actual files on your computer with a streaming service?

It actually takes very little to keep the computer happy. Now my hard drive is has much more free space and my computer significantly faster. Conquering clutter Guru Peter Walsh would have been proud of my efforts to declutter and change my digital world from chaos to calm. If uncluttering your digital workspace seems a daunting task, realize that you don’t have to do it all at once. Making small but regular steps can make a difference in the long run.