Microsoft solutions for Connected Guest ExperiencesEnriching the Guest ExperienceA guest's journey does not start when they board the plane, check into the hotel, or place their first bet; it begins the moment a decision is made to travel. Technology has placed a wealth of information at their fingertips, giving today's guests access to property information, pricing, online reservations, and peer reviews virtually, at any time from any location. Regardless of whether travel is for business or pleasure guests expect highly personalized and positive experiences through all stages of their journey. When positioned against the current economic climate, there is a need to provide guests, the hospitality organizations and travel providers with the opportunity to apply tools to get the most for their efforts. Successful hospitality organizations will find new, innovative ways to manage and integrate these interactions, better connect with guests needs, and enrich every aspect of the guest experience. The Microsoft enabled platform for hospitality enables the guest experience to be positively impacted at every step in their journey. From integration, to consolidated data holdings, to analysis of guest trends and behaviors, solutions running on the Microsoft platform enable hospitality companies to leverage trends and data for a great share of guest wallet, target marketing and promotions for a higher response rate, and increase revenue generation. The Microsoft Advantage: Optimizing guest interactions with the right platformMicrosoft has the optimal platform for enabling hospitality companies to connect with guests anytime and anywhere, whether at home, on the road, or on property. Microsoft embraces the convergence of the guest's digital work and social lifestyles, and utilizes industry-standard web services to provide an environment where guests can use their own technology for the delivery, personalization and consumption of additional services. Microsoft and its partner ecosystem represent a powerful partner with a full spectrum of solutions. Microsoft delivers: Platform-based infrastructure: Provides a complete services and application platform that integrates mission critical elements of guest operations so hospitality companies can move beyond point-source solutions and bridge the enterprise. Additionally, the solution embraces standard web services to drive business services across the platform and enable scalability. Rich partner ecosystem: Microsoft partners deliver best of breed vertical solutions to the industry, across all business units encompassing Hospitality. Financing models: Provide tailored financing and transactional models for software and services, reducing cost of entry barriers and enabling hospitality companies to implement the platform of choice in a timely manner and thus start realizing cost reductions more quickly.
Microsoft solutions for Connected Guest ExperiencesThe Microsoft enabled platform allows hospitality companies to move beyond disparate and simple point-management solutions to a comprehensive infrastructure that integrates all aspects of the guest experience across critical systems and reduces integration interface costs for the enterprise. The platform enables companies to rapidly respond to new service streams and channels thereby protecting margins and uplift of services offered. Ultimately it provides a platform for maximizing the guest touch, delivering personalized services, and building loyalty. Microsoft and its partners offer solutions that cover the full range of the guest experience. | Challenges | Solutions |
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Managing guest preferences: Each guest is unique and catering to their individual tastes requires detailed dedication. Hospitality companies must keep pace with shifting guest desires, service expectations and even the consumer devices guests rely on. | On-property technologies: Provide a digital distribution network for rich media communications with each guest en suite and throughout the property. This includes video-on-demand, streaming music, room service, environmental controls, and even digital signage. Common area guest interactions: The common area of most properties provides an opportunity for the hospitality company to foster social interactions among guests. Technologies such as Xbox kiosks for guest gaming, Zune listening stations, Virtual Earth mapping solutions, and PC stations with Windows Live, Microsoft Surface, and digital signage help generate community. | Optimizing guest interactions: Guests are highly reachable yet no longer are tethered to the typical communication methods employed by the industry. Finding ways to better connect with guests and reach them via their preferred method - before, during and after their stay - poses a critical challenge. | Off-property interactions: Guests want the flexibility to interact with a property even when they are off-premise. The Microsoft platform enables travelers to check-in using their mobile devices, load a boarding pass on their cell phone, and register for events and activities while still on the road. These same technologies allow for effective, targeted advertising to guests that can be personalized based on past behaviors and previous interactions. Social networking: Make it possible to retain a relationship with the guest after their experience. Utilizing aspects of Web 2.0, combined with Windows Live and Virtual Earth, hospitality companies can create communities and promote collaboration amongst group travelers, and launch highly personalized marketing offers. | Future-proofing operational technologies: Keeping pace with changing guest expectations not only requires a focused attention to detail, but also the right technology underpinnings. Critical operational systems spanning the organization from registration to finance to CRM need to leverage emerging technology standards. | Journey management: Enable robust supplier merchandising, quality customer intelligence, a superior customer experience, and improved supplier payment processing. The platform allows travelers to research, plan, book, and manage travel through all stages from any device and make updates in real time. |
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