Cloud Hosting

Markham, Ontario - Independent operators in 2020 have a decision to make. Many have older property management systems (PMS) that are fully depreciated, but their hotel software does not leverage current technologies, such as mobile browser or self-hosted environments. In some cases, vendor upgrades may force operators into a vendor supplied cloud-hosted option. Often, legacy systems do not meet the newest mobile guest experience and communication technology requirements. Also, many legacy systems lack the flexibility to interface easily through APIs with the hundreds of modern 3rd party systems in use today. Flexibility in deployment alone can be a driving factor for hotel software decisions. Other factors shaping system platform decisions may be based on communications reliability, security in where hotel data is stored, as well as the need to use existing network infrastructure versus the extra cost associated with a full platform change.

With continuing concerns over security, data privacy and operating system and hardware obsolescence, their decision is not 'whether to upgrade,' but if they should upgrade their current PMS, even if this means moving to vendor-imposed hosting platforms, or explore flexible options in the market.

All platforms have advantages. This paper looks at why some independent operators made the choice to move their property operations to the cloud or remain on-premise. Maestro PMS offers scalable cloud, self-hosted, and on-premise PMS solutions that leverage the latest mobile and web-based technology. Maestro's systems enhance the digital guest experience, integrate and improve staff productivity, and provide independent operators with complete autonomy in selecting the best system and platform for their operation.

Independent multi-property operations in the Cloud

Choosing a tech partner and functionality that fulfills your operational requirements is the most important system decision criteria - the platform must support this. "If a property does not have a reliable high-speed Internet connection, an on-premise system will be best," said Warren Dehan, Maestro PMS President. "Our company provides a flexible PMS with a browser user interface option that runs on a property's on-premise network. This option simplifies infrastructure needs for an on-premise system and gives you the best of both worlds without compromising PMS features." Dehan noted that Maestro is also available as an on-premise Windows-based solution. Maestro PMS offers a sophisticated feature-equivalent browser-based cloud solution. "Maestro is Maestro, with the full complement of features and capabilities, whether a hotel is using it on-premise or in our hosted cloud."

Self-hosted multi-property operations on a centralized corporate server

Where Cloud is best: Mobile operations across a large property

Since many of Glen Eyrie's buildings are separated by long distances, Wi-Fi communication between each check-in point and the property's central database was essential. "We installed the Maestro Web Cloud system because the company has a track record of successful installations with independent operators and strong North American support on a flexible platform," said Starkweather. "Maestro Web PMS was better for us than an on-premise system. It reduced our overall IT requirements and ensured that all data was securely managed and backed up in the Cloud by a proven system company."

Maestro Web Suite transformed Glen Eyrie's entire operation and improved their guest experience. Starkweather said. "We use Maestro in the Cloud to simplify our processes. I can remotely monitor property operations from anywhere on my mobile device which saves time. Plus, we are able to offer guests more personalized service from our many buildings and provide online communication so they rely less on the telephone."

Cloud or on-premise - Select a proven tech partner that has experience with both platforms

The Maestro Property Management System is the preferred hotel software for independent hotels, resorts, conference centers and multi-property groups. It delivers flexible and scalable deployment options with an identical full-featured web browser or windows solution available in the cloud or on premise. Click here for more information on how to engage and socialize with Maestro PMS.

About Maestro PMS

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Hotel Operations in The Cloud: What Are Your Options? - Hospitality Net

Today's contact centers are far from the antiquated call centers of yesteryear; they integrate technologies such as AI, chatbots and cloud computing to improve customer experience.

Call centers used to be the norm, in which agents handled customer service solely through inbound and outbound calls. Now contact centers are more mainstream, and involve a variety of communication channels, such as instant messaging, chatbots and interactive voice response systems.

These four contact center trends aim to improve a business's workflow, which will ultimately improve customer experience.

Cloud hosting is one major contact center trend that promises improved scalability and near-instant access to new features, but a migration from an on-premises contact center to a cloud-hosted one is no easy feat.

Cloud contact centers aren't a good fit for every business. Organizations that have recently invested significant resources into an existing on-premises contact center should probably not transition to the cloud. Businesses with defined siloes must break them down before implementing a cloud contact center, because service agents must interact with teams in various departments.

If businesses decide that a cloud contact center is a good step, they must select the right software. Key capabilities often include both real-time and after-the-fact reporting, workforce management, call flows and transaction routing. Businesses must then determine the contact center use cases and a pricing scenario and find a cloud contact vendor that fits those parameters.

Chatbots are another contact center trend that can improve workflow, but businesses should understand their limitations first. Driven by AI and machine learning, chatbots can only respond to simple inquires; the success rates of more complicated requests tend to be lower for chatbots. Still, the ability to handle simple requests is helpful because chatbots can perform tasks such as reset passwords and take payments.

When a customer needs help that only a human can handle, chatbots can help by transferring the customer to the correct live agent, offer recommendations for the next step or provide solutions to a live agent by conducting research in the CRM system.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of chatbots is the consistency of service. Chatbots can help customers 24/7, which can ease contact center staffing concerns.

AI technology is just beginning to work its way into contact centers, and the opportunities are plentiful. AI won't replace live agents; instead, it will help them do their jobs more effectively. AI tools can 'listen' to live chat interactions between an agent and customer and perform automated inquiries into a CRM system or knowledge base. If there isn't a clear answer to a customer's inquiry, AI tools can also provide response options to live agents, who can then select an appropriate response.

AI in contact centers can help businesses by predicting behaviors such as the number of calls that a contact center will likely receive in the upcoming shift, so businesses can schedule the right number of live agents. Some AI technologies can even predict what the calls will be about.

Historically, contact center agents have experienced a variety of problems such as low pay, limited room for internal career growth and lack of coaching. These factors likely contributed to high turnover rates among contact center agents. Another contact center trend is an increased effort to improve these experiences.

These efforts include improving compensation, investing in agent analytics, increasing coaching and developing more stable, long-term career paths for live agents. Some businesses attempt to inspire agents with gamification programs that encourage competition with weekly badges or gift cards.

One contact center trend that will drive change in the agent experience is the addition of a chief customer officer (CCO). About 37% of organizations in 2019 had a CCO, an increase in 25% from 2018, according to Nemertes Research. The CCO is responsible for improving customer-facing strategies and investing in resources such as a contact center.

Read more:
4 contact center trends that drive customer experience - TechTarget

How can your organisation demonstrate that it has taken the appropriate steps toensure data management is under control and customer data and third-party information is secure?

For an increasing number of companies worldwide, the first step is to adopt internationally recognised standards such as ISO 27001, whichoutlines the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving an Information Security Management System (ISMS). The ever-growing cyber threat to organisations worldwide is behind the increasing trend towards adopting a robust ISMS.

ISO 27001 is an international compliance framework set by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), the world's largest developer of voluntary international standards, and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

ISO 27001 is designed to help organisations manage their information security processes in line with international best practice while optimising costs. It provides the specification for managing information security through working arrangements, policies, procedures and other controls involving people, processes and technology to help organisations protect and manage all their data.

Certification to standards such as ISO 27001 bring a wide range of benefits above and beyond simple certification.According to theISO 27001 Global Report 2018, 81 percent of organisations implementing an ISMS are doing so to meet growing client demands for increased data security, while 62 percent reported improved staff awareness of information security as one of the key benefits of implementing an ISMS.

Over the past 10 years, the deployment of ISO 27001 has spread significantly.

ISO 27001 certifications have grown the highest in New Zealand (286%), Australia (203%) and China (78%). The top countries in Asia Pacific with the highest growth in volume are China, Japan, India, Australia and the Philippines.

Citadel-IX and ISO 27001

The Citadel Group provides a range of highly secure information management systems to support organisations in complying with international standards for information security.

Citadels Content Manager as a Service platform, Citadel-IX, is fully certified to ISO 27001, the international standard for Information Security.

Citadel-IXs unique value proposition is that it is ISO 27001 certified from end-to-end, whereas many other vendors are claiming ISO 27001 compliance simply by hosting their application on an underlying hosting platform that is ISO 27001 certified.

Popular global cloud hosting platforms specifically exclude applications hosted on their platform from the scope of their ISO 27001 certification. In order to achieve full compliance, vendors must be certified and implement and maintain a rigorous Information Security Management System that addresses all security risks associated with hosting an application in a secure manner.

The security features of Citadel-IX include:

For further information visit https://citadelgroup.com.au/citadel-ix/ or contact us at https://citadelgroup.com.au/contact-us/

View original post here:
Improving Information Security with ISO 27001 - IDM.net.au

Today is Data Protection Day, and for the majority of businesses, data is becoming an integral part of day-to-day strategies.

With regulations like GDPR ensuring that companies meet high standards of data protection, its vital that business leaders integrate secure measures into their systems, and train employees to be on the lookout for any threats. Data Protection Day acts as a reminder for all businesses to follow these processes, and Verdict spoke to six technology experts for their advice on how best to do this.

One of the biggest challenges created by the ever-increasing amount of data being produced and stored is how to keep it safe. Agata Nowakowska, AVP at Skillsoft, explains how businesses must ensure that their cybersecurity and the employees implementing it are up to scratch:

Mobile platforms, Big Data and cloud-based architectures are creating significant challenges for data protection, but no challenge is higher up the corporate agenda than IT security. Even the most careful organisation is vulnerable. A smartphone or laptop inadvertently left on a train, or a well-intentioned lending of access privileges to an unauthorised user can have far-reaching consequences.

Security is the number one IT priority in nearly every business sector today, but the scarcity of security-savvy IT experts means many companies can no longer rely on hiring their way to a robust solution. Fortunately, there are a wealth of sophisticated education and training strategies now available that allow organisations to reward and retain employees whilst simultaneously improving corporate security from within. From expert-led instruction to continuous hands-on experiential learning, organisations are putting in place complete frameworks for training and certification that can tighten corporate IT security, making them less vulnerable to both external attacks and insider threats.

This is something that Andy Swift, Head of Offensive Security at Six Degrees also encourages:

Two areas Id like to highlight this Data Protection Day are your users and your backups. Security ends with your users when all other technical controls have failed, they are the final control you should have in place to filter out malicious content. Investing in training to help users spot common phishing, smishing and other human-facing attack vectors is highly valuable, and helps promote buy-in from all users when your organisation introduces tighter technical controls.

You should also consider the architecture of your file share and backup environments. Far too often we see backup servers configured without any segregation from the regular network, resulting in ransomware attacks infecting backups and rendering them useless. Ransomware is constantly getting smarter if an attack can access your backups it has the potential to seriously damage your data integrity.

Having security training in place is crucial across all sectors including the public sector, as Sascha Giese, Head Geek at SolarWinds, highlights:

Public sector IT professionals are working every day to ensure the data their department holds is kept securegovernment and healthcare organisations store vast amounts of very sensitive data, and therefore the risks posed by a potential data breach are extensive. Whats interesting is how theres been a change in value in credit card information, for example, which is lower, compared to personal information and identities, which has become more valuable to cybercriminals. U.K. government IT professionals are entrusted with keeping citizens personal data secure, so organisations must implement, and then adhere to, strict security policies. The key point organisations should take into 2020 is its everyones responsibility to keep data safe.

While technology is of course the most solid defence against security threats, senior public sector IT professionals should also consider how leading by example, training their teams, and ensuring policies are updated regularly can make a huge impact on how well their organisation prevents any security headaches.

With so many different solutions available, Eltjo Hofstee, Managing Director at Leaseweb UK, reveals how businesses concerned about uncertainty in the future should consider multiple approaches to data protection:

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Data protection is an issue that has gone mainstream over the last few years, particularly with the implementation of the GDPR. For businesses in the UK, Brexit has added some uncertainty around data protection in terms of legal compliance and disaster recovery processes. Based on the current conversations between the EU and UK, nothing will change with regard to data protection laws after Brexit, however, it may be good business practice for organisations that have not reviewed their position before now to evaluate their data, assessing potential risks associated with current storage processes and locations, as well as DR practices and hosting options.

Any uncertainty relating to hosting sites can be minimised by setting up a cloud hosting platform in a hybrid way, where data can be stored, protected and managed using at least two different locations and jurisdictions (i.e. EU + UK). Having said this, it might be a bit too early to already make these kinds of changes, and while we dont believe the UK will move away from GDPR, its certainly top of mind for many of our customers. And, while the uncertainty remains, being prepared for any eventuality is probably the most sensible approach.

As well as advising our clients on how to best make data-driven decisions, says Matt Aldridge, Co-Founder and CEO at Mango Solutions, we also provide recommendations regarding best practice for securing their personal data when their processes may not be fit for purpose. So, by creating and supporting fit for purpose processes, our clients can operate effectively and consistently without needing to panic about whether they are GDPR compliant one of the biggest obstacles companies have been facing in the past couple of years when it comes to ensuring data protection. This means that none of our clients have encountered GDPR incidents and other data protection regulations at all, and also any data required for know your customer projects is anonymised on principle in order to ensure regulatory compliance.

Tried and tested data protection is crucial to ensure a positive customer experience, as Gary Cheetham, CISO at Content Guru, concludes.

The General Data Protection Regulation is approaching its two-year anniversary and beyond the ubiquitous privacy notice pop ups and the need to give consent we now face online, we have seen some real changes in the way businesses are approaching data protection. With this, consumer expectations have also risen trustworthiness and transparency are becoming priority considerations for consumers, who increasingly want to form long term relationships with brands they trust. With customer experience now the key differentiator for many businesses, demonstrating the proper handling of customer data and information has to be front of mind.

One area where this is particularly important is in the contact centre, which is often the front line for organisations when it comes to engaging directly with customers. A whole range of personal information is shared, stored and acted on during a contact centre engagement including sensitive information such as payment and medical data and this is necessary to give agents the ability to deliver an experience todays consumers expect. However, its not enough for your contact centre to deliver a great customer experience, it must also provide the highest levels of data protection and comply with the increasing regulation in this area.

Now that almost every aspect of peoples lives is mapped out in a data trail, businesses cannot afford to let data protection fall down the list of priorities. For 2020 to be successful, businesses must ensure that all data both customer- and business-focused is kept fully secure and out of harms reach.

Read more: Why 2020 is the year of the data protection officer and how to deal with the skills shortage

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Data Protection Day: Why protection is better than a cure - Verdict