| | June 20146CIOReviewCopyright © 2014 CIOReview, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photography or illustrations without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations. Views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the magazine and accordingly, no liability is assumed by the publisher thereof.CIOReviewJUNE 16 - 2014CIOReview's circulation is audited and certified by BPA International (Audit Pending). Mailing AddressCIOReview44790 S. Grimmer Blvd Suite 202, Fremont, CA 94538T:510.402.1463, F:510-894-8405 June 16 2014, volume SE 10 Published by CIOReview To subscribe to CIOReviewVisit www.cioreview.com Editor-in-Chief Pradeep ShankarManaging Editor Christo JacobEditorial StaffSalesAishwarya KannanCharles MatthewsGeorge ThomasHarvi SacharJeevan GeorgeJudy ChristinRuby JonasSarah FernandesT:510.565.7627 VisualizersStephen ThomasMohammed Haneeftravel & Hospitality technology specialCIOReviewDennis Peterdennis@cioreview.com Maria D'souzamaria@cioreview.com Steve Millersteve@cioreview.com Louis Fernandeslouis@cioreview.com Over the last couple of months we spoke to some of the executives in the travel and hospitality industry--an industry stuck in "the sea of sameness." That is, most hotel companies have been operating in an identical fashion for decades. One of the biggest challenges that any organization in the travel and hospitality sector faces today is, to set itself apart from the pack, in a manner that leaves an influential impact on the customers.In the hospitality industry, for majority of hotels, the distinction between "products" begins to blur as hotels of different brands look and feel the same. Their lobbies and rooms are similarly designed, their fancy beds promising a perfect night's sleep does not feel any different. Even the food and beverage offerings are likely to be indistinguishable from the other. And given that their "products" are all offered through a set of similar sales channels, customers can easily compare specifications like availability and price and opt for the best value. As a result, customers are often willing to give up their loyalty to a particular brand on a growing belief that "comparable" brands are essentially the same.For long, the focus of the hospitality industry has been on operations. This is important, because all guests want everything to function flawlessly in a hotel--from hot water in the shower to clean linens on the bed. But this is no longer sufficient as we are now living in a time when guests seek personalized brand experiences. So, several hotel operators are moving from being `great' hotel operators to also being great at providing personalized brand experiences. This will increasingly involve seamless and caring digital experiences and not just physical ones, meaning that, technology will play a key role in creating that competitive advantage.An improving economy and heightened consumer expectation for more personal and real-time interactions and transactions is driving airlines, hotels and travel agents to holistically embrace social, mobile, advanced analytics and cloud to boost business performance. To reap early multiplier effects, companies should look at these technologies as one integrated stack instead of embarking on isolated initiatives.Let us know what you think,Pradeep ShankarEditor-in-Chiefeditor@cioreview.comEditorialFrom Operational to Experiential
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