Agilysys : Is cloud-based PMS a safer bet for hotels

A good cloud-based property-management system should be more secure than the typical server-based systems located on property because it is hosted in an environment that is managed by people whose sole job is to keep it secure. 'The monitor­ing and oversight is done by professionals,' said Jos Schaap, CEO and founder of StayNTouch. 'There are appropriate firewalls and professionals making sure there are no breaches, with spot checks to prevent hacking.'

The level of administration and management is higher for a system that is powering hundreds or thousands of hotel operations, said Charlie Green, SkyTouch's director of product management.

'A team of professionals are managing the system and monitoring 24/7,' he said. 'The systems are generally located in a purpose-built data-center facility that incorporates high levels of physical access security, backup power, backup network access and enhanced air conditioning with air filtration.'

With a purpose-built software-as-a-service solution, whether open or closed, security is always taken into account during the development process, said Patrick van der Warde, SVP international sales of PMS for Amadeus Hospitality. ''All systems need to have the ability to talk to one another through open, published APis in order to have the best user experience across multiple systems and platforms,' he said.

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