Agilysys : Named as a 2016 CIOReview Top 20 Travel and Hospitality Solution Provider

CIOReview

Agilysys

n the highly competitive hospitality

of rapidly changing market dynamics, and

Jim Dennedy

The Na vi gator for Enterprise Solutions Iyour customers and serving their

market, success depends on knowing

needs. As a result, technology has moved beyond merely managing transactions to managing the entire guest experience. According to Agilysys President and CEO, Jim Dennedy, key trends driving today's hospitality business include a transition to open multi-

increase wallet share with targeted offers

and promotions.

Dennedy notes that Agilysys is keenly aware of these trends and is developing solutions that incorporate them. The company recently launched its groundbreaking rGuest hospitality Platform as a Service. The multi- functional, guest-centric, standards-based

functional hospitality platforms, cloud- based solutions, mobility and analytics.

"Hotel business demands are much

platform relies on an open architecture that enables rich, RESTful API integration with applications delivered not only from

T

he companies in the travel and hospitality sector today need to proactively and effectively respond to the newer sets of challenges around customer and market expectations. They need to focus on

understanding and analyzing the customer needs and craft a value proposition that reflects efficiency. This can only be achieved through a clear understanding of data generated from multiple sources including digital channels. What companies require are services that can help them turn disjointed data into useful information and valuable insights, which will enhance the customer experience.

As a result, smartphone applications have become an industry standard in the travel and hospitality sector. Leaders and decision makers are using these ubiquitous smart applications and POS devices to give hotel guests a never-

before experience. Further, there are multiple solutions that help companies with data use and integration, recruitment and retention, competitive dynamics, and risk management.

For the CIOs and IT decision makers, the key lies in implementing technology solutions that enable seamless communication and a 360 degree centralized view of the guest. There are a host of solution providers who provide integrated services and help companies win the travelers.

In the last few months, our decision panel evaluated the capabilities of scores of technology vendors in the travel and hospitality arena, and shortlisted the ones that are at the forefront of optimally tackling the real explosion travel technologies' volume, variety, and complexity.

We present you CIOReview's 20 Most Promising Travel and Hospitality Solution Providers 2016.

different now than they were even a few years ago," he says. "Properties today require addressable services rather than proprietary interfaces to gain efficiency from commonly used guest-facing applications. Only an integrated platform can deliver the level of product integration that results in visibility into guest preferences at every touch-point." This integration enables properties to optimize both service delivery and operations.

Agilysys but also from its partners, third- party vendors and customers.

The rGuest platform also supports a comprehensive suite of Agilysys solutions, including: rGuest Stay, the company's next-generation property management system; rGuest Pay, a P2PE and PCI- validated payment gateway solution; rGuest Seat, a restaurant reservation and table management system; rGuest Buy, a guest-facing self-service kiosk solution; and rGuest Analyze, a comprehensive data analytics application.

As a result, previously siloed data is now easily accessible in real time, allowing hotels to tailor their services, capitalize on time-sensitive pricing, and gain an advantage in the market. Dennedy says this business intelligence is critical to survival in an increasingly competitive

hospitality environment. "Analytics

Millennials. "Millennials expect to use mobile tools across their interactions, and they're focused on desired experiences rather than specific services," he said. Properties that want to beat the competition must implement business intelligence technology to measure and track the value of these new guests, as well as adopt mobile applications in order to deliver service in the manner and time demanded.

"Tremendous change is taking place

Agilysys Inc

recognized by magazine as

An annual listing of 20 companies that are at the forefront of providing Travel and Hospitality solutions and impacting the market place

Company:

CIOReview|10| JULY 2014 CIOReview|11| JULY 2014

Agilysys

Key Person: Jim Dennedy President & CEO

Description:

The company specializes in market- leading point-of-sale, property management, inventory and procurement, workforce management and mobile

and wireless solutions streamlining operations

Website:

agilysys.com

CIOReview|21| June 2016

Adding cloud-based solution deployment to the mix allows hotels to focus resources on guest service and optimize their IT environments, while mobile solutions enable 'in-the-moment' consumption and provide opportunities to further personalize the guest experience. Finally, turning consumption into intelligence allows properties to make fact- based business decisions, take advantage

enables properties to understand everything about the guest. It helps them determine what sells and what doesn't. It illuminates areas of hidden costs and pinpoints discrepancies that affect the bottom line. It reveals guest preferences, so that pricing, product mix, promotions and services can be tailored accordingly."

As for market challenges, Dennedy notes that one of the biggest is a shifting demographic - from Baby Boomers to

in hospitality technology, and the future is exciting," Dennedy concluded. "Never be- fore have there been as many opportunities to improve operations and offer enhanced guest service simply by implementing new software solutions. With the right systems in place, hotels and other hospitality ven- ues will be well-positioned to increase revenue, command market share and cre- ate the lasting connections with guests that keep them coming back."