The concept of cloud computing is not new at all, but some hoteliers remain on the fence about whether or not they should take the plunge to moving hotel operations, in particular the hotel PMS, to the cloud. But that sentiment is changing.
According to the 2015 Lodging Technology Study, 22% of hotels surveyed said that migrating their on-premises technology to the cloud this year is a top priority. The study shows a dip in on-premise PMS investment (from 17% in 2014 to 14% in 2015) as “more hotels move to a cloud-based PMS.” It is reported that PMS will see the greatest cloud adoption in the coming 18 months.
Moving your hotel PMS to the cloud, though deceptively easy to do, can feel like a big step. If you are undecided, here are the 5 Big Reasons why hoteliers should join the growing PMS migration to the cloud:
– Save time & effort: A cloud system does not rely on hardware that can crash; there is no need for experienced technicians for maintenance and set up, new software updates and the cost of on-going maintenance. Cloud providers manage the entire platform: hardware, software, and database. They also manage updates and keep upgrading hardware all the time, so you are on latest system at any point of time.
– Save money: Let’s look at the impact on budgets. Hotels can move PMS expenses from CapEx to OpEx and lower costs associated with running this enterprise software. Plus. with cloud based PMS, hotels can save quite a bit in infrastructure hardware and maintenance costs..
– Increased flexibility: Cloud has simplified hotel operations hugely; unlike the traditional model of installing applications on desktops, cloud based PMS allows hoteliers to access information on any device, anywhere, anytime.
– Increased Security: There is no longer a need for physical space to store your information; it can be store securely off-site in the cloud.
– Appealing to today’s guests: Guests expect to use their own tablets and smartphones to request hotel services. With an onsite-based PMS, due to security requirements and other complexities, it is either difficult or impossible to achieve. With a cloud-based solution, guests and staff can interact with the system, even when they are not in the hotel – Not only does this have the benefit of increased interactivity and a better customer experience but it provides the hotel with further opportunities to promote ancillary services.
Cloud systems offer a way to centralize your management system without the bulk and tech requirements of a traditional PMS, it allows you to run property more efficiently and get ahead of the curve.
“The cloud is, and will continue to expand as, a competitive advantage…The sooner you learn how to best use this tool and platform, the sooner you will reap its rewards.” Nelson Nahum, Co-Founder CEO, Zadara Storage
Perhaps its time your hotel considered moving to the cloud?
