LOS ANGELES, June 17, 1998 — Microsoft Corp. last night announced the hospitality category winners for the 1998 Retail Application Developer (RAD) Awards. The presentation ceremony was held on the opening evening of the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC) at the Los Angeles convention center, with the awards recognizing hotel-specific software solutions that excel in providing tangible business benefits to customers, while making the best use of Microsoft® technology.
“The entries this year were outstanding,”
said Stan Julien, hospitality industry marketing manager at Microsoft.
“Microsoft is pleased to work with developers that provide cutting-edge solutions for the hospitality industry while enhancing the quality and ease of use of their products. It is reassuring to know that as the year 2000 problem looms larger in the minds of hotel executives, they are being offered a rich choice of year 2000-compliant, Windows-based solutions to which they can upgrade.”
This year’s entrants ranged from property management systems to in-room technology solutions, aimed at bringing faster, high-quality service to customers and improved hotel operations for management. The 1998 winners and their respective categories are as follows:
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MICROS Systems Inc. – Property management systems (PMS)
MICROS Systems’ Windows-based property management solution, the MICROS 3500 Front Desk Management System, won the enterprise property management systems category. The newly released MICROS 3500 is a full-featured touch-screen property management system designed specifically for small to mid-sized independent and chain hotels.
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ATCOM/INFO Inc. – In-room access
ATCOM/INFO won the in-room access category for its IPORT solution. A high-speed Internet access solution, IPORT lets business travelers easily access the Internet, e-mail and private networks from their guest rooms. The service allows users to connect their laptop computers to high-speed Internet connections at speeds up to 50 times faster than traditional data ports and dial-up modems.
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Fourth Communications Network Inc. – In-room service
Fourth Communications Network, (4th Network) won the RAD award for in-room service for its @Hotel high-speed Internet service offering. @Hotel guest rooms are equipped with a dedicated PC, printer, copier and fax linked to the Internet through a T-1 connection, along with customized hotel and traveler content and an easy-to-use interface, providing a turnkey solution for travelers on the road.
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Management Technologies Inc. – General hotel solutions
Located in Miami, Management Technologies is dedicated to solving daily hotel operations challenges through the use of innovative technology. The company received a RAD award for its Espresso! 3 Rapid Response solution, which helps hoteliers handle corrective issues quickly and efficiently, with minimal impact on guests.
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Daylight Software Inc. – Sales and catering
Dover, N.H.-based Daylight Software won the sales and catering category with its Ajenis software application. Ajenis automates the communication process between hotel chains and their largest customers – meeting planners. It allows hotel personnel to send menus, equipment lists and other multimedia files to the planner, assisting them in laying out the agenda items and logistics for a conference at that hotel. In turn, the planner sends meeting specifications to the hotel for review and approval. The entire exchange is done via the Internet.
In addition, an honorable mention was given to Nextra Oy Ltd. for significant improvements made to its 1997 RAD award-winning PMS application, Hotel Linx. http://www.webtravel.fi/linx/
Judging criteria for the RAD awards included quantifiable business benefits, best use of Microsoft Windows® operating system-based technology and the Microsoft BackOffice® family of server applications, ease of use and adoption, and integration and exploitation of Internet and intranet technology. This year’s panel of judges included Rob Grimes, president, Cyntergy Corp. (chairman of judges); Rick Warner, vice president for hotel systems at Bass Hotels & Resorts; Mike Kistner, vice president at Hotel Information Technology; Tim Harvey, chief information officer and senior vice president of information technology at Promus Hotel Corp.; Gary Barden, vice president at International Development; and Christina Breda, managing editor at CynterPubs Information Resources.
For more information on Microsoft solutions, visit the Microsoft Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/industry/hospitality/ .
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