Cover Story

In her first year with the company, Starwood’s new CIO has spearheaded initiatives including mobile check-in and keyless entry that have already scored high praise from guests and industry peers. In this exclusive interview with HT, CIO and EVP Martha Poulter talks about Starwood’s keyless entry project, and offers a preview of Starwood’s plans for using technology for personalized customer experiences. Top projects include revenue optimization and preference matching, among others. Plus, Poulter offers her take on the industry buzzwords Internet of Things, Big Data and more.

While much is made of payment security, foodservice and lodging companies also face added pressure to ensure that guests’ personal data is safe.

Every year, Hospitality Technology magazine seeks to acknowledge lodging leaders who have succeeded in achieving measurable impact on service and operations with forward-thinking tech initiatives. The 2015 Visionary Awards were presented to Hilton Worldwide, for its rollout of digital room selection; Fontainebleau Hotel, for its achievements with a speedier mobile check-in strategy; and SilverBirch Hotels & Resorts, for its infrastructure upgrade and ERP project that delivered operational improvements and positioned the company for continued growth. This month's cover story features exclusive interviews and profiles of the award-winning initiatives.

Church's Chicken CIO Marcus Wasdin takes a decidedly business-centric approach to technology design to lead the 63-year old brand into a digital future. The company is focusing on a global standards technology guide and digital initiative in 2015, and has eyes on the promise of Internet of Things for a wealth of operational efficiencies. In this exclusive interview with HT, Wasdin talks about the company's tech priorities in 2015, and offers a prescription for avoiding the anti-innovation ailment he's dubbed "IT Guy Syndrome."

While many organizations are outsourcing technology as a way to reduce the cost and complexity of managing their infrastructure, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts is strengthening in-house technology resources. The company is bringing in developers, analysts and more, to develop a hospitality platform that will enable rapid innovation and a competitive edge. This approach, according to Hyatt CTO Matt O'Keefe, empowers a company to deploy technology quickly and to scale; and creates a closer link between the guest and the brand. In an exclusive interview with HT, O'Keefe talks about Hyatt's technology approach and the new hospitality platform that will roll out later this year.

Starting from a single location in 1956, Jersey Mike's Franchise Systems now boasts 1,300+ locations nationwide and has been named a top fast-growing chain by several industry sources. The fast casual sandwich chain fosters growth with a blend of proprietary technology, well-defined vendor expectations, and forward-thinking strategies. CIO Scott Scherer says that staying nimble by bringing the majority of systems in-house has positioned Jersey Mike's for its growth, and helps drive success for franchisees.

HT's editorial advisory board puts a frame around the buzz-worthy technology making waves in their hotels and restaurants and offers their picks for most-promising technology.

In this annual report, Hospitality Technology investigates the trends and business drivers that are shaping the point of sale landscape. By querying the vendor community, HT recaps the latest innovations, reveals forward-looking plans for technology offerings in 2015, and gleans insights into what trends these suppliers impacting the POS. Also included are the results of the POS Software Reader Survey, where operators reveal plans for investment and features they are looking for in upgrades. Overwhelmingly, both operators and vendors agree the POS has been forever changed by the emergence of new mobile payment methods and the call for greater security – particularly as it relates to the EMV liability shift.