News Briefs

Think Simplicity, a cloud communication technology provider of all-inclusive voice and chat solutions for the hospitality industry, announced today Spark by Hilton™ will utilize the company’s communication platform at its Germantown Washington, D.C. North location.

Spark offers modern hospitality at a budget-friendly price. The brand brings to the metropolitan DC market a fresh, practical, and comfortable alternative for travelers seeking a convenient and high-quality stay. The Germantown property will be the second Spark by Hilton to debut in less than a year after Hilton announced the new hotel brand. It is the first in the Washington Region and the next in what Hilton has announced as a pipeline of more than 400 expansion opportunities in various stages of development around the country.

Selected for its scalability, reliability, and affordability, Think Simplicity worked with the hotel operations team to ensure the new property was outfitted with the latest in cloud communication technology. Charges are provided in a fixed monthly invoice that is easy to understand for on-property and above-property managers. In addition to cost savings, the Spark by Hilton Germantown Washington, DC North relies on Think Simplicity for its ongoing innovative software updates and 24/7/365 support. 

Patrick Keenan, assistant vice president and director of hotel performance support, Spark by Hilton, said: “Deciding on a communication system for our newest property was made easy by the Think Simplicity team. We understand the importance of partnering with a communication company that can provide our hotels with the latest technology via software upgrades, but also the service and support we need as we open our newest location.”

Joseph De Ciantis, co-founder of Think Simplicity, said: “We are proud to welcome this exciting and fresh hotel brand to our list of clients. We provide the highest quality hardware, software, service, and support, and we look forward to being a part of Hilton’s bold focus in the premium economy segment.”

McDonald’s is opening the first CosMc’s location  in Bolingbrook, Illinois, this month – with 10 locations to be opened in the next year.  

CosMc’s will have “a uniquely seamless digital and drive-thru experience” with ”dynamic menu boards and cashless payment devices to breeze through the ordering and payment process, allowing for guided exploration and customization along the way,” according to a company statement. Drive-thru pickup windows are assigned once the order is ready. 

Demand for Drive-Thru

Drive-thru traffic rose 30 percent from 2019 to 2022, according to a report from the food service research firm Technomic and reportd by the New York Times. 

Brands including Chipotle, Shake Shack and Sweetgreen are among the fast-casual brands expanding their drive-thrus as consumers shy away delivery and fees and instead opt to pickup their off-prem orders.  

CosMc’s menu features specialty lemonades and teas,  blended beverages and cold coffee – think Sour Cherry Energy Slush, Tropical Spiceade and S’mores Cold Brew. Customizations are available and include popping boba, flavor syrups, energy or Vitamin C shots, and  more.

The food menu includes  Spicy Queso Sandwich, Savory Hash Brown Bites and Pretzel Bites served with dipping sauces. On the sweet side, there's a Blueberry Lemon Cookie Sundae and Caramel Fudge Brownies, to name a few. And there will be a few of the McDonald’s classics on the menu.

Visit cosmcs.com or follow CosMc’s on Instagram, TikTok and X.

Cloud5 Communications, a provider of IT solutions and services for more than 5,000 hotels across the Americas, announced its partnership with PureHD, a provider of digital, high-definition, interactive streaming solutions for the hospitality industry. Through this partnership, Cloud5 will now offer in-room entertainment, on-demand streaming, and free-to-guest television in addition to its HSIA and telecommunications solutions.

This partnership combines PureHD’s full range of entertainment options with Cloud5’s best-in-class support and logistics capabilities, so customers get cutting-edge technology backed by the 5-star-rated service that’s become a hallmark of Cloud5. Additionally, as hotel businesses increasingly search for ways to consolidate their IT footprint, Cloud5’s new “triple-play” capability – Internet, Voice, and TV – will allow them to engage with a single provider across many of their technology needs.

“By partnering with PureHD, we can provide Cloud5 customers enhanced value and an opportunity to streamline their IT infrastructure and support,” said David Heckaman, Vice President of Product Development at Cloud5 Communications. “With its range of hotel purpose-built solutions, PureHD serves as a natural extension of the Cloud5 brand, and we look forward to passing on the benefits of this partnership to hoteliers across the industry.”

Headquartered in Sudbury, Massachusetts, PureHD is trusted to serve the HD TV and interactive streaming needs of many of the major hotel brands and is deployed in more than 750 properties throughout the U.S. and Canada.

“Cloud5 and PureHD share a dedication to superior service and cutting-edge technology that’s designed specifically for the modern hotel and the modern guest,” said Thomas Pullen, CEO at PureHD. “We are thrilled to work together to empower hotels with the TV and entertainment options that today’s guests want.”

This partnership also supports a larger pivot for Cloud5 as it expands to support the full hotel technology stack. This includes Cloud5’s new Managed Services division that’s designed to support all the technology-related components of a successful hotel operation.

WorkJam, a digital frontline,  announced the launch of an automated attestation module that streamlines compliance for companies with large hourly workforces. Employers will now be able to create specific questions within the WorkJam app that employees have to answer in order to comply with local labor laws. The attestation module simplifies time and attendance tracking for both frontline staff and employers, reducing errors while improving accountability, efficiency and transparency.

“Our enterprise customers need a simple way to automatically enable employees to attest that they have received all their mandated meal and rest breaks throughout their workday,” said Steven Kramer, CEO of WorkJam. “We’re thrilled to offer this first-of-its-kind digital attestation module to help streamline compliance, recordkeeping and payroll for our partner companies and their frontline employees.”

In certain states across the U.S. and in some other regions, hourly employees must confirm that they have taken the meal and rest breaks required by law in their area before clocking out at the end of their shift. WorkJam’s new attestation module simplifies compliance with these laws by ensuring each employee is automatically asked to attest that they have taken those breaks before punching out using the WorkJam app. The module enables employers to easily track break activity, so they can accurately report on compliance, foster accountability, and leverage time and attendance data for decision making.

Enterprises can also use the new module to enhance compliance with other mandatory activities, such as prompting employees to attest that they feel healthy and fit to work before clocking in. In addition, the module enables employers to gather real-time data insights and foster two-way communication with frontline staff by prompting employees to respond to specific questions as they clock in or out, such as how their previous shift went. Designated administrators can easily set up questions within the WorkJam platform and configure them to be automatically presented to specific employee groups or teams in targeted locations. The digital module eliminates the need for manual and paper-based time and attendance tracking, ensuring accurate, timely verification processes that reduce administrative burdens and discrepancies and streamlining payroll processing and analytics.

WorkJam is the leading digital frontline workplace enabling large enterprises to orchestrate their frontline workforces to improve productivity, engagement and retention. The solution is the only one on the market that offers modules for four key areas in a single app—scheduling, communications, task management and training. In 2023, WorkJam was named to the TIME100 Most Influential Companies list, which highlights companies making an extraordinary impact around the world.