News Briefs

IBS Software, an SaaS solutions provider to the travel industry globally, has reached an agreement to acquire the ground-breaking hotel and travel technology provider Above Property Services (APS®). The $90 million transaction will further solidify IBS Software’s position in the hospitality market and accelerate the growth of its brand to underpin an ambitious expansion of its reach in the hospitality industry.  

The strategic acquisition will enable IBS Software to provide the only unified platform in the hospitality industry for seamlessly managing the entire customer journey from booking to fulfillment for the global hotel chain, resort, and gaming markets. The move will significantly expand the company’s offering with the addition of cutting-edge CRS (Central Reservation System), PMS (Property Management System) and RMS (Revenue Management System) solutions.  With this acquisition IBS Software adds Call Center and Demand-side (stored and third-party inventory) solutions to its already established booking engine and distribution platform used by over 36,000 hotels worldwide , including many of the world’s largest and best-known hotels and resorts.   

APS was founded in 2012 by Aaron Shepherd, an industry pioneer who developed a number of the world’s leading hospitality PMS and CRS solutions. The company was established to completely reinvent hotel software from the ground up, offering a revolutionary   cutting-edge unified platform optimized for   the hotel enterprise sector. A typical hotel organization requires multiple core software platforms to capture bookings, requiring multiple vendors and integrations. Each system needs unique logins, user interfaces, training requirements, upgrade paths, pricing and contract terms, breeding inefficiency – especially considering 80% of the data in each application is redundant and has to be replicated or synchronized.     

Over the last decade, APS’s platform has created a new standard for speed, flexibility and stability for travel and hospitality CRS, PMS and RMS – empowering businesses to transform how they connect with guests and drive revenues, while significantly streamlining operations.  

Aaron Shepherd, Founder and CEO of APS, added: "IBS Software and APS both recognize the crucial need to accelerate next-level transformation in travel and hospitality to create unparalleled value for its clients. It is this shared vision that has inspired our collaboration. APS has successfully developed the only unified cloud-native microservices platform that frees operators from the limitations of legacy, monolithic technologies, providing flexibility, speed, and the ability to scale infinitely. Today's news gives APS customers the stability and resources of a large, multi-national travel leader and will give IBS Software clients and partners access to the most modern and comprehensive modular solution in the industry, ushering in a new era of growth and propelling them to new heights. We look forward to seeing IBS Software further evolve as an industry leader with the acquisition of APS."  

Peter Krebs, Head of Travel & Hospitality Solutions at IBS Software, commented: “There is an unmet need in the hospitality industry to simplify how rooms and other services are sold. Too many businesses are being held back by legacy technology that prevents them from living up to their potential. It’s vital they have the tools they need to be effective in a rapidly changing marketplace. We were blown away by the capabilities of the ground-breaking APS platform and the value it delivers to travel businesses, providing them with the power to simplify their tech stack to instantly create new services and offers. We are very excited to bring Aaron Shepherd and his entire team onboard, and with this IBS Software and APS will be uniquely placed to offer the only unified platform for the global hospitality chain and enterprise market. We couldn’t be more excited about what we can achieve together.”  

V K Mathews, Founder and Executive Chairman of IBS Software, said: “APS is a true disruptor in the travel tech industry. Led by Aaron Shepherd, a visionary in the sector, the team has executed flawlessly on its vision to streamline complex processes in the hospitality businesses to deliver integrated, end-to-end services that differentiate and improve the customer experience. This acquisition will significantly enhance IBS Software’s offerings   in hospitality, expanding our market reach and win market share in multiple segments, including medium to large hotel chains as well as luxury, resort and gaming customers.”  

According to a recent h2c Global Hospitality Distribution Study, the CRS is the leading distribution system for 89% of large hotel chains and 60% of medium-sized hotel chains, with 20% of hotel organizations planning to replace their CRS within three years. Through this transaction, IBS Software will substantially extend its total addressable market and capitalize on the growing demand.   

Steffan Berelowitz, Head of the Hospitality Business at IBS Software, will lead the development and expansion of  the hospitality business, working closely with Aaron Shepherd.  

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.  

Domino's Pizza Inc. introduces its new and improved loyalty program. 

Domino's Rewards offers loyalty members even more opportunities to earn and redeem points across its corporate and franchise store locations. Domino's enhanced rewards program allows customers to:

• Earn points for less
  • Loyalty members will now earn 10 points on every order of $5 or more
• Redeem points for even more menu items – and earn free Domino's after just two orders
  • Members can redeem a variety of points for more menu items:
    • 20 points: A free dipping cup, a 16-piece order of Parmesan Bread Bites or a 20 oz. drink
    • 40 points: An order of Bread Twists or Stuffed Cheesy Bread
    • 60 points: A medium, two-topping pizza; pasta; Oven-Baked Sandwich; or a 3-piece order of Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes
• Earn more rewards
  • Loyalty perks are now even better, as members will have exclusive access to member-only deals, special discounts and opportunities to earn bonus points!

"We are thrilled to give the brand's loyal customers additional ways to earn free Domino's items more often," said Mark Messing, Domino's vice president of digital experience and loyalty. "At a time when most brands are scaling back their loyalty programs and making it more difficult to earn and redeem points, Domino's is doing the opposite. We want to make it easier to reward our customers and give them more options so they can get rewarded faster."

Marketing a LTO 

From now until Oct. 22, 2023, rewards members can take advantage of a limited time offer to redeem 20 points for a free order of Domino's new Pepperoni Stuffed Cheesy Bread, which is normally a 40-point redemption, in celebration of the product's recent launch. 

Tock, the reservation, experiences, and events platform for the hospitality industry, announced its latest innovation today, Multi-Experience Tables, to help restaurants drive greater profitability across the dining room. This new feature allows Tock customers the option to offer guests a unique experience, while simultaneously marketing the same table for a different experience or standard reservation.

"Today's guests are more intentional in seeking out unique and personalized experiences when dining out," said Matthew Tucker, Head of Tock. "Our restaurant partners are very creative in the experiences they offer on Tock, and have learned to turn every square foot of their dining room into a monetizable experience. With Multi-Experience Tables, restaurants now have even more ways to experiment with what appeals most to their guests. This is something our partners have been asking for and we are proud to be the first to bring this to the industry."

Nearly a decade ago, Tock revolutionized the hospitality industry by introducing prepaid experiences. Today, Tock has generated over $2.25B in total revenue for its partners through experiences. The introduction of Multi-Experience Tables now makes it even easier to assign various experience options to a single table, allowing a restaurant to maximize what sells best.

Among Tock's many restaurant partners using experiences is Ella Elli, a California-meets-Mediterranean restaurant in Chicago that offers highly sought-after wine experiences. "Our experiential offering has grown into an integral part of our brand, allowing us to extend our reach beyond the traditional dining experience and offer new ways to drive consistent sales during a time and day when our restaurant was not even open otherwise," said Dan Harris, Vice President of Food and Beverage at Ella Elli.

Riana Mondavi of Charles Krug Winery, another Tock partner, touts the benefits of Multi-Experience Tables: "The addition of Multi-Experience Tables creates a platform that allows us to stay creative. We can offer a range of experiences from the everyday wine tastings to specialized food and wine pairings, allowing us to stay top of mind with our guests. Now, we get to see what appeals to our guests at any given time and learn more about what works best, without taking away things we know they love. It's the best of both worlds."

Little Caesars  has selected Deliverect to help integrate and scale its global third-party delivery operations. The international, family-owned pizza chain, with stores in 28 countries and territories, will bolster its delivery services across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico and enhance operations across additional international markets.

As the world's third-largest pizza company, Little Caesars is known for the convenience it offers its guests, from carry out to its Pizza Portal self-service mobile order pick-up stations, to delivery. To better meet the needs of and serve a broader customer base, the company continues to innovate by expanding its digital presence and use of third-party delivery partners. As a result of these efforts, consumers can now easily order Little Caesars through the company's website, mobile app, and third-party delivery channels, bringing them value, quality, and convenience. 

"As we continue to grow our presence around the globe, the ability to provide our customers with greater delivery options and to help our locations more efficiently offer delivery services, like we're doing together with Deliverect, is paramount," said Keith Faigin, Global Vice President, E-commerce & Data Analytics at Little Caesars.

Through Deliverect's reliable and secure technology, Little Caesars locations globally can now easily connect all of their third-party delivery channels to their point-of-sale (POS) system through a single integration. Deliverect's APIs allow brands to manage direct integrations more easily, shorten the time-to-market, and reduce costs when scaling their online delivery.

Locations also benefit from additional streamlined processes. They can eliminate the need for multiple tablets to manage order injections across all ordering channels, which ultimately drives efficiencies and better positions staff to focus on food preparation and customer service. Additionally, Little Caesars can now easily manage its menus and pricing across its stores anywhere in the world while allowing locations to customize their menus effortlessly for their markets as needed.

Additional benefits of the collaboration for the pizza chain include higher customer satisfaction, higher volume of delivery orders, and increased order accuracy.

ParTech, Inc. (PAR), a global restaurant technology company and provider of unified commerce solutions for enterprise restaurants, today announced that Bob Evans, the iconic family-style restaurant chain with 437 locations in the U.S., has selected PAR's loyalty and offer solution PAR Punchh . This choice reflects Bob Evans' commitment to enhancing and personalizing customer experiences, creating stronger connections with their guests.

Known for its farm-fresh cuisine and warm hospitality, this collaboration represents a significant step towards enhancing the dining experience and creating deeper guest connections. PAR Punchh will provide customers with personalized offers and rewards through the Bob Evans app, including family deals, value offers, and convenient online takeout options. 

“At Bob Evans, we extend our hospitality well beyond the delicious dishes we serve. We want every guest to come into our restaurant and feel right at home, knowing we’ve considered their individual tastes and preferences,” said Bob Holtcamp, President and CMO of Bob Evans. “With Punchh, we’ll achieve a new level of guest engagement and loyalty to enhance the overall dining experience whether in our dining room or theirs, all while doing what we do best: serving farm-fresh goodness to every table.

Leveraging PAR Punchh's AI-driven loyalty platform, integrations and services, the restaurant aims to improve customer lifetime value through personalized marketing campaigns and offers.