In computing, a legacy system refers to an old method, technology, computer system, or application program that is essentially outdated. A more recent definition says that “a legacy system is any business computer system that isn’t Internet-dependent.
These systems were without doubt, a hit in their time, just like how vibrating beds and brass room keys were once the rage.
But a legacy system is not defined soley by age and there are still many legacy systems in use in hotels. Many hotels still continue to use legacy systems for various reasons, such as:
- The owner has invested a lot of money in the system and has no complaints as the system still does its job
- It is difficult to transfer data on to new systems due to the inherently incompatible nature of old and new systems
- The costs involved in redesigning and replacing the legacy system is high
- Re-training the staff on the new system will be time consuming and will involve a lot of cost
With the advent of cloud computing these reservations are fast becoming myths.
If you’re still using a legacy PMS, ask yourself:
Do you often go back to your hotel to access the data because you are unable to access it from outside the hotel?
Does your staff lose a lot of productive time due to system upgrades, server maintenance and interface installations?
Does your staff often complain about the system being slow during peak hours?
Are you annoyed with the mundane hardware maintenance?
Many hoteliers face these problems but are still comfortable with the age old systems. Competitive hotels have realized the importance of technology has taken a leap in the hospitality industry.
Everybody is online. Are you?
Technology plays a crucial role in customer engagement. Since guests are most of the time found on the internet either searching for information or sharing information, it has now become a necessity for a hotel to be present online. Be it a big brand or a small one, everyone is accustomed to the online space. You might even find a vegetable vendor or your cook online, selling their services. This is how the online space has progressed over the years.
Try it for yourself: If you miss your flight at the airport and you have to look for an accommodation for the night. What is the first thing you will do? Call your travel agent asking them to book your stay or just browse on your tablet/mobile and look for the best hotels available close by?
Obviously, the first thing you will do is look up on your mobile for information. This is how the technology has changed. It has affected the mindset of people to such an extent that they have become very dependent for every single thing on technology. The hotel industry is not far behind, so the bottom line is: hotels need to change along with the technology and bid adieu to the superhero of yore.
Let’s take a look at some of the technological innovations in the last decade:
Cloud computing
Cloud computing is an innovation that simply allows managing and accessing of data off-site which means you can manage the hotel operations from anywhere in the world. There is no on-site infrastructure, set-up costs or internal IT team required, unlike legacy systems.
With cloud, you can make more time for guests, improve your services, be sure of your data’s security and build a presence in the online world. The dependency on staff to email reports and wait to reach the property to access the system is solved. From the marketing perspective, cloud allows you to make yourself available where your customers are, through OTAs and social media.
With the cloud, small and mid-sized hotels can enjoy operational efficiencies and the market reach of larger hotels, without spending a significant amount. Therefore, cloud computing works as a great leveler in the hotel industry.
On the other hand, legacy systems are slowly dying because travelers are booking online. People are finding more reliability, speed and simplicity in the online world. Maintenance of the legacy systems cost hoteliers a fortune as there are innumerable software updates and installations. You are bound to your desk and cannot operate your PMS from home or anywhere else. Your system also tends to get slower during peak times, therefore causing you huge loss.
This is where a cloud based system comes to rescue as it easily connects you to where your guests are booking and also does all that a legacy would do, at the fraction of a cost. A cloud PMS integrated with online distribution to sync all your bookings from the web booking engine, OTAs, GDS and hotel review sites and even social media. In many cases, cloud PMSs have helped hotels save money and ample time for their guests which otherwise would be impossible with a legacy PMS, thus directly impacting their bottom-line.
Do it for your guests, if not for yourself
If you wish to completely focus on guest relations, marketing and sales strategies for your hotel then it’s time you make the shift to cloud and keep yourself updated with the latest in technology. Legacy is good but is slowly dying in the hospitality industry today. There is always a rise of another hero after the death of one. In the hotel industry, cloud computing is the new superhero! It’s time you think about what suits your property best and make the switch. For in-depth knowledge of the capabilities and differences between legacy PMS and cloud based PMS, read this white paper that was released by Hotelogix.
