HOSPITALITY TRENDS
Olo Inc., | February 13, 2023
Olo Inc., a renowned open SaaS platform for restaurants that facilitates hospitality at every guest touchpoint, recently announced the availability of Borderless functionality for all customers of Olo Pay. This unlocks the advantages of streamlined payment across a larger set of 600 brands in Olo's network to improve the checkout experience for guests. This feature and several other product innovations are now available to aid its restaurant clients in providing superior hospitality.
Borderless, which was offered only to customers using Olo Pay's white-label interface Serve, is now available to all Olo Pay customers, including those with custom ordering websites and apps, allowing more brands to increase revenue and gain actionable guest data. For example, its capabilities eliminate the need for guests to remember passwords or enter credit card information at every transaction, simplifying the checkout process. It also lets restaurants increase guest retention, basket conversion, and visit frequency, improves the guest experience and de-identifies guest data to guide high-level business decisions.
Olo also introduced QR Code Ordering and Geolocation Partner Notifications this quarter. The new QR code ordering capability lets guests update their table numbers quickly and easily from their mobile device, allowing them to dine where they want and connecting guests to servers, thereby enhancing on-premises dining.
Expo, Olo's tablet-based software solution for restaurant front-of-house workflow, now displays guest arrival and approaching notifications for restaurants using Geolocation Partner Notifications. The feature's automation solves the need for multiple tablets and facilitates quick and fresh food preparation for guests.
About Olo
New York-basedOlo is a major on-demand commerce platform driving the digital transformation of the restaurant industry. The platform provides the infrastructure to capture consumer demand and manage orders across all channels. Through integrations with over 300 technology partners, its customers can create digital experiences with the industry's most robust and adaptable restaurant commerce ecosystem. Over 500 restaurant brands utilize Olo to increase digital sales, maximize profitability, and maintain direct customer relationships.
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COMMERCIAL TRAVEL
Travelport | March 13, 2023
Travelport, a global technology company for travel, has recently acquired Deem for further investment in innovation to modernize the retailing and corporate travel sector. This acquisition would improve Deem's speed to market and allow seamless integration of multi-source content.
Deem is a modern technology solutions provider for the corporate travel industry and previously worked under Enterprise Holdings, a mobility solutions provider. It has a suite of online booking and travel technology products designed especially for business travelers, travel managers, travel-management companies and suppliers. It is making the corporate travel experience more efficient for all. It is entitled as one of the 'Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies of 2022'. It aims to continue growth in its share of the corporate travel business, and the Travelport's investment is further increasing that growth at a global level.
Travelport is an established NDC leader and launched the end-to-end solution for American Airlines' NDC content. It plans to enhance its position with the swift technical integration of Deem company. It will avail Deem of the NDC offers, products and services. The NDC content is important for travel agencies, corporations and travelers, particularly those in North America. Currently, North American airlines are shifting some content exclusively to NDC.
CEO of Travelport, Greg Webb said, "The game-changing acquisition of Deem by Travelport will fulfill a growing, post-pandemic need for a tight, fully-integrated corporate tool that will provide access to all multi-source content, including NDC." He added, "We've been laser-focused on investing in technology innovation, and Travelport+ has simplified the agency workflow, upgraded how travel content is curated, and enabled modern travel retailing. Now with the acquisition of Deem, Travelport will provide corporate travel with award-winning, complementary tools that are as revolutionary, modern, and easy-to-use as Travelport+."
(Source – Cision PR Newswire)
About Travelport
Headquartered in Langley, Berkshire, Travelport, an information technology and services provider for travel, offers solutions for technology, travel commerce, travel, distribution, payment, airlines, travel agents, online travel agencies, travel management companies, corporate travel, B2B, cloud, search, business intelligence, data, and travel industry. It has been working as a worldwide travel retail platform since 1971. Its huge marketplace, Travelport+, connects buyers to sellers for exceptional travel experience and modern digital retailing. It is an independent platform providing solutions for complex travel ecosystems through innovation. It supports bookings of travel suppliers worldwide.
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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
Plusgrade | February 23, 2023
Plusgrade, the global travel industry's premier provider of ancillary revenue solutions, recently announced the acquisition of UpStay, a growing upgrade and ancillary revenue solutions provider for the hospitality industry. UpStay supports hundreds of hotels throughout 17 countries by aiding hoteliers in growing ancillary revenue by delivering numerous value-added revenue streams to their guests.
Since its inception in 2019, UpStay has been acknowledged for its innovative technology, receiving the 2021 People's Choice Innovation Award (Phocuswright Travel Awards) and the 2022 World's Best Hotel Tech Startup (World Travel Tech Awards).
Plusgrade's acquisition of Points, the global leader in powering loyalty commerce, brought together two of the largest ancillary revenue solutions under one umbrella. Now, the company has initiated a new phase of rapid expansion. By adding UpStay, which provides hotel upgrades and other ancillary revenue solutions, to its portfolio, enhances its ability to deliver comprehensive and diverse services to its global customer base.
This move positions Plusgrade to make a more significant impact on travel businesses worldwide, ultimately leading to increased customer satisfaction. UpStay will be incorporated into the Plusgrade brand over the next few weeks and will operate as Plusgrade going forward.
Ken Harris, CEO of Plusgrade, shared, "The acquisition of UpStay is another step forward for our vision and mission of becoming the Global Ancillary Revenue Powerhouse." He adds, "We have been accelerating this mission through a series of innovations, launches and acquisitions, and have come into 2023 as a powerhouse for the global travel industry. We are thrilled to have the UpStay team join us, and look forward to tapping into their expertise and innovative technology to bring even more value to our now 200+ airline, hospitality, cruise, rail and financial services partners around the world."
(Source – PR Newswire)
About Plusgrade
Plusgrade offers a portfolio of premium ancillary revenue solutions that power the travel industry. With over 200 clients from various sectors, including airline, cruise, passenger rail, hospitality, and financial services, the company creates new, meaningful revenue streams by delivering exceptional customer experiences. As an ancillary revenue powerhouse, it has created new revenue opportunities worth billions of dollars across its platform, enhancing travel experiences for millions of passengers and guests. Founded in 2009 with headquarters in Montreal, the organization has a global presence with offices located worldwide.
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