TI’ME on Cloud Nine

TI’ME Hotels Management becomes first Middle East hospitality company to partner with Microsoft for exclusive use of cloud software; hotel spending on IT solutions is forecast to continually rise TIME Hotels Management (TIME) is setting the information technology example in the Middle East hospitality industry, by launching a technology-lead initiative to streamline the company’s communications processes and improve their operational efficacy. The new Dubai-based hospitality company recently became the first Middle East-based hotel group to partner with Microsoft for the exclusive use of the Office 365 ‘cloud’ collaboration software across its IT-platforms, demonstrating the group’s forward-thinking approach to hospitality services. Thomas Huber, Corporate Director of IT, TIME – the driving force behind the company’s partnership with Microsoft – said: “TIME is the first hotel group in the region to begin installing Microsoft’s cloud software across all their IT platforms. “Technology has no boundaries; its deployment in the hospitality sector will continue to develop and become more and more sophisticated. “Office 365 cloud collaboration software is the latest and best IT solution for hotel chains and it will inevitably revolutionise the way hotel communications and operations are conducted.” Basically, ‘cloud computing’ refers to computing that is used as a service rather than a product. For businesses, this means that all company information – from databases to email and from monitoring to finances – can be accessed from any point at any time, negating the need to use local infrastructure and saving substantial quantities of time and money. “In the hospitality industry, there are several specific applications for property management, catering, finance, point of sales, yield, and so on. “Rather than purchase those applications from a variety of different manufacturers and need to support them with specialised personnel, they are streamlined under the Microsoft cloud software, allowing immediate access to databases from any of TIME’s modcoms – computers, smartphones, servers, etc.,” added Huber. With over 400 employees, 140 desktop computers and 170 users working mainly on-premises, TIME needed an IT solution – Office and Windows – to reduce costs and time so their finances can be re-directed to improving guest experience. Indeed, Jawwad Rehman, Managing Director of LiveRoute, the partner working with TIME Hotels on the Office 365 pilot, commented: “Our Total Cost of Ownership analysis showed that Office 365 components would save approximately 58% over the next five-years over what TIME Hotels had on-premise.” And with TIME’s strong-minded expansion plans, Huber said: “TIME needed a solution that would support scalability when new properties are added to its portfolio, reduce energy consumption and increase collaboration among staff, which is precisely what Microsoft’s cloud software provides.” A recent Motorola Solutions study showed IT spending will continually increase year-on-year, with over half of hospitality organisations planning to raise investment levels to better equip their workforces and improve operational efficiency. Craig Mathias, Principal, Farpoint Group – a leading advisory firm specialising in wireless and mobile technologies, services and systems – recently said: “Advances in wireless and mobile technologies, products and services are changing the landscape of the hospitality industry and how it operates.”

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