"HTNG-Certified"
Products Deliver
Industry
Interoperability
ATLANTA (March
7, 2007) – At
its annual
Members’ Meeting
and Conference
this week, Hotel
Technology Next
Generation
(HTNG) announced
the first
HTNG-Certified
products. The
“HTNG Certified”
label and logo
provide
hoteliers with
assurance of
technology
products with
industry-standard
interfaces.
Certified
products should
be deployable
without custom
development,
with any other
compatible,
certified
products from
any other
vendor.
Five products,
from four
industry
vendors, were
able to achieve
certification in
just two weeks
since the first
specifications
from two HTNG
workgroups were
finalized.
Numerous other
products from
vendors who have
been active in
the development
of this effort
are expected to
achieve
certification in
the coming days,
weeks and
months.
“Our members,
both hoteliers
and vendors,
have been
waiting for
certified
products for
many years,”
said Douglas C.
Rice, Executive
Vice President
and CEO of
HTNG. “We are
delighted to say
that
certification is
no longer just a
theoretical
possibility, but
a reality.
Based on
feedback at our
members’
conference, we
know that in
addition to the
five initial
certified
vendors, many of
the most
critical vendors
to our industry
are lining up to
become certified
as soon as
possible. Even
more important,
the templates
and experience
that HTNG has
now developed
will allow HTNG
to rapidly
expand the
universe of
certifiable
specifications.”
The HTNG
Property Web
Services
Workgroup
published its
2007a
specification,
which includes
the Single-Guest
Itinerary
initiative.
This initiative
allows the
various systems
that know about
guest activities
at a complex
property to
share
information
about everything
the guest can
reserve,
including rooms,
dining
reservations,
golf tee times,
spa
reservations,
and other
activities. It
gives hotel
staff and guests
the ability to
see and
coordinate
activities
across these
systems, and
also supports
charge posting.
The 2007a
specification
also includes a
technical
standard for
message exchange
between systems,
referred to as
the Web Services
Framework 2.0
synchronous
specification.
As of March 7,
three products
have been
certified on
this
specification:
-
OpenCourse
Solutions
“OpenCourse
Activity
Suite 3.0”
-
PAR
Springer-Miller
Systems
“SpaSoft 3.0
with
SMS|Diplomat
2.3”
-
TAC GmbH’s
“Reservation
Assistant
3.9”
The HTNG
Property/Distribution
Solution
Workgroup also
published its
own 2007a
specification,
covering
delivery of
reservations,
rates,
availability,
and yield
controls amongst
systems. This
specification
was developed in
close
cooperation with
the OpenTravel
Alliance (OTA)
and was
implemented
exclusively
using the OTA
message
specification.
As of March 7,
two products had
achieved
certification on
this
specification:
The first
certified
products and
their vendors
were recognized
in a ceremony at
the 2007 annual
HTNG Members’
Meeting &
Conference in
Atlanta, where
nearly 300 hotel
technology
industry leaders
gathered to hear
about the
progress of
HTNG’s
activities.
Many attendees
felt that the
achievement of
certified
products was the
most significant
accomplishment
of HTNG and its
participating
technology
vendors since
HTNG’s inception
nearly five
years ago.
“Certification
benefits
everyone,”
explained Rice.
“Large vendors
that need to
interface to
many systems can
focus their
development
interfaces on
industry
standard efforts
and selected
strategic
interfaces,
rather than on
reinventing the
same interface
over and over
again. Smaller
and newer
vendors gain
credibility that
encourages
larger companies
to be willing to
interface with
them. Hoteliers
benefit by
gaining
confidence that
their vendors
have committed
to and delivered
on industry
standards,
ensuring a much
higher level of
future-proofing
for their
technologies.”
About HTNG
Certification
The HTNG
certification
program allows
vendors to
register
products that
comply with HTNG
published
specifications.
Upon completion
of
certification,
vendors can
label their
certified
products with
the “HTNG
Certified”
label.
Technology
buyers can
verify the
certification
and learn the
precise details
of a product’s
conformance by
visiting the
Certified
Product
Register,
available on the
HTNG
Certification
Site.
The HTNG
certification
program is
operated by HTNG
through The Open
Group, the world
leader in the
development and
certification of
open standards.
The
certification
site is
available at
www.opengroup.org/htng/cert,
and includes the
Register of
Certified
Product, the
HTNG
Certification
Policy, the
technical
specifications,
and a guide to
certification
for vendors
interested in
certifying.
About Hotel
Technology Next
Generation
The premier
technology
solutions
association in
the hospitality
industry, HTNG
is a
self-funded,
non-profit
organization
with global
scope. HTNG
members include
most leading
hotel and
hospitality
companies,
technology
vendors serving
the hospitality
market, and
other industry
members
including
consultants,
media, and
academic
experts. HTNG’s
members
participate in
focused
workgroups to
bring to market
open solution
sets addressing
specific
business
problems and
needs. The HTNG
certification
program provides
a “seal of
assurance” for
products that
conform to HTNG
specifications.
Membership in
HTNG is open to
hotel and
hospitality
companies,
technology
vendors to
hospitality,
consultants,
academics, press
and others.
Currently nearly
400 corporate
and individual
members from
across this
spectrum are
active HTNG
participants.
Workgroup
proceedings,
drafts, and
specifications
are published
for all HTNG
members as soon
as they are
created,
encouraging
rapid and broad
adoption.
Specifications
are released to
the public
domain when they
are approved for
certification or
when the
workgroup has
completed its
work, typically
after no more
than 18 months.
For more
information,
visit
www.htng.org.
* * *
Source: Hotel
Technology Next
Generation
Contact:
Douglas Rice,
Executive Vice
President & CEO
+1 847 303 5560
www.htng.org
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