In January 2010, the massive 7.0-magintude that struck Haiti was one of the worst natural disasters that this generation has seen, causing an outpouring of support from around the world. VingCard Elsafe, an ASSA ABLOY company, the industry world leader in guestroom security for electronic locks and safes was so moved by the worldwide effort that the company decided to make a matching donation, according to Tim Shea, president and Chief Executive Officer of ASSA ABLOY Hospitality.

MICROS Systems, Inc., a leading provider of information technology solutions for the hospitality and retail industries, is pleased to announce that Preferred Hotel Group(TM) has selected MICROS as its exclusive recommended Property Management System (PMS) technology partner for its more than 750 distinctive properties in over 65 countries.

While many in the hospitality industry have been eager to usher out 2009 and hope for a better 2010, newly-formed Sabre Hospitality Solutions continues to build upon the momentum it gathered in 2009 and has started 2010 by helping customers experience further growth in bookings and revenues.

Libra OnDemand, the first on-demand CRM solution built specifically for the worldwide hospitality industry on the Force.com platform, today announced that its SaaS-based technology solution has been certified as compliant with the Safe Harbor privacy framework, as defined by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Swiss Government and the European Commission.

MIAMI -- Which technology most impacted the hospitality industry in 2009? According to leading industry technologists, it was REX (Room Expeditor) from MTech. The leading developer of Software as a Service (SaaS) products aimed at improving service and efficiency for the hospitality industry was presented with "The Most Innovative Hospitality Technology Award" by Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) during its North American Members' Meeting on March 3.

Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) awarded the first ever Most Innovative Hospitality Award to MTech for their REX Room Expeditor product at its Members Meeting in Orlando on March 3. HTNG also announced two runner-up awards -- one to Intelity for their ICE product and the other to a company whose policy prohibits publicly disclosing them. HTNG senior officers presented the awards at the 6th Annual Members' Meeting of HTNG in Orlando Florida.

IDeaS Revenue Optimization, the leading provider of hospitality revenue management and optimization solutions, has today announced the appointment of Fabian Specht as Regional Managing Director, EAME.

At the Dreamforce conference last December, Salesforce.com released the White Paper "5 Reasons CIOs are Adopting Cloud Computing in 2010. "It's a great read, so I decided to sparse the article together with how I feel it applies to hospitality CRM and related technologies.

FastBooking, one of the foremost providers of advanced technology solutions and e-marketing services for the hospitality industry, announces Micros certification for its industry-leading booking engine, expanding the company's two-way connectivity opportunities to a wider range of hotel PMS including the advanced, and widely used, myfidelio.net e-commerce solution.

VingCard Elsafe, a leading hospitality security provider and part of the ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Group, recently completed the installation of VISIONLINE, its wireless RF-online system, Signature RFID, its contactless electronic door locks with NFC cell phone compatibility and SENTINEL II, its leading in-room safes series at the new Hotel da Rocha in Portimão, Portugal. Opened in 2009, the hotel is a modern, first-class property surrounded by sea and golf courses, located in the heart of the Algarve tourist region. Featuring 158 guestrooms, the hotel offers conference rooms, swimming pool and the Grand Caffé Bar, where guests can enjoy an elegant, peaceful evening on the terrace.