Tech Talk

"We are working hard on helping our clients cut costs in these trying times"

Installing the right software is essential in hotel development. Suresh John, MD of IDS Softwares, speaks about the solutions the company offers and its future plans. By Gayatri Vijaykumar

Suresh John MD, IDS Softwares

What are the latest products that IDS has developed?

We are beta testing our next generation of the Fortune Enterprise suite, which is our flagship product. It is scheduled to release in the second quarter of this year.

Which regions are you focusing on?

Currently, we are consolidating new markets such as North, East and West Africa besides strengthening our presence across South Asia and Middle East markets where we have had engagements in major countries across the region.

Has there been an increase in the demand for security-based solutions post 26/11?

Yes. All hotels are concerned about security post 26/11. We did receive a lot of enquires from Western and Northern India. However, the first step we took was to inform our clients about all the inbuilt security features already available for their immediate use.

What are the security-based software solutions that IDS offers?

All IDS solutions have security focused features that were earlier used by hotels from an operational point of view. There are important and helpful reports detailing occupancy, nationality-wise occupancy, first time guests, sleep-out guests, etc. In addition, Fortune software is used to generate a special occupancy report which has been made mandatory by the police. Then there is the Gate Pass system which helps track incoming vehicles, employee profiling that stores historical information about each employee, making it a ready reference for the security authorities. There is also the incoming call interface that keeps track of all calls received in the hotel room.

IDS has recently developed French version of Fortune Suite software.

The Fortune Suite is available in English, Arabic and now French. The French version of the software was launched to benefit our clients in parts of Africa, where French is the primary language. We are now looking at simplified Chinese and Kanji as our next big projects.

Have you considered developing green technologies?

We have made a beginning by adding our own contribution to the environment by introducing a data archival system that helps store all required files and reports on the system. These were earlier stored away in their large record room that used up a lot of space and paper. Smart workflows, also inbuilt in the solution, help save paper by making the documents available online, for multiple users. We also interface with energy management devices, which are popular with eco-hotels. Most of our reports are now converted to pdf files and can be exchanged over email without the fear of being modified by unauthorised personnel. We have also introduced a new font, which saves ink and, in turn, paper. These initiatives save a minimum of 2,000 sheets (for a large property), reducing printing costs and saving a lot of trees.

How has the economic slowdown affected your business? Are there any software solutions that you provide for cost cutting measures?

Amongst our markets, parts of the Middle East and certain segments such as five and four-star segment in India have seen quite an impact. But we are working hard on helping our clients cut costs in these trying times. We have introduced an interface to Open Office, a viable alternative to MS office, which can be downloaded from the internet free of cost. By replacing MS office with Open Office, hotels can save huge costs (minimum Rs 80,000 for a 60-room property, which could run into several hundred thousands) on investment on licenses.