The first survey, titled Hotel IoT Security: Best Practices and State of the Industry, is made possible with underwriting support from Palo Alto Networks, This survey explores the implementation of IoT devices in hotel organizations and the security measures in place to protect against cyberattacks. It also addresses challenges, breaches, and future improvements in IoT security.

The second survey, titled Hotel Pool and Spa Water Management: Best Practices and State of the Industry, is made possible with underwriting support from  VivoAquatics. This survey delves into current pool and spa management practices, including water testing, guest complaints, sustainability initiatives, and future improvements.

The third survey, titled Hotel Guest Data Capture and ID Verification Practices, is made possible with underwriting support from HID Global, part of Assa Abloy. This survey explores challenges in front desk operations, methods of capturing guest data, ID verification processes, and the benefits of using ID document scanners at check-in.

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Earlier this year, Palo Alto Networks, the world’s largest cyber-security technology solution provider, commissioned Starfleet Research, our IT market research firm, to produce a series of research-based content assets focused on best practices in Internet of Things (IoT) Security. The need for unbiased, comprehensive and authoritative resources from a leader in the field of benchmarking best practices in technology-enabled business initiatives was clear.

 

Today, according to the research we conducted for The 2023 Benchmark Report on IoT Security, 46% of businesses, government agencies, and other organizations are still struggling to gain visibility into the ever-growing number of IoT devices on their networks. That 54% of them view their existing cybersecurity solutions as inadequate for protecting against the potential threats posed by IoT devices makes it clear that a vast number of IT and security teams still have a lot of work to do in this area.

As Palo Alto Networks, which is putting these new resources to good use in order to to educate their target prospects, and as the basis for their content marketing and lead generation campaigns, notes in their company blog:

“The number of connected IoT devices will continue to rise in the coming years, reaching an average of over 9,000 devices per enterprise by 2025. Unfortunately, most existing IoT security solutions lack any inbuilt prevention or enforcement and employ dated signature-based discovery methods focused on known devices. Poor IoT security was a factor in several infamous breaches in recent years, including those at SolarWinds and Colonial Pipeline, ultimately costing billions of dollars to remediate.

The 2023 IoT Security Benchmark Report reveals how top-performing organizations use advanced IoT security to protect connected devices from known and unknown threats. The report was developed by Starfleet Research, a world leader in benchmarking best practices in technology-enabled business initiatives. A team of subject matter experts used primary and secondary research techniques that engaged IT and cybersecurity leaders, IT staff and other industry practitioners with firsthand experience with IoT security in their organizations.”

 

Following the publication of The 2023 Benchmark Report on IoT Security, Starfleet Research produced two industry sector-focused reports about IoT Security, one focused on best practices of top-performing organizations in the retail industry and the other focused on best practices of top-performing organizations in the public sector. Both titles are 25 pages in length and provide information, insights and specific guidance for how organizations can safeguard against data breaches and types of other attacks via IoT devices by utilizing next-generation technology to actively monitor network activity, enabling the detection of any abnormal behavior that may indicate a security threat. Additional titles in this series will be announced in the future.

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Last month, Starfleet Research, our IT market research arm, released the latest editions of two hospitality technology titles: The 2023 Smart Decision Guide to Hotel Property Management Systems and The 2023 Smart Decision Guide to Restaurant Management and POS Systems. 

The associated content marketing and lead generation campaigns launch this month. The underwriters, most of which have participated in multiple previous Smart Decision Guide programs as well as other Starfleet Research co-branded content assets, include several of the industry’s largest and most preeminent technology solution providers.

This marks the seventh and sixth editions, respectively, of these two popular Smart Decision Guide titles, widely regarded as the industry’s most authoritative and comprehensive resources for maximizing success with hospitality technologies. The Smart Decision Guides offer practical guidance, including roadmaps for selecting technology solutions that best suit an organization’s specific requirements. 

Produced by some of the world’s leading subject matter experts, and informed by best practices market research involving more than 650 hospitality IT decision makers, both Smart Decision Guide titles have undergone complete revision, updates, and expansion compared to previous editions to reflect the realities of today’s post-pandemic operating environment and the economic and other challenges hospitality organizations currently face as well as the opportunities that lie ahead for them, given the right platform capabilities. 

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We’re pleased to participate, both as a featured speaker, which provides for the opportunity to share our latest insights and guidance based on survey-based research findings, and by helping to drive registrations through various promotional activities, including via our industry publications, databases and partner channels.

A good example is next month’s webinar with Punchh, a PAR Technology company, entitled “How Islands Restaurants is Set Up for Loyalty Success in 2023 and Beyond.” PAR Technology is also an underwriter of The 2023 Smart Decision Guide Restaurant Management and POS Systems.

“Join us as we examine how the revolutionary full service brand, Islands Restaurants, optimized their loyalty program through an innovative strategy crafted from focus group feedback, while also garnering employee buy-in and implementing new acquisition tactics to grow their loyal following. Plus, hear from the research director at Starfleet Research, who also serves as managing editor of Restaurant Technology News, as he shares their latest research on loyalty trends and what you need to do to prepare for success in 2023.” Attendees can register for this upcoming event here.

A co-branded webinar commonly ranks as a solution provider’s best-performing online event in a given year, with archived recordings delivering positive results for months (or even years, in some cases) after the conclusion of the live event. Contact us to schedule an event and/or to learn more about the opportunity.

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Lead Generation

Lead generation campaigns run by Starfleet Media ensure delivery of a guaranteed number of qualified leads over a specified period of time based on the solution provider’s target prospect criteria. These campaigns, which typically complement a solution provider’s own lead gen activities, are offered only for deliverables in specific topic areas, such as hospitality technology. Solution providers benefit from contact databases that are amongst the most comprehensive and up-to-date in the world, industry-leading publications and media properties, an extended publication partner network, advanced SEO/SEM capabilities and strategic partnerships with content syndication providers.

Infographics

Infographics have the power to transform dull data into captivating imagery. An eBook rich in information can require a significant amount of time and attention to fully digest. Turning key takeaways into an infographic can make a lasting impression while driving increased website traffic and brand awareness. Starfleet Research co-branded infographics, which solution providers have successfully used in hundreds of social media and other campaigns over the past decade, may be available as an add-on to further maximize the value of the investment.

Webinars

A co-branded webinar with a Starfleet Research analyst as the featured speaker, sharing some of the survey-based research findings key takeaways featured in the eBook, and with Starfleet Media using its marketing muscle to help promote the event via multiple channels to drive increased registrations, attendance and overall brand awareness, may be another available option. A Starfleet Research co-branded webinar commonly ranks as a solution provider’s best-performing online event in a given year, with archived recordings delivering positive results for months (or even years, in some cases) after the conclusion of the live event.

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The timing for all of these titles couldn’t be better, given recent technology innovations as well as the increased pressure that any companies today face to increase operational efficiencies and maximize revenue outcomes.

The final lineup of Smart Decision Guides is as follows:

For the past decade, Smart Decision Guides have been widely regarded as the most popular, definitive and authoritative digital resources for IT decision makers researching next-generation technology solutions in specific vertical markets. Starfleet Research is a world leader in benchmarking best practices in technology-enabled business initiatives, and our Smart Decision Guides are independently produced to help hotel, restaurant and healthcare professionals make informed decisions about the right technology solutions for their businesses.

Our seasoned market research, project management and production teams handle all aspects of the engagement, from project planning and survey-based research (including survey design, deployment and data analysis) and content development to graphic design and production, providing for a turnkey end-to-end process. We pride ourselves on our unbiased, objective and non-salesy approach to content development. At the same time, Smart Decision Guides are written to reflect each underwriter’s competitive strengths, platform capabilities, and go-to-market messages. Underwriters have the opportunity to review drafts and provide feedback before publication. This ensures that the final product is a valuable resource that meets the needs of our clients.

Underwriting partners have not yet been announced for these titles. If you are a related technology solution provider and you wish to learn about the opportunity to participate as an underwriter, with benefits that include a turnkey content marketing and lead generation program, please contact Marv Allen at Starfleet Media.

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The global digital asset management solutions market is expected to reach $8.2 billion by 2025, growing at a compound annual rate of 15%. This growth is being driven by the increasing need for efficient management of digital assets, as well as the rising adoption of cloud-based DAM solutions. The biggest DAM technology solution providers include Adobe, Oracle, OpenText, Widen, Canto, Bynder, dSPACE, Webdam, Hightail, and WIPLASH. Each of these companies offers a different DAM solution, but all of them share the common goal of helping businesses better manage their digital assets. As the demand for efficient digital asset management solutions continues to grow, we can expect to see even more innovation from these leading providers, as well as a number of up-and-coming players in the DAM technology space, in the years to come.

The 2023 Benchmark Report on Digital Asset Management will explore how top-performing companies are using next-generation DAM capabilities to optimize digital asset organization and access, both inside and outside the organization, automate workflows, manage permissions and ensure brand consistency, based on best practices IT market research. It will benchmark the best practices of top-performing companies in terms of not only technology implementation but also business processes, employee resources and metrics for tracking and measuring success. It will provide insights into what important factors to look for when selecting a technology partner, how to overcome common obstacles during the implementation process, and how to maximize the value of a next-generation DAM solution over time.

The survey that serves as the basis for the research findings launches this quarter. The new benchmark report will publish in Q1. Underwriting partners have not yet been announced. If you are an DAM technology solution provider and you wish to learn about the opportunity to participate as an underwriter, please contact Marv Allen at Starfleet Media.

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Robotics have come a long way in the past couple years and are now poised to revolutionize both the hotel and restaurant industries. In fact, analysts are projecting the market for collaborative robotics and service robotics companies to be $114 billion by 2027.

Some of these robotics were on display at recent industry trade shows hosted by HITEC and the National Restaurant Association. One next-generation robot that caught the attention of virtually every passerby, and which actually made its global debut at the show, is SwiftBot, from Pudu Robotics. Built on the robust performance of its predecessors, SwiftBot is a versatile delivery robot with enhanced navigation skills and flexibility. The robot comes equipped with powerful perceptual abilities that enable right-of-way allocation between itself and diners by quickly adjusting its path in response to signals from the environment through the integration of multimodal interactions.

At the NRA event, Pudu Robotics showcased seven robots. Alongside two other products released earlier this year, its first compound delivery robot PUDU A1 and its first delivery-quadruped robot PUDU D1, Pudu Robotics has formed a multi-link, full-chain intelligent solution for food service applications equipped with a line-up of needed features including customer meeting, greeting and guiding to the table, meal delivery, bussing and dish sterilization, as part of the process for a restaurant-wide intelligent upgrade.

Also on display at the show were the latest wares from Nala Robotics, which ranks as another big player in this space. Nala’s innovations include the world’s first fully automated multi-cuisine chef, a customizable robot that uses machine learning to cook infinite recipes replicated with exact precision anytime, anywhere.  This week, the company unveiled Pizzaiola, a fully automated, multi-cuisine, 7-axis robotic chef + kitchen that operates within a 12’ x 12’ space, providing a complete solution for restaurateurs to easily customize a pizzeria-style eatery with expanded menu items such as pasta, salads, burgers and wings, among other options.

Equipped with natural language processing features, Pizzaiola is designed to respond to voice menu orders at the point-of-sale or operational commands in the kitchen, saving time for customers and vastly improving productivity. Additionally, more than 1,200 parameters are checked every microsecond, ranging from robot field of vision and food quality to point-of-sales, ensuring safety and enhanced productivity.

Nala Robotics’ modular solution also gives kitchens the opportunity to choose from a variety of pizza ovens, including traditional, conveyor-style and brick. Other appliances such as friers, grills, pasta and salad stations can be easily added.

Yet another big player is KEENON Robotics, which offers its own line of robotic solutions for various scenarios including restaurants and hotels. KEENON Robotics is a strategic partner of Softbank Robotics and Hyundai Robotics. In September 2021, KEENON completed a $200 million Series D financing led by Softbank Vision Fund 2, marking the largest funding ever received by a service robot company.

Among the robots from KEENON that were on display at the show was a robot waiter who assists human waiters in serving and returning used dishes efficiently as a food runner robot, allowing human waiters to save time and focus their energy on customer service, vastly improving the overall efficiency and service level of the restaurant. A hotel delivery robot was there, too. This robot is designed to be able to take the elevator to any floor and deliver room service any time of the day or night, providing the most reliable contactless and privacy-aware room delivery services.

Another hospitality robot from KEENON serves up advertisements on two high-definition digital displays to welcome customers or solicit passers-by and guide them to their seats, simultaneously heightening efficiency and delivering a fun experience. KEENON even had a disinfection robot. Equipped with professional disinfection lights and sprayers that efficiently kill both surface and airborne bacteria and viruses, providing efficient and expedient sanitation services in public spaces

.KEENON Robotics robots are equipped with a fully autonomous positioning and navigation system in tandem with highly sensitive perception and obstacle avoidance technologies to adapt to a variety of complex real-world application scenarios and enable safe, reliable, and efficient service robot solutions.

RichTech Robots, which also provides a line of robotic solutions designed to help restaurants resolve operation challenges and increase efficiency, also had its share of robots zooming around the exhibition floor. The robots are customizable and autonomous and programmed to avoid collisions by navigating around obstacles and work incredibly well in doing so. One robot, dubbed Matradee, is capable of opening kitchen doors, allowing deliveries to go from the kitchen to the table.

Bear Robotics, a leading innovator of hospitality robotics and artificial intelligence solutions, today announced the completion of a $81 million Series B funding round. New investor IMM led the round with participation from Cleveland Avenue, LLC and other existing investors. To date, Bear Robotics has raised $117 million in total funding, including a $32 million Series A funding round in January 2020 led by SoftBank.

With its headquarters in Silicon Valley and roots in the restaurant industry, Bear Robotics has engineered solutions such as the company’s flagship product named Servi, an all-in-one, fully autonomous mobile robotics answer to daily repetitive work encountered by hospitality employees. The new Series B investment will be used to accelerate Bear Robotics’ efforts in adding new products that complement the increasing need for automation in the hospitality space and expanding the company’s reach into new markets around the world.

By utilizing AI and self-driving technology, Bear Robotics deploys robots to take care of everything from drink serving to food running and table bussing, allowing hosts and waitstaff to focus on delivering outstanding service. Headquartered in Redwood City, CA, Bear Robotics’ multi-award-winning robots tackle tough jobs in fine-tuned fashion across a range of restaurants, corporate campuses, hotels, ghost kitchens, senior care facilities, and casinos across North America and Asia.

Last month, Ally Robotics, yet another player in the restaurant robotics space, launched a campaign to raise up to $8.5 million in seed capital via equity crowdfunding site WAX. Ally is already backed by restaurant automation solution provider Miso Robotics, which signed a statement of intent to become Ally’s first partner and purchase its robotic arms for its Flippy 2 product line, representing a potential revenue of $30 million.

Ally Robotics is developing cost-effective and easy-to-use robotic arms to fill a massive market need in the restaurant and hospitality industry. The unique hardware and no-code software technology that Ally is developing will also enable sensing control, so the robotic arm understands the world around it.

Miso Robotics, whose restaurant robotics and intelligent automation solutions have already made inroads into many restaurant brands (including, most recently, Chipotle and Panera Bread, recently announced that the company is working together with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to begin testing the software powering its Flippy 2 and Flippy Lite robots using AWS RoboMaker. The move to AWS RoboMaker is projected to allow Miso to run up to fifty simulations at once and will reportedly help the company turn future prototypes into functional products at a much quicker rate.

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The research findings inform our multi-sponsored Smart Decision Guides as well as our co-branded eBooks, infographics, webinars and other content assets that help educate the marketplace and enable executives make smarter buying decisions. Hospitality IT has always been, and continues to be, a big focus area of our research activities.

In fact, we just launched several new surveys in the hospitality sector. We would welcome your participation if you’re an executive, manager or team member of a hotel, resort or other lodging property.

New surveys include the following:

2021 Hotel Technology Survey: Smart TVs and Digital Signage (in partnership with Samsung Electronics America)

Independent Hotels: Technology Best Practices (in partnership with Oracle Hospitality)

Independent Gaming Properties: Technology Best Practices (in partnership with Oracle Hospitality)

Your input will help inform our upcoming research studies. Your answers will be kept anonymous and you will not receive spam. You will receive an invitation to download the co-branded eBooks when they become available.

Your input will also help protect the environment. That’s because Starfleet Media has committed to donating $2.00 to Ecologi, a social enterprise that allows small businesses to make a positive impact on climate change, with each completed survey.

Each month, Ecologi selects different climate projects to fund on behalf of sponsoring companies. These projects include reforestation, renewable energy investment, forest protection, wildlife corridor support and cleaning drinking water infrastructure.

Over the past two years, Starfleet Media has helped support projects that include producing electricity from solar energy in Vietnam and producing energy from waste rice husks in India.

We appreciate the participation of our survey respondents. Their willingness to share their experiences, insights and perspectives enable us to produce valuable industry research read by thousands of hospitality IT decision makers and influencers. And now, as an added incentive, their participation also helps support reforestation and carbon offsetting projects.

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