Hospitality technology solutions provider IDS Next has rolled out two new mobility apps – Envy Dine and Envy Check-in, as part of it’s strategy to invest in developing futuristic solutions for the Indian market. Envy Dine is an intuitive app that allows hotel staff to take orders quickly and accurately, and raise a KOT even while standing by the guest. The Envy Check-in app enables hotel staff to complete check-in formalities even while escorting the guest to their room.
“This year has been very encouraging and full of actions for IDS Next in terms launching new solutions, entering new geographies and acquiring new clients. Both our new apps, as well as our small hotel software, PAX, have received good response from the market. We also entered newer markets and installed our software in Myanmar and Turkey,” said Binu Mathews, CEO, IDS Next Business Solutions.
IDS Next currently has over 3,000 customers in the country and about 60 per cent of the market share in India, with it’s largest presence being is in the mid-market hotel segment, and is looking to consolidate it’s position here, added Mathews. “Our solutions have been well received by Indian hoteliers as most of the large and independent hotel chains use our Hotel ERP. Armed with unmatched domain expertise and a comprehensive Hotel ERP which is growing in the solutions it offers, IDS Next has emerged as the number one player in the Indian hospitality market,” he said.
According to Mathews, the Indian hospitality industry is adopting technology rapidly, both by choice and force. With the boom in internet and mobile usage, travellers are doing their holiday related search and even booking their hotel stay without even a call to the hotel. This trend has made the Indian hotel industry revise their strategy and increasingly adopt technology and mobility solutions.
“Apart from rapidly adopting hotel software to streamline operational processes across departments, hotels in India are also considering other solutions that include offering free Wi-Fi, passport scanner to reduce guest check-in time, web booking engine, online reputation management, revenue management and business intelligence tools to beat the competition and stay profitable. Hospitality technology solutions are much in demand among hotels in India,” he opined.
Speaking about their marketing strategies in India, Mathews stated that the sector is getting very complex and competitive at every level, which has led to IDS Next itself moving away from traditional mediums and using smaller budgets smartly. “One of our largest moves in the last couple of years has been towards digital and online marketing. Another way we have aggressively spread into newer geographies is through partners. We have forged some interesting partnerships in Africa and more recently in parts of Greater India and South East Asia and this had enabled us to do more with less,” he concluded.
