One of these new features is a web-based check-in: guests pay via internet (secure SSL payment) and receive a code in return. This code serves as proof of payment and can be used for other purposes, such as the automated issue of room keys.

Our new tool SIHOT.Mobile improves inter-departmental communication. We will be happy to show you how staff can call up the up-to-date breakfast list on a smartphone.

SIHOT.NEWSNo. 4 | February 2011 SIHOT.MARKET & INDUSTRY | page 1

>> CONTENTS

WWW.SIHOT.COM/MESSEN

ITB 2011 SAME PlACE – NEW lOOK

>>ITBBerlin,9–13MarchHall10.1,Stand121

FurtherHighlightsInclude:>>automatic processing of waiting lists>>customer-specific configuration of tabs in dialogs>>individual database extensions>>advanced rate management using client-specific scripts>>new functions for Multiple Property Editions

Market & Industry ...................... 1ITB Berlin 2011

Product & Company ................... 2New Features

People .................................... 2 | 3International, Jochen Conrad

Anniversary ................................ 4SIHOT Turns 25

Focus ........................................... 5PCI Compliance

Tip ............................................... 6SIHOT.System: Tips & Tricks

Contact ....................................... 6

GUBSEtoExhibitNewSIHOT-Version8.1Edition2011

110.000 industry professionals attended the ITB last year. Once again, the international travel trade industry will meet in Berlin from 9th to 13th March 2011. We look forward to seeing you at our brand new exhibition stand where we will be presenting the new SIHOT Version 8.1 with a host of interesting new features.

Forappointmentsduringtheshow,pleasecontactyourlocalagentorourSalesDepartmentdirectly.Alternatively,requestanappointmentonline:

>> Tip page 6

>> 25 YEARS OF SIHOT page 4

>> Online Questionnaire page 2

YEARS SIHOT

SendingHTML-E-MailsAn interesting new product feature is now available for SIHOT users with a Version 7.2 or higher: as part of the Sales-Module, automatic e-mails can now be sent in HTML-format.

To configure automatic e-mails, access the respective dialog via the “Master Files” menu - “Sales & Marketing”. When selecting an HTML-layout, the format for sending the e-mail will be adjusted automatically.

HTML-layouts can be managed in the dialog “template layouts”, where you can copy, delete, edit and rename the templates.

E-mails in HTML-format are often used to give guests information regarding their forthcoming vacation or to thank guests for a recent stay. They often con-tain links to the hotel’s website and are designed to build a longlasting relation-ship with customers.

OnlineGuestQuestionnaireThe use of guest questionnaires to ob-tain customer feedback is a traditional element of quality management. Howe-ver, guests have become less and less likely to complete these forms by hand. The alternative is to offer a more modern approach by using the new feedback-tool.

After check-out, guests receive an e-mail with a link to an online questi-onnaire. The questionnaire’s design is variable to ensure it complies with the hotel’s corporate identity. The contents, i.e. questions, multiple choice answers and language options are also variable to suit each individual property.

In order to draw conclusions from the feedback, an analysis tool can be ac-cessed directly. Here you can check in-dividual answers in detail or view totals. Graphics are available in HTML, PDF and Excel format. All data can be exported into Excel sheets or Word documents.

The online questionnaire is another tool offered within SIHOT.System for mana-ging customer relations in a modern and efficient way, keeping you informed of what your guests think.

SIHOT.PRODUCT & COMPANY | page 2 No. 4 | February 2011

NEW FEATURES

Over the past few years, SIHOT has gained more and more international cli-ents. To accommodate the growing de-mand, GUBSE has developed its pres-ence not only in Germany but also further afield: >>In Germany with offices in Schiff- weiler (headquarters), Berlin, Hamburg and Reutlingen>> In Spain with branches in Valencia, Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona>>In São Paulo, Brazil with an office responsible for South America >>And a new office in Sydney, Australia, which will look after the Asia-Pacific region.

The GUBSE staff at these locations sup-port clients not only in their own lan-guage, they also make it possible to react quickly to local particularities and latest market developments.To support the ongoing international expansion, GUBSE has recently hired two new members for the Sales team, who will be acquiring new clients and business partners internationally:

Bérénice Ndiaye-Figoluschka joined the Berlin-team late last year. Originally from France, her main focus will be Central

and Eastern Europe as well as the Middle East. She will also be responsible for es-tablishing local agents in these regions.

At the same time, Marc Llobet i Baxarias was recruited to support the Iberian Sales Office. Marc is a Marketing specialist and has excellent inside knowledge, having sold hotel software for the past 11 years. He will be working from a new office in Barcelona.

SIHOT.INTERNATIONAl

Bérénice Ndiaye-Figoluschka

Marc Llobet i Baxarias

No. 4 | February 2011 SIHOT.PEOPlE | page 3

SIHOT.INSIDER

The SIHOT Business Partners form a network of specialists around the globe. Thanks to their know-how with regards to local regulations and legal issues, SI-HOT can be easily adapted to fit into the working requirements of the different countries. In this issue, we introduce our Premium Partner Computadores Y Datos (short: CD).

Premium Partners are authorised to in-stall SIHOT.PMS, SIHOT.POS and other SIHOT.System products and to conduct user training.

Stephan Rose and Michael Hoffmann founded the company in 1988 in the little town of Chio, Teneriffe. With their first installation of a PMS with an

accounting system in 1990, the twoGerman expats decided to specialise in offering IT solutions for the hotel in-dustry. From the beginning, the com-pany used a very technical approach together with reliability and consistency to attract new clients and maintain ex-cellent customer relations.

Since 2004, CD offers all-in-one solu-tions with SIHOT, starting with consul-ting, project management, training, hard- and software installation as well as support and after-sales. Their long-standing relationship with DATISA, a leading Spanish Accounting & Stock Management (ERP) developer, led to a complete integration of the program with SIHOT.PMS.

ServiceandPerspectiveCD is also busy in the F&B sector, ha-ving equipped the properties of five-star chain Adrian Hotels with 25 POS terminals and 30 handheld devices. Apart from the Canary Islands, CD has also managed several SIHOT installa-tions in Mexico and the Caribbean.

COMPUTADORES Y DATOS PARTNER OF GUBSE AG

For Jochen Conrad, Head of Develop-ment and Executive Director, program-ming is more than just a job: it’s a passion! He joined GUBSE as far back as 1988 and is familiar with all SIHOT versions, knowing the program inside and out. Meticulously and with a lot of enthusiasm he manages to implement even the most demanding require-ments.

What is your present project? We have just completed SIHOT Version 8.1. The main focus in this version is on MPE- and CRS-functions as well as automatic

processing of tasks triggered by certa-in events. In addition, the integration of SIHOT into other systems has kept us busy, e.g. the integration with SAP or the interface to the Channel Manager via HTNG. We are now starting work on Version 9.0.

Which leads us to the next question: Where will the IT-development lead to in the near future? We have a very so-lid product which works for single pro-perties as well as in a multi-property environment. However, the require-ments regarding web are on the incre-ase. This is why we are developing an additional web-based GUI for SIHOT. Depending on the individual require-ment, clients can then choose which way to access SIHOT: by web-browser, via remote-desktop or by working with a local installation of SIHOT. A combi-nation of these options will also be pos-sible.

What was your most difficult program-ming assignment? Due to a little-known design decision in Microsoft 64 Bit Win-dows, it may happen that programme exceptions are not triggered. This, in turn, may affect the programme in a way its state becomes corrupted and difficult to debug. It was a technical challenge to diagnose and deal with this situation. Those interested may find details and the technical background information in Paul Betts’ blog or in the Microsoft Knowledgebase (KB 976038).

You are an active member of your tech-nical college‘s alumni. What is your advice to young people wanting to join the industry? Forthcoming IT people should be open for and interested in all sorts of trends; however, they should not follow these trends indiscriminately. Software development requires a good deal of own ideas and creativity, not to mention a sound theoretical basis.

Jochen Conrad

Michael Hoffmann, Fernando Torres, Stephan Rose

SIHOT.ANNIVERSARY | page 4 No. 4 | February 2011

ThemodularInformationandManagementSystemcelebratesits25-YearAnniversary

Vast differences mark the beginnings of the original programme designed for caravan sites and today’s edition, which provides an all-encompassing solution for modern hospitality management. Nowadays, SIHOT fulfils the require-ments of boarding houses, youth hos-tels, hotels and chains of all kinds and sizes alike.

In order to meet these requirements, SIHOT.System consists of 16 modules to complement the SIHOT.PMS as needed.

Technological advances nowadays allow for the basic installation of SIHOT.PMS in a mere 20 minutes via remote con-nection – the early Unix version took an entire day, an array of floppy disks and tapes. Also, data bases have grown in size from a standard of 20 MB to an average of 10 GB. Efficient data storage facilities and improved data processing have made it possible to manage these vast amounts of data in fractions of time. This also affects the IT-structure of hotel chains, which tend to move their installations to one central server rather than maintaining a local server in each property.

SIHOT and our company GUBSE have grown during these past years from a handful of computer enthusiasts to a workforce of 90 committed and highly-qualified staff in nine offices worldwide.

25 years of SIHOT stand for unique flexibility, stability and success. They include the ideas, critique and back-up of clients and users who are suppor-ting our endeavour to maximise the program’s potential at every stage. This input enables and pushes us to provide a product of the highest quality possible.

25 years of SIHOT is a long time - espe-cially in an industry as changeable as the IT business. We are, therefore, very proud indeed to have come so far. They shall serve as a motivation to conti-nue developing SIHOT along-side the technical innovations of the present and future.

25 years of SIHOT are also marked by a great number of longstanding and interpersonal relationships with our clients, which are very much appreciated. The team behind SIHOT is looking forward to many more mutually successful years.

ThefirstSIHOTVersiononaUnixplatformwasreleasedin1986,aimingtoprovidehotelierswithacomprehensiveandpracticalsoftwaresolution,basedonthelatesttechnologyavailable.Owingtoitssteadyandproactivedevelopment,SIHOT.Systemhasbe-comeoneoftheleadingproductsonthemarket.

YEARS SIHOT

HandlingthePCI-Require-mentsinSIHOT.PMSSIHOT.PMS features a number of me-chanisms helping you to adhere to the PCI-requirements.

ProtectCardholderDataProtecting cardholder data means that data must be stored no longer than ne-cessary and that access must be res-tricted as much as possible. Also, any stored data must be encrypted at all times.SIHOT.PMS stores the credit card num-ber as well as the expiry date only for the duration of a transaction (starting with the reservation up until settle-ment). The CVC-number is not stored. After completing the transaction, the programme PCI Compliance overwrites the card number and expiry date. The Pro-gramme database clearance deletes the data.An AES-algorithm is used to encrypt the data while it is stored in the database during the transaction. The log-files of the system never show a complete credit card number. The number shown includes only the last couple of digits, the number of which is defined in the SIHOT-registry. The same registry-entry also deter-mines the number of digits to be dis-played in different dialogs, printed mat-ters and data exports.Another registry-setting determines whether or not and for how long the credit card data is being stored after a transaction. The data is deleted during the night audit with the running of the programme “database clearance”.

EncryptedTransmissionSIHOT.PMS does not transmit confiden-tial cardholder data across open, public networks. For online pre-authorisations and payments, SIHOT.PMS transmits

the required data within the local net-work or on the same server (depending on the provider) to the electronic pay-ment provider. The latter must ensure encrypted transmission for confiden-tial data on open, public networks ac-cording to PCI-standards.

AccessControlAccess control calls for mechanisms limiting the availability of information or information processing resources to authorized persons or applications only. This mechanism is incorporated in SIHOT.PMS in form of user rights.Access to credit card data stored for the duration of a transaction can be controlled within SIHOT.PMS by gran-ting different rights to different user groups.

ApplyingPCI-StandardsinSIHOT.POSAny outlet connected to SIHOT must fulfil with the same standards; there-fore, SIHOT.POS has been equipped with the necessary technical require-ments to comply with the DSS.For example, the card data read by the POS application is transferred to the interface module „RMSPAY.DLL” with-out being stored. The module formats the data and transmits the same to SIHOT.PMS. There is no storage of the request outside the module. Also, the card number is encrypted on the in-voice as well as on the invoice copy stored in the system.

ChecklistTo ensure that your system is confi-gured to meet all PCI-requirements, a checklist can be provided on request.

PCI COMPlIANCE The subject of “PCI compliance” is im-portant to most SIHOT customers. It is the mandatory global security stan-dard of the largest credit card com-panies which was introduced in 2007. PCI stands for “Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS)“. It states precise procedures for dealers and providers working with or proces-sing credit cards, to help facilitate the broad adoption of consistent data secu-rity measures on a global basis.PCI compliance, i.e. the verifiable ad-herence of a company (such as a hotel or boarding house) to these procedures is being checked by the individual credit card companies. If standards are not being followed, the credit card com-panies are entitled to cancel the co-operation. The number of transactions determines whether a hotel has to be tested or certified. As a rule, a dealer processing less than 20.000 credit card payments per year must comply with the stan-dard; however, a certification is not compulsory.The requirements of the DSS are di-vided into 12 points. With regards to our applications SIHOT.PMS and SIHOT.POS, we support our clients actively in applying the standards by ensuring the software adheres to the following requirements:

>>Requirement3 Protect stored cardholder data

>>Requirement4 Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks

>>Requirement5regarding access control measures

The remaining requirements fall into the responsibility of the integrator of the system.

No. 4 | February 2011 SIHOT.FOCUS | page 5

Display of card data in the guest profile

GUBSE AGBahnhofstraße 28D-66578 Schiffweiler

phone +49 6821 96 46-400

Order online:www.sihot.com/newsletter

Issued quarterly

EditorChristine EthellMarketing/Documentations

layout/Productionwww.hoch4.de

>> SIHOT.NEWS IS PUBlISHED BY

SIHOT.SYSTEM: TIPS & TRICKS

SIHOT.TIP | page 6 No. 4 | February 2011

www.sihot.com

AccountsasofV.7.2In addition to the description, a com-ment can be added to a posting on a bill. Select “description and comment” from the invoice text combobox and enter a comment via context menu.

Listbox showing the comment in a tooltip

Quick-StartBarasofV.7.4There is a quick-start bar at the left side of the SIHOT screen, which enables you to quickly access frequently used dia-logs, programmes and reports.

As standard, quick-start bar contains the following directories:

>>Recently used: Shows dialogs, programmes and reports used lately. This is a history of approx. 29 entries, depending on screen configurations.>>Tools: Directory containing pre-set sub-folders for links, favourites and remote support.

TurnawaysasofV.7.2You can call up a turn-away-dialog to quickly record any rooms that the hotel was unable to confirm due to rate res-trictions or a high occupancy, for exa-mple. The dialog can be called up via the Front–Office-menu or via the cate-gory rack. Mark the category and the dates, enter “t” and the number of rooms rejected.

Using the reservation search functions, you can specifically search for turned-away reservations during certain peri-ods. The turnaways can also be shown in the report “summary (year) availa-ble/occupied”, where they will then be listed in the “occupied”-column.

Turn-away dialog

Quick-Start-Bar

Dashboard

DashboardasofV.7.2Use the dashboard function to open specific dialogs automatically after log-ging in to SIHOT. This is a user-specific function, so you can select exactly those dialogs you are accessing most.To define a dashboard-dialog, click on the SIHOT-icon in the header of the respective dialog and select the com-mand “dashboard active”.

Apart from the standard folders, you can add further user-specific directories and sub-directories as required via the context menu. Then, call up the dialog to be added to the quick-start bar. Click on the SIHOT- icon for the system menu and select Control Panel: Add.The quick-start bar can be (de-) activated in the “windows-menu”.

EventReservationsasofV.7.2The event reservation immediately shows the appropriate icons for orderers who are blacklisted or on prepayment.

Event reservation: blacklist and pre-payment