Heartland Payment Systems and OpenBook Bring State-of-the-Art Data Security to Lodging Industry
Integrated Offerings to Improve Secure Payment Services for Hoteliers
PRINCETON, N.J. & REXBURG, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Heartland Payment Systems(R) and OpenBook(R) -- a division of Yellowstone Hotel Systems -- plan on delivering secure payments to the hotel and lodging industry by integrating Heartland's E3(TM) end-to-end encryption solution with OpenBook's property management software. Heartland is one of the nation's largest payments processors and the American Hotel & Lodging Association's official preferred provider of card processing, check management, payroll and tip management services.
This integrated offering is expected to enable hotels using OpenBook software to protect sensitive cardholder and payment account information with E3, a technology that is designed to provide the highest degree of data security in the marketplace. Typically, cardholder data is unencrypted -- visible in clear text -- as it leaves a hotelier's system, putting it at risk of being compromised in transit.
With an E3 terminal or wedge, data is instantly encrypted the moment a card is swiped. E3 uses what is believed to be the strongest encryption methods available to safeguard cardholder data at rest and in motion throughout the lifecycle of payments transactions ... from the moment of card swipe ... to and through the OpenBook system and Heartland's processing network ... to participating card brands. E3 is designed to offer full lifecycle protection, not merely point-to-point like most competing solutions, and render payment data useless in the event of a compromise.
"Cardholder and payment data is particularly vulnerable in the lodging industry where point-of-sale systems, shared systems among chains, wireless networks and a high volume of card transactions are typical," said Zack Paul, president and chief executive officer of OpenBook. "By addressing these unique compliance and data security needs, Heartland and OpenBook enable hoteliers to protect their businesses -- and their customers."
E3 is expected to be widely available in the second quarter of this year. This joint offering is scheduled to be available in advance of Visa's mandated security regulations that require merchants to use a Payment Card Industry (PCI)-compliant payment application by July 1, 2010. Every business that accepts credit/debit/prepaid card payments -- and stores, processes or transmits payment card data -- must meet the PCI Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). This means merchants cannot use an application that stores prohibited data elements, such as magnetic strip or PIN data.
E3 is intended to satisfy Visa's mandate and reduce the costs of PCI compliance as well as the risks of being non-compliant. Non-compliant lodging establishments may face penalties and costly fines that can range in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. E3 is designed to have a tamper-resistant POS terminal, magnetic stripe reader/wedge and other devices and software tools that will never store cardholder data on a business' system, which is expected to relieve the business of PCI card data liability. In the unlikely case of a data breach for a merchant properly using E3, Heartland will reimburse breach-related fines.
"E3 provides hoteliers with unparalleled security and business-continuity protection," said Dan Keegan, Heartland's director of technology alliances. "And, it does this without costing more. Unlike other technologies on the market, Heartland's E3 solution is robust and cost-competitive. Many encryption offerings come with 'junk' fees -- like security, additional transaction and monthly fees. Heartland does not believe hoteliers should have to pay more to be secure. As such, Heartland does not charge more for its encryption and security services. Hoteliers simply purchase E3 wedges and terminals -- which are competitively priced with existing hardware in the marketplace that does not feature security protection. There are no extra fees or taxes for the security."
For more information on E3 -- and to download a just-released white paper, "Card Payment Security for the Small Merchant," written by George Peabody of Mercator Advisory Group -- visit E3secure.com. To learn more about the Heartland/OpenBook solution, email OpenBookReferrals@e-hps.com. To request photos of E3 hardware, contact LBrown@VaultCommunications.com.
About Heartland Payment Systems
Heartland Payment Systems(NYSE: HPY), the 5th largest payments processor in the United States, delivers credit/debit/prepaid card processing, payroll, check management and payments solutions to more than 250,000 business locations nationwide. Heartland is the founding supporter of The Merchant Bill of Rights, a public advocacy initiative that educates merchants about fair credit and debit card processing practices. For more information, please visit HeartlandPaymentSystems.com, MerchantBillOfRights.org, CostOfABurger.com and E3secure.com.
About OpenBook
OpenBook specializes in property management, channel management, website design, online marketing and reservation assistance for all types of hotels across North America. OpenBook provides consistent revenue enhancements through integrated business solutions for the hotel industry. The company's business model offers a complete arrangement of products and resources to streamline every component of the hotel management and online marketing process. For more information, please visit OpenBookit.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain statements of a forward-looking nature, which represent our management's beliefs and assumptions concerning future events. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions and are based on information currently available to us. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements due to many factors, including, without limitation, the risks that we may be unable to successfully develop and implement end-to-end encryption technology, the card brands may not agree to accept encrypted data, the market may not accept the change from current encryption technology to end-to-end encryption technology and our end-to-end encryption may not work as intended. Information concerning these factors is contained in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to, the Company's annual report on Form 10- K, or Form 10-Q as applicable. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.
Source: Heartland Payment Systems and OpenBook
Reservation Assistance Q&A
Q: What is Reservation Assistance?
A: Reservation assistance is a new service provided by OpenBook in which highly trained reservation specialists are ready to receive calls 24/7 from travelers who need assistance in booking a reservation online. A toll free number is provided to each participating property and can either be placed on the property website, booking tool or property managers can simply have calls forwarded to the number when the front desk is busy or unavailable. A live chat link can also be provided for placement on the property website or booking tool.
Q: Why did OpenBook choose to start offering Reservation Assistance?
A: OpenBook is constantly trying to improve the rate of online booking for our customers. A 2009 study showed that the average shopping cart abandonment rate is currently around 60% - 70% for most properties. Excuses for leaving the booking tool without making a reservation included: Couldn’t find customer support (22%) and Security concerns with booking over the internet (21%). Reservation Assistance was created as a solution to these excuses. With Reservation Assistance travelers can have their concerns about security eliminated because they can book with a friendly, confident specialist, and can receive 24/7 customer support while booking—all without creating more work for the front desk.
Q: How will Reservation Assistance affect my property?
A: By letting our professional 24/7 Reservation Assistance Specialists answer a portion of your property phone calls, you as a property manager can maintain fewer front desk employees and free the rest of them up to attend to the needs of the customers at the property. We also understand that many properties, due to financial reasons, choose to decrease their front desk hours during their slow season—Reservation Assistance is the solution. Post our toll free phone number and live chat link on your website or booking tool, or just forward your phones when you are unavailable—then sit back and relax.
Q: Can I trust those who will be answering the phones to treat my travelers well?
A: Yes. Trained 24/7 Reservation Assistance Specialists are those who will be answering the phone. These aren’t just call center employees, all specialists have been trained in proper phone etiquette and have extensive customer service experience. They are also specialized with hospitality backgrounds and in helping guests complete their bookings. Specialists pride themselves in their knowledge about each property.
Q: Does OpenBook have the information about my property and services?
A: The first thing that happens when a property begins Reservation Assistance is extensive research on OpenBook’s side to obtain detailed information about the property policies, the amenities, the rooms, events, attractions and specials. OpenBook has a state of the art database that displays the information quickly and concisely to our specialist so that the traveler will never know the difference between the front desk and OpenBook. Reservation Assistance Specialists also frequently contact the property to make sure that all of the information on file is completely updated and correct. It’s an ongoing, rewarding process.
Q: Who should I contact if I want to learn more?
A: If you would like to learn more please contact the OpenBook corporate office at 1-866-342-6099 or visit our website at www.openbookit.com and click on “Products and Services”.
Hotel Brokers International Forms Strategic Alliance with OpenBook: Newly Formed Partnership Aims to Elevate Hotel Performance
KANSAS CITY, Mo., December 21, 2009—Hotel Brokers International (HBI), the nation’s largest hotel brokerage organization with more than 30 offices coast to coast, announced the formation of a strategic alliance with OpenBook, to establish a referral system between the two companies.
The partnership establishes HBI as the preferred broker for OpenBook clients, which will provide referrals to HBI brokers. In turn, HBI will recommend leads to OpenBook of hotel owners or managers seeking to increase their profits through the company’s array of marketing and technology services.
“This co-marketing and referral partnership is a beneficial situation for both organizations,” said Brandt Niehaus, HBI board member, and president of Huff, Niehaus & Associates. “HBI has substantially more brokers in more locations than any other hotel brokerage organization, which gives us better local market intelligence. OpenBook has delivered a 30% increase in revenue growth to its hotel customers by building them a successful web presence, marketing them online, and allowing travelers to book quickly and easily online. Combined, we’ll extend our market reach and understanding, serving hotel owners with increased profitability or with buying and selling expertise.”
“Our two companies reinforce each other’s offering – where OpenBook increases hotel performance, and HBI brokers know the market for hospitality transactions,” said Zack Paul, OpenBook’s founder, and CEO. “This partnership indicates the confidence that both organizations have in one another and we have confidence in jointly delivering new value to the hotel industry.”
Paul also emphasized OpenBook’s focus on delivering profitability to mid-market hotels. “OpenBook’s recent track record of delivering results, even in a difficult economy is part of why it has grown quickly,” he said. “We will work with HBI brokers to help them represent OpenBook’s various pay-for-performance services simply and effectively to their network of hotel owners.”
About OpenBook
OpenBook elevates a hotel's profit by generating more bookings via the following success-based fee services:
• Website design -- property websites search engine optimized for Google searchers
• Hotel marketing -- pay-per-click advertising and strategic linking campaigns
• Online booking tools -- hotel bookings from website, Expedia, and GDS
• Purchasing services – portal with discounted products and services
OpenBook has delivered services to independent hotels based on a unique success-only fee, assuring deep alignment with client needs. The company has grown to serve hundreds of hotels since its founding in 2003 by hotel owner and software executive Zack Paul and vertical industry technology expert Dudley Chapman. To learn more about the hotel reservation software, hotel marketing, or property websites, visit www.openbookit.com.
About Hotel Brokers International
Hotel Brokers International, with more than 75 hotel brokerage specialists, is the world’s leading hotel sales organization. Celebrating more than 50 years of successful hotel real estate transactions, the organization annually accounts for the largest share of mid-market hotel sales in the United States. The organization’s database currently comprises more than 150 property listings and the HBI website attracts more than 30,000 monthly site visitors from approximately 40 different countries.
Founder and host of the popular Hotel Investor’s Marketplace, HBI also developed the Certified Hotel Broker designation program and publishes TransActions Recap, the industry’s leading source of hotel real estate sales data. In addition to broker services, HBI offers affiliate membership to professionals in allied fields, including franchising, lending, appraisals and investment services. For more information about HBI’s hotel listings or to become a broker or affiliate member, visit www.hbihotels.com.
Contact:
Glenda Webb
Hotel Brokers International
(816) 505-4315
CarolAnn Buck
OpenBook
(208) 624-0374
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OpenBook Launches New Buying Group: OpenBook Purchasing
Hotels typically spend more than 80 percent of its revenues on employees, room replenishment, IT hardware and support, and office supplies. OpenBook is pleased to announce that its clients can now save time and money by participating in OpenBook Purchasing, a purchasing group focused on providing key products and services for lower cost.
“Very early on, we recognized that our clients were usually too small individually to negotiate advantageous prices and terms with national product and service providers,” said Zack Paul, OpenBook’s CEO. “Armed with the purchasing power of thousands of client hotel rooms, we’ve partnered with best-in-class vendors who will conveniently deliver high quality products and services at a discount.”
OpenBook Purchasing customers will have access to discounts that leverage more than $100 million of annual purchases. Through OpenBook Purchasing, customers conveniently obtain cost savings on their purchases and other value added services to improve both their operations and bottom line.
Paul emphasized the simplicity of OpenBook Purchasing. “We organized the products and services into an easy-to-navigate portal that displays each main expense category – employees, rooms, maintenance, office supplies, and key IT needs,” he said. “Instead of hunting through dozens of websites and vendors, we’ve identified vendors who specialize in serving our small/medium sized independent hotels like our clients.”
Participation in OpenBook Purchasing is offered free of charge to OpenBook clients at this time.
Hotel Marketing: The Key for Properties in a Tough Travel Industry
Check out our recent press release that has been picked up by Google News, Yahoo and a number of other Hospitality News Organizations!
(PRWEB) November 11, 2009 -- OpenBook, an industry leading hotel reservation management company, has overseen 30 percent average increase in client hotel bookings over the past year. Increased hotel revenue is not a surprise to OpenBook and its clients -– even in a challenging economy. Why? Hotels enlisting OpenBook’s powerful combination of savvy hotel marketing, world-class property websites, and intuitive hotel reservation software have regularly seen remarkable returns on their efforts.
Brenna, owner of Moose Creek Cabins near Yellowstone Park had this to say about their experience with OpenBook’s marketing services, "We implemented online search engine marketing with OpenBook and the bookings started immediately. Our business began to soar. We were amazed at how quickly things changed. The first summer was great, we have raised prices, and revenue continues to grow each season."
OpenBook CEO Zack Paul said of the positive client results, “The key for hotels to be successful in the today’s travel market is to get their site at the top of every search engine results page. And the only way to get there is through hotel marketing online. Because 60 percent of leisure and 40 percent of business travel will be completely booked online in the US in 2009, a strong internet marketing presence is absolutely mandatory to succeed or even survive today.”
The hotel marketing services of OpenBook range from Search Engine Marketing to Social Media. “The strategies employed have proven effective, with returns on advertising spending as high as 1000% for many clients. Web marketing strategies are only effective with a correctly designed and coded hotel website, according to Kelly Horner, OpenBook Revenue Manager.
“Many hotel owners seem satisfied that a website developed by a friend or family member will work just fine; they don’t feel the need to invest in one designed and coded by professional website developers. Unfortunately, falling revenue will tell them otherwise,” said Horner.
OpenBook’s property websites are comprehensive. Clients can choose from a successful design in a template gallery, or they can combine a number of design combinations to create their own. The difference though, is what is behind the graphics and text – website code. Search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing have a hard time finding web sites that don’t include search engine optimized code. Correct code allows carefully crafted Search Engine Marketing or pay-per-click advertising efforts to elevate a property’s visibility on the internet and thereby generate more bookings.
Clients also credit Openbook’s intuitive hotel reservation software as having a substantial impact on profits. The software automates the responsibilities of front desk personnel and property managers by offering 30 property reporting features, real-time reservation management integrated with GDS based travel agencies and IDS powerhouses like Expedia, as well as OpenBook’s online booking tool. The software also makes reservation management at the front desk very simple.
“Keeping our services software simple and user-friendly is our primary goal. We aim to be a marketing and technology partner with hotels. After all, when key activities are automated, personnel can spend more time helping guests and creating lasting, loyal relationships,” said Paul.
About OpenBook: OpenBook elevates a hotel's profit by generating more bookings via the following success-based fee services: OpenBook has delivered these services to independent hotels based on a unique success-only fee, assuring deep alignment with client needs. The company has grown to serve hundreds of hotels since its founding in 2003 by hotel owner and software executive Zack Paul and vertical industry technology expert Dudley Chapman.
To accommodate increasing demand for its services, OpenBook is currently seeking experienced sales people. If interested, please email resume to humanresources@yellowstonehs.com.
To learn more about the hotel reservation software, hotel marketing, or property websites OpenBook offers, visit www.openbookit.com. For more information, please contact:
CarolAnn Buck OpenBook 866.342.6099 info(at)yellowstonehs.com http://www.openbookit.com
OpenBook Launches New Corporate Website
By CarolAnn Buck
OpenBook's new website makes it even easier for hotel owners to get started using a unique success-only internet marketing and technology service to increase a hotel's bookings and profits.
For Immediate Release:
Rexburg, Idaho, October 12, 2009 -- OpenBook is pleased to announce its launch of a new corporate website at http://www.openbookit.com. OpenBook CEO Zack Paul indicated that the new site, "was designed to help hotel owners understand and engage our unique services that yielded our clients 31% more bookings."
The new site aims to provide clear guidance for owners seeking online bookings via sophisticated services like online reservation software, website design, and internet marketing. Paul explains that, "our aim was to provide easy understanding, navigation, and connection to key products, services, and people, while effectively modeling the same world-class presence and secure transaction capabilities we deliver to our clients on their websites. We want hotel owners to quickly understand what we provide and feel comfortable reaching out for more information with our seasoned team."
About OpenBook:
OpenBook elevates a hotel's profit by generating more bookings via the following success-based fee services:
- Website design -- hotel websites that are search engine optimized for Google searchers
- Web marketing -- pay-per-click advertising and strategic linking campaigns
- Online booking tools -- hotel bookings from website, Expedia, and GDS
OpenBook has delivered these services to independent hotels based on a unique success-only fee, assuring deep alignment with client needs. The company has grown to serve hundreds of hotels since its founding in 2003 by hotel owner and software executive Zack Paul and vertical industry technology expert Dudley Chapman.
For more information contact:
CarolAnn Buck
OpenBook
866.342.6099
info@yellowstonehs.com
http://www.openbookit.com
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A New Partnership
OpenBook is happy to announce that it has partnered with Expedia.com, the world’s largest online travel agency, to assist customers in obtaining more online bookings and property exposure.
Starting August 2009 participating customers can begin having selected rooms posted on Expedia.com through their OpenBook software. Once a reservation is received, Expedia automatically notifies the OpenBook software and the room is made unavailable in order to avoid double booking problems.
OpenBook customers can set a standard and flexible allocation with Expedia to ensure that as many rooms as possible are filled every night.
Call OpenBook today to get connected with your Expedia Market Manager.