ANNOUNCING RESERVE VERSION 2010 SPRING

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

We’re pleased to announce ReServe Interactive software version 2010 Spring. This is the first of two releases scheduled for 2010, and it includes a series of new convenience features and platform enhancements designed to further improve our customer’s software and service experience.

Most importantly, more than ninety percent of the updates included in this release are based on direct customer input and were incorporated to meet current industry needs and requirements. We are constantly taking input from our customers so that the product we deliver consistently meets their exact and ever-changing needs. As an organization, we have employees with extensive experience in the hospitality industry so we are aware of the challenges our customers face on a daily basis. But it is our customers’ open and candid input, suggestions and recommendations that help us to further develop the product in such a way that all of its features are relevant and integral to their operations.

This latest release includes customer requested enhancements to our Catering & Event Management and Dining Reservation & Table Management modules. And we’ve added several new features including a PCI compliance package that allows customers to easily and securely accept credit cards; ReServe University, an all-inclusive training and support tool; and ReServeIT/ReQuestIT Web 2.0, a powerful new platform for processing dining reservations and event inquiries via the Internet.

But our work is not done here. We are already working on our next release which is scheduled to go live in the Fall of 2010.  We are constantly reviewing our offering, talking to our customers, gathering their input and putting everything into the development pipeline.  We’ll never stop enhancing our product offering and we will always partner with our customers to do so.

Introducing Our PCI Compliance Partner

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

I’m happy to announce we’ve partnered with Element Payment Services, Inc., a company that provides PCI compliant processing solutions to software providers and merchants that accept credit cards. This partnership will allow our customers to securely accept credit cards, process payments, secure reservations and collect deposits directly through a unique portal located in their ReServe Interactive software without ever having to transmit or store sensitive cardholder information. Element’s solution simplifies processes for both our customers and ourselves, leaving us all risk-free and in compliance with today’s PCI specifications.

We researched several providers before we selected Element, keeping in mind our expectation of partnership that I blogged about in January, and found that not only is their solution exceptional, but they value a successful partnership as much as we do. The decision was easy because we knew that both sides would have the customers’ best interests in mind.

So far, the partnership process has been a wonderful experience. The staff at Element is friendly, helpful, generous with their time and accommodating to our needs. All of these factors are important when dealing with an issue as sensitive as PCI Compliance. We knew we needed a partner who not only understood the importance of compliance for our customers and our industry, but was willing to take the steps necessary to get our customers and our company compliant as quickly as possible.

A successful partnership can be easy to achieve when both sides are on the same page. We look forward to working with Element Payment Services, and providing our customers with the superior products and the highest level of service they’ve come to expect from us since 1996.

The Importance of PCI Compliance

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, more than 343 million records with sensitive personal information have been involved in security breaches in the U.S. since January of 2005. And some statistics even claim that more than 55 percent of credit card fraud comes from the hospitality industry!* Wow. Those are some scary stats.

Today, when financial transactions are regularly conducted in an online environment, merchants can become easy targets for fraud. In many cases, it’s inadequate security on the business’s end that allows hackers to steal and use financial data from credit and debit card transactions and credit card processing systems.

With the prevalence of this type of activity, companies are scrambling to put the appropriate measures in place to protect their customers and themselves. Compliance with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS) helps to eliminate a merchant’s vulnerabilities and protect important consumer data. Those companies that fail to fulfill the PCI compliance requirements and put the proper levels of protection in place can face massive fines, increased credit card processing fees, the inability to accept payment cards at all, and ultimately, closure – all devastating consequences.

Many of our customers, from hotels to restaurants, and caterers to convention centers, routinely gather, process and store sensitive customer financial data. Whether it’s using a consumer’s credit card to secure a deposit for an event, book a reservation, or simply pay an invoice, our customers are responsible for making sure that the financial data their guests share remains secure.  

As their business partner, we are committed to providing them with the tools they need to become, and remain, PCI compliant. We understand the risks and the long lasting effects of non-compliance and we are not willing to take any chances.

 *The PCI Compliance Process for Hotels, American Hotel & Lodging Association