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MSI Celebrates 15 Years of Hospitality Service
Leading provider of property-management and integrated operations/marketing technologies reflects on growth and industry success; Company achieves more than 2,800 hotel installs and business partnerships with leading hotel companies
PHOENIX — JUNE 19, 2006 — Hospitality solutions provider Multi-Systems Inc. (MSI) is celebrating 15 years of dedicated service to the hospitality industry. Founded in 1985 as International Property Control Systems (IPCS) to develop central-reservation systems with fully integrated property-management systems, the company today has grown to more than 200 employees and an installed customer base of more than 2,800 properties and resorts throughout North America.
Today, MSI’s fully integrated Property Management, Sales & Catering, Point-of-Sale, Self Check-in/out, and Corporate
Services have launched MSI to the forefront of emerging technology for the lodging industry. For both limited and full service properties, including Hyatt/USFS Select Hotels Group, Hawthorn, AmeriSuites, Best Western, Cendant, Intercontinental Hotel Group, John Q. Hammons, Sunburst Hospitality, Lodgian and various independents, MSI’s products are designed to assist with increasing occupancy and ADR, while providing a higher level of guest service.
“We’re ‘people’ people, and that has greatly led to our success,” said Rick Munson, MSI President. “The foundation of good customer service is a positive attitude, and we have built our company on that principle. At MSI, we believe the key to providing exceptional customer service begins with our own associates. We are proud of our staff comprised of hotel and technology professionals which is made apparent through our management style.”
Munson said that MSI’s credo is to “Make our people ‘number one,’ our customers ‘number two,’ and all other issues ‘number three.’”
“MSI’s first guiding principle exemplifies our philosophy that people and open communication, in addition to high quality products & services, are fundamental elements to the success of any hospitality-related establishment,” he said. “We are loyal to our associates, and they, in turn, are loyal to our customers. We believe that listening to our customers is what sets MSI apart from our competitors, and we will always strive to exceed all expectations in this area.”
Happy Birthday to You
It’s not only MSI which is loyal to its associates and customers, but its customers and industry associates are equally as dedicated to MSI.
"MSI has endured and grown over its fifteen years by emphasizing superior customer service, always choosing the customer over cost avoidance. MSI is a model for all companies in this industry to emulate, one in which both the customer and the company win from such a relentless pursuit of service quality.
Happy fifteenth birthday, MSI." – Dave Berkus, Hospitality Automation Consultants Ltd.
“I have known Rick and some of [the MSI team] from before 1991 and the birth of MSI and therefore, feel qualified to know and state the following: In this industry I can count in my hands names of companies that do not exist any longer. In your case, you have more than just survived, you have thrived and grown to be a well recognized leader in your industry and for that I take my hat off to all of you. I am not a bit surprised because you always shown customer orientation, desire to have a state of the art system and have recruited people that are competent and care. May I send you a similar congratulatory message in 2016.”
– Eric Pfeffer, The Pfeffer Group
“Many congratulations on your 15th Anniversary! Your success as a company, willingness to explore new technology and constant efforts on behalf of the industry to improve systems integration are all highly admirable and deserving of continued success. I look forward to celebrating your 30th.”
– Jon Inge, Jon Inge & Associates
“Congratulations and Happy Birthday to MSI. It is frightening to think I have known MSI - Rick, Mark, and Joel almost since the inception. It's always refreshing to see the good guys do well! Here's to an equally successful another 15!”
– Mike Kistner, Pegasus Solutions
“On behalf of the entire Hawthorn Suites family of hotels, we would like to wish all of our friends at MSI a very happy 15th birthday! Thank you for being such a terrific partner!”
– David Kemp, USFSI
Historical Highlights
Reflecting on its last 15 years of service, MSI has seen some impressive accomplishments:
• 1991 - The year the company was established, MSI was selected as the preferred vendor of computer software technology by HFS (now Cendant Corp. – one of the largest hotel franchise organizations in the world
• 1992 - Selected by Amerihost Corporation, Chicago, to install MSI PM System in 85
properties throughout North America
• 1993 - MSI develops the industry’s first fully integrated Point-of-Sale System
• 1994 - MSI Develops the industry’s first integrated Sales, Marketing, & Catering System
• 1995 - Selected by HFS, Inc. (now Cendant Corporation) as the exclusive provider
Property Management Systems Technology for its new Wingate Inns brand
• 1996 - MSI’s AutoCheck, check in-out system, wins IHM&RS Best of Show and Best New Technology Awards
• 1997 - Selected by Cendant as one of three PM providers for 5400 property roll-out
• 1998 - MSI installs its 1000th system at the AmeriSuites, Tempe, Arizona
• 1999 - MSI completes its three-tiered Windows-based Property Management System, WinPM
• 2000 - MSI and Symbol Technologies, Inc. create wireless hand-held device for check-in/out
• 2001 - MSI launches Web Folio for Prime Hospitality, delivering paperless expense
reports to over 100,000 IBM employees.
• 2002 - MSI integrates Hotel Data Systems (HDS) Central Reservations with WinPM for
Prime Hospitality Corporation.
• 2003 - MSI is first to complete a two-way XML interface to Best Western’s Central
Reservation System
• 2004 - MSI debuts EnterprisePM, a web-based Property Management System with
multi-property capability
• 2005 - USFS selects MSI as exclusive Property Management provider for new
construction and conversion Hawthorn Suites.
• 2006 - MSI is selected to participate in Guestroom 2010 at HITEC to debut new self-service and hand-held technologies
• 2006 - MSI launched a Web-booking Engine
Today’s Technologies
In anticipation of its future growth and product expansion, MSI relocated to a new Phoenix headquarters in March of 2005.
“After 10 years of successful growth and expansion of our diverse product portfolio, we needed more space for three important reasons,” Munson said. “First, MSI is very pro-family and associate focused. We previously occupied a pair of two-story buildings encompassing five separate suites. In order to nurture our family culture, it was important for us to find a location that was centrally located that would keep us together under one roof. Second, we added brands to our portfolio and we diversified by offering our solutions to multiple segments including resort, full-service, economy, limited-service and extended-stay properties. Third, with customer service our priority, we needed to expand the size of our Customer Assistance Center to support new service and training initiatives.”
HITEC Launch Expands Portfolio
As of the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC) to be held June 19-22 at the Minneapolis (Minn.) Convention Center, MSI’s product offering shown in
Booth No. 1015 will now include:
• NEW! Place Point – Place Point software will accommodate the new breed of hotels servicing the Gen X market as well as boutique and limited service properties. Place Point has three hybrids including: Retail, Self-service and Mobile.
• NEW! Pocket Concierge – The combination of Pocket PC technology and MSI’s windows-based Property Management System offers a high-tech mobile environment for guest check-in/out.
• NEW! Web Booking - The Web Booking Engine is an internet utility that allows hotel guests to make room reservations by using a link on the hotel web site.
Existing solutions and services also on display at HITEC include:
• WinPM – Property Management system for limited to full service properties.
• EnterprisePM – extremely flexible Microsoft .Net based Property Management system ideal for limited service properties or as a multi-property solution running in an ASP environment.
• WinPM+SalesDriver – offers enhanced database management software to increase productivity and track sales activity for limited service properties.
• WinSAM – Sales and Catering system that offers seamless integration with WinPM for one database, eliminating the need for an interface.
• Corporate Services – designed to collect, view and distribute key information via a Web browser and e-mail.
• Credit Track – credit card processing/electronic funds transfer.
• Interfaces – Multiple interfaces to third party companies including: CRS, Movie, PBX, Call Accounting, Point-of-Sale, Voicemail, etc.
“I’d like to thank our industry friends and associates for making the last 15 years so special,” Munson said. “I would especially like to thank the following executive officers for their dedication and support: Mark Houser, Chief Information Officer; Tim Tiller, Chief Operating Officer; Gene Sullivant, EVP Finance; Teresa Galler, VP of Operations; Joel Soderberg, VP Development; Chuck Haaker, VP Systems Architecture; Bridget Oliva, VP of New Business Development & Marketing; and Judy McKinney, VP of Customer Success;
“As the industry continues to grow and change, MSI is better positioned to grow and change with it,” Munson said. “Thank you to everyone for your best wishes for our continued success.”
About MSI
Founded in 1990, MSI (Multi-Systems, Inc.) is a leading supplier of hotel technology and property management systems. MSI empowers the lodging industry, through great people, superior service and innovative technology. With an installed customer base of close to 3,000 hotels and resorts throughout North America, MSI is one of the largest providers of fully integrated property management, sales, marketing & catering, point of sale, centralized corporate services, and wireless PM systems. MSI specializes in "total system solutions" for management companies and hotel chains by providing central reservation and property system integration. Its customer support team has been recognized as the industry leader and is the key to the success of MSI’s products and services. For additional information about MSI’s technology solutions, please contact Bridget Oliva at 800-331-7890 or
info@msisolutions.com. For more information on
MSI, visit www.msisolutions.com.
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