Converge ICT Solutions Inc. targets to digitalize and automate 150,000 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) operating in the country's tourism and hospitality sector, the company announced Tuesday, June 27. MSMEs comprise 99.6 percent of all Philippine businesses, employing 64.67 percent of the total workforce. The hospitality and tourism industry accounts for 14.1 percent of MSMEs and employs 670,040 people. By equipping MSME hotels and resorts. with cloud-based management solutions, they can have the same technology capabilities as large hotel chains and compete better, according to Converge.
For this reason, Converge partnered with another Filipino-owned technology firm, Comise Solutions Inc. an authorized reseller of hospitality IT solutions, property and reservations management systems. Together, they developed the Converge Workplace Hotel Management Solution to allow hotels and resort owners to have their own booking system. Im addition, the solution enables them to manage room inventory, along with the different departments of the hotel - from housekeeping and front desk, to maintenance. The dedicated booking platform eliminates the commission fee to hotel booking aggregators, as the hotels can accept booking themselves. Furthermore, the hotel management solution does away with the need of an IT department or to install expensive hardware. The only requirement is a strong broadband connection which Converge can provide. “Before, these solutions were available only to 5-star hotels because they're the ones who can spend millions of pesos to acquire these kinds of systems," says Jojo Abundancia, President of Comise Solutions Inc. "Now, these are available to everyone because it’s a subscription-based software,” he noted. These solutions likewise prevent issues, such as overbooking and long lines at the front desk, while enabling accommodation firms to create better business decisions and unlock more opportunities for growth. “The Converge Workplace Hotel Management Solution gives small hotels more control and visibility over their operations," stressed Converge Chief Operations Officer Jesus C. Romero. "In the past, you go to booking aggregator sites for a booking, and small hotels have to pay a commission to them to sell a room. With this solution, small hotels and resorts can accept direct bookings and payments on their websites," he explained. “The solution will help hotels to automate their hotel operations and accurately monitor the inventory, pricing and booking of guests,” Abundancia concluded.