HTNG Introduces API Registry to Connect Businesses and Technical Partners

In advance of HITEC 2017, HTNG opens registration for the industry's first API Registry. HTNG's API Registry Workgroup has created this registry to address the number of inefficiencies in the hospitality solution space, including the difficulty of finding potential technology partners whose products and/or services could add value to a hotelier's offerings. By making it easier for businesses to connect to technical partners via a registry, the workgroup aims to facilitate the first step in building connected solutions.

The workgroup was formed this past March, with the mission to streamline how hospitality business systems communicate with each other and to make them more efficient and less complex. The API Registry is the first component in a series of planned API-related projects, each advancing communication and integration between products to create value in ways not currently possible. The workgroup is co-chaired by Martin Zam, CIO of Impulsify, a retail technology and data analytics company, and by Dmitry Koltunov, CTO of ALICE, an operations and guest engagement platform for the hospitality industry.

The group will have a working prototype of the API Registry by Q4 of 2017 and is actively seeking listings. All hospitality technology solutions can request to be listed (companies do not need to be HTNG members). HTNG members will be recognized in the registry and receive expedited processing for publishing. API solutions will be listed in the registry by category, vendor, product and API details. Users will be able to search for listings that satisfy specific criteria, and subscribe to updates to any attribute. Products will include all successfully implemented third-party integration to provide a gauge of integration experience.

"The hospitality industry, despite its best intentions to provide the ultimate guest experience, often falls short of meeting guest expectations because of outdated technology infrastructure," said Zam. "By updating how hospitality business systems integrate and communicate with each other, hotels will be able to operate with greater efficiency and please their guests in ways that aren't possible today."

"The API Registry is a big step toward empowering innovation in our industry," said Koltunov. "Hotels need to have their technology well-integrated, which is a difficult task logistically. Information about APIs for most products is not available on Google. There is no categorized listing of APIs and no accessible information about who is responsible in each product. This lack of transparency causes significant delays in projects and limits creative solutions. There is an African saying 'if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go with others.' This registry is the first step in encouraging an open and collaborative environment for hospitality, which will help the industry continually evolve."

To participate in the registry, please fill out the form. Stop by HTNG's booth (#2302) at HITEC to learn more about the registry and the workgroup.

About Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG)

Part of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), HTNG the premier technology solutions association in the hospitality industry, HTNG serves members from hospitality companies, technology vendors to hospitality, consultants, media and academic experts. HTNG's members participate in focused workgroups to bring to market open solution sets addressing specific business problems. HTNG fosters the selection and adoption of existing open standards and also develops new open standards to meet the needs of the global hospitality industry.

Currently more than 400 corporate and individual members from across this spectrum, including world leading hospitality companies and technology vendors, are active HTNG participants. HTNG's Board of Governors, consisting of 22 top IT leaders from hospitality companies around the world, itself has technology responsible for over 3 million guest rooms and world-leading venues. HTNG publishes workgroup proceedings, drafts and specifications for all HTNG members as soon as they are created, encouraging rapid and broad adoption. HTNG releases specifications into the public domain as soon as they are ratified by the workgroups.

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