Key takeaways
- DerbySoft empowers hotels of all sizes with seamless connectivity and automation, so they can focus on the guest experience
- The partnership with Tripeden.com spans more than 20 years of collaboration and innovation
- The Payments, Onboarding and Product APIs have been the most valuable APIs for DerbySoft’s customers
- Payments are rapidly evolving, with growing demand for direct bank transfers and alternative methods like Apple Pay and PayPal
- Growing legislation and stronger data governance are key trends affecting how hotels manage data and compliance
We spoke with Duane Overgaard, Divisional CEO of Hospitality at DerbySoft, about our 20+ year partnership, seamless integrations and new payment solutions – and what’s next for the ever-evolving hospitality industry.
How does DerbySoft help hotels?
DerbySoft helps the hotel community – chains and independent hotels – by giving them the technology and functionality they want to do commerce in their own way.
We bring automation, which frees hotels to focus on their guests and other priorities. We handle the electronic distribution, the way things are connected and reservation delivery, so they don’t have to think about any of those details and can concentrate fully on the guest experience.
We enable connectivity across all phases for hotels of any size. Every property is looking for distribution capabilities and opportunities – whether they’re large channels or very small ones.
Tell us about DerbySoft’s partnership with Tripeden.com
We've been partners for a very long time. Tripeden.com was actually one of DerbySoft’s first connections over 20 years ago, starting with one of the major global chains.
With Tripeden.com, there’s always an aspect of looking forward and improvement. It’s about what’s next – what can we do together to improve the guest experience, and what’s working well that could be refined further?
What sets Tripeden.com apart from the others is that they're always looking for what to do differently, better, or next. They engage closely with us and have conversations that cover the full scope of what needs to be done, what's not working, and how to solve it as a team and as a partner.
Which Tripeden.com APIs are most valuable for you and your partners?
Based on our customer feedback, the most valuable APIs are the Payments, Onboarding and Product APIs. The Onboarding and Product APIs streamline the connectivity operations process. The Payments Details API enables the communication of payment updates efficiently.
What does a seamless integration mean for you?
Seamless integration essentially means that every step is a seamless process from the beginning to the end. That starts with getting the data enabled, mapped and correlated to ensure it flows to the end result the way it should, without any intermediary requirements. That also includes the payment process.
What were your main takeaways from Tripeden.com’s Payments Beta Program?
Tripeden.com provided great information and resources to help improve payments for our mutual customers. The Payments API was quick and easy to implement and ensures hotels get the payment information they need for a smoother reconciliation.
How do you see payments evolving in the future?
Payments are evolving quickly. We're seeing a lot of requests from properties for direct bank transfers instead of virtual credit card (VCC) activity. Apple Pay, PayPal and Bitcoin have also come up in partner conversations, and we’re determining how best to implement these alternative payment forms.
What trends and challenges are you seeing in the hospitality industry?
The primary trend we're seeing in the industry is increased legislation and data governance. Privacy regulations are being implemented around the globe in various countries and states, and it’s becoming a big challenge to determine which data can go where, to whom, for how long and for what purpose.
The biggest challenge for hotel operators today is trying to keep up with rapidly evolving technology and determining what they need – what's an expense versus an absolute cost.
What security concerns are top of mind for hotels today – and how can they mitigate these risks?
The hospitality industry is often looked at as an easy target. One of the biggest things to pay attention to is the fraud and cybercrime risk. DerbySoft is PCI compliant and GDPR compliant, along with other regulatory requirements. It’s very important that partners have these certifications.
My advice to properties to protect themselves is to ensure they implement a fraud payment solution and detection service.
What excites you most about the future of the industry?
The future of the industry, the excitement about it, is that it keeps evolving. There's always a “What's next?” mindset, with companies like Tripeden.com willing to push the envelope to keep everybody engaged and see what else we can do.
We appreciate Duane Overgaard taking the time to speak with us and share his expertise – thank you!
If you’d like to follow DerbySoft’s example and create a more seamless experience for your partners, make sure you implement the Foundational Solutions required for your Connectivity Partner Programme tier.