Choice Hotels International

Answer

Choice supports two different networking functions; Choice does not have ownership of any hotel but has a network that supports its franchisees. This network helps choice offer its services to hotel managers such as ordering for supplies and checking for reservation status online. Another network that serves its customers through the central reservation system, this allows them to book for rooms and find most suitable hotels based on wanted price, location range or standard. This network allows individual Choice Hotels to take reservations hence the need for the central system and the hotels to remain highly harmonized at all times in this network. The distinct networking functions are a separation between networks that serve operations and administration and network that serves guest functions with respect to voice and data transmission. Another different networking function is merging multiple functions on networks that used to be dedicated to one use. This is a tighter integration of data and voice of administration and guest in a single network.

Merging voice and data of customers and administration functions comes with an advantage of a higher availability as compared to maintaining two separate networks for voice and data. However, product interoperability, vendor viability, organizational change management and power management process can negatively impact availability. Consolidating multiple functions in a single network can pose as security risk. If the hotel does not use Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANS) Attackers can easily use their computers to imitate the hotels main servers intercepting people’s data and may gain vertical access to the server. Since guest and administration functions are on the same network with guest connecting through wireless access points it may act as an entry point by malicious users.

Separation of networks that serve guests functions and administration in line with data and voice is good for network security. If the networks are not separated physically, a strict software firewall can be used. This comes with the disadvantage of costs and low availability

Universal reach network refers to a network initiative to upsurge the access between a business entity and their potential and current customers through the use of internet. 

Choice hotel wanted to deliver in 1990 an advanced global reservation system. That system will service the customers better by providing an online web-based system for booking saving on money and time. Clients were able to get immediate list of every empty room available with their selected criteria with an option to view the hotel and individual room. This reservation system facilitated for quicker process for guesthouses because clients could book for themselves and all rooms that were available could be reserved.

Before the global expansion, Choice had both central and local reservation system. Choice provided each US hotel with a permanent linking to the central booking system.

All these pushed for a need of incorporation between local booking system and the central booking systems. To provide universal booking system, it had to establish a franchise-wide IP network to provide a lasting connection to the profit manager to all its franchises.

The issues that choice experienced by expanding their network to global reach included coverage, reliability and capacity, though updates and reservation use little capacity. The connection needed to reach each franchise without losing strength or connectivity and needed to be highly available with minimal downtime or disruptions. Reliable universal coverage within the US required expensive leased lines. A leased line is a symmetric or bidirectional telecommunication circuit between places, you have to pay line usage fee to get connected (Mitchell, 2004). The other option was reliance on switched networks, which are not always effective. This made Choice to pick satellite networks which provide widespread coverage and are more consistent with minimal downtime as compared to leased lines. Satellites with fixed dishes are a developed reliable technology (Pelton, 2016). This helped Choice worry less on availability, reliability and coverage issues that come as a result of network expansion. The satellite network has proved to work well even making choice to gradually transition operational and administrative functions to the network.

Choice may also likely face the following issues

Performance degradation: - A wide network tends to experience loss of data integrity and speed due to poor transmissions; this is performance degradation. This can be easily solved by buying sophisticated network hardware of better quality (Support., 2017 ).

Security Issues – wide networks means exposure to the attackers due to the large numbers of users. Security involves           shielding the network from attacks, stopping unauthorized users from infiltrating the system and upholding network integrity.  It is important that Choice should implement to notch security for their network e.g. using proxies and firewalls (Davidoff and Ham, 2012). 

Network performance issues – Expanding the network to full universal reach will force Choice to deal with numerous network performance problems, which may be produced by switches and routers not having enough routing tables. This will cause linked devices to have performance issues and the best way to deal with it is to buy hardware without performance issues. Brands known to be suitable for large networks should be used.

3.

Earlier hotels would affordably provide high speed internet services at an additional cost on guests. Choice provided free super-fast internet access to guests by having 3Com Wi-Fi. It does require installation of additional cables to receive the service, it just requires a controller in the hotel. The Wi-Fi has support for multiple security option and built in encryption to help protect data as it travels over the network.

Although the high-speed internet access attracts many customers who do business over the internet, it poses as an internet security risk. Some attackers may gain internal access to the network in disguise as guests. The major security risk is also direct connection of devices in rooms and data centers of hotels for immediate connectivity. Choice can be exposed to the following risks: -

Malicious Hotspots – Visitors are tricked by rogue access points into connecting to what they may think is a genuine network because the name sounds legitimate ending up in cybercriminals traps who can now view their sensitive information.

The best way for choice to safeguard their visitor’s online security is by installing Virtual Private Networks (VPN) to stay secure and training visitors on security risks associated with Wi-Fi and free internet (Kim and Solomon, 2016). The diagram below is a proposed secure network design for a single hotel with proper security measures implemented.

Figure 1 Secure Hotel network

In conclusion, Internet access is a good marketing tool for hotels, more customers are likely to return to the hotel that serviced their internet needs well. To safeguard their customers from attacks, Choice should be ready to secure their network using mechanisms such as switch and rooters to manage their network traffic. VLANs should be implemented and VPN connections should not be blocked as it allows guest to connect securely to a remote location. All wireless networks should be password protected, encrypted and should have latest wireless standards at all times. Training on how to stay secure online should be provided to staff and guests always.