Zhara HS on SaaS redefines regional hospitality industry

Zhara HS is Sri Lanka’s first fully integrated hotel software built on the new and innovative “SaaS” model (Software-as-a-Service model). Customers who buy this software pay for it based on actual usage: not as a standalone capital expenditure. This is the unique selling proposition that has catapulted Zhara HS right to the top of the hospitality industry software game.  

With many hotels, experiencing a slash in budgets for Information Systems in cost conscious hospitality industry, hotel operators have turned towards this new and innovative hotel management software based on the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model.

SaaS is enabled through cloud computing: it provides software as a service instead of as a product, therefore hotels do not have to purchase the software or servers out-right and maintain them at their own expense by their own staff. Instead, they can simply pay for it based on usage – just like electricity.

Zhara HS, which is owned by JKCS, is the first fully integrated hotel management solution based on the SaaS model. While there are several SaaS based PMS solutions in the market, Zhara HS is the first solution to offer an integrated internet booking engine, central reservation system, and property management system through this model.

JKCS BU Head – Hospitality Solutions Rasika Iddamalgoda said: “We are very proud to be spearheading the latest technologies to be used in Hospitality solutions in South Asian and South East Asian regions and also for being the first ever purely Sri Lankan Hotel IT service provider to go on SaaS. The SaaS model is built using many cutting edge technologies and tools of the open source market. The Zhara Hospitality Suite has great cost benefits to both existing hoteliers and new entrants to the industry. Thanks to its unique benefits, Zhara HS has captured the hospitality industry and become the choice of many hotel operators in the Asia Pacific region since its launch in 2010.”

Prior to creating the Zhara HS system, JKCS designed software exclusively for leading global airlines and airports. The expertise gained in generating the highest yield-per-passenger in the aviation business was leveraged in the creation of the Zhara Hospitality Suite.

The SaaS model, on which Zhara HS is built, is a distinctive development in the field of IT. It is a model of software deployment, where the application is provided as a service to customers across the internet with no installation or maintenance hassle for a hotel operation. It also provides advantages such as rapid deployment, no capital outlay and, most importantly, it provides access to comprehensive security systems, which consist of back up, disaster recovery and support services.

With the growing demand for hotel accommodation across the globe, hotels need to allocate resources for expansion. To do this, they must ensure that the costs incurred for operations are minimal and high levels of efficiency are maintained, Zhara HS allows them to do just that!

The unique functionality of the SaaS model can also be recognized as a great equalizer for hotels of different scales because they can all have access to the same high quality enterprise class software at minimal upfront investment.

IDC forecasts that, by 2012, 85% of all new software brought to the market will be delivered as a service rather than as a product. It is believed that around 14.5% of worldwide spending on software will be spent on SaaS. This means that many hotel businesses need to pay close attention to this SaaS model and see how it can help them grow their business while saving significant investment costs.