MICROS Systems, Inc. (MCRS), headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, is a developer of enterprise applications that service the hospitality and specialty retail industries. The company provides service to both sit-down and quick-service restaurants, hotels, the leisure and entertainment industry, and specialty retail stores. In addition, MICROS offers complete information management solutions that include software, hardware, enterprise systems integration, consulting and support. A few of the company’s clients include Ruby Tuesday’s, Burger King, Auntie Anne’s, and Hilton Hotels.

MICROS’s OPERA Enterprise Solution will be used by Omni Hotels in order to enhance its brand-wide reservation system. Omni Hotels offer luxury accommodations at 45 hotels and resorts in leading business gateways and leisure destinations across North America. The project centers on the implementation of three key modules of MICROS OPERA: the OPERA Reservation System (ORS); the OPERA Customer Information System (OCIS); and the OPERA Web Suite (OWS).

The three OPERA solutions

The NY Times came up with a very interesting way to look at consumer spending. In the long run, consumer spending is a function of consumer income. Though since early 2000 it did not appear to be the case as consumers financed their spending by borrowing against their future income. If you believe that consumer spending is likely to stagnate but the cost of food, healthcare and energy is likely to increase (it did in 2007), then something has got to give.

In other words the income pie is not growing; some slices are expanding at the expense of “X.” And that is the question that this NY Times diagram may help to answer: at the expense of what?

Several categories come to mind right away: new car sales – yes we will be driving older cars (maybe we should look to …