in English, which is how the screens appear on the computer, but it is designed for worldwide use, which means that currency translation is also required.
The company has aligned itself with major computer hardware manufacturers, such as Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) as a value-added reseller so that the computer hardware manufacturers' sales forces are an integral part of the selling strategy. This is particularly important when approaching large chains, such as Sheraton or Hilton because of the added resources that can be brought to bear on the project.
ECI was a pioneer in the automation of the hotel industry, and it has built its reputation on that foundation. The products that it designed initially (OS and GuesTrak) are successful in small and medium sized hotels and provide a valuable installed base which can be used to help the newest product (UX), a Unix based product designed for use by large chains, such as Marriott and Sheraton. ECI successfully won a contract with Sheraton for its domestic properties, and is negotiating with the company for its worldwide installation.
The Sheraton project has brought tremendous pressure to the organization both in terms of time and resources. While the contract gives the company the largest customer it has ever had (surpassing the successful Four Seasons which used the OS product), it also demanded that the company dedicate a large portion of its available resources to Sheraton, depleting the level of service it could provide other customers. This led to problems in the customer service area.
ECI faces competition from several other software vendors, but the company recently bought one of its more successful competitors, effectively eliminating that competition. Since the company competes in the global market, it is not surprising that one of its primary competitors is based in England. Most competitors in this industry are privately held and...