Hilton Hotels Corporation today announced that the company ranked #2 on the 2008 InformationWeek 500, revealed earlier this month at a gala awards ceremony as part of the exclusive InformationWeek 500 Conference at the St. Regis Resort in Monarch Beach, CA.


With the introduction of its latest in a series of innovations focused on 'consumer choice,' Suite Selection has helped Hilton Hotels Corporation earn the highest ranking ever for a hospitality and travel organization. The list of 250 Top Innovators and 500 listed companies is unique among corporate rankings because it spotlights the power of innovation in information technology, rather than simply identifying the biggest IT spenders.
 

Tim Harvey, CIO and executive vice president, Hilton Hotels Corporation said, "Customer service - putting choice and control into the customers' hands - is at the core of our IT strategy, which is why we are extremely delighted to have been recognized by Information Week 500 in this unprecedented placement for a travel and hospitality company."


"For 20 years, the InformationWeek 500 has honored the most innovative users of business technology,' said InformationWeek Editor-in-Chief Rob Preston. 'Year after year, InformationWeek 500 companies harness technology to improve efficiency, boost productivity, drive revenue, and establish a competitive advantage. We applaud this year's winners, the CIOs and other executives whose ingenuity and risk taking are at the center of business technology innovation."
 

The Hilton Hotels Corporation signature IT program is an internally developed enterprise platform for all hotel business functions. OnQ was introduced in North America in 2003 and includes a mix of proprietary and off-the-shelf technology that bridges all of the company's nine brands together. Unique to the hospitality industry, OnQ is one of the strongest selling points for prospective and current owners and franchisees.


Currently, the company is expanding OnQ worldwide at its hotels located within 74 countries and territories. This shared technology enables Hilton to respond to changing market conditions, often breaking new ground for product innovations across the hotel industry. With a continued focus on consumer choice, OnQ was the first to introduce key differential services such as Suite Selection, e-Events and self-service kiosks, all products that exemplify the consumer's ability to make choices about how they would like to receive hotel offerings. Additionally and also mentioned by Information Week 500 are the back of the house offerings like DAvE that help to increase efficiencies while consumers browse the web for that perfect hotel room.