We love technology so much, that it’s easy to forget that not everyone recognises the technical terms we use here at Merlin – we’re really sorry about that! So, here are some technology-based terms we mention regularly with a brief explanation of what they mean and how we use them in our services.

If there are any technical terms, words or phrases that we can help you with, don’t hesitate to let us know. We’ll happily explain what it means and how the technology can help you. Just send us an email at info@quickmerlin.com.

Cession/Cede

The process involves ceding or converting the use of a timeshare week (fixed or floating) into a points system. The operators of the points system do not take ownership of the timeshare week, which remains in the owner’s name. 

Instead, they take a right to use the week, and in return, the owner receives an allocation of points in exchange for this right to use. These points can then be used within the points system to make reservations.

The owner also remains responsible for the resort’s annual maintenance charge for the week/s ceded.

Push/Pull Principle

A timeshare owner can push his ownership from the Timeshare Product Pool to a Points Product Pool for a set period within the time that the owner owns that sequence.  

The alternative is where a Points Product Pool pulls a sequence from a timeshare owner for a set period within the time that the timeshare owner owns the sequence.

The ownership/Levy still belongs to the timeshare owner, but occupancy is given to the Points Product Pool.

The reasons for doing this are to convert the inflexible timeshare week to a flexible Points product without losing ownership of the week

Reservation Rights

A Reservation Right is an owner’s annual token/usage right that allows reservations to be made in their allocated week (for fixed time ownership) or season (for floating time ownership).

This information is integrated into Merlin Classic and allows owners and staff to make reservations based on:

• What is owned;
• What rights have already been used; and
• If maintenance fees are up to date.

Reservation rights are unique for each resort, depending on what product they sell and their specific rules.

A fixed week is a type of ownership in which usage rights attach to a specific week of the year, each year in perpetuity. Floating time is ownership where the use rights are subject to the owner reserving their week within a season purchased (winter, summer, etc.) or sometimes throughout the year.

Product Pool

A product pool is a silo that comprises the types of products sold at a resort development. These could be, for example, fixed/floating timeshare weeks, fractional ownership, rental stock or points. 

Inventory is placed within that product pool to provide accommodation that those with access or rights can reserve. In this way, only the correct stock is available to them, units can only be reserved once (so no double booking), and availability is fairly distributed.

Within Merlin Classic, a resort can have several product pools. Based on the resort’s rules and rights, the stock can be moved from one product pool to another as part of their inventory management program.

Communication Delivery Engine

Merlin Classic’s Communication Delivery Engine or CDE is in-built functionality to help you create and send communications directly to owners, members, guests and leads.

These communications can be in various formats, including: 

• Email
• Letter
• SMS

And your team can use them for a variety of functions, such as:

• Reservation confirmation
• Pre-arrival information
• Management fee billing
• Marketing campaigns – from single communications to complex cascades
• Regular newsletters

You can choose who to send the communications to and track their success. If you have never used the CDE before, the Merlin team is on-hand to help you set them up and provide all the assistance you need. 

Web Application (App)

A web application is a client-side (and server-side) software application that can be accessed through a web browser. They are not platform-specific, are cost-effective to develop, and are easy to maintain. Importantly, users always have the most up-to-date version.

Web applications are different from a website which is a group of globally accessible, interlinked web pages with a single domain name. A web application is a software or program which is accessible using any web browser, normally on a single page.

They are also different to mobile apps. This is because web apps are self-sustaining. If you have an internet connection, you can access a web app. You can’t access mobile apps unless you install them directly on a device, similar to a desktop app.

Web applications include online forms, shopping carts, word processors, spreadsheets, video and photo editing, file conversion, file scanning, and email programs such as Gmail, Yahoo and AOL. Popular applications include Google Apps and Microsoft 365.

Merlin has developed a number of work processes and client-facing Web Apps including:

• Member WebApp
• Member Booking WebApp for Points and Floating Weeks
• Rental Booking WebApp
• Agent Desktop WebApp
• Field Agent WebApp
• Housekeeping and Maintenance WebApp (also in mobile versions)
• Member and Guest Pay WebApp
• Contract WebApp
• Mini-Vac WebApp
• Member Services WebApp

All Merlin’s WebApps are easy to set up, completely responsive and use the latest coding languages.

To find out more, contact Mark Thomas at markt@quickmerlin.com or complete the demo request form today.

API

API is the acronym for Application Programming Interface and is a software interface that allows two applications to interact with each other without any user involvement.

Each time you use an app like Facebook, send an instant message or check the weather on your phone, you’re using an API.

APIs are needed to bring applications together in order to perform a designed function built around sharing data and executing pre-defined processes. They work as the middle man, allowing developers to build new programmatic interactions between the various applications people and businesses use on a daily basis.

Merlin has developed an API with:

• Pegasus (TravelTripper)
• SiteMinder
• Track Results
• Hotel telephone and key card systems
• Credit card companies

Web Service

Web service is a collection of open-source protocols and standards used for exchanging data between systems or applications. Web services allow various applications to talk to each other and share data and services among themselves by exposing the functionality of your code over the network. Once exposed to the network, other applications can use the functionality of your program.

Web services are used to make the application platform and technology independent and use standardised protocol for communication. This standardisation of protocol stack gives a business many advantages such as a wide range of choices, reduction in cost due to competition, and increase in quality.

Merlin offers Web Service to allow our client’s technical teams to connect to the software and leverage many of Merlin’s features and functionality.  This allows clients to build their own front end and workflows.