ClO GrBGOl]'hC^^Si

Universiti Teknologi MARA

The Development of Hotel Reservation System Via

SMS

Nurul Hidayah Binti Hassan

Thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for

Bachelor of Science (Hons) Information Technology
Faculty of Information Technology And
Quantitative Science

October 2004

DECLARATION
I certify that this thesis and the research to which it refers are the product of my own
work and that any ideas or quotation from the work of other people, published or
otherwise are fully acknowledged in accordance with the standard referring practices
of the discipline.

OKTOBER, 2004

NURUL HID AY AH HASSAN

2002325288

COPYRIGHT UiTM

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

In the name of Allah, God the Almighty, Most Gracious and Most Merciful for
allowing me to accomplish this project successfully.
This report is the outcome of months of works by me in doing the project on
Hotel Reservation via SMS. It is therefore difficult for me to name all the people
who have directly or indirectly helped me in completing this project. For those
people that I about to omit, I apologize now.
Firstly, I owe my gratitude to Pn Zarina Bt Zainol, my supervisor for his
patience, understanding and supportive in guiding me on doing this project. I would
like to take this opportunity also to express my deepest gratitude to my most caring
and understanding mother, Pn Maskanah Bt Anuar. Thanks for all of your neverending love, support and encouragement in my life. Without her support I won't be
where I am now. My sincere gratitude also goes to all my friends, especially to En
Abu Bakar Mohamed, who always been there for me in the time of need.
Once again, thank you all from the bottom of my heart. You are all special
people. God bless.

COPYRIGHT UiTM

ABSTRACT

The wireless technology grows very rapidly and it has become very important in our
life. This technology is giving many new opportunities to us and makes our life
easier. One of the wireless technologies devices that are well known is mobile phone.
With the mobile phone, there is an SMS application that allows users to send short
message. Because of the crucial advantages of SMS, many organizations use this
technology in order to provide services to their customers. Therefore, we were called
to create a new service, which is hotel reservation by using SMS for Hotel UiTM.
This prototype allows customers to send an SMS message if they want to make a
reservation. By developing this service, it can simplify the work and not wasting
much time and costs. It can be conclude that this service can give convenient to
customer and this system can be enhanced in the future by using other form of
technologies to make it more efficient.

COPYRIGHT UiTM

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

ii

LIST OF TABLES

vii

LIST OF FIGURES

viii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1

Background of the Problem

1.2

Problem Statement

1.3

Objectives of Study

1.4

Research Question

1.5

Significance of Study

1.6

Conclusion

CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL CONSIDERATION

2.1

Introduction

2.2

Project Framework

2.2.1 Input Process

2.2.2 Processing the Data

2.2.3 Output Process

Conclusion

2.3

CHAPTER THREE: LITERATURE REVIEW

3.1

Introduction

3.2

Definition of Pertinent Terminology

3.2.1 Wireless Technology

COPYRIGHT UiTM

3.3

3.2.2 GSM

3.2.3

SMS

10

3.2.4

SMS Application

10

3.2.5 How SMS Work

12

3.2.6 Advantage of Using SMS

13

3.2.7 Three tier Architecture

14

3.2.8 Microsoft Visual Basic

14

3.2.9 Apache

15

3.2.10 PHP-Hypertext Preprocessor

15

3.2.11 MySQL

16

3.2.12 Dreamweaver MX

17

Similar Approach to Solve Different Problem

3.3.1 SMS and Remote Helpdesk System

18

3.3.2 Automatic Prayer Time Via SMS

18

3.3.3 Computer Event Communication via Mobile SMS

19

CHAPTER FOUR: RESEARCH METHOD

4.1

Introduction

20

4.2

Data Collection

21

4.3

Data Analysis

21

4.3.1 Approach

21

4.3.2 Hardware Requirement

22

4.3.3 Software Requirement

23

4.4

Designing a Model

24

4.5

Create Interface and Coding

24

4.5.1 Create Database

25

4.5.2 Create Interface

25

4.5.3 Write a Coding

26

4.6

Implementation and Testing

26

4.7

Conclusion

27

COPYRIGHT UiTM

CHAPTER FIVE: SYSTEM DESIGN

5.1

Introduction

28

5.2

Create Database

28

5.2.1

Table Login

29

5.2.2

Table Room

29

5.2.3

Table Queue

30

5.2.4

Table Store

30

5.3

Hotel UiTM Website

31

5.4

Hotel Reservation System

33

5.4.1

Main Page

33

5.4.2

Reservation Page

34

5.4.3

Check-In Page

34

5.4.4

Check-Out Page

34

5.4.5

Help and Logout Page

34

5.5

Use Case Diagram

35

5.6

Conclusion

36

CHAPTER SIX: IMPLEMENTATION

6.1

Introduction

37

6.2

SMS Send Method from the Client

37

6.3

Action Taken After Receive the Message

39

6.4

SMS ALERT Software

41

6.5

Conclusion

44

CHAPTER SEVEN: DISCUSSION AND FINDING

7.1

Introduction

45

7.2

Findings of the Project

45

COPYRIGHT UiTM

7.2.1

7.3

Software Used to Implement the SMS Service

45

7.2.2 How Does the SMS Service Work

46

7.2.3

47

Significance of the SMS Service

Conclusion

50

CHAPTER 8: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

8.1

Introduction

51

8.2

Conclusion

51

8.3

Limitation and Constraint

52

8.4

Recommendation

52

REFERENCES

54

APPENDICES
Appendix A

57

Appendix B

62

Appendix C

69

Appendix D

73

COPYRIGHT UiTM

LIST OF TABLES
CHAPTER 4
4.1

Hardware Used for This Project

22

4.2

Software Used for This Project

23

4.3

List of Tables in the Database

25

5.1

Table used in the System

28

5.2

Table Login

29

5.3

Table Room

29

5.4

Table Queue

30

5.5

Table Store

30

CHAPTER 5

COPYRIGHT
vn UiTM

LIST OF FIGURES
CHAPTER 2
Framework of The Proj ect

Methodology for Hotel Reservation System Project

20

5.1

Homepage of Hotel UiTM Website

31

5.2

Sub Screen for Hotel UiTM Website

32

5.3

Login Form

33

5.4

Use Case Diagram for Hotel Reservation System

35

6.1

The Message Compose from the Customer

37

6.2

Example of Send SMS Message for Reservation

38

6.3

Advertisement of SMS Service on Hotel UiTM Website

38

6.4

First Step Taken After Receive Message

39

6.5

Second Step Taken After Receive Message

40

6.6

Process of Sending Message to Mobile Phone

41

6.7

SMS Alert Interface

42

6.8

Function to Capture Data from Database

43

6.9

Function to Detect Phone Connection

44

7.1

SMS Alert Software

46

7.2

SMS Alert Capture Data From Database

47

7.3

Process of booking rooms using conventional method

48

7.4

Process of booking rooms using online reservation

49

7.5

Process of booking rooms using SMS technology

50

2.1
CHAPTER 4
4.1
CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

COPYRIGHT
viu UiTM

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

1.1

Background of The Problem

Wireless technologies become very popular and acceptable among people

nowadays. With the existing of this technology, there are lots of applications
that can make our life easier. The wireless technologies are giving many new
opportunities to people. Wireless data technologies such as Short Message
Service (SMS) allow consumers to communicate anytime, and from any
location. One of the wireless technologies devices that are well known is
mobile phone. With the mobile phone, there is an SMS application that allows
users to send short message to other people.

"SMS is a wireless communication mechanism that has the ability to

send and receive text messages to and from mobile phones." It can be used in
various ways to save time and money. The SMS also can be used to deliver a
wide range of information to mobile phone users from share prices, weather,
flight information, news headlines, jokes, horoscopes, info solat and many
more. Essentially, any information that fits into a short message can be
delivered by SMS.

Because of the crucial advantages of SMS, many organizations use this

technology in order to provide services to their customers. As the wireless
technologies become more advance from time to time, the SMS services can
now be send from website to the mobile phone and it become a very powerful
business communication services.

COPYRIGHT UiTM

1.2

Problem Statement
Presently, there are lots of hotel's web sites that provide a service for rooms
reservation online. Besides traditional means of using the telephone and
responding to walk-ins to make a reservation for hotel, most people prefer to
use a new technology such as using email or do it online in any hotel's web
site.
Conventional method of hotel reservation like using the telephone may
have problems when the phone line is busy or the particular staff did not
attend the call. The distance is also a contributing problem to this case
especially if the place is quite far. People have to travel to that place just to
make a reservation. It can be said that by using the conventional ways, time
and money will be wasted.
Using a new technology like email or online reservation also may have
constraints. The reservation cannot be made if there are no computers or
Internet services. It is also difficult if they are on the road and they don't have
a wireless device to make a reservation.
This research is about to develop a Short Messaging Systems (SMS)
for hotel reservation at Hotel UiTM in order to minimize the problems that are
stated above. People can simply make a reservation by write a message on
their mobile phone. People required to write their name, check in date and
number of rooms and then send their message to a number specified.

COPYRIGHT UiTM

1.3

Objectives of Study
The objectives of this study are:
1.

To develop a hotel reservation system by using SMS technology.

2.

To ease people to make a reservation without calling the hotel or even

go to the hotel themselves.

3.

To give an immediate response to the customer after makes a

reservation.

1.4

Research Question
The research questions for this project are:
1. What is the software used to implement the SMS service in the system?
2. How does the SMS service work with the system?

1.5

Significant of Study
By developing a service for hotel reservation system using SMS, it can help
people to find the availability of the room and make a reservation without
going to the hotel. By using SMS, it can simplify the work and not wasting
much time. Moreover, it is a cheap solution rather than to make a phone call
or filling a form. This service is ideal for last minute holiday or weekend
vacations. People can make the reservation while on the way.
Customers who use this service have to write their name, check in
date, and number of rooms required on their mobile phone and sends the
message to a specific number. Customers will then be informed whether the
reservation have been approved or rejected.

COPYRIGHT UiTM

The ability to deliver information to, from, and between wired systems
and wireless devices, offers enterprises a new way to build customer loyalty,
improve productivity and provide very convenient business environment.
Most people have mobile phone, since mobile phone is a need
nowadays. So, the system can be used by anyone whenever they want to make
a hotel reservation. Hence, there are no boundaries for people to use this SMS
service.

1.6

Conclusion
After reading the objectives, project scope and the problem significance that
has been elaborated previously, it is hoped that the point stated for this
introduction will be a guideline to complete the project successfully.
Besides that, it is hoped that the readers who will evaluate the thesis
will have a basic idea about this study entitled Hotel Reservation System
Development via SMS technology.

COPYRIGHT UiTM

CHAPTER 2
THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS

2.1

Introduction
This chapter discusses the theoretical underpinnings of the study and their
relationship with the conceptual framework of this project.

2.2

Project Framework
Figure below shows the framework of this project.

Client
(Input - Apply for
room via SMS)

T^^

Web Server
(Process - Store the data and
respond for approval)

Output- Reply
approval

Web browser

Datsihnsp

Figure 2.1 - The framework of the project

COPYRIGHT UiTM

This project is a three-tier architecture that consists of client, web server and a
database. Basically there are three phases involved in this project. First phase
is user input by request for reservation using SMS technology to the web
server. Second phase involved the process of receiving the message, how the
data stored in the database and how it responds with the incoming message.
The third phase is web server will reply the incoming message to the users to
give the response.

2.2.1 Input Process

From the figure above, the process begins when users as a client can browse
the web browser of Hotel UiTM. The website contain an advertisement of the
new service that allow them to make a reservation via SMS. Users can send
the SMS messages from their mobile phone to the system in order to make a
reservation. The message from the user is considered as the input for this
project. The message should contain the data in the specific format such as
<Name><><IC><><Check in Date>.

2.2.2 Processing the Data

Once the user sends the message, the data will be received by the mobile
phone that is connected to the server. The system administrator then will read
the message and check the availability rooms in the hotel to give response to
the particular person who want to make a reservation. If there are rooms
available, system administrator will reply the information needed to the
customer. The data that want to be sent will automatically stored in two tables
in the database, which is table room and table queue as a temporary storage
before the data send to customer.
For reply the message to customer, it need SMS Alert software that
enable the data to be sent directly from the system to user's mobile phone.
SMS Alert will capture data from the temporary storage in the database and it
will automatically send it to customer.

COPYRIGHT UiTM

2.2.3 Output Process

After the data are reads out from the database, it will then be send to
the user as a respond for the application. The message will pass through the
telephone line that has been connected with the server using Nokia data cable.
User will get the message immediately for confirmation and information about
the room that they have successfully reserve.

2.3

Conclusion
Through this chapter, it has explained briefly about the framework of how this
project works. In can be conclude that, this project is a three tier architecture,
which are involve client or web browser, web server and the database. The
detail explanation about each step involved in this project will be discussed in
Chapter 6.

COPYRIGHT UiTM

CHAPTER 3

LITERATURE REVIEW

3.1

Introduction
Wireless technologies are playing an increasingly prominent role in the global
Internet infrastructure. Wireless data technologies, such as instant messaging
and Short Message Service ("SMS") systems, allow consumers to
communicate anytime, and from many locations. Regarding to this scenario,
the SMS technology has seen unprecedented growth in the last few years.
SMS can be used in various ways to save time and money. It can be used in
marketing, advertising, getting information like info solat, flight information,
summons, news headlines, reservation and many more.
Since the increasingly growth of the SMS technology and seems like
anybody can afford to have a mobile phone, we were called to propose a new
prototype of SMS technology for hotel reservation in order to provide better
services in booking rooms. People can simply make a reservation by write a
message on their mobile phone and send to a specific number and they can get
the reply immediately.
The traditional method of hotel reservation like using the telephone
may have problems when the phone line is busy or the particular staff did not
answer the call. The distance is also a contributing problem to this case
especially if the place is quite far. Using a new technology like email or
online reservation also can have constraints. The reservation cannot be made if
there are no computers or Internet services. It is also difficult if they are on the
road and they don't have a wireless device to make a reservation.

COPYRIGHT UiTM

3.2

Definition of Pertinent Terminology

3.2.1 Wireless Technology

Wireless data technologies include instant messaging, paging technology, and
SMS messages (text messages transmitted over the wireless network and
displayed on wireless phones). SMS systems enable subscribers to receive
voicemail notification, digital pages, personal messages, and informational
services like stock quotes, sports scores, weather, and traffic. (Jason Pavona,
February 2002)
For such a simple service, SMS has become a major driver in postpaid
and prepaid wireless markets. Regarding to Mark. S Thompson, once a
neglected offering, SMS is now a key part of marketing strategies for wireless
service providers in North America and around the world. (Mark S.
Thompson, April 2002)

3.2.2 GSM
GSM (Global System for Mobile) is the pan-European standard for digital
cellular telephone service. GSM networks will be built as an alternative to
current AMPS systems and in the future and will support enhanced data
applications. GSM was designed for European markets to provide the
advantage of automatic, international roaming in muhiple countries. The SIM
(Subscriber Identification Module) card is a vital component in GSM
operation. The user can store all relevant data for the phone on a removable
plastic card. The card can be plugged into any GSM compatible phone and the
phone is instantly personalized to the user. (Nigel Cawthorne, 1999)

COPYRIGHT UiTM

3.2.3 SMS
Short message service is a mechanism of delivery of short messages over the
mobile networks. It is a store and forward way of transmitting messages to and
from mobiles. (Laurie Ballet, 2001). SMS was an accidental success that took
nearly everyone in the mobile industry by surprise. SMS is one of the few
services in consumer history that has grown very fast without corresponding
decreases in pricing. Usually, even in the case of voice mobile phones, price
reductions in the cost of the phones and phone service have led to increases in
usage. (Dr. Subrahmanyam Karuturi, 2002)

3.2.4 SMS Application

It is possible to develop SMS applications that allow 2-way interactions
between a business and its customers. Since each SMS message is tagged with
the sender's "phone number," the recipient can hit the Reply button and send a
response which is received by a server and which can be parsed for specific
keywords. In applications that require a higher degree of security, one can also
require that a PIN be included in the message to verify the sender's
identity. (Dan Ehrmann, Oct,2002)

In two-way SMS-based service, users can communicate with the SMS

gateway interactively. Specific information can be retrieved by users via SMS
or through web interface, (www. 1 .com.my) Please refer appendix C(i)

Mobile phones are a commodity today, and SMS (Short Message

Service) messages offer an intriguing solution. Messages are delivered in a
matter of seconds, and customers are far more likely to receive and read them,
no matter their Internet habits or current locations. This is by no means the
only way SMS messages could work for you. You could provide your users
with two-way communication by enabling customers to send you an SMS
request in a specified format and get a response from the system. This user

10 UiTM
COPYRIGHT

interface would be far from being user-friendly, but for simple requestresponse situations, it would work well enough, (Dejan Bosanac, June 2004)
SMS technology has moved beyond being a personal messaging tool
and is now being embraced as an effective mission-critical mobile business
communication tool. As the most cost-effective method of communicating
with customers, employees, suppliers and business partners today, companies
of all sizes, in all parts of the market are finding it impossible to ignore the
benefits of using SMS technology to streamline their communications and
business processes. Mobile phones are an integral part of our lives. We can
count on the fact that a mobile phone is nearly always with the user, therefore
information communicated via SMS easily reaches the recipient wherever
they are, with the advantage of remaining in the phone's memory for future
referral. (Barry Prinsloo, May 2004)
Anthony Rodriguez from Hotel Information Systems told CNN,
"Today's technology is so cheap and we need to cut down the queues and
phone calls to the hotel asking which room people were in. We can also target
future guest. We can fiher through the hotel's history so if she/he stayed 10
times and spent $3,000, we can send them a special SMS inviting them back"
(Anthony Rodriguez, February 2003)
Hotel reservations or enquiries can now be done via short message
service (SMS) with the launch of mobileHOTEL, the first-ever SMS hotel
booking service in the Asean region said the Malaysian Association of Hotels
president Mohd Ilyas Zainol Abidin. He said the service was to increase
efficiency. Guests can check hotel rates and make reservations via SMS
anytime

without

having

to

look

(www.bettingmagazine.com/ManageArticle)

11 UiTM
COPYRIGHT

for

directory.

3.2.5 How SMS Work

A typical organization of network elements in a GSM network supporting
SMS. Pelase refer to appendix C (ii)for the architecture
The SMC (Short Message Center) is the entity, which does the job of store
and forward of messages to and from the mobile station. The SME (Short
Message Entity), which can be located in the fixed network or a mobile
station, receives and sends short messages.

The SMS GWMS (SMS gateway MSC) is a gateway MSC that can
also receive short messages. The gateway MSC is a mobile network's point of
contact with other networks. On receiving the short message from the short
message center, GMSC uses the SS7 network to interrogate the current
position of the mobile station form the HLR, the home location register.
HLR is the main database in a mobile network. It holds information of
the subscription profile of the mobile and also about the routing information
for the subscriber, i.e. the area (covered by a MSC) where the mobile is
currently situated. The GMSC is thus able to pass on the message to the
correct MSC.
MSC (Mobile Switching Center) is the entity in a GSM network which
does the job of switching connections between mobile stations or between
mobile stations and thefixednetwork.
A VLR (Visitor Location Register) corresponds to each MSC and
contains temporary information about the mobile, information like mobile
identification and the cell (or a group of cells) where the mobile is currently
situated. Using information form the VLR the MSC is able to switch the
information (short message) to the corresponding BSS (Base Station System,
BSC + BTSs), which transmits the short message to the mobile. The BSS
consists of transceivers, which send and receive information over the air

12 UiTM
COPYRIGHT

interface, to and from the mobile station. This information is passed over the
signaling channels so the mobile can receive messages even if a voice or data
call is going on. (Puneet Gupta, 2000)

3.2.6 Advantage Of Using SMS

There are a lot of the advantages of SMS. Some of the advantages of SMS are
SMS messaging is a discreet way of contacting your colleagues when they do
not want to be disturbed by phone calls and SMS is ideal for sending vital
information quickly and accurately. (Alderson, M, 2000)
SMS, because of its very nature has unique advantages that other nonvoice services do not have. It provides a very convenient method of
exchanging small bits of information between mobile users (Puneet Gupta).
Meanwhile, based on Ayse Binay, the reasons for the enormous popularity of
SMS have been the fact that this mechanism of sending and receiving
messages not only saves time but costs less as well. In many situations one is
relatively much more comfortable sending a message via SMS than talking
over phone. With new information services and unique value added services
being used by the operators the popularity of SMS is increasing further. SMS
is also uniquely positioned as a very attractive advertisement medium.

"Short Messaging Service" or "Short Message Sending" is widely

supported in wireless telephones in most European and Asia-Pacific countries,
although rarely in the USA. Wildly popular in Japan and elsewhere, SMS
allows telephone users to compose short textual messages using the telephone
handset, and transmit them asynchronously. Think of it as instant messaging
for cell phones.

13 UiTM
COPYRIGHT

3.2.7 Three Tier Architecture

Basically three tier architecture includes a database, a web server and web
browsers using the site. Take a look at this diagram and see what exactly we
are talking about. Please refer to appendix C(iii)for the diagram. To put three
tier architecture into a real world example imagine you are building a web site
for people to enter poems. Your users (client tier) type their poem into a web
form and submit it to a PHP script on your site (application tier) which then
inserts it into your database (data tier). You keep the poems in the database.
To display the poem on a web page you have another PHP script that connects
to the database and selects the poem and then includes it in the HTML page
that is sent to the user. This all happens almost instantly and appears just like a
static web page does. You may be thinking, this is a lot of work for displaying
a poem in a web page but imagine you have a thousand poems submitted to
your site. Although you have to write a couple PHP scripts to do this, once it
is done your system can handle thousands of poems wihtout any more work.
(http://vyvyw.tqnyc.org/tutorial/three_tier/)

3.2.8 Microsoft Visual Basic

"Visual Basic 6.0 is designed to allow the programmer to develop applications
that run under windows programming. It is easy to learn, which makes it an
excellent tool to understand elementary programming concepts. In addition, it
has evolved into such a powerful and popular product that skilled Visual Basic
programmers are in demand in the job market". (Julia Case Bradley and Anita
C. Millspaugh, Programming in Visual Basic Version 6.0, 2002)

14 UiTM
COPYRIGHT