Travelport GDS Accelerates Development of Comprehensive, Integrated Agent Desktop Solution
Hong Kong,
14.04.2008
Travelport GDS has announced that it has entered into an agreement with G2 SwitchWorks Corp. under which it has acquired certain software assets and intellectual property to be used in the development of a future Travelport agent desktop solution. The agreement includes G2 SwitchWorks’ Kestrel point-of-sale application, the G2 web service core and a number of associated software development tools. Specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
“With this announcement, Travelport has taken another significant step towards the creation of the industry’s first comprehensive, fully-integrated agency desktop,” said Gordon Wilson, president and chief executive officer, Travelport GDS. “Our customers require the seamless integration of selling and merchandising programs, improved workflow, process automation and content aggregation. Integrating the G2 technology into our existing plans will accelerate Travelport’s delivery of what we believe will be an industry leading capability.”
He continued, “additional value-added services, such as comprehensive traveller profiling and expanded agency search and customer service options, will combine to create a compelling proposition that suits the way today’s agents want to sell.”
Travelport intends to utilize Kestrel, the G2 web service core, and associated tools as key elements in the development of a new unified, travel agent desktop solution, expected to be released in early 2009. This new Travelport solution will incorporate, build upon and ultimately replace the company’s current agent point of sale products - FocalPoint/ViewPoint from Galileo and Go! from Worldspan.
Travelport also intends to expose these new capabilities via its messaging platforms to enable development partners to gain access to the new functionality that this acquisition is expected to provide. The addition of this capability to Travelport’s Web Services platform is expected to enable partners to reduce their development and operation costs.
Developed over the past year by G2 SwitchWorks, Kestrel provides a “point-and-click” point-of-sale solution that enables agents to search for and book travel content across multiple sources including the Global Distribution Systems (GDSs). It also includes the ability for agents to manage data-rich traveler profiles outside the GDS, enabling precise targeting of customer-specific offers, upgrades and incentives. Travel bookings are stored in a GDS-sensitive Universal Record Database which provides enhanced functionality in the agent desktop resulting in significant productivity gains independent of the GDS to which the agent subscribes.
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1 “Kestrel” is G2 SwitchWorks’ internal name for a next-generation point of sale application framework.
About Travelport GDS
Travelport GDS is one of the world’s largest global distribution system (GDS) providers operating both the Galileo and the Worldspan brands, providing real-time travel information and booking capabilities to online and offline travel agencies in over 145 countries. It also operates Travel Intelligence Services which provides marketing and other critical data to the industry, and includes its Shepherd Systems subsidiary; and IT Services & Software, which offers mission critical reservations, related software and services management to the world’s leading airlines. Travelport GDS is a convergence of traditional and online travel distribution services that empower airlines, travel suppliers, travel agencies, Web sites and corporations to provide informed choice to travelers on a global platform. Travelport GDS is a division of Travelport, one of the world’s largest service providers to the travel industry. More information is available at www.travelport.com.
Media Contact:
kate Aldridge
Travelport Corporate Communications, Travelport GDS
+44 1753 288720
kate.aldridge@travelport.com
Michelle Larmer
Double Edge PR
+61 2 9957 1352
michelle@doubleedge.com.au