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The technology for the future of business travel
2012 is set to be a significant year for Travelport and in particular for the critical part its technology and products play in the business travel sector.
The role of the GDS has continued to evolve over the past few years from a traditional distribution platform between airlines and travel agents to what it is today - a fully-fledged marketing, retailing and distribution platform which delivers new ways to sell a wider range of content than ever before.
Over the past year, Travelport has launched a range of innovative products all aimed at meeting the needs of a fast-changing travel industry and delivering travel agencies smarter, more cost effective solutions that maximise their business. At the forefront of these products is Travelport Universal Desktop, which provides travel agents with an integrated booking solution that seamlessly unifies selling and merchandising programs, automates processes, improves workflow and accesses a world of multi-source content including GDS and non-GDS content. This is revolution and not evolution and really is the next generation in agency desktops.
Travelport have already received positive feedback from customers - Scott Pawley, managing director at Global Travel Management commented: “GTM is proud to be the first UK test customer to make live bookings on the Travelport Universal Desktop. The fact that it’s highly intuitive and easy to use and also very strong in terms of shopping capabilities means that it’s a standout solution. For example, my team finds the way it integrates published, private and net fares in one display very powerful. We can see Travelport Universal Desktop streamlining our end-to-end booking process as it guides us to ask the right questions first time, every time, this really helps our consultants to be more productive and provide superior customer service.”
In response to demand in the industry for smarter solutions, Travelport has also just introduced the Travelport Smartpoint App which evolves the Galileo Desktop with dynamic and interactive technology to improve travel consultant productivity and customer service by combining efficiency of command entries with clarity of graphical overviews and click-through links. Moreover, Travelport Smartpoint App provides intelligent translation capabilities that allow agents to use commands from any GDS within a cryptic environment thereby dramatically reducing training needs and increasing productivity.
Travelport continues to work with numerous airlines including British Airways, United Airlines and Air Canada in better enabling them to market and merchandise products and services to travel agencies. This remains a key area of focus in 2012. In tandem with significant merchandising developments, Travelport has been working with airlines across the globe to agree full content agreements that deliver great value to those airlines and secure the widest possible breadth of content for travel agents.
We also anticipate that online and mobile solutions will continue to be top-of-mind, in line with changing consumer behaviour. The time is ripe to be investing in solutions for the mobile sector. Travelport is currently developing a mobile itinerary management solution which will enable travellers to access useful travel information via their Android, BlackBerry and Apple smartphones. This new product will launch in early 2012.
