Microsoft and Travelport Team to Help Airlines, Travel Industry Suppliers, and
Travel Agencies Enrich and Personalize the Traveller Experience
REDMOND, Wash. and LANGLEY, England, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
Microsoft Corp. and Travelport today announced they are teaming together to
develop an integrated set of services targeted for the travel industry to address
challenges faced by travellers, suppliers, and travel agents. Through the
collaboration, Microsoft and Travelport will explore the development of services
designed to improve the traveller experience and to provide airlines, travel
suppliers, and travel agencies, including travel management companies (TMCs) and
online travel agents (OTAs), with new revenue and cost reduction opportunities,
broader distribution reach, and improved customer satisfaction and loyalty. The
services are slated for Q1 2009.
“In bringing together Microsoft’s rich, interactive technologies with
Travelport’s deep marketplace of travel content and informed choice, we are
creating a completely innovative solution for the travel industry. This will
improve the traveler experience with a new level of personalization and change
how suppliers, TMCs, and OTAs reach travellers,” said Geoff Cairns, worldwide
managing director, Hospitality, Microsoft.
In the travel industry, Microsoft is focused on helping airlines and service
providers deliver a highly personalized travel experience across all channels and
from all devices. This includes helping service providers to better identify
travellers, understand their individual preferences and needs, and build a strong
emotional connection through all stages of travel.
Travelport is the leader in Web-based travel e-commerce and provides the most
relevant, cost-efficient technologies and services available to participants
throughout the global travel distribution chain. The company processes 1.1
billion travel transactions per day. More than 63,000 travel agencies, the
world’s leading travel suppliers and corporations globally rely on Travelport to
drive productivity, lower operating costs and serve millions of travellers
throughout the world.
This engagement builds on a history of Microsoft and Travelport working
together on innovative technology solutions in the travel space. Previously, the
two companies have collaborated to create ground-breaking solutions, such as
Travelport’s e-Pricing shopping technology, which was originally developed for
Expedia and now benefits all Travelport customers, and Travelport Cache Control,
which was developed with Microsoft. Travelport also provides the Microsoft
corporate travel booking solution.
“We are delighted to partner with technology leader Microsoft to develop
innovative travel solutions across multiple channels,” said Keith Woodcock,
senior vice president, Travelport GDS. “Like other ground-breaking solutions we
have developed with Microsoft, the technology investment and development is a
result of listening to our customers’ needs and will ultimately benefit the
traveler, travel agencies, airlines, and other travel suppliers.”
About Microsoft in Hospitality
Microsoft’s Hospitality Group enables the personalization of the connected
traveler experience, leading to increased revenue streams by leveraging observed
trends from loyalty and preferences data. Microsoft and partner solutions provide
compelling, personalized traveler experiences — including on-demand entertainment
and business productivity — on a familiar platform that most travelers already
use at home and work. Through a combination of Microsoft-and partner-based
solutions, the hospitality industry can turn data into insight, ideas into action
and change into opportunity. More information about Microsoft’s Hospitality Group
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in
software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their
full potential.
About Travelport
Travelport is one of the world's largest travel conglomerates offering broad
based business services to companies operating in the global travel industry. The
company is comprised of Travelport GDS, a global distribution system business
that includes the Worldspan and Galileo brands; GTA, a group travel and wholesale
hotel business; Business Intelligence by Travelport, a data analysis business;
and IT Services and Software, which hosts mission critical applications and
provides business solutions for major airlines.
Travelport also owns approximately 48% of Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE: OWW), a
leading global online travel company. With 2007 revenues of $2.6 billion,
Travelport operates in 145 countries and has approximately 5,500 employees.
Travelport is a private company owned by The Blackstone Group, One Equity
Partners, Technology Crossover Ventures and Travelport management.
SOURCE: Microsoft Corp.; Travelport
CONTACT: Jill Brenner, of Travelport, jill.brenner@travelport.com,
+1-973-939-1325; or Simona Cotta Ramusino, of Metia for Microsoft,
simona.cotta-ramusino@metia.com, +44 (0)20 3100 3603 /
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com/
(MSFT)
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