American Express Business Travel announced
the rollout of its "next-generation" online corporate travel
booking tool.
Called the
Intelligent Online Marketplace, the tool brings together access to
the traditional travel components (air, hotel and car) with a range
of other related business services such as airport parking, dining,
ground transportation, event tickets, package shipping and audio or
Web conferencing.
The system is
powered by the San Mateo, Calif.-based Rearden Commerce, which
describes itself as the world's largest online marketplace for all
kinds of services offered for purchase by corporate employees. It
offers the products of more than 135,000 suppliers
worldwide.
American Express
said it took a minority equity stake in Rearden and will name a
representative to join its board. It also said Amex and Rearden
formed a product council to focus on future development.
Amex said the new
Marketplace takes travel policy management to the next level
because companies will find it more practical to develop and
enforce policies for the purchase of many travel-related purchases
that currently are unmanaged.
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