FORT WORTH, Texas -- Sabre is climbing a mountain that no CRS
company has scaled, moving its databases of schedules, availability
and fares from mainframes into a new server-based system.
As part of a multiyear deal with computer firm Compaq, Sabre
said the move will radically improve its CRS search functions and
transform what it refers to as "air shopping."
CRS booking and fulfillment functions will remain on
mainframes.
Sabre said agents using the CRS should benefit from better, more
competitive fare displays. For example, negotiated fares, rules and
published fares will be loaded into the system much faster and more
reliably.
"When you see the fare, you can actually book it," said Sabre
chief technology officer Craig Murphy.
The technology benefits also will enhance Sabre's role in the
consumer online and corporate channels, officials said.
"This is a major step forward in answering our [airline]
customers' concerns about reliance on older technology," Murphy
added.
In the long term, Sabre said it expects to reduce its CRS
ownership costs by 40% through the transition from mainframe
systems to servers that use today's open-system programming
languages. Among other things, this will make it faster and cheaper
to develop new CRS features.
Other CRS companies, like Worldspan and Amadeus, have moved
elements of their fare and scheduling search engines off mainframes
and on to networked PCs, but none have completely cut the cord.
Henry Harteveldt, senior analyst at Forrester, a technology
research firm, said, "This a major move for Sabre.
"This isn't something undertaken by the weak and squeamish," he
said. "Sabre must balance the inherent need to be methodical and
thorough with the industry's [primarily the airlines'] desire to
see that evolution occur relatively quickly."
In the first phase of the four-year project, 16% to 20% of the
CRS search volume will be moved to 192 Compaq servers, beginning in
the first quarter of 2002. EDS, which maintains Sabre's network,
will operate the new servers while Compaq will help develop the new
platform.
Richard Eastman, president of the Eastman Group, which develops
software for airlines, CRSs and agencies, predicted that although
the Sabre announcement pertains to distribution, the company "will
necessarily integrate [the new platform] with the airlines it
hosts.
"Airlines that remain dependent on the supply-driven,
command-and-control legacy architectures will not be able to
compete," Eastman said.