MIAMI -- System One Amadeus said its expansion plans for the
year include a "far-reaching" Internet-based initiative for
subscribers, slated for introduction in the first half of the year.
Those plans include Amadeus Pro Vista, a tool the vendor said will
fully integrate the computerized reservations system with the
Internet and enable agents to leverage the content of the Net
without losing a reservation.
A Pro Vista prototype was displayed last fall at the Amadeus
users conference in Barcelona, Spain. It provided a choice between
a user-friendly graphical interface, or native CRS formats, for
more experienced agents.
A spokeswoman said many changes have since been made to the
product, which is slated for debut as part of "much broader plans
that look at the bigger picture" with respect to the Internet. She
declined to elaborate.
Jim Davidson, vice president of sales and marketing, said the
national marketing company is committed to bringing new tools to
the market to help subscribers boost revenue while reducing
overhead costs.
The Internet initiative, for instance, is designed to help
agents create business opportunities at a time when they are faced
with a slew of challenges, including the commission caps, direct
supplier sales via the Internet and more demanding customers,
Davidson said. "Everything we have done, and plan to do, reflects
our commitment to the travel agency community," he said.
The national marketing company devoted most of last year to
converting to the TCP/IP network, which will provide the
communications backbone for Pro Vista and other Internet products,
officials said. Last year was also largely devoted to the
conversion of thousands of System One subscribers to the Amadeus
central platform, a process that garnered mixed reviews from travel
agents.
According to Davidson, the new platform provides users with
"extensive worldwide reach and, in the long-term, greater
productivity." The conversion is slated to be completed by the end
of February, he said.