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TripSync Press Releases and Announcements
Sep 27, 2007: DESKDEMON.COM AND PORTAGA, INC. TRAVEL-ENABLE A HALF MILLION OFFICE PROFESSIONALS
For Immediate Release
DESKDEMON.COM AND PORTAGA, INC. TRAVEL-ENABLE A HALF MILLION OFFICE PROFESSIONALS
TripSync(TM) Travel Booking to Become a Part of the DeskDemon.com(TM) Website
SAN FRANCISCO, CA and WHITE PLAINS, NY- DeskDemon.com and Portaga, Inc. today announced that the TripSync desktop travel manager will become part of the world's largest online business tool and community specifically designed for office professionals. Under the new arrangement, a DeskDemon.com administrative professional can book travel -- for free -- for one or many colleagues at the lowest available prices, while coordinating schedules, approvals and post-trip reporting for the business.
"With this tool, DeskDemon.com has once again fulfilled its mission to address the needs of the 'Smart Office Professional,'" said Dave West, CMO and Associate Publisher of DeskDemon.com. "Administrative Professionals are the lynchpin of the organization, and are in need of a tool that takes the hassle out of the time-consuming task of coordinating travel for the business -- TripSync does just that."
"This is an ideal match of need, tool and person," said Evan Newman, COO of Portaga, Inc., the maker of TripSync. "We know that travel management is one of the most vexing duties an office professional faces -- supervising schedules, finances and reporting across multiple travelers before, during and after a trip can be daunting. TripSync was built with the administrative professional in mind."
For the DeskDemon user, TripSync is free to obtain, free to use, free to book, and easy to adopt by one person or a whole company. It is the only travel booking tool integrated into Microsoft Outlook®, Google™ Calendar, the Firefox® and Internet Explorer® browsers and now, DeskDemon.com. With TripSync, the administrative professional can manage complex itineraries for one or more person, book and hold a trip for 24 hours, obtain company-negotiated fares, manage credit cards and traveler profiles, submit pre-trip approvals, and handle post-trip reporting for the entire workplace. TripSync's unique drag-and-drop scheduling hides the complexity of re-booking through simple mouse-gestures. Moreover, TripSync is the only complete travel tool for the mobile professional, empowering them to create and modify travel plans on the road from their web-enabled phone or PDA. The executive can change a hotel from the taxicab, and her admin will know by glancing at the calendar.
Since its launch in August 2000, DeskDemon.com has gained a deep understanding of the needs of over 500,000 office professionals, and is firmly established with this audience through credibility, depth and breadth of information and resources we provide to them. According to a recent site poll, 93% of its users use Outlook as their mission-critical tool. By adding TripSync to its repertoire, DeskDemon.com enables its members to cope with ever-changing schedules and workloads, and establishes itself at the forefront of new technology and more effective and efficient tools and methods.
About DeskDemon.com
DeskDemon.com was launched in August 2000 and currently enjoys over 500,000 visitors a month* and average page views of 30-40 per visit**. This makes DeskDemon.com the world's largest online business tool and community specifically designed for administrative professionals, secretaries and office managers, with a significant presence through its websites in the UK and the US, which are the largest in their respective countries. (source: *metricsmarket.com **alexa.com, February 2006)
DeskDemon.com is used as a work tool across tens of thousands of SMEs as well as having a strong presence in multinationals, providing mission critical and essential resources and information to enable its users to achieve tangible benefits through savings in time and cost. Around 82% of DeskDemon.com's current users are within small or medium-sized enterprises and 18% within the multinationals. www.deskdemon.com
About TripSync
TripSync (www.tripsync.com) is the free, Web 2.0 travel tool that allows business travelers to book, change and manage travel directly from their calendar with a few simple clicks. TripSync simplifies, organizes and synchronizes business travel for one or multiple travelers by creating live data itineraries right in Outlook. TripSync makes creating or changing travel plans as easy as scheduling a meeting. Designed with an inherent understanding of how small and medium-sized companies work, TripSync was developed by veteran business travelers at Portaga, Inc., a web services company based in White Plains, NY. For more information about TripSync and how to get it, go to www.tripsync.com.
Sep 24, 2007: TRIPSYNC ANNOUNCES INTEGRATION WITH GOOGLE(tm) CALENDAR
For Immediate Release
TRIPSYNC ANNOUNCES INTEGRATION WITH GOOGLE(tm) CALENDAR
WHITE PLAINS, NY -- Portaga, Inc. today unveiled the newest version of its TripSyncâ„¢ desktop travel manager, which includes integration with Googleâ„¢ Calendar and improvements to the power, speed and ease of use of its desktop and mobile booking platforms.
"We had already taken the lead in software-integrated and mobile travel management," said Robert Kost, CEO, "and Google Calendar integration just puts us even further ahead of the competition." Kost issued a challenge: "You won't find a faster, easier, more feature-complete booking tool on the internet -- and, unlike Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz, we continue to waive booking fees, making us the only business travel solution that is entirely free to both the traveler and the business."
Users of Google Calendar can now synchronize their travel plans with their calendar, much as users of Microsoft Outlook® are already able to. When travel is booked, modified or canceled, the calendar is automatically updated, making it easy for colleagues to track one another's whereabouts. The user needs only to authenticate with his calendar once; thereafter, TripSync provides "single sign-on" synchronization.
Leveraging Google Calendar's mobile notification system, travelers can be automatically notified -- or notify their colleagues or administrative assistants -- of changes in travel plans via email or SMS. And, because TripSync provides the only comprehensive mobile booking solution, changes the traveler makes from her cell phone will automatically change their Google Calendar.
"You can begin to see why we believe TripSync is the future of internet-based travel," said Evan Newman, COO for Portaga. "In the age of the 'mash-up,' the right way to think of travel management is as a complement to the vast array of software and services available out there, rather than as a monolithic destination site. Our recent Salesforce.com announcement, and now this integration with Google Calendar, gives you a sense of where we're going."
About TripSync
TripSync is the free, Web 2.0 travel tool that allows business travelers to book, change, and manage travel directly from their calendar with a few simple clicks. TripSync simplifies, organizes, and synchronizes business travel for one or multiple travelers. Designed with a deep understanding of how small and medium-sized companies operate, TripSync was developed by veteran business travelers at Portaga, Inc., based in White Plains, NY. For more information about TripSync, go to www.tripsync.com.
Sep 17, 2007: PORTAGA, INC. AND TRIPSYNC NOW AVAILABLE ON SALESFORCE.COM'S APPEXCHANGE
For Immediate Release
PORTAGA, INC. AND TRIPSYNC NOW AVAILABLE ON SALESFORCE.COM'S APPEXCHANGE
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Salesforce.com Dreamforce Conference - Portaga Inc. today announced the availability of TripSyncâ„¢ for salesforce.com's AppExchange. TripSync enables the booking of flight, hotel and car reservations directly from within Salesforce. Built on the Force.com platform, TripSync for AppExchange is immediately available for test drive and deployment at http://www.salesforce.com/appexchange. The announcement was made today at Dreamforce '07, salesforce.com's User and Developer Conference.
TripSync for AppExchange is a unique travel management tool that allows users to book and manage travel all from within Salesforce. TripSync allows users to establish travel preferences, evaluate travel estimates and finally book a particular flight, hotel or car reservation. Users can associate a trip with a particular Account, Contact, Lead or Opportunity which can help capture total sales costs. Managers can also establish travel parameters for their travelers such as spending limits and provide notification when travel is booked.
"We're very proud and excited to present TripSync for AppExchange to salesforce.com customers. The introduction of TripSync supports our dedication to providing a state-of-the-art travel booking experience to the business traveler. We believe that salesforce.com users will find that booking travel using TripSync is simple and highly intuitive," said Evan Newman, COO of Portaga Inc. "It's only logical that we partnered with salesforce.com, who is the defacto leader in on-demand business applications, to make TripSync available on the AppExchange."
"Portaga is one of hundreds of innovative on-demand applications that customers can use via the AppExchange to extend the benefits of on-demand throughout their enterprise," said George Hu, Chief Marketing Officer, salesforce.com. "Portaga's TripSync app allows users to conveniently book and modify travel directly from within Salesforce. By being able to associate a trip to a particular record TripSync delivers tangible value in being able to help quantify overall sales costs."
Force.com Platform and the AppExchange
Force.com is the on-demand platform for the next generation of business applications. Force.com reinvents traditional customization and integration and enables the creation of a whole new generation of on-demand applications that go beyond client/server computing. Force.com allows applications to be easily shared, exchanged and installed with a few simple clicks via salesforce.com's AppExchange marketplace, enabling all the innovation that Force.com unleashes to benefit the entire on-demand community.
The AppExchange economy continues to expand as thousands of salesforce.com customers have installed thousands of on-demand business applications available on the AppExchange, found at http://www.salesforce.com/appexchange.
About Portaga:
Portaga is dedicated to providing a state-of-the-art travel booking experience to the business traveler. It's Portaga Travel Manager, TripSync (www.tripsync.com), is a free, Web 2.0 travel tool that allows business travelers to book, change and manage travel directly from their calendar with a few simple clicks, making creating or changing travel plans as easy as scheduling a meeting. It recently announced the world's first mobile booking application, available to anyone using a web-enabled mobile phone. Designed with an inherent understanding of how companies work, TripSync was developed by veteran business travelers at Portaga, Inc. (www.portaga.com), a travel technology company based in White Plains, NY.
July 24, 2007: PORTAGA ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT WITH AMERICAN AIRLINES
For Immediate Release
PORTAGA ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT WITH AMERICAN AIRLINES
White Plains, NY -- Portaga Inc. today announced that American Airlines has signed a Letter of Intent to utilize Portaga's internet-based travel management technologies.
"We are honored that the world's largest airline has chosen to utilize our platform" said Robert Kost, CEO of Portaga. "We always knew that our travel technologies would be highly attractive. American decided that our application can be a strong value-add to American's distribution strategy. We could not have hoped for a better carrier with which to partner."
"American plans to leverage Portaga's innovative user interface and efficient solutions to allow our customers to interact with American Airlines through a variety of different access points. Leveraging Portaga's great technologies, which are user friendly and highly efficient for our travelers, supports our strategy" said Charlie Sultan, American's Managing Director, Sales Planning and Analysis.
About Portaga Portaga is dedicated to providing a state-of-the-art travel booking experience to the business traveler. It's Portaga Travel Manager, TripSync (www.tripsync.com), is a free, Web 2.0 travel tool that allows business travelers to book, change and manage travel directly from their calendar with a few simple clicks, making creating or changing travel plans as easy as scheduling a meeting. It recently announced the world's first mobile booking application, available to anyone using a web-enabled mobile phone. Designed with an inherent understanding of how companies work, TripSync was developed by veteran business travelers at Portaga, Inc. (www.portaga.com), a travel technology company based in White Plains, NY.
About American Airlines
American Airlines is the world's largest airline. American, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection ® airlines serve 250 cities in over 40 countries with more than 4,000 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 1,000 aircraft. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld ® Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve more than 700 destinations in over 140 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, AAdvantage and We know why you fly are registered trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. (NYSE: AMR).
May 22, 2007: TRIPSYNC IS FIRST TO LET TRAVELERS TRAVEL FROM MOBILE DEVICES
For Immediate Release
TRIPSYNC IS FIRST TO LET TRAVELERS TRAVEL FROM MOBILE DEVICES
Cancellations? New Trip? Get Airborne Faster with TripSync
White Plains, NY – May 22, 2007 – TripSync™ (www.tripsync.com) is the first and only mobile application that books air, hotel and car rental reservations. For years there has been talk in the travel industry about mobile booking, but the only one now available is TripSync Mobile. With TripSync Mobile any traveler with a web-enabled mobile phone has the unprecedented flexibility to book trips from anywhere. Now that mobile travel is actually here, travelers are free to snag fares and flights as they see them, without being chained to a desktop. Imagine how TripSync Mobile can fix these typical scenarios:
- Flight is cancelled due to mechanical whatever. Everyone on the flight has to rush to a phone, line up at a counter, or find a PC to book a new flight. The TripSync user is first in line and chooses from the widest array of flights just by picking up a cell phone.
- Flight is cancelled because of weather issues. Instead of relying on a travel agent to find a hotel, the TripSync user searches for hotels across the country on the cell phone, sees only the available hotels and quickly finds a place to rest, while everyone else sleeps at the airport.
- Stuck in a long meeting, a traveler receives an email requiring him to be in another city tomorrow. Instead of excusing himself from the meeting, he books his flight on his PDA, and gets back to the task at hand without delay.
TripSync Mobile users don’t incur booking fees (yes, free booking!) and they and their assistant can view the entire itinerary right within Outlook, even when it’s booked through their phone. Trips in the Outlook calendar are available for others to see, so it’s easy to notify colleagues of the itinerary and/or invite them on the trip.
Mobile booking seems so obvious: phones can do everything these days, from downloading music to watching the latest TV shows, so why hasn’t there been airline ticket booking? The honest answer is mobile booking is not a money maker and not of use to the leisure traveler - but TripSync is the only tool of its kind concerned with the business traveler.
“If you are a traveler on the go, then you know this is history in the making. By offering TripSync Mobile we are investing in technology that makes travelers’ lives easier. TripSync gives travelers a new outlook - through Outlook and now mobile capabilities that no one else offers,†says Robert Kost, CEO of Portaga.
Additional mobile features coming soon are:
- Itinerary Modification and Cancellation –TripSync will next offer the ability to change hotel and car bookings, without the need to re-book.
- Flight Re-booking – According to the Bureau of Transportation, 26% of national flights are delayed. When a traveler is late, use TripSync’s drag and drop feature in the Outlook calendar or on the mobile platform and the flight is automatically re-booked and monies properly transferred.
- Critical alerts – TripSync will already alert the traveler, by email or SMS, concerning flight delays, gate changes and cancellations. Coming soon are weather conditions at the airport, security line wait times and more.
TripSync allows business travelers to control travel and expenses with one free program. Air, hotel and car reservations are made with speed and efficiency and changed with ease as necessary. Booking directly through Microsoft Outlook simplifies and organizes travel planning right into the Outlook daily calendar. Gone are the days of searching through multiple Web pages and starting over at page one to edit an itinerary. With TripSync, the time, resources and personnel needed to book, change and manage travel are greatly reduced. So go ahead and think about it or get it approved before you book. Your trip will be waiting for you.
About TripSync
TripSync (www.tripsync.com) is the free, Web 2.0 travel tool that allows business travelers to book, change and manage travel directly from their calendar with a few simple clicks. TripSync simplifies, organizes and synchronizes business travel for one or multiple travelers by creating live data itineraries right in Outlook. TripSync makes creating or changing travel plans as easy as scheduling a meeting. Designed with an inherent understanding of how small and medium sized companies work, TripSync was developed by veteran business travelers at Portaga, Inc., a web services company based in White Plains, NY. For more information about TripSync and how to get it, go to www.tripsync.com.
May 9, 2007: HOLD THAT SEAT, CAR & ROOM FOR ME; I WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT
For Immediate Release
HOLD THAT SEAT, CAR & ROOM FOR ME; I WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT
New Book and Hold for Business Travelers Introduced for TripSyncâ„¢ by Portaga
White Plains, NY – May 2007 – TripSync™ (www.tripsync.com) has announces the launch of a new feature that enables travelers to hold a reservation for 24 hours, without penalty for cancellation or payment required. This 24 hour window is the time for travel plans to be solidified and expenses to be approved. There is no commitment with Book and Hold, just the guarantee of the flights and car reservations for up to 24 hours. The reservation is held in the traveler’s name, with price determined at the time of actual booking. Hotels can be booked and cancelled with no penalty up until the day of arrival (may vary by hotel).
“Book and Hold removes the ‘do-it-or-lose-it’ pressure of booking travel and unlike Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz, TripSync makes sure your options are secured for car and air bookings. TripSync goes the extra mile for business travelers,†said Robert Kost, CEO of Portaga.
TripSync allows business travelers to control travel and expenses with one free program. Air, hotel and car reservations are made with speed and efficiency and changed with ease as necessary. Booking directly through Microsoft Outlook simplifies and organizes travel planning right into the Outlook daily calendar. Gone are the days of searching through multiple Web pages and starting over at page one to edit an itinerary. With TripSync, the time, resources and personnel needed to book, change and manage travel are greatly reduced. So go ahead and think about it or get it approved before you book. Your trip will be waiting for you.
About TripSync
TripSync (www.tripsync.com) is the free, Web 2.0 travel tool that allows business travelers to book, change and manage travel directly from their calendar with a few simple clicks. TripSync simplifies, organizes and synchronizes business travel for one or multiple travelers by creating live data itineraries right in Outlook. TripSync makes creating or changing travel plans as easy as scheduling a meeting. Designed with an inherent understanding of how small and medium sized companies work, TripSync was developed by veteran business travelers at Portaga, Inc., a web services company based in White Plains, NY. For more information about TripSync and how to get it, go to www.tripsync.com.
April 12, 2007: TRIPSYNC ENDS ONLINE TRAVEL BOOKING FEES FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
For Immediate Release
TRIPSYNC ENDS ONLINE TRAVEL BOOKING FEES FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
Issues Challenge to Online Travel Sites to Match “Fee-Free†Booking
White Plains, NY – April 12, 2007 – On the heels of its launch, TripSync™ (www.tripsync.com) is issuing a challenge to Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity, as well as other online travel sites: Drop your booking fees!
Today TripSync announced it is waiving booking fees, for an indefinite time, for all travel purchased through the Web’s most innovative new business travel tool. Unlike other online travel sites that charge fees ranging from $5-$10 per booking - be it a car rental, air or hotel booking - TripSync is shifting the online travel paradigm by being the first to remove all fees on any trip. With an estimated 145 million business trips each year, the potential cost savings to the small to mid-sized business travel market is staggering.
Portaga CEO Robert Kost stated, “Small and mid-sized businesses have been nickel-and-dimed on booking and service fees, usually right at check out, as they’re forced to use leisure travel sites to book their business travel. That’s why we designed TripSync for the way business travelers work – fast, easy, efficient and now totally without booking fees. â€
TripSync is the free travel tool that simplifies, organizes and synchronizes the entire business travel process for one or multiple travelers directly through Microsoft® Outlook. TripSync is an end-to-end travel tool that helps small and medium-sized businesses reclaim control over their travel allowing them book, change and manage all aspects of their trip within Outlook - a familiar interface for the business professional.
In addition to fee-free booking, travelers using TripSync now get $25 off their next business dinner at one of 10,000 restaurants by redeeming free Dining Dough certificates from www.restaurant.com. Now business travelers can book for free, dine with a discount and synchronize their travel with one quick click.
To obtain TripSync, users simply go to www.tripsync.com, download the TripSync button onto their Outlook, Firefox and Internet Explorer toolbars. TripSync integrates and actively synchs “live data†itineraries into Outlook so flight, rental cars and even restaurant reservations are accessible and changeable, anytime, anywhere. To make a change to an itinerary, users drag and drop any part of their travel plans into a new date and time, and simply confirm their new travel options provided by TripSync. Business travelers can also automatically notify other travelers of itinerary changes with just one click, right from their calendar. With TripSync, small and mid-sized businesses benefit by dramatically reducing the time, resources and personnel needed to book, change and manage their travel. Most importantly, TripSync draws from the same travel sources as any other online travel site, so the best fares are all available at TripSync.
About TripSync
TripSync (www.tripsync.com) is the free, Web 2.0 travel tool that allows business travelers to book, change and manage travel directly from their calendar. TripSync simplifies, organizes and synchronizes business travel for one or multiple travelers by creating live data itineraries right in Outlook and makes creating or changing travel plans as easy as scheduling a meeting. Inherently designed with an understanding of how small and medium sized companies work, TripSync was developed by veteran business travelers at Portaga, Inc., a web services company based in White Plains, NY to serve the $9.2 billion “unmanaged†business travel market. For more information about TripSync and how to get it, go to www.tripsync.com.
April 02, 2007: SMALL BUSINESS TRAVEL TAKES OFF WITH THE LAUNCH OF TRIPSYNC -- WEB 2.0 TOOL SIMPLIFIES BUSINESS TRAVEL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
White Plains, NY – April 2, 2007 – Today marks a watershed day for business travelers everywhere as Portaga introduces TripSync™, the free travel tool that simplifies, organizes and synchronizes the entire business travel process for one or multiple travelers directly through Microsoft® Outlook. Small and medium-sized businesses are reclaiming control over their travel as TripSync empowers businesses, individual travelers or their assistants to book, change and manage all aspects of their trip within a single screen.
For a limited time, any traveler who books a trip on TripSync will receive a $25 Dining Dough certificate from www.restaurant.com, which can be used at nearly 10,000 restaurants nationwide.
TripSync is a free Web 2.0 application that can be accessed at www.tripsync.com or by downloading the TripSync button into Outlook and Internet Explorer toolbars. TripSync integrates and synchs “live data†itineraries into Outlook so flight, rental cars and restaurant reservations are accessible and changeable, anytime, anywhere. To make a change to an itinerary, it’s as simple as drag, drop and go. Business travelers can also automatically notify other travelers of itinerary changes with just one click, right from their calendar.
Portaga CEO and Founder Robert Kost said, “We’ve all been there, I’ve been there-- watching my business plans change and not being able to change my travel without massive hassles. While most online travel tools today are either geared for leisure or corporate travelers, TripSync is the first tool designed with the small business traveler in mind.â€
TripSync’s advanced interface provides business travelers with breakthrough features that naturally complement the way business people travel and work:
Integrated Travel Scheduling: TripSync allows users to easily organize travel for one traveler of the whole company to any number of destinations right through a single Outlook interface. They can book, confirm, synchronize and notify all travelers as easily as setting up a meeting.Book and Hold: The challenges of coordinating schedules and getting approvals for business travel for one or multiple people are alleviated as TripSync users can reserve flight, hotel and car reservations for up to 24 hours and “lock-in†reservations while they confirm and coordinate travel plans.PDA Synchronization: TripSync synchs travel plans with Blackberry®, Treo® and similar devices.Drag and Drop Travel Planning: Travelers can modify car and hotel reservations by simply dragging and dropping the appointments in their calendars.Registration Liberation: Travelers can register and create profiles as an individual, group or company to make booking and tracking trip expenses, even easier.Great Low Prices: TripSync accesses the same extensive inventory of flights, hotels and rental cars found on other travel sites such as Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity. Travelers get the lowest available prices, best availability and even tie into special deals and packages available only from Portaga and its partners.
24/7 Support: TripSync puts a knowledgeable travel professional at the users’ fingertips, 24 hours a day when they need them the most.
TripSync is designed to meet the needs of the “unmanaged†business traveler – a $9.2 billion market comprised largely of small and medium sized enterprises. Forrester Research estimates that roughly 60% of the nation’s business travelers are unmanaged and create their itineraries most often via online sites or through leisure travel agents or by contacting travel suppliers directly. With TripSync, small and mid-sized businesses benefit by dramatically reducing the time, resources and personnel needed to book, change and manage travel.
About TripSync
TripSync (www.tripsync.com) is the free, Web 2.0 travel tool that allows business travelers to book, change and manage travel directly from their calendar with a few simple clips. TripSync simplifies, organizes and synchronizes business travel for one or multiple travelers by creating live data itineraries right in Outlook. TripSync makes creating or changing travel plans as easy as scheduling a meeting. Designed with an inherent understanding of how small and medium sized companies work, TripSync was developed by veteran business travelers at Portaga, Inc., a web services company based in White Plains, NY. For more information about TripSync and how to get it, go to www.tripsync.com.
July 17, 2006: PORTAGA AND FARELOGIX PARTNER TO PROVIDE A COMPLETE TRAVEL BOOKING AND DISTRIBUTION MANAGEMENT SOLUTION
July 17, 2006 11:14 AM US Eastern Timezone
Portaga and Farelogix Partner to provide a complete travel booking and distribution management solution that solves the complexities and risks of new GDS content deals and booking fees by airlines
CHICAGO – July 17, 2006 – NBTA 2006 International Convention and Exposition – Portaga Inc. today announced a partnership with Farelogix Inc. that will provide travel management companies (TMC) and corporations, as well as suppliers, with a comprehensive booking and distribution management solution that addresses the complexities of automated bookings and distribution. An integrated solution will be available in 4Q 2006.
“The Portaga vision has always been to provide a simple desktop and web-based booking solution where the distributor has total control of content configuration for the end user; whether GDS, GNE, Direct Connect, web content or other external sources. The Farelogix FLX Platform is an alternative distribution solution that provides such capabilities,†said Robert Kost, CEO & Founder of Portaga.
By partnering with Farelogix, Portaga can deliver a fully integrated desktop travel agent solution that becomes part of the traveler or travel arranger’s normal workflow, and provides the supplier, distributor and travel buyer with the flexibility to easily access content from multiple distribution sources, and the ability to configure content at an agency or customer level. The FLX platform also enables the TMC to make changes ‘on the fly’.
“When Portaga and Farelogix began discussions early in 2006, it was clear to both organizations that a combined solution would provide incredible value to the marketplace,†said Kost. “We have years of experience developing integrated solutions for a number of industries, including travel. When we saw the power of the Farelogix FLX Platform as the back-end of our unique booking and scheduling solution, it was the obvious choice among the alternatives.â€
“With American Airlines’ recent announcement of its plan to charge $3.50 per segment for non-preferred distribution channels, coupled with new programs like Sabre’s EAS, we realized that we will have an option for both the TMC and supplier to manage the complexities of the ever evolving distribution and content matrix,†explained Kost.
Farelogix enables TMCs to source travel content against a limitless number of flexible rules-based criteria, such as: lowest cost to the supplier (competitive booking source); best economics to the agency (segment incentives); and best content source according to supplier (i.e. Web site). These rules are established in the Farelogix Distribution Manager (DM) and can be managed at the level of agency location, customer, city pair and any other combination. The integrated solution enables a customer to monitor and manage contractual commitments made to their customers, GDSs, and suppliers. For example, rules can be set to ensure that the appropriate GDS bookings are met, or that a minimum number of bookings per month are made via a particular source of content.
“Farelogix consistently focuses on total content, flexibility, and optimization and now we begin enabling a powerful online application like Portaga’s Desktop Travel Manager,†said Jim Davidson, CEO of Farelogix.
As Executive Director for Travel Management Alliance (TMA), a group of nine large regional travel management companies, predominately Sabre and all serving large American Airlines market share customers, Chris Dane understands as much as anyone the significance of the Portaga/Farelogix combination for his members. As a former American Airlines sales executive, he also sees the value of this tool set to the national sales organization of American. “When I learned about what Portaga was doing a year ago, it was clear to me that the solution was a must have for TMA members. We were the first major travel consortia to sign and a number of our members have helped shape Portaga’s solution, both the user and agency administrate tools. I learned of the Farelogix partnership some time ago, and we were pleased to see the capabilities of their FLX Platform being added. Now, it gives us a clear edge over the competitionâ€. The TMA membership has immediate access to technology with will help them adapt to both the carrier imposed fees, which represent an increased cost to the corporation of around $11.00 per passenger reservation, as well as assist them managing the complexities of Sabre’s EAS agreement.
Portaga solutions include the Portaga desktop travel agent, which installs a travel button on a user’s desktop, enabling the user to easily book reservations with a single click directly from Microsoft Outlook. The platform is embedded into the desktop or PDA and integrates seamlessly with calendaring, e-mail and expense reporting applications. The result is an intelligent agent that can help better manage a traveler’s itineraries in the environment he or she is accustomed to. Initially launched on a Sabre platform last year, Portaga will be providing all GDS, GNE, web content and ancillary services and content to support the travel booking process in early 4Q 2006.
About Portaga Inc.
Portaga Inc., formerly Realtime Enterprises, is the premier provider of patent-pending Smart Connect travel management applications. The company was recognized as a technology up-and-comer at the 2005 DEMO! Conference. Portaga is a Microsoft Gold Certified partner and a member of the Open Travel Alliance (OTA). Customers and partners include Avis/Cendant, Sabre, The Travel Management Alliance, Atlas Travel International, Hickory Travel Systems, OpenTable, TRIP Insurance and nine well regarded travel companies across the U.S. For more information visit www.portaga.com.
About Farelogix Inc.
Farelogix is a leading provider of lower-cost, multi-source distribution and independent faring technology to the global travel industry. The company's FLXâ„¢ platform aggregates content from all four major Global Distribution Systems, as well as airline, private and Internet fare sources, while its sophisticated pricing technology enables comparative shopping across sources. Farelogix was founded in 1998 and counts among its customers some of the largest travel companies in Canada and the United States including Navigant International, American Express, and Carlson Leisure Group Services. Farelogix has offices in Toronto, Canada and Miami, Florida. For additional information, visit www.farelogix.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Evan Newman
COO
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