Thomas Cook is reportedly set for a £67m IT project to develop a single, multi-channel reservation platform covering its

Thomas Cook is reportedly set for a £67m IT project to develop a single, multi-channel reservation platform covering its 34 tour operator brands and travel agency network across Europe, according to computerweekly.com.

Published: 15 Aug 2006

Thomas Cook is reportedly set for a £67m IT project to develop a single, multi-channel reservation platform covering its 34 tour operator brands and travel agency network across Europe, according to computerweekly.com.

The travel company has signed up IBM as its systems integrator. Recently, it was shared that in terms of the agreement, IBM business consultants will provide industry expertise and integration knowledge to help Thomas Cook become more efficient, more flexible and respond faster to market demands.

The software for the new tour operator system is supplied by BlueSky Travel Systems of Manchester, England, who have extensive experience in developing dynamic packaging systems. The integration layer of the new platform will be built with IBM's Websphere.

The report added that the core reservation platform is being supplied by BlueSky Travel Systems in a £20m deal. Its browser-based iTour system, which uses Java and Oracle technology, was trialled extensively by Thomas Cook earlier this year.

As per the report, over the next three years, Thomas Cook wants iTour to replace, or substantially integrate, the 11 distinct reservations systems it is using currently. These are the legacy of the company’s recent acquisitive growth, as well as decades of piecemeal, country-specific development across Europe.

Thomas Cook’s GLOBE project represents an entirely new international IT strategy. Its objective is to develop a uniform production platform for all of the Thomas Cook AG travel operator brands. Taking changes in customer behavior into account, the company’s goal is to improve efficiency and flexibility. Using GLOBE, each travel package can be put together and priced individually at the time of the inquiry.

GLOBE is likely to be ready to be deployed in the second half of 2007 at a Thomas Cook AG company in the UK.

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