Whether for travel agencies, airlines or booking platforms, PASS products give the travel industry greater independence in handling flights, hotels and rental cars compared to the traditional content and technology provider.
One size doesn’t fit all. We listen. With this approach, PASS is pioneering an industry trend that became very apparent during last month’s NBTA convention in Los Angeles. Visitors and customers alike were amazed with the new modular booking application, VTO 2ndG, a product that doesn’t limit businesses to one technology and/or content and inventory supplier and that can be adapted to the particular customer’s requirements. This, and the possibility to purchase the final product, gives companies greater independency from suppliers and the ability to focus on their core business. Instead of going the costly and difficult route of trying to build their own technology solution that fulfills all their needs, this should be left to the expertise of experienced industry professionals.
Travel World from PASS Consulting consists of three products:
- PASS XX/1 is the platform that integrates all source systems (GDS, direct connections, proprietary databases) and makes them available via a single interface.
- PASS Virtual Travel Organizer (VTO 2ndG) builds on PASS XX/1 and is a modular booking application for agencies and service providers.
- PASS IBE is a ready-to-use online booking system that travel agencies can quickly and easily integrate in their own Web site.
PASS XX/1: a gateway to all global distribution systems
GDS technology is continuously on the move. Content changes, interfaces have to be adapted. Those who communicate with GDS have to be flexible and stay up-to-date on the new requirements of the major data providers. This creates work and costs that are actually unnecessary: PASS XX/1 supplies the single point of entry to all global distribution systems (GDSs). What’s more, using modern technology PASS XX/1 simultaneously integrates direct providers, low-cost airlines, and proprietary product databases such as hotel information. During this process, PASS XX/1 compiles information and puts it into the easy-to-use XML data exchange format.
PASS XX/1 clients thus have access to all possible sources for travel services in the business travel environment. PASS XX/1 users can leave the adaptation of the GDS connectivity with new formats entirely to PASS. PASS XX/1 represents the “don’t worry, be happy, everything’s included” principle with regard to GDS.
The further advantages of GDS access via PASS XX/1: with intelligent logic, PASS XX/1 optimizes both the number of required user accounts of the GDSs as well as the number of accesses of the GDS subject to fees. The segment bookings can be bundled as well. This benefits medium-sized and small agencies in particular, as attractive segment booking figures are achieved which facilitate good incentives. Moreover, PASS XX/1 prepares GDS data using proprietary technology, thus guaranteeing top performance. On top of everything else, the product has a modular design: a company can decide which provider it wants to work with based on the outcome of contract negotiations.
PASS XX/1 supports the operations of travel agencies, travel management companies, other service providers and manufacturers of corporate travel systems. The product is used by more than 30 clients around the globe. These include the corporate booking systems eTravel, Travelport and the top travel management companies.
The use of the solution is not limited to booking travel services. There are numerous further options for the intelligent use of PASS XX/1. The system is also used by companies to implement quality control for their travel procurement. For example, an investment bank uses PASS XX/1 to review whether the travel agency and the corporate booking engine select the best connection in the interest of the company or whether better options are available in the meantime.
The largest assistance service provider accesses its customers’ GDS data via PASS XX/1 in order to get all the executive management travel of 4 out of 5 Fortune 100 companies, thus ensuring that the leaders of the major global companies travel safely to their destinations and back. The updating of vaccinations for crisis areas as well as the provision of optimal safety guidelines via e-mail are only a small part of this.
There are practically no limits to the conceivable uses of PASS XX/1. Thus, for example, particularly for use in the field of mobile travel, PASS XX/1 is an ideal centralized gateway to all travel content for flights, hotels and rental cars.
PASS Virtual Travel Organizer 2ndG (VTO 2ndG): modules for the state-of-the-art booking
Green screens similar to DOS mode and keyboard commands are things of the past – today agencies and travel management companies can design their booking systems utilizing the latest browser technology, making it visually attractive and allowing the end user to easily operate. The technical basis for this is PASS VTO 2ndG. PASS VTO 2ndG is a modular system with which an appealing, functional booking front-end can be created. A major advantage is that PASS VTO 2NDG enables agencies, for example, to become independent of their technology suppliers and regain control over the technology in their firms.
Thus, PASS VTO 2NDG is not only an operational competitive advantage, but a strategic one as well. For instance if a company decides to change to a different GDS, it doesn’t have to settle for decreasing efficiency of their call center, because PASS VTO 2NDG is built on PASS XX/1, which implements the access to another GDS without any interference.
Moreover, PASS VTO 2NDG equips its users with the latest technologies, such as the option for customization. With PASS VTO 2NDG, agents no longer have to worry about technology – they can focus on their core tasks again. PASS VTO 2NDG was developed from PASS VTO. The “2NDG” stands for second generation. PASS VTO of the second generation is being developed completely differently and embodies a more client-friendly principle of software manufacturing. With traditional software, a finished product is adapted to customer requirements, whereas PASS Consulting adapts the development of the product to the customer requirements.
PASS VTO 2ndG is thus individually produced and adapted according to client orders. Clients purchase tailor-made products that take every detail of their requirements into account. This is facilitated by a model-based software production process using a proprietary framework from PASS. With this approach, in the sense of a service-oriented architecture (SOA), each individual service can be configured in the product and individually controlled with the help of business rules.
Such a plan also includes the automatic generation of close to 90% of the software code. Customer benefits include very short development times, high software quality and innovative modules. To achieve this, PASS uses software development models that have already been proven in other industries. Thanks to the model-driven architecture (MDA) approach, the travel products benefited from the developments and models in other sectors.
Among other things, PASS Consulting developed the main tool for commission accounting, better known as credit-/debit memos, for the Airline Reporting Corporation (ARC Memo Manager). In the banking industry, PASS created a solution for custodial business for Dresdner Bank. Dresdner Bank was honored by the trade journal “Global Custodian” as the best provider of custodial banking services for ten consecutive years.
Michael Strauss, CEO of PASS Consulting Corporation and responsible for the PASS travel division, said, “PASS has provided technology solutions in the travel industry for 27 years. Then as now, the travel solutions benefit from the synergies of the group. As recently recognized by PhocusWright, 80% of travel agents are older than 46 years of age. Rejuvenation of the industry, and with it a change in the technology in use, are long overdue. In our 27 years we have learned a lot. Most recently we discovered that at the point of sale, even a product with individualized configuration cannot satisfy everyone.
Thus, on the one hand, our travel products of tomorrow embody the latest state-of-the-art technology, but are adapted to the individual needs of the players in this industry. XX/1 precipitated a run on XML in 2000 and has been the gold standard ever since. With the 2nd generation of VTO and the accompanying standardization of product development instead of the product, we have once again raised the bar for the industry.”
The licensing policies of PASS Consulting supports the customer-oriented principle of manufacturing: there is no licensing fee for PASS VTO 2NDG. The product can be rented (software as a service) or purchased. Those who purchase PASS VTO 2NDG acquire the rights to the software. The company is thus investing in its future.
PASS IBE is a ready-to-use booking engine for flights, hotels and rental cars. Travel agencies, for example, can quickly and easily integrate PASS IBE in their websites. The travel agencies can thereby decide which content suppliers (e.g. GDS) will be connected. PASS IBE is based on PASS VTO 2NDG and PASS XX/1, offering the latest technology and optimal usability with full functionality. PASS IBE facilitates quick, uncomplicated entry in e-commerce – at low cost and without any risk.
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