Worldspan
Company: Worldspan
Company Description: Worldspan is the leading travel technology resource for travel suppliers, travel agencies, e-commerce sites and corporations worldwide. Utilizing efficient network and computing technologies in the industry, Worldspan provides comprehensive electronic data services linking travel suppliers around the world to a global customer base. Additional information is available at www.worldspan.com.
Nomination Category: Organization Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Product Development Organization
Nomination Title: Worldspan's Worldwide Product Solutions Organization
1. Tell the story about what this nominated organization/department achieved in the past year (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:
Worldspan provides comprehensive electronic data and travel technology
services for travel suppliers, travel agencies, e-commerce sites and
corporations worldwide. Within the company, the Worldwide Product Solutions
(WPS) organization is a key player and contributor to Worldspan’s global lead
in travel technology.
In 2006, WPS’s innovation and creativity led to the delivery of several
industry firsts, including Worldspan IntellicacheSM – an intelligent caching
and availability solution developed to collect and store millions of airline
availability request messages in a sophisticated database using intelligent
controls and finely tuned shelf life parameters. This caching technology
provides cost-saving solutions to the high airline ‘look to book’ ratio that
occurs in the online shopping environment. Airline processing costs are
reduced and sell rates are improved with up-to-the-minute accurate
availability.
WPS also introduced the Worldspan Early Warning System (EWS), an advanced
diagnostic system that monitors activity in real time by notifying Worldspan
of problems associated with downed communication lines, software loads,
processing changes, and system abuse by third parties that interfere with data
transmission between Worldspan, Worldspan-powered Web sites and airline
customers. The infrastructure behind the EWS has enabled Worldspan to cost-
effectively develop other statistical reporting tools for our customers – both
external and internal.
Worldspan e-Pricing® (Worldspan’s low-fare shopping technology) was
broadened to include Worldspan travel agency, airline and online customers
worldwide. Its new technology doubled the number of low-fare itinerary
options – the highest comparable return rate of any low-fare shopping solution
in the industry. Additionally, worldwide customers gained full access to the
suite of Worldspan e-Pricing Flex Shopping Options, which include Flex More-
Days, Flex Weekend, Flex O&D, Flex Airports and Flex One-Day.
WPS launched the industry exclusive Worldspan Rapid Reprice® Select
(patent pending) – the repricing technology that unites key features of
Worldspan e-Pricing with the core Rapid Reprice product (ticket repricing
tool). Combining low-fare shopping into the repricing process fully automates
ticket repricing and reissuing caused by changes to a traveler’s itinerary. In
conjunction, WPS released Worldspan Ticket Exchange Plus, the new desktop tool
that walks travel agents through the ticket repricing process, thus
eliminating time-consuming manual processes and costly errors.
Worldspan was the first Global Distribution System (GDS) to introduce
full automation of Airline Tariff Publishing Company (ATPCO) Rules, and in
2006, completed implementation of the SITA Automated Rules platform into the
Worldspan (GDS). Adding SITA Automated Rules substantially increases the
level of automation and fare data accuracy and eliminates manual loading of
rules data from an additional 120 airlines. Errors associated with manual
coding of rules instructions are eliminated, as are time lags inherent to
manual processing. In turn, Worldspan helps travel agencies increase
performance and revenues using the most accurate and timely fare and rule
information.
The Worldwide Product Solutions organization is focused on quality,
accuracy and reliability. The team constantly delivers first-to-market and
technology-advanced products that help Worldspan customers – both online and
traditional – reduce costs, compete, grow, and prosper in their business.
2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:
Worldspan Innovation Attracts 82 New UK Customers in 2006 and Momentum
Continues in the New Year
http://sev.prnewswire.com/computer-electronics/20070226/CLM04226022007-1.html
Worldspan Intellicache(SM) Technology Goes Super High Tech to Support Global
Airline Shopping http://worldspan.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=178
Worldspan Rapid Reprice® Select Makes Market Debut, Setting New Precedent as
an All-in-One Low-Fare Shopping and Repricing Tool
http://worldspan.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=268
UK Gains Access to Acclaimed Microsoft® Windows-Based Low-Fare Shopping
Technology: Worldspan e-Pricing(SM)
http://worldspan.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=202
http://www.eyefortravel.com/index.asp?news=54939
Travel Market in Latin America Gains Access to World’s Leading Low-Fare
Shopping Technology: Worldspan e-PricingSM (Spanish)
http://worldspan.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=264
Fares and Pricing Leader Worldspan Completes Integration of SITA Automated
Rules http://worldspan.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=330
http://www.eyefortravel.com/index.asp?news=53169
Worldspan Places New Repricing Tool on Travel Agent Desktop and Adds Major
Feature to Worldspan Rapid Reprice® Select
http://worldspan.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=301
3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader(s) of the nominated organization/department:
As chief information officer and senior vice president – Worldwide Product
Solutions for Worldspan, Sue Powers has overall responsibility for guiding the
Company's product and applications technical strategy and for product and
project delivery for Worldspan’s worldwide customers including airlines,
industry suppliers, travel agencies and e-commerce customers. She is also
responsible for quality engineering and internal business systems. Powers’
position includes identifying customer requirements, managing integration
projects, developing and delivering products that support the Company’s
business units and capitalizing on emerging market opportunities.