Amadeus and IBM in Strategic Agreement for Airline IT Solutions

Amadeus and IBM have formed a strategic relationship to address the needs of airline and transportation companies looking to upgrade their IT infrastructure and adapt their business processes.

"The ongoing evolution in how travel is purchased, managed and delivered, as well as the airlines' current economic landscape calls for significant change and business transformation," says Hans Jorgensen, Amadeus Vice President, Airline Business Group. "To remain competitive, airlines will need to redefine and simplify their business models and associated IT infrastructure."

Through this strategic agreement, Amadeus and IBM will offer airlines a comprehensive package combining Amadeus' Sales & Distribution and Passenger Service System (PSS) solutions and services with IBM's outsourcing capabilities and global IT services. For future PSS clients, Amadeus will continue to develop and deliver PSS solutions and services, while IBM will undertake system integration and project management. The two companies will also cross-sell their offering increasing their competitiveness in the industry.

"In the last four years Amadeus has made a significant investment in evolving its Global Distribution System and core airline applications into a new generation of systems, built on open architecture," says Jorgensen. "However, beyond PSS, airlines have other IT infrastructure needs that are best answered by a traditional outsourcing leader as IBM. With IBM, we will have a virtually unlimited capacity to adapt to the size and scope of new global projects and enhance our ability to respond to potential airline clients."

For the traveller, this agreement will mean improved passenger service and recognition by airlines, who will be able to customise service to passenger needs, right from initial reservation through to the end of the journey.

"From an IT perspective, to remain competitive, the travel industry must migrate from an era of complexity to an architecture that is increasingly standardised, open and integrated," says Gerhard Buettcher, Business Consulting Services Lead, IBM Global Travel & Transportation Industry. "Through this agreement, IBM and Amadeus will help airlines meet their respective IT requirements in a manner that allows them to be versatile and flexible, while remaining focused on their core businesses."

"Amadeus' expertise in PSS is the ideal complement to IBM's experience in process transformation for the operational aspects of an airline - an area which is important for the future efficiency and effectiveness of airlines. Together, IBM and Amadeus' combined experience means that we can offer a very complete service to airline customers," adds Buettcher.