Thomas Cook has signed a deal with IBM to manage the
development of a new IT platform for its huge travel
operation.
The contract is part of Thomas Cook’s Euros 100m Globe project,
a new worldwide IT strategy aimed at developing a uniform
production platform across all Thomas Cook travel operator
brands.
It is aimed at helping Thomas Cook become more efficient, more
flexible and to respond more quickly to changing to market demands.
The new system will allow travel packages to be put together and
priced individually at the time of each customer’s enquiry.
The software for the new system will be supplied by specialist
firm BlueSky Travel Systems. IBM will be responsible for
integrating the new software with existing IT systems through an
integration layer built with IBM’s Websphere.
Ralf Teckentrup, director of group IT at Thomas Cook, said, “The
new technology will enable us to align our production processes
more closely to our customers’ evolving booking behaviour, and we
will be able to respond faster and more flexibly to our customers’
wishes.”
Chief information officer and Globe project manager Reinhard
Eschbach added, “We aim to combine tried and trusted old ideas and
innovative new ideas to create an IT infrastructure that simplifies
and speeds up workflows.”