The travel industry is changing at a pace we’ve never seen before. Digital transformation, increasing traveler expectations, a new corporate landscape and a market that seems to shift is the industry reality. Therefore, transforming travel means reimagining the future. Thinking differently, challenging the status quo and – last, but not least - harnessing the full potential of technology.
For BCD, one of the world’s largest global Travel Management Companies (TMCs), the challenge was clear: how to future-proof their core systems and empower their teams to deliver more value in a rapidly evolving landscape.
In this conversation, John Palomino, SVP of Core Systems, Product Planning and Development at BCD, reflects on the industry forces pushing TMCs to rethink their tech foundations, the decision to partner with travel technology experts, what the teams have already delivered together, and the long-term vision guiding BCD's transformation.
John Palomino, BCD: At BCD, we’ve always built for the future. That is the spirit of our founder, still present in our DNA today. We have a comprehensive plan to ensure we have the systems and capabilities to deliver on the ever-changing needs of corporations and business travelers.
Technology is at the heart of that plan. The pace of change in corporate travel today means systems must be more flexible, scalable, and able to respond quickly to new business and traveler expectations. For years, we have successfully built much of our own technology in-house, something we are very proud of. But the next phase of modernization requires deep technical specialization and continuous innovation capacity. That's why we were looking for a partner that could bring us additional cloud-native engineering skills and architectural expertise, and who shares our deep understanding of the travel ecosystem.
John Palomino, BCD: People might know Amadeus as a GDS powerhouse, but it is so much more. Amadeus has built a broad technology capability that spans the entire travel ecosystem. The company has a wealth of technology talent and deep industry knowledge, clearly demonstrated on the airline side of its business, where it has helped transform complex legacy systems into flexible, cloud-native systems. That transformation shows the ability to rethink how core travel processes should work in the future.
For us, the technology itself was not the only differentiator. We looked at many potential service partners, but what stood out was Amadeus’ deep industry knowledge and capability to project technology into future use cases and to interpret industry trends in a way that helps shape long‑term system design. That strategic vision is what we were looking for.
John Palomino, BCD: We’ve formed a Strategic Partnership Program with Amadeus, centered around technology and innovation. Their Professional Services teams work side‑by‑side with us in our own environment, which fits the collaborative approach we wanted for this transformation and ensures co‑creation happens in a way that aligns with our operational reality.
As an IT partner, Amadeus supports us in designing and building systems for our ecosystem. We’ve already defined an operating model based on our objectives, allowing us to assess and prioritize potential innovation projects.
John Palomino, BCD: Travelers of today really do expect a personalized approach – regardless of context. And a profile system is really the heart and soul of that traveler centricity. It determines how well we know and understand the traveler, how accurately we apply policy, and how effectively we support their journey – to create the optimum experience for them. That’s why one of our most strategic priorities is the modernization of our TripSource Profile Management System (TSPM).
TSPM has served us well, but we see an opportunity to build something new that helps us lead the industry and make smarter decisions. That’s why we’ve decided to work with Amadeus to completely rethink the role of a traveler profile.
Today, a business traveler’s profile is always linked to their company. It’s the way the industry has historically worked, but the nature of employment has changed. Someone might freelance, traveling on behalf of one company in February but a different organization in March. Our new system will accommodate these multiple personas so we’re always able to serve the traveler in the correct context, while at the same time ensure any corporate policies are adhered to.
Similarly, the new system will make it much easier for travelers to plan meetings collaboratively with people beyond their own organization. Work today isn’t defined by the boundaries of any single organization, a particular employee might work more closely with people from a customer than they do with their own colleagues. Our new profile system will reflect and understand this, allowing us to have more flexible and accurate interactions with corporate travelers.
John Palomino, BCD: One of the advantages of partnering with Amadeus to design the new system is the team’s deep knowledge about how the experience of travel is constantly changing and their wide ecosystem approach and insights. An example is the rapid adoption of biometrics across the traveler journey, something Amadeus is involved in rolling out for airlines and airports and beyond. We’ve been able to draw on this understanding to ensure our new system can accommodate biometric profiles as they gain adoption, which I expect to open up a host of benefits for business travelers and corporations.
BCD’s transformation journey shows what it takes for a global TMC to stay ahead in a market defined by rapid change. By rethinking long‑standing systems and partnering with specialized technology experts, BCD is laying the foundation for a more flexible, intelligent, and traveler‑centric future.
As John Palomino reflects, future‑proofing isn’t just about modernizing technology, it’s about anticipating what corporate travel will need next. With a new generation of core systems and a collaborative approach to innovation, BCD is positioning itself to deliver more value to corporations and business travelers in the years ahead.
Discover how two global leaders are reshaping the future of business travel.
BCD Travel shares why they chose Amadeus as their trusted technology partner to modernise their profile management system as a first step in a wider tech innovation initiative .
A dedicated suite of expert, hands‑on technology services designed to help travel agencies accelerate transformation, modernize their systems, and stay competitive in a fast‑evolving market. These services support travel sellers facing increasing pressure to improve efficiency, reduce complexity, and launch new capabilities faster, often without the internal bandwidth or specialized expertise required.
Amadeus’ Professional Services teams work side‑by‑side with customers, bringing deep engineering skills, industry knowledge, and the ability to translate emerging travel trends into concrete, tailored and future‑ready solutions, helping travel sellers build stronger, more flexible tech foundations for growth.
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