BCD Travel chooses Amadeus Agency Manager as mid-office solution for EMEA markets

Madrid, Spain, 08 July, 2009 – In an effort to enhance its value to clients, BCD Travel has selected Amadeus, the leading provider of technology to the travel and tourism industry, to deliver a single mid-office platform for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

BCD Travel, the world’s third-largest travel management company, will use the Amadeus Agency Manager platform to standardise processes and technology, reduce costs and improve visibility of business performance – actions aimed at simplifying and streamling its clients’ travel programs. Agency Manager is a global, multi-GDS mid-office solution that allows TMCs to standardise services, accounting and reporting functions across a diverse range of markets.

“Amadeus Agency Manager offers the benefits of a standard mid-office system across EMEA markets while retaining the flexibility to handle the specific requirements of the many countries we do business in,” says Heinz Jennewein, BCD Travel’s senior vice president of Operations and ICT, EMEA. “Our clients are increasingly looking for efficiences and also adopting multinational approaches to travel management. To support these client goals, we’re making the investments required to drive global consistency and business performance. We are positioning ourselves to serve clients in today’s environment as well as in the year to come as our industry continues to become more complex.”

Under the agreement, Agency Manager will be rolled out in Germany, Czech Republic, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland, in addition to the seven EMEA markets where BCD Travel already uses the solution. “We have already seen a significant improvement in agent productivity and customer service levels in those markets that have already deployed Agency Manager,” says Mr Jennewein.

“BCD Travel’s initiative to build a standardised mid-office platform will enable their senior management to track business performance more effectively, and with greater control, they will be able to respond more effectively to issues or opportunities,” says Claude Giafferri, VP, Global Customers IT Solutions, Amadeus, “Similarly, standardising policies – for example in managing service fees – will help improve agent productivity and service levels.”
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Notes to the editors

Amadeus is the chosen technology partner for providers, sellers, and buyers of travel. The company provides distribution, IT and point-of-sale solutions to help its customers adapt, grow and succeed in the fast changing travel industry. Customer groups include travel providers (airlines, hotels, car rental companies, railway companies, ferry lines, cruise lines, insurance companies and tour operators), travel sellers (travel agencies) and travel buyers (corporations and travellers). Solutions are grouped in four solution categories – Distribution & Content, Sales & e-Commerce, Business Management and Services & Consulting.

Amadeus has central sites in Madrid (corporate headquarters & marketing), Nice (development) and Erding (Operations – data processing centre) and regional offices in Miami, Buenos Aires and Bangkok. At market level, Amadeus maintains customer operations through 69 local Amadeus Commercial Organisations covering 217 markets.

The company is majority owned by WAM Acquisition, whose shareholders are BC Partners, Cinven, Air France, Iberia and Lufthansa. Amadeus employs over 8,570 employees worldwide, representing 105 nationalities.

More information about Amadeus is available at: http://www.amadeus.com

About BCD Travel
As a leading provider of global corporate travel management, BCD Travel simplifies and streamlines the business of travel. This benefits our client’s organization on every level:from the bottom line to the business traveler. BCD Travel operates in more than 90 countries on six continents, with US$14 billion in total sales and a combined worldwide work force in excess of 13,000. BCD Travel is a BCD Holdings N.V. company. For more
information, visit www.bcdtravel.com.

Contact details

Amadeus
Media Relations / Corporate Marketing
tel: +34 91 582 0160
fax : +34 91 582 0188
e-mail : mediarelations@amadeus.com

BCD Travel
Thad Slaton
Marketing & Communications
(678) 441-5292
thad.slaton@bcdtravel.com