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BookSmart Version 2.0
Sight & Sound Software today unveiled BookSmart 2.0, the industrys premier, online travel booking engine, enhanced with simplified configuration, and a new open architecture to simplify integration and allow for customization by third parties.
Portland, OR, August 30, 1999 - Sight & Sound Software today unveiled BookSmart 2.0, the industry's premier, online travel booking engine, enhanced with simplified configuration, and a new open architecture to simplify integration and allow for customization by third parties. Consistently fast, scaleable, and reliable, the new version of this middleware technology is now architected for a variety of online travel applications. The next-generation engine allows airlines, large hotel chains, major car rental companies, and virtual travel agencies to quickly launch successful e-commerce programs while circumventing the traditional commission structure and thus saving money.
A single installation of an earlier version of BookSmart on American Airlines web site, www.aa.com, handles approximately 12% of the total worldwide travel e-commerce traffic.
"Sight & Sound's experience with American Airlines' Web site showcases its extensible platform, which can handle high volume, complex travel ecommerce," noted Lorraine Sileo, vice president Information Services for PhoCusWright, Inc. "BookSmart 2.0 is uniquely positioned as it combines robust technology with a business model that allows travel suppliers to save on costly commissions."
"We are delivering a highly scalable, proven product based on an open architecture that will have a significant impact on the online travel market," said Mark Tilden, Chief Technologist for Sight & Sound Software. "With this technology milestone, we have added critical functionality that will allow all travel suppliers and virtual travel agents to easily integrate this engine into their e-commerce platforms, configure and customize it to meet their business needs, deploy it in their own environment, and put its efficiency and reliability to work fast."
The new version of BookSmart supports a variety of application servers. BookSmart 2.0 has a much thinner client layer that allows it to be driven by the full range of leading application servers including BroadVision 4.0, IBM's WebSphere, the Netscape Application Server, the Oracle Application Server and others. This allows the travel supplier the flexibility to tailor the site to meet the needs of its specific audience. BookSmart also supports the major reservation systems and can be connected to multiple sources of inventory.
Third parties can deploy, configure, and customize BookSmart 2.0. Its architecture is open and built in compliance with industry standard tools and technologies already used by many IT consultants and e-commerce integrators. The product is backed up with extensive documentation, online support, training and consulting services so that third-party integrators can use the BookSmart tool set to deliver a complete online travel booking solution to their customers.
Open Travel Standard
Because supplier sites need to be able to communicate and cooperate throughout an end user's itinerary building experience, BookSmart 2.0 will support the emerging Open Travel Standard. The new engine uses XML extensively throughout its architecture to pass data and messages between components. The data model is very similar to the one proposed for adoption by the standards committee of the OTS. This will allow BookSmart 2.0 to pass client information back and forth between different content sites while preserving the itinerary, simplifying the shopping process for consumer and business travelers.
Pricing and Availability
BookSmart 2.0 is scheduled for its first deployment in late 1999. It will be available for general deployment in the first quarter of 2000. Pricing is based on a licensing agreement and is based on specific configurations and client requirements.
About Sight & Sound
Founded in 1994, Sight & Sound Software provides products and services for the online travel market. For more information, write to Sight & Sound Software, Inc., 1200 NW Naito Parkway Suite 200, Portland, OR 97209, phone (503) 274-0938, fax (503) 274-0939, or visit the company at http://www.book-smart.com.
Note: All other trademarks are property of their respective companies.
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