HyperTech's Wright Maps Tech Relationship Essentials

5 February 2008, London "Decide your business direction and needs and ensure your technology partner fits with those needs" - that's the simple advice from HyperTech UK managing director Tim Wright. He was one of an elite panel presenting their thoughts on future trends at the 2008 Travel technology Show in London.

Highlighting the need for tour operators to have a specific niche, he said it was vital that they select a technology partner with the functionality and flexibility to fit in with their business needs, rather than having to shoehorn their business into a rigid, limiting solution. "The tour operator needs to drive the bus," said Wright, "with their technology partner as the conductor."

It's vital, he explained, that legacy technology solutions are upgraded to remain ahead of the game in today's highly competitive environment, claiming that some solutions have been in place for up to three decades. "They now require too much physical intervention, simple tasks become complicated with different databases and applications, online presentation becomes very difficult, and pricing is often manual," said Wright.

Of the many technology partners available, HyperTech for one provides a totally flexible solution, as opposed to the 'more guided' solution where the customer has to follow the technology partner's direction rather than their own.

He argued that medium-to-large tour operators and airlines want to control how their business is run, want to stand out in the marketplace, largely want to sell their own inventory, and want technology to be their servant, not their master. "Those requirements make HyperTech the ideal partner," he said, adding "a reputable independent technology consultant has said HyperTech has the travel technology solutions that tour operators need for the future."

He encouraged travel businesses to find a technology partner that could handle not only simple point-to-point journeys but also more complex trips. "For example, can they handle a 10 sector trip around the world with air, transfer, car, and hotel bookings in every city, and compare scheduled and net prices, all in one transaction?" he asked. The chosen solution also needs to provide the same technology across all distribution channels.

Wright concluded by saying that he believed mobile technology will have a great influence over future travel distribution, and that Web 2.0 will lead to the Travel 3.0 world where community-led travel endorsements and information will be turned into data and become bookable via dynamic packaging.

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