Press Releases - Serenity Cut Costs

SERENITY CUTS THE COST OF AIRLINE BOOKINGS WITH GALILEO WEB SERVICES & MACH ASSOCIATES

Independent Operator Is First To Make Galileo Bookings Via New Web Services Connection

Large tour operators, for example could save over £1,500 a month when connecting to the Galileo GDS, Eurostar and the Unicorn ferry bookings system, depending on the volume of use.

Mach’s ERS Connect replaces the expensive standard connections to GDSs and similar booking systems with a low cost Internet link to its MARS reservation system.

ERS Connect will also save money on connections to Jumpstart, Cendent Travel Services hotel booking service, and Eurotunnel bookings, also made through Unicorn.

The launch of ERS is the second phase of Mach’s attack on the high technology costs which are currently hitting many tour operators hard. The company recently released the latest Version 3 of MARS which offers a complete reservation system for a little as 10% of the cost of (not just 10% less than) a typical old fashioned ‘legacy’ system designed in the 1980s.

Said Managing Director Bruce Hodge: “Technology has got a lot smarter, smaller and cheaper since these old systems were designed, but too many tour operators are still forced to shoulder the huge overheads because they feel they are locked into a relationship with the supplier.

“When we released Version 3 of MARS we said we were offering the very latest technology for a price that legacy suppliers often charge for maintenance alone. ERS Connect brings down costs even more dramatically for any operator making bookings on these systems. The logic for change is becoming irresistible”.

The key to MARS’ low costs is that operators do not face a huge up-front bill to buy the system, but simply rent it on a monthly basis. The initial cost is tax deductible and could be as little as £6,000 to cover installation and training with typical monthly usage costs starting at around £500 depending on the number of bookings. This is also tax deductible.

Mach Associates’ ERS Suite slashes connection charges for operators…

ERS Conect saves operators money every time they booking a remote system as follows:

  • GALILEO - Internet connection using the Web Services product from Microsoft. Mach is the first res system supplier to offer this service.
  • JUMPSTART - Internet connection to hotel bookings from Cendent based a fee per booking. Car rental and flight bookings also available.
  • EUROSTAR -  Internet links providing flexible bookings: eg different classes can be booked for inbound and outbound sectors helping to maximise profit.
  • FERRY BOOKINGS - A Unicorn connection with single connection fee, for large volume operators, or via the Internet through a consolidator, with fee per booking.
  • EUROTUNNEL - A Unicorn connection with gives a reservation facility directly onto Eurotunnel’s booking system

The latest MARS package is the only tour operators’ reservations system that is 100% designed to work with Microsoft .net and Web Services. Any part of an operator’s Web site can thus be linked to MARS, allowing them to sell or package individual product components, without or without allocation.

All support for the system via the Web is free, with a small charge made for telephone support, in contrast to legacy system owners who have to pay around 20% of annual costs in support fees. In addition the first ten management reports - enough for most operators - are completely free. Reports then cost £2-300 compared with £2-4,000 from legacy suppliers.

Mach Associates was the first company to launch an entirely Internet-based reservations system, and now offers clients a full range of services including full product support, training, software development, web site design, content management systems, and a mailing service.

Released: 8 August 2003