VIA Rail Canada Content to Be Distributed through AgentWare
Travel professionals to gain access to extensive rail inventory outside of GDS
September 25, 2006
ATLANTA (September 25, 2006) – AgentWare, the leading provider of dynamic search and booking technology plus data intelligence for the travel industry, today announced that VIA Rail Canada’s inventory is now being offered to travel professionals globally through its DirectConnect program.
With this new agreement, thousands of travel agencies and many corporations throughout the Americas will be able to access, view and book the competitive passenger rail fares offered by VIA Rail, Canada's national passenger train service. VIA Rail will be distributing its heavily traveled inter-city train services through AgentWare’s Trip Console search and booking application to ensure continued booking options for its corporate travel customers as it withdraws its inventory from the GDS in the coming months. AgentWare powers most leading corporate booking engines for airline, rail and hotel information not available in the GDS.
”VIA Rail is on track towards implementation of a new web-based distribution platform for travel agencies, brokers and corporate customers", said Steve Del Bosco, Chief Customer Officer of VIA Rail. "We are pleased to offer our rail content for global distribution through AgentWare's diverse customer-base."
AgentWare specializes in providing travel agents with seamless access to non-GDS product suppliers such as low-cost airlines, hotels and passenger rail services, as well as enabling the integration of agents’ non-GDS booking technology and back-office functionality with the major GDS systems. With DirectConnect, travel professionals will gain immediate access to all VIA 1 and Comfort class fares for Canada’s popular Quebec City to Windsor Corridor, and have the ability to utilize advanced sorting and filtering tools to plan trips with multiple components, including hotel reservations.
“AgentWare has a significant customer base in the US and Canada, which is why we wanted to guarantee continued access to VIA Rail’s inventory in the coming months as the leading passenger rail service explores new distribution methods,” said Ivan Bekkers, CEO of AgentWare. “We are very excited to be one of their primary distribution channel for their rail fares and look forward to supporting them with their new strategy in the coming months.”
As part of VIA Rail’s new Web-based distribution strategy, corporate travel customers will have to utilize AgentWare’s DirectConnect channel to search and book VIA Rail content in the coming months. The DirectConnect feature will be available immediately to all AgentWare's Data Services customers which include the world's leading booking engines.
About AgentWare
AgentWare is a leading provider of dynamic search and booking technology and data intelligence for the travel industry. The company’s comprehensive portfolio of technology applications and data services give travel professionals the critical search functionality and non-GDS data inventory they need to book the best rates for their customers. The company's flagship product, Trip Console, delivers relevant, real-time fare and rate data that complements the limited offerings of traditional systems. AgentWare’s Data Services also allow developers to rapidly integrate non-GDS fares and booking capabilities into their custom travel management applications. A privately-held company with offices in Atlanta, Sao Paulo and Madrid, AgentWare is led by a principled and experienced team that provides proven consulting and custom-implementation services. www.agentware.net
About VIA Rail Canada
As Canada’s national passenger rail service, VIA Rail Canada's mandate is to provide efficient, environmentally responsible and cost effective passenger transportation services, both in Canada's business corridor and in remote and rural regions of the country. Serving more than 450 communities with a network of inter-city, transcontinental and regional trains, demand for rail services continues to grow as more Canadians turn to train travel as a safe and convenient travel choice. www.viarail.ca
