| IHG and Amadeus to Revolutionize the Technological Foundations of the Global Hospitality Industry
Pioneering partnership with world’s leading technology provider
Leadership position for IHG, as it focuses on innovation and development of bespoke technology InterContinental Hotels Group yesterday announced that it is to continue its strategic relationship with Amadeus, the world’s leading provider of advanced technology solutions for the global travel industry. Together, IHG and Amadeus will develop a next-generation Guest Reservation System (GRS) that will revolutionise the technological foundations of the global hospitality industry. Amadeus will use a new cloud-based community model, a first in the hotel sector, and similar to the model it developed for the global airline industry. As launch partner, IHG will work with Amadeus on the design, functionality and evolution of the system, which will ultimately replace HOLIDEX, IHG’s proprietary reservation system. This follows the completion of a successful engineering study by IHG and Amadeus to scope out potential technologies and solutions to drive innovation in the industry for the long-term benefit of owners and guests. GRS can be operated alongside HOLIDEX and the transition to GRS, which is due to be rolled out globally in 2017, will be undertaken in phases to minimise risks. IHG’s history of innovation in technology, in addition to its global scale, provides Amadeus with the critical mass and complementary skills to develop this next generation community model. Amadeus has an excellent track record of leadership in this area, most recently with the airline industry. The community model is a highly innovative and cost-effective approach for IHG and the hospitality industry, with Amadeus taking responsibility for funding and maintaining the reservation system and each member paying for usage on a transaction fee basis. IHG will continue to work with Amadeus to evolve and future-proof the system over time. Today’s announcement marks a significant step forward for IHG as we continue to make strong progress in developing industry leading technology solutions. The next-generation GRS gives IHG a foundation to continue to invest smartly in technology through system funded capital investments and evolve our own bespoke systems, which will be connected to GRS and hotels directly through a separate, state of the art interface. This will result in a first of its kind, standardised, scalable and flexible global technology eco-system, which will provide significant value to our guest and owners. Richard Solomons, Chief Executive Officer of IHG commented when announcing the partnership: “Technology is fundamental to driving superior experiences for our guests before, during and after they stay with us. IHG has a long track record of innovating through technology to ensure we meet the needs of current and future guests, starting with being the first company to offer online bookings, having the highest rated app in the hotel and travel industry, and offering Mobile Check-In and Check-Out. Our collaboration with Amadeus will build on this heritage and will enable IHG to shape the future technological foundations of our industry. The next-generation guest reservation system we will create with Amadeus will deliver a powerful global platform for hotels to manage guest interaction, will be intuitive for hotel teams, and will help us accelerate our work to revolutionise and personalise the guest experience through technology." Luis Maroto, President & Chief Executive Officer of Amadeus in his response answered: “Travellers today expect a great experience wherever they are and technology can play a key role in delivering that. IHG has exciting ambitions for its hotels and guests and Amadeus is proud that our innovative technology will play a key role in delivering them. Our technology partnership with IHG is a watershed moment for the industry. It will provide a huge leap forward in the flexibility and functionality available to hoteliers, and marks an important step in our journey to deliver our established community technology model into a new industry segment.” The IHG portfolio includes the following brands:
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