May 11, 2016
Travelport to sponsor and participate in the Just Do It! 2.0 Mini-Hackathon at the 2016 OpenTravel Alliance Advisory Forum
Mini-hackathon provides intensive competition on API development utilizing OpenTravel’s object model solution
Wednesday, May 11, 2016: Travelport (NYSE:TVPT), a leading Travel Commerce Platform, has today announced that it will sponsor and participate in the Just Do It! 2.0 Mini-Hackathon on the OpenTravel 2.0 object model solution at the OpenTravel Alliance Advisory Forum later this month.
The key focus of the OpenTravel Alliance is the creation and promotion of standardized electronic message structures to facilitate communication between the disparate data systems of companies in the global travel industry. OpenTravel’s 2.0 is the next generation of open source messaging for the travel industry, ensuring information flows seamlessly from the initial consumer choice through completion of travel booking. Its annual OpenTravel Advisory Forum, which is being held at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Orlando, Florida from May 16-19, is the annual meeting of the group and provides an opportunity for all members of the travel industry to discuss the key IT challenges in the industry, network with peers, and stay ahead of the curve with education on emerging trends in technology and solutions being developed.
The Travelport-sponsored mini-hackathon will involve groups of software developers, computer programmers and technical experts coming together in one location to intensively collaborate on various travel industry opportunities and solutions made possible through the OpenTravel 2.0 object-oriented model. The mini-hackathon is a short duration event, lasting only for part of the afternoon on May 18.
Developing the technology that supports the mini-hackathon is just one of the ways that Travelport has been working with OpenTravel to create the next generation of open source messaging for the travel industry. Travelport professionals hold several key volunteer leadership roles at OpenTravel, and their efforts support and enhance the coding used to create and manage the OpenTravel 2.0 libraries. Travelport also participates in ongoing development meetings to define commonly used objects, as well as objects used for specific projects such as the recently released eRFP messages used to request proposals for group meeting and hospitality facilities.
“At Travelport, one of the many ways we are redefining travel commerce is by leading the development of travel industry technology that fundamentally improves usability through open and easy to use message compatibility. What users will see in the OpenTravel mini-hackathon is just a first look at the capabilities that are being delivered to the industry that will fundamentally change the way that data and information are shared, and we are very excited to be a part of it,” said Matt Minetola, CIO and executive vice president for Travelport.
“It is important to us that we play a significant role in OpenTravel’s first mini-hackathon. It helps participants across the Travel industry see first-hand the improved consistency, simplicity and flexibility that is provided with 2.0,” added Minetola.
“As an industry leader in travel technology, Travelport plays an integral role in helping OpenTravel achieve its goals,” said Lisa Fues, OpenTravel Board president. “Its strategic and tactical support has ranged from leading the efforts to launch OpenTravel’s 2.0 object model solution to providing talented staff who volunteer their time to help steer our organization and we very much appreciate its help.”
The mini-hackathon will take place on May 18 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST.
###
About Travelport (www.travelport.com)
Travelport is a Travel Commerce Platform providing distribution, technology, payment, mobile and other solutions for the global travel and tourism industry. With a presence in approximately 180 countries, over 3,700 employees, and an additional 1,200 employees at IGT Solutions Private Ltd who provide us with application development services, our 2015 net revenue was over $2.2 billion.
Travelport is comprised of:
– A Travel Commerce Platform through which it facilitates travel commerce by connecting the world’s leading travel providers with online and offline travel buyers in a proprietary business-to-business (B2B) travel marketplace. Travelport has a leadership position in airline merchandising, hotel content and rate distribution, mobile travel commerce and a pioneering B2B payment solution that addresses the needs of travel intermediaries to efficiently and securely settle travel transactions.
– Technology Services through which it provides critical IT services to airlines, such as shopping, ticketing, departure control and other solutions, enabling them to focus on their core business competencies and reduce costs.
Travelport is headquartered in Langley, U.K. The Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and trades under the symbol “TVPT”.
For Travelport media enquiries, please contact:
Media Contacts:
John L’Abate, Employee Engagement Manager
Tel: 770.563.5619
Mob: 678.637.6090
Email: john.labate@travelport.com
About OpenTravel
OpenTravel is a not-for-profit trade association, founded in 1999 by travel companies, with a primary focus on the creation of electronic message structures to facilitate communication between the disparate systems in the global travel industry. At the dawn of today’s online consumer direct bookings, OpenTravel created the necessary messaging standards to enable the power that direct bookings for consumers have become today.
OpenTravel is comprised of member companies representing airlines, car rental companies, hotels, cruise lines, railways, leisure suppliers, service providers, tour operators, travel agencies, solutions providers, technology companies, and distributors. OpenTravel members identify message standards, prioritizing project work and creating messages. Tens of thousands of OpenTravel message structures are in use, carrying tens of millions of messages between trading partners every day.
For more information on OpenTravel membership, new products or projects, as well as the 2016 Advisory Forum, please visit www.opentravel.org or email info@opentravel.org.
Contact:
Lindsay Kelso
OpenTravel Marketing Consultant
Tel: 214.578.8434
Email: lrkelso@gmail.com