IBM announces partnership with SITA for new generation of travel industry applications

IBM are delighted to have been selected by SITA - the world's leading provider of IP solutions to the air transport industry - as a partner in the implementation of a new generation of airline and travel networks and applications. Building on over 30 years involvement with the industry, IBM have worked with SITA in the definition of their migration road map, which will enable the move to this new world, and the network management disciplines which will be required for this far reaching change.

Together SITA and IBM will work with SITA's customers to accelerate the business benefits of moving to a network computing model. The first step will enable customers to continue using legacy terminal equipment but migrate their network infrastructure to TCP/IP standards. This will enable SITA's customers to improve the service to their customers by delivering existing applications over an IP based network. This phase will be achieved by implementation of Cisco hardware to enable an IP backbone.

"IBM's airline protocols have been a mainstay of the industry for many years, but a move to open standards is now appropriate. We have been working for some time to enable airline critical software, such as TPF, to accommodate these changes. We continue to work with SITA to implement the Mapping of Airline Traffic over IP (MATIP) standard for TPF." said Greg Conley, General Manager, Travel and Transportation for IBM.

Rene Azoulai, Vice President Marketing and Planning, SITA added: "SITA's partnership with IBM is a key component of our migration strategy to provide customers with a fully managed, high performance solution. SITA can now provide airlines with complete end-to end IP-based solutions, enabling them to cost effectively move to the new internetworking environment and take advantage of the latest LAN-based applications".

The industry investment in mainframe applications is significant; IBM and SITA recognise that this will continue to be the most suitable platform for many transaction intensive functions. For this reason IBM and SITA will work together to implement IBM's industry leading workstation host interface product, ACSA, in the network computing environment. Developments will include a JAVA version of the application which enables it to run natively on a NetworkStation and have similar features to the existing PC based version.

In subsequent phases the migration will enable true network computing applications and the implementation of JAVA "write once, run anywhere" applications. "Migration of over a million desktop devices to the low cost computing environment made possible by network computing is a major undertaking in which we are delighted to work closely with SITA" commented Greg Conley, "but the benefit of reduced desk top management costs alone justify the undertaking."

IBM NetworkStations already provide access to a wide range of computing platforms over an IP network and will immediately enable wider access to existing applications. SITA will offer their customers IBM NetworkStations and as well as PCs. IBM have appointed SITA an International Business Partner for the supply of desktop devices to their customers.

About IBM

IBM is the world-wide leading supplier of IT solutions with the broadest range of Network Computing products and services. IBM's Travel & Transportation Industry Solutions Unit provides a broad range of products, services and integrated solutions to all segments of travel and transportation, including hotels, airlines and other travel-related services. They range from IBM's powerful transaction software TPF, which handles the majority of airline bookings through self service devices and Internet based applications to consultancy and research led solution development in areas such as resource optimisation and modelling.

About SITA

SITA is the world's leading provider of integrated telecommunications and information solutions to the air transport industry. With nearly 50 years experience, SITA now has 650 customers, including airlines, aerospace companies, air-freight companies, airports, travel distribution and computer reservation systems and governmental organisations. SITA employs over 4,300 people around the world and recorded corporate revenues of over US$1billion in 1997. Its head office is based in Geneva, Switzerland. Further information can be found at the SITA web site.

About the Network

SITA and EQUANT, in a joint venture, own and operate the world's largest telecommunications network, which covers over 225 countries and territories and has more than 120,000 user connections world-wide. The network offers a broad range of voice and data solutions to multinationals in a variety of industries, with local support available from help desks in over 150 countries around the world.

As a single global network, services are fully managed from end-to-end. These services are offered on an unrivalled international scale and include Global Voice Services, business intranet and Internet solutions, high performance remote access services to corporate information over local dial-up lines, and many other Wide Area Network systems and services.