Trust International

ORLANDO, FL, TRUST International, a member of the Bertelsmann Group and a global provider of reservation technology for the hospitality industry, today announced the development of its new reservation software, TRUST Voyager. This web-based software offers all functionality you need to maintain the data for all distribution channels via one single entry and database. The product, which will launch at the end of May 2002, features new functions based on client feedback and immediate technology needs.

"The development of TRUST Voyager is a critical step for our company in terms of meeting our clients' expectations regarding state-of-the-art technology solutions that will simplify and improve the way they conduct business," said Sven Hohmann, CEO of TRUST International. "We have worked closely with our customers in creating TRUST Voyager. The product is a direct response to our clients' needs and demands, and it provides the services that the hospitality industry requires."

The new product is a complete re-engineering of the Central Reservations System (CRS) software and encompasses powerful new features such as extended rate loading features, availability calendar, sophisticated yield functions, group modules to manage and distribute hotel data more efficiently, the ability to evaluate business data in real-time and online to improve management decisions, reservation tools for GDS and Internet distribution, extended integration to third party systems, and the capacity to process data from existing customer relationship management (CRM) tools

Connie Rheams, president of TRUST International in the Americas commented: "The new product offering is a Web-based application server software that will shorten future product development cycles. It is built according to the requirements of the Hospitality Industry Technology Integration Standards (HITIS) and Open Travel Alliance (OTA), making it capable of being easily integrated into existing clients' infrastructure."

The added functions and features in TRUST Voyager emerged through feedback garnered from customers and their technology needs from last year's Customer Advisory Board Conference (CAB.) The last CAB meeting was held May 12 - 14, 2002, in Dublin, Ireland, prior to the TRUST annual user conference where the next release was defined.

During two full days, CAB participants and TRUST employees gather to discuss a broad array of topics including upcoming software releases and products, and strategic technology enhancements that will benefit the hospitality industry, as well as to conduct initial practical testing of new releases. It provides an opportunity for customers to directly influence product development tailored to their immediate and long-term needs.

"As a client of TRUST International, I value the opportunity to address my business needs, provide feedback and prioritize the technology enhancements, and ensure the functionality is included in future products and services," said Salika Glattkowski, Director of Distribution and E-Commerce of Kempinski Hotels and Resorts. "It is very uncommon to have a vendor who considers you part of their company, who allows clients to offer insight and knowledge without having to provide funding for the developments. It is much appreciated."

As a first step into the new software generation, TRUST International launched a release in November 2001, which added the ability to evaluate the hurdle rate, also called opportunity cost, calculated from a hotel's existing revenue management system.

About TRUST International

TRUST International (www.trustinternational.com) is a member of the Bertelsmann Group, the international media corporation. TRUST develops and implements a state-of-the-art central reservation system, providing tailor-made, real-time reservations and global distribution solutions for the hospitality industry. TRUST services provide real-time solutions that seamlessly connect hotels and bookers worldwide, including private label telephone lines, connectivity to all Global Distribution Systems (GDS) and various Web sites and Internet platforms, and three Global Communication Call Centers serving 36 countries in currently 16 languages. TRUST maintains three offices worldwide including the Headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, the Americas office in Orlando, Florida, and an Asia Pacific communication center in Singapore. Among TRUST's clients are some 1,300 hotels at 685 destinations in 95 countries such as Astron Hotels & Resorts, Dorint Hotels & Resorts, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Grupo Posadas, Hard Rock Hotels, Kempinski Hotels & Resorts, The Leading Hotels of the World, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Pan Pacific Hotels & Resorts, Raffles International Hotels & Resorts, Small Luxury Hotels of the World, SRS-WORLDHOTELS, Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts, and Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts.

Cecilia Coakley
973 921-2006
Travelport