Supplier News

Onity Pilots New Mobile Room Key in Chicago Hotel

Onity announced today that they are part of a trial program of the hospitality industry's first mobile-based front desk bypass solution that provides guests with the option to use their cell phone as a mobile room key. Onity, one of the world's leading providers of electronic locking solutions, is a business of UTC Fire & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).

The Bed Bugs Aren’t Biting Meetings Planners

The Knowland Group, the world's largest data firm in the global meetings and conventions industry, today released a survey on meeting planners' reactions to the recent outbreak of bed bugs across America. Meeting planners routinely schedule events at hotels, which include the use of meeting space and multiple hotel rooms. The survey found that a minority of planners are concerned about bed bugs, instead focused on cost and location of an event in this tough economy.

GroundLink’s free WiFi services now available on the ground & in the air on over 3000 daily flights with Gogo partnership

Beginning today, the easiest and most affordable way for travelers to arrange ground transportation from the airport might be in the air, from the comfort of their seat at 30,000 feet. Aircell, the world’s leading provider of inflight connectivity, has partnered with GroundLink, the world’s largest marketplace for all forms of ground travel services, to enable passengers to book ground transportation while in flight through Aircell’s Gogo® Inflight Internet. Aside from excellent vehicles and prices that in some cases are less than a local taxi company, GroundLink, through its LimoRes retail brand, will give a free Gogo Inflight Internet session to any passenger that books a car from the sky. The “WiFi and Drive” package is now available across the Gogo network of airlines.

NC4 Introduces ActivTravel™ to Travel Managers at NBTA, Booth #312

NC4, Inc. (booth #312), the leader in Situational Readiness solutions for risk management, is introducing ActivTravel™ to travel managers at the International National Business Traveler’s Association (NBTA) Convention this week in Houston. ActivTravel is NC4’s travel risk management offering that combines travel intelligence, traveler tracking and real-time threat alerting to provide travel managers a 360 degree view of a corporation’s travel risk exposure.

Carlson Wagonlit Travel Partners with Rearden Commerce

Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), a global leader specializing in business travel management, has signed a reseller agreement with Rearden Commerce to offer clients the CWT Traveler Assistant powered by the Rearden Commerce™ Platform, an end-to-end solution for booking and managing travel and related business services. The announcement was made at the National Business Travel Association (NBTA) International Convention & Exposition being held here August 8-11.

DATABASICS and Cornerstone to Deliver Travel Procurement and Expense Management Suite

DATABASICS and Cornerstone Information Systems today announced the integration of DATABASICS’ Expense Reporting with Cornerstone’s iBank data management platform. The DATABASICS-Cornerstone integration will help businesses better manage travel spend by broadening the range of reservation activity available for automated reconciliation and processing with the final expenses submitted by travelers.

FlightStats and Mobiata Team to Deliver Integrated Mobile Itinerary Solutions for Corporate Customers

Conducive Technology Corp. today announced Agent Advantage, a suite of itinerary monitoring, viewing and messaging services with mobile itinerary services provided by Mobiata, the leading mobile travel application developer. Agent Advantage now combines FlightStats’ flight and itinerary monitoring, Trip Assist – an agent desktop monitoring and proactive re-accommodation application, and TripDeck, a branded mobile app developed by Mobiata. Agent Advantage gives corporate travel management companies (TMC) the ability to deliver branded itinerary information and real-time service updates directly to the traveler via the TripDeck mobile application installed on the travelers mobile phone.

International Travel House Limited – India joins GlobalStar Travel Management

International Travel House Limited (ITH), founded in 1981 currently with a network of 10 IATA Travel Offices, 14 Car Rental Offices and 19 Hotel Travel Counters and HQ in Delhi joins GlobalStar from the 1st August 2010. Over the years, ITH has grown to be one of the largest Total Travel Management Companies in India with each of its products and services certified by the ISO 9001:2008 quality system. ITH currently realizes an annual turnover of approximately USD 130 Million and employs over 700 travel professionals. The company services Indian and International companies with over 100 implants and operates a transport Fleet of 900 cars.

XCom Global Announces New Corporate aXcess Program for its Broadband Rental Services

XCom Global, Inc., a leading provider of low cost wireless data rental services for international travelers, announced today the launch of its Corporate aXcess Program at the 2010 National Business Travel Association (NBTA) International Convention & Exhibition (Booth #1173). Overseas travelers can save up to 90% off standard international roaming charges with XCom Global’s broadband rental services and corporate customers receive additional exclusive benefits when they become a member of XCom Global’s Corporate aXcess Program. NBTA attendees who register for the program will receive a free 30-day trial that can be used over multiple trips.

Cvent and Egencia Launch Partnership | Companies Join Forces to Bring Meeting Planners End-to-End Strategic Meetings Management Solutions that Drive Cost Savings and Efficiency

Cvent, the world’s largest provider of online event management, meeting site selection and web surveys, and Egencia® Meetings & Incentives, an Expedia, Inc. company, today announced a partnership to provide integrated strategic meetings management (SMM) solutions that will help Egencia customers worldwide increase control over and maximize the efficiency of their meeting, incentive, conference and event (MICE) programs.

Corporate Travel on the Upswing, According to Survey of NBTA Members

Affirming the economy is on the upswing, 76 percent of travel managers said their travel activity increased for the first half of this year compared to the same time period in 2009. At the same time, travel managers have numerous concerns about their travelers overseas, one of these being their medical well-being. This information comes from a recent survey conducted by Travel Guard® North America (www.travelguard.com) of more than 100 corporate travel managers. Travel Guard is one of nation’s leading providers of travel insurance and assistance services and offers a comprehensive medical, security and personal assistance program called Premier Assist that’s designed for international business travelers, expatriates and students traveling overseas.

Dav El Chauffeured Transportation Network Expands Sales Team

Dav El Chauffeured Transportation Network is pleased to announce the addition of Robert Van Ess as Vice President, Mid-Atlantic Region. "Robert brings a wealth of industry experience of close to two decades in the chauffeured transportation business,” said Dav El President and Chief Executive Officer, Scott A. Solombrino. "I am confident he will be a solid asset to our strong sales team.”

XCom Global Adds Five New Countries to Broadband Unlimited aXcess Plan

XCom Global, Inc., a leading provider of low cost wireless data rental services for international travelers, announced today the addition of Belgium, Netherlands, Russia*, Spain and Switzerland to its growing list of countries covered under the company’s Unlimited aXcess plan. This high-speed wireless data rental service offering provides international travelers with unlimited data usage and the freedom to wirelessly roam abroad at a fixed rate of $14.95/per day in 26 selected countries. (http://www.xcomglobal.com/plans/unlimitedaxcess.html)

With Business Travel on the Rebound and Cyber Crime Exploding, Protection of Laptops Crucial for Corporate Security

For many companies, safeguarding laptop computers while employees are traveling may not typically be top-of-mind, but with business travel on the rebound, protection of data contained on these laptops is of vital importance to corporate security. Fifty-five percent of business travelers regularly carry a laptop on business trips a, which should lead companies to ask two key questions: What if the laptop is stolen? And how can we help prevent theft?

Ground And Chauffeured Transportation Company In Latin America Exhibits For The First Time In NBTA Convention

Increasing its global operations and predicting a higher demand concerning ground and chauffeured transportation for passengers in its main region of action, ViaLandauto, market leader in Brazil and operating in all Latin America, confirms its participation in 2010 NBTA International Convention & Exposition, that will take place from August 8th to August 11th in Houston, TX. With a booth in the exhibitors pavilion and a team formed by its main executives, the company intends to get in touch with most of the 5.500 expected participants, including over 1.200 travel managers, in order to spread its differentiated services in the main active markets such as Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, among others. “We’ve attended NBTA Convention for three years, but, for the first time, we’ll have a booth in the exposition”, states André P. Gama, International Operations Manager at ViaLandauto and one of the executives from the company that will be in Houston. “Every time we attended the event we supported the Brazilian delegation organized by ABGEV, NBTA’s partner in Latin America. It was about time to increase our participation”, concluded Gama. ViaLandauto had a US$ 18 million turnover in 2009, 9% higher if compared to 2008, even in a world economics’ crisis year. The goal in 2010 is to increase by 40% its business volume, achieving a US$ 28 million revenue. Positive signs were already detected in the first semester of 2010. “During the first six months of this year, we’ve got a 75% higher turnover in comparison to the same period in 2009”, says Alexandre Pinto, Commercial Director at ViaLandauto. “We are positive that our participation in the 2010 NBTA International Convention & Exposition will help us reach our goals”, concludes Pinto.