Don Bryan, vp of global marketing for Software explains how the company's Connect platform works. "SoftBrands Connect is two things really.  It's a local application backbone that enables interoperability between disparate applications.  AND it's a series of software components that provide direct connections to GDS and IDS channels ­ as an example, Sabre, Galileo and Hotels.com.  The platform is uses both OTA and HITIS standards, is generally hosted by SoftBrands, and is paid for by a hotel or hotel group through a licensing fee."

Why did the Atlanta-based SoftBrands develop the platform?  Bryan explains "As you know, there have been many requests from within the industry to provide a higher level of interoperability.  SoftBrands agreed and wanted to take a leadership role in solving the problem.  So, we developed a plan to address the issue and went to work on the solution."

In recent years, hoteliers have been experiencing an explosion in the number of reservation sales channels, to the extent that, today, one property may receive reservations from 20, 30, 50 or more channels. Their per-booking costs are sky-rocketing and their ability to control those channels has become nearly impossible.  Here again, requests for a solution from SoftBrand's customers as well as industry leaders prompted the company to expand their development plans to address this problem.

So how exactly does Software's Connect platform help hotels control these costs?  Again, Don Bryan, Softbrand's vice president of global marketing explains: "Over the past few years, most hotels have invested in technologies and applications that just do not work well together.  Our Connect application backbone lets hotels preserve their investment in legacy systems and gets their disparate systems working together."

And what does this all add up to? "Well, with our direct GDS and IDS connectivity capabilities, hotels can cut out the transaction fees they incur as reservations pass through all the intermediary services necessary to book a room.  The average payback period, based on our early calculations, is projected to be six to twelve months for most properties.  Then, they basically own the software and still don¹t pay any transaction fees."

In addition to eliminating transaction fees, there¹s another cost-saving feature with the Connect platform.  "There's our Connect Web Booking Engine. This is a series of web pages and software components that can be incorporated into a hotel or hotel chain web site to provide travelers with an online booking service.  Although the service is invisible to travelers, it offers a hotel¹s guests an additional convenience that ultimately can encourage brand loyalty.  At the same time, the booking engine can help hotels boost their web bookings while reducing their per-reservation cost."

To learn more about Connect and their complete line of applications for the hotel industry, visit the Softbrands website at www.softbrands.com or call toll-free 800-342-5675.

© 2003 SoftBrands Hospitality is a wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBrands, Inc. SoftBrands is a trademark of SoftBrands, Inc. All product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.