Company also joins with eStara
to launch click-to-call service for hotel Web sites
DALLAS (November 15, 2005) � Pegasus Solutions
Inc. (Nasdaq: PEGS) announced the launch of voice reservations services,
available now as a stand-alone service for any hotel, chain or group that
needs either full-service or supplemental call answering. Pegasus also
announced its new agreement with eStara, a leader in voice-based customer
interaction solutions, to implement eStara�s Push-to-Talk service for its
customers� Web sites. Dallas-based Pegasus Solutions is a global leader
in providing technology and services to hotels and travel distributors.
Previously, Pegasus had offered voice reservations
only with other Pegasus services. Now, the range of call answering options
is available separately. Pegasus has nine call centers around the world,
providing hotel voice reservation services to 41 countries in 11 languages.
The company�s agents handled five million calls in 2004. Additionally,
the Utell by Pegasus� representation service has a 70-year history of taking
voice reservations for hotels.
Pegasus now offers a selection of options, which
can be tailored to customers� needs:
-
Full outsourced voice services�Pegasus� highly-trained
staff answer all reservation calls for a customer�s hotels. Hotel chains
can avoid the overhead cost of technical infrastructure and staffing for
a voice reservations operation.
-
Voice services in selected geographic markets
to complement a hotel chain�s own reservations offices�Intended for
hotel chains that need to improve their reach in selected regions of the
world.
-
Call gating�Pegasus� reservations agents supplement
a hotel chain�s staff by answering overflow and after-hours calls.
-
Web reservations voice support, including eStara�s
click-to-call service�Consumers can click a �Push to Talk� icon on
a hotel chain�s Web site to be connected instantly with a live reservation
agent. The consumer can choose to speak directly through his or her computer
using eStara�s Voice over IP (VoIP) technology, or through any traditional
telephone by simply entering their phone number.
�With this launch, we offer our highly successful
voice services to any hotel, chain or group, even those that don�t currently
use one of our reservation or representation services,� said Bob Boles,
chief operating officer for Pegasus. �They give hotels a global reach to
even more customers and bookings�part of our commitment to helping hotels
increase their revenue. Additionally, the introduction of stand-alone versions
of our popular add-on services has been an important strategy for Pegasus
in 2005.�
Jimmy Suh, vice president of distribution and
revenue management for Kimpton Hotels, said: �Pegasus provides specialized,
high-quality and high-touch service to our most loyal and valued guests.
We trust them to provide reliable and responsive voice reservation services.
We also have begun using Pegasus for support of our Web reservations, through
the innovative Push-to-Talk technology from eStara, which connects visitors
at our Web site with a Pegasus reservation agent. This simple addition
to our Web site is helping us increase our online business and helps us
convert curious lookers into guests.�
Visit Pegasus Solutions at WTM, London at stand
#GV3400.
About eStara
eStara (www.estara.com)
develops business-to-consumer communications services for large enterprises,
media companies, online directories and search engines that improve communication
and collaboration, increase revenue, and enable clients to attract and
retain more online customers. eStara�s Push to Talk service is the
most widely deployed �click to call� technology in the world with over
3,000,000 users in 113 countries. The company serves more than 350 global
enterprises across multiple industries including directory and on-line
publishers and lead generation companies, financial services, retail, travel
and hospitality, real estate and automotive. To date, companies such as
Hilton, Dell Financial Services, JCrew, Continental Airlines, SpaFinder
and DaimlerChrysler�to name a few� have already benefited from eStara�s
Push to Talk service. eStara�s Track the Call (www.trackthecall.com) service
provides a flexible, scalable call tracking and monitoring service that
supports a variety of revenue models, including pay per call and subscription
with the largest inventory of local numbers in the industry. eStara call
tracking technology is used by major search engine and directory publishers
including Amazon.com�s A9.com, ThomasNet, Verizon�s Superpages.com and
Yahoo! UK & Ireland.
About Pegasus
Dallas-based
Pegasus Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: PEGS) is a global leader in providing
technology and services to hotels and travel distributors. Founded in 1989,
Pegasus� customers include a majority of the world�s travel agencies and
more than 60,000 hotel properties around the globe. Pegasus� services
include central reservation systems, electronic distribution services,
commission processing and payment services, and marketing representation
services, including the consumer Web site, www.hotelbook.com�. The company�s
representation services, including Utell by Pegasus� and Unirez by Pegasus�,
are used by nearly 7,000 member hotels in 140 countries, making Pegasus
the hotel industry�s largest third-party marketing and reservations provider.
Pegasus has 18 offices in 13 countries, including regional hubs in London,
Scottsdale and Singapore. For more information, please visit www.pegs.com. |