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This Global Distribution System "Sabre" was selected by Hotel Okura to provide revenue through the forms of sales, account management, customer care and technology with a team of professionals who are all fluent in Japanese.Sabre is used by more then 12,000 properties around the world.JAL Hotels who is under the control of Hotel Okura experienced an impressive 18 percent increase in revenue after their initial migration to Sabre in 2009.This proves that GDS are still a huge factor of the online reservation industry.

The number of customers making reservation on the webpage of the hotel become more and more in nowadays. And the reservations flowing to hotels through the channels of the global distribution systems and the Internet. The electronic outlets become the biggest challenge for the director of sales and marketing. They should face the challenge of understanding and managing the system and using it to make profit for the property. The hotel electronic distribution network association plays an important role in the hotel operation. It contains ads, mails, public relations and sales calls which can help the ptoperty increase profit. So understanding and maximizing a hotel's electronic dutribution is very important.

This article discusses the development of new electronic distribution channels for hotel suppliers and consumers to use. There has recently been an emergence of new search engines such as roomkey.com and room77.com that offer a different booking experience than the more established Expedia.com or Orbitz. Roomkey.com is offering a search for high quality hotels with price transparency and links to direct booking on the hotels website. www.roomkey.com Room77 is interesting because it shows the rates of many other OTA websites, all the standards plus some less common sites. You can choose what OTA site you want to book from. The highlight is that room77.com offers floor plans of hotels where you can see the view from multiple rooms and even how far the closest elevator is. www.room77.com Another important emerging channel is mobile phone applications that are geared toward last minute travelers. These channels typically offer a limited inventory at up to a 30% discount. The discount group is yet another new development in distribution channels. Websites such as Tingo.com offer an automatic refund if the price drops after you book your reservation. www.tingo.com Social media also has to be considered. Online reviews can have a tremendous impact on future bookings and hotels have to take this into consideration.

Great help for my Strategic Management Class! Thank you...I wish though, there would be more numbers...But thanks anyway

This article talks how about how far CRSs have evolved, from providing basic information to the "cornerstone of worldwide electronic distribution networks. Just like we read in the GDS article, CRSs have move from individual users to worldwide users offering a wide variety of information - availability, rates, departed guest information and much more. CRSs have also moved from one-way communication to two-way links. CRSs are now being tapped to provide sales information hotel company websites. They have definitely changed to meet the present needs of the industry.

This article gave me a different perspective as to how the GDS system has affected the airline industry.  According to The Economist, the airlines chronic unprofitability is due to two strategic errors of their own doing. One was to stop paying direct commission to travel agents and the other was to set the reservations systems free. Despite their best efforts airlines are now having very hard time getting travelers to bypass GDS agents and come to their websites. A majority of the profit margins in the travel business are seen by the GDS systems and airlines are left footing the bill. In hopes of resolving this problem, the airlines international association is working what is called "new distribution capability." Through use of this service it would become easier for travel agents to utilize computer systems that would deal directly with the airlines. However, ambitious IT projects have failed hundreds of different times across hundred of different industries and getting the airlines to agree to make such a dramatic change in IT would be a daunting task. Both the airlines and GDSs argue they hold the true consumer advantage.  On one hand, airlines are able to provide flyers with personally tailored service, while on the other, the GDSs allow customers to compare flights for the best value. Whether it be the airlines or the GDSs that prevail, the future of travel is now online. 

This article is starting from an agreement made between Travelclick which is a leading provider of profitable revenue generating solutions for hoteliers and Castle Resorts & Hotels on GDS connectivity and IDS distribution. The Castle Resorts will use Travelclick's central reservation system (CRS) to distribute inventory to thousands of travel agents on the Global distribution System (GDS). Because of the alliance between the two organizations, Castle Resorts has become the largest iHotelier customer in Hawaii. The president of Castle Resorts believes that Teavelclick's GDS connectivity solutions will help them achieve a higher level of performance and allow them to connect with travel agents instantaneously and seamlessly to further potential guests. From this article, I fully realize how important the GDS system is and what it could do for hospitality industry. It is just like providing a closer link between hotels and potential guests by connecting with travel agents.

The definition of electronic distribution is, the speed of light transmitting of information to ensure that the hotels can provide its rate, inventory and property information into the customers who are going to buy. The most effectively represented place for the hotels' information is online. Electronic distribution allows the hotels to put themselves on the "menu", where can reach many potential customers with buying power. When a hotel is present itself on majority of the websites searched, customers' purchase increases based on the exposure. Actually exposure means sales. There are two important aspects for electronic distribution. The first one is "Connectivity is the Key ". The hotels should make sure that, your hotels' information can be seen in any point of demand, such as website, travel agent, tour operator, receptive company, visitor bureau and others. And the hotels' availability and price can be changed with the electronic connectivity options. There are two ways of getting inventory and rates in these demand points: one is looking within own systems and infrastructure, other is querying the hotel company's system for availability and rate. The second one is "streaming the booking process". Once the customer's purchase decision has been decided, a booking gets created, and then the booking details will be transferred from a third-party system to the hotel's system. In the hotel's own website, the booking will generally be created by the hotel's CRS platform. Once the CRS receives the booking message, a confirmation number response message is sent back using the same pathway to give the demand touch point the assurance that the message has been received and processed. Hotels should make sure that you are in front of your customers, which means that your products is on the electronic distribution is all about. The information should be truthful and unbiased.

This article is about GDS and cruise industry. What this article talks about is that UK's cruise market leader P&O Cruises, Cunard and Princess Cruises, will end its distribution through Amadeus, which is one of the largest GDSs in the world, in November 2011. The reason behind this is because these cruise lines figured out that almost 95 percent of its cruises are sold via its own website so they think GDS is no longer necessary for them. However, other major cruise lines such as Carnival Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, and Norweigian Cruises will still continue to feature on the GDS. According to a spokesman of Amadeus, the company keeps investing in distribution solutions, easier and more secure cruise booking application for cruise lines. This article shows how cruise distribution in the UK is shifting. This change would probably affect not only cruise lines but other sectors such as hotels, airlines, etc. Yet, it is still uncertain if the impact of the change on cruise industry worldwide will be significant. Still, most of cruise lines including the three major cruise operators which have large market share in the cruise industry use GDS; as well as, it is doubtful if cruisers are willing to go on a same cruise ship over and over. Cruisers look for various cruise options while booking online so they will be more likely to visit GDS-based website where they can search for various cruise ships throughout the world; rather than to visit website where there are much less cruise options. Everything will be clear after we see if the UK's cruise operator is successful.

The travel marketplace is a global arena where millions of buyers (travel agents and the public) and sellers (hotels, airlines, car rental companies, etc.) work together to exchange travel services. Among the "shelves" on which buyers search for travel services are world's global distribution systems and the Internet distribution systems. There are currently four major GDS systems: Amadeus As the youngest of the four GDS companies, Amadeus has done remarkably well during its short tenure. Yet, in many ways, the company remains an anomaly. Amadeus has the greatest number of travel agency locations with the highest productivity per terminal in the world, yet its booking share is Number 3, and its revenues are dwarfed by Sabre and, to a lesser degree, by Galileo. Galileo Galileo's competitive strengths include market share, well-balanced and global presence, relationships with diverse groups of travel vendors, technologically advanced information systems, highly skilled personnel, and a stable product line. Compared to other GDS companies, Galileo is a cautious follower when it comes to technology. Sabre Sabre's competitive strengths include market position, global reach, stable product line, diversification of revenue streams, and intellectual capital. The Sabre business model is a strong one, and continues to make significant progress in advancing both its electronic travel distribution and its information technology solutions businesses. Worldspan Worldspan has a legacy of industry firsts that are not well known. The company therefore has an opportunity to raise the industry's awareness of its accomplishments and more importantly, its future strategy. Worldspan continues to look at benefits of creating its own consumer brand and has been partnering with different companies to expand the services that it can provide to its customer base.

This article stood out to me because it stands behind the future of the global distribution systems. Direct bookings have increased .8% in the first quarter of 2016, but GDS also increased during the time at 1.3%. Having rates and rooms availability easily accessible for travel agencies is still crucial for the hotels, especially due to the increase in business travelers. This article mentions GDS by SiteMinder, which is a platform that connects the hotels to all the GDS systems, making it easier to manage and control because when one room is sold on one platform, all the other platforms are recognized that that room is gone. I mentioned in my post on the discussion board that I think the future of the GDS can still survive as long as it continues to adapt to what the industry trends are heading towards. This SiteMinder I think is exactly that. An easily controllable system that is supportive of a pool inventory, that operates as if there is only one GDS system out there, although there are several.

Relatively speaking, GDS's have been around for a while now, with iterations stretching back a few decades now. SiteMinder has worked to integrate cloud technology into traditional GDS models to streamline distribution. They have had strong success, powering over 200,000 reservations in the past year, generating over $60 million in hotel revenue. Over 900 hotels are now poised to receive SiteMinder services, making them the industry leading GDS cloud platform. To date, SiteMinder is represented in the globe's most influential cities, including New York, Los Angeles, London, Honk Kong, Paris, Munich, and Sydney. GDS technology has come a long way from the early models that airlines used solely for in-house purposes. New GDS's such as SiteMinder are both a testament to adaptation and the appeal of cloud technology.

Each hotel has its own combination of distribution channels. In order to effectively plan the hotel's distribution channel strategy, let's take a look at the ways to increase the hotel's distribution channel portfolio, which will enable your hotel business to continue to obtain satisfied guests. 1. Take advantage of the unlimited range of hotel PMS 2. Cooperate with the best OTA to attract your target guests 3. Website booking engine also plays a vital role 4. Don't underestimate offline distribution channels in the hotel industry

OYO Hotels & Homes was a young hotel startup in 2013. Now it holds 44,000 locations and over 1.2 million in rooms. Sabre Corporation is one of the leaders in technology and software that powers the global travel industry. Sabre's SynXis increases efficiency by delivering rates and inventory to all major GDS systems and OTAs directly to partners. OYO Hotel & Homes connected its first group of hotels to Sabre's SynXis. This partnership with Sabre has given OYO the global tools to reach a global market. The platform has given them the power to book through Sabre's own GDS as well as others, corporates, travel management companies, and almost 900,000 travel agents and tour operators.

A GDS system is a massive advantage for a hotel because it will increase demand which directly increases revenue. A GDS system can be even more beneficial if the hotel is targeting corporate travelers. However, a GDS system is not without its drawbacks. While there are options, it is not uncommon for a hotel to pay an initial fee and agency fee.

This article gives a solid big picture overview of what GDS is and why is there a need to use a GDS. Also, it tells who are the three major players and what are the associated costs of using a GDS.

This article signifies the use and importance of Global Distribution System (GDS) in hotels. GDS is a network that travel agencies are provided with information to help hotels book more. Hotels that target corporate travelers have an advantage using the GDS system. Businesses still turn to travel agents rather than booking directly. The GDS system will give a wide range customer base, more booking and more.

The relationship with OTAs should be about finding the right balance (or mix of business) for your specific hotel. A commonly held point of view is that OTA commissions are exorbitant (in dollars, or as a % of revenue), but shouldn't we be glad if they sold a room we were not going to sell otherwise?

Players Network will be entering into an agreement with Ascent Solutions, a software engineering firm, to up their social media game and develop their "company's next generation proprietary broadband-based content distribution." To enhance their Branded Lifestyle Video Channels which can be viewed simultaneously by users on all digital devices, Ascent Solutions will be implementing an Enterprise Web Platform meant for large scale global distribution.  By analyzing online consumer trends, Ascent Solutions will assist in monetizing their content through methods such as subscription, merchandising, etc. Ascent Solutions helps the gaming and hospitality industry find the right technology for their businesses.  I believe today's modern-day companies emphasis and reliance on social media and telecommunications can all benefits from the services offered by Ascent Solutions. With a nationwide footprint and local services, Ascent can help large and small media companies alike monetize content over any interconnected, digital device. With expertise in the gaming and hospitality industry, with major clients such as Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and Speedway Casino. Ascent keeps up with technology trends and can further any business model.

Green Path Transfers are a a fairly new Eco-friendly airport transfer and ground transportation network. The goal is to offer safe and professional transportation in global markets to travelers. In addition Green Path Transfers are focusing on a low carbon movement in the future. The company has partnered with companies using low-emission vehicles and these vehicles are clearly marked in the search results of the website, in order to allow the customer a completely transparent booking and check-out process with the vehicle of their choice. Their customers consist of leisure travelers, corporate travelers and their distribution partners, such as hotels and flights.

This article is explaining how Henry Harteveldt, an airline and travel industry analyst, believes that GDSs will evolve into value creation hubs, or VCHs, over the next five years. He believes GDSs have served airlines the best among many transactionally based industried; however, many areas of airline marketing, sales, distribution and e-commerce are looking for more. He specifically states that airlines are looking for "more flexible, robust commerce platforms built on contemporary software and architecture", as well as "commerce platforms that can support extensive fare and product transparency, dynamic pricing, rich basic and ancillary product merchandising and retailing and the ability to reliably and securely process the massive volume of shopping sessions." VCHs will be used to support the high-volume, high frequency shopping, similar to GDSs, and the system will the new technology that powers airline CRS/PSS host systems, reducing the need for costly conversion disruption.