Information Technology for Travel and Tourism – Amit Kundu

Unit 3

Computer Networking Concepts, Information Systems, CRS for Airlines, Study of different packages viz. Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre etc. (anyone package available).

COMPUTER NETWORKThe concept of network is not new, in simple terms it means an interconnected set of some objects and by computer network we mean an interconnected set of autonomous computers. The term autonomous implies that the computers can function independent from others. A network is simply collection of computers or other hardware devices that are connected together, either physically or logically, using special hardware and software, to allow them to exchange information and cooperate. Networking is the term that describes the processes involved in designing, implementing, upgrading and managing a computer network.

HistoryThe history of electronic computers is not very old. It came into existence in the early 1950 and during the first two decades of its existence it remained as a centralized system housed in a single large room. In those days the computers were large in size and were operated by trained personnel.After the invention of microprocessors in the early 1970s, the computers became smaller in size and less expensive. With significant increase in processing power, new breed of low-cost computers known as mini and personal computers were introduced. Instead of having a single central computer, an organization could now afford to own a number of computers located in different departments and sections.The bandwidth was clearly a problem and in the late 1970s and early 80s another new communication technique known as Local Area Networks (LANs) evolved, which helped computers to communicate at high speed over a small geographical area. In later years use of optical fiber and satellite communication allowed high-speed data communications over long distances.

Classification Based on Size

1) Local Area Network (LAN)A network is said to be Local Area Network (LAN) if it is confined relatively to a small area. It is generally limited to a building or a geographical area, expanding not more than a mile apart to other computers.LAN configuration consists of:

A file server: Stores all of the software that controls the network, as well as the software that can be shared by the computers attached to the network.

A workstation: Computers connected to the tile server (Mac or PCs). These are less powerful than the file server.

2) Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) covers larger geographic areas, such as cities (often used by local libraries and government agencies often to connect to citizens and private industries.

3) Wide Area Network (WAN)Wide Area Network (WANs) connect larger geographic areas such as London, the UK, or the world. In this type of network dedicated transoceanic cabling or satellite uplinks may he used.

4) Personal Area Network (PAN)Personal Area Network generally means a very small LAN with range of only a few feet. Intended mostly to connect together devices used by a single person or very small group. The term is most commonly used in reference to Bluetooth or IEEE 802.15 wireless technology.

Terminology• Administrator: The person responsible for a network's operations. Including installing network components, providing access to users and troubleshooting.• Account: A username and password given to each user of a network. Networks grant access to files and services based on the rights given to the user’s account.• Client: A computer that connects to a network and accesses files, printers, or other services offered by a server.• Server: A computer that offers one or more services to the network and runs a NOS.• Network Operating System (NOS): A piece of software, such as Windows NT server or Norell Netware, that enables a computer to act as a network server.• Workstation: A non-server computer attached to a network.• Node: Any computer or other device connected to a network. Nodes include workstation, servers and devices such as printers.• Internet: A global network that evolved from the US department of Defense's ARPANET project.• Internetwork: A large network consisting of various small networks connected together by WAN links or faster local links. This type of network is also referred to as an internet (not to be confused with Internet).• Protocol: A set of rules for communication between network components. A functioning network requires that all nodes understand the same set of protocols.

Network Types• Server-Based Networks: Also called client-server networks, files and printers on this computer are made available to network workstations, called clients.A server-based network's main benefit is in centralization. The server provides a central control point for network access, security and management. The disadvantages of a server-based network are the higher cost of dedicated servers and network OS, and the greater administrative effort required.• Peer-to-Peer Networks: A peer-to-peer network consists solely of workstations called peers. Each workstation can be used by a user and can also make shared files or printers available to the users at other workstations. This system is better suited to smaller networks. The advantages of peer networks include their ease of installation and use. They are also less expensive than server-based networks because a dedicated server is not required. The main disadvantage of peer networks is the lack of central control.

COMMUNICATION METHODS

Connection-oriented Connection-oriented protocols establish a connection, or virtual circuit, before communicating and disconnect it when finished. Connection-oriented protocols generally have a lower speed due to the bandwidth used for session maintenance.

1) Twisted pair Cable • Unshielded Twisted Pair - UTP is the most common type of Network cable

in use today. UTP consists of one or more pair of insulated copper wires.

The wires are twisted together to reduce crosstalk and enclosed in a plastic insulator. UTP cables are generally Wired using RJ-45 jacks and plugs. These are 8-conductor connectors similar to RJ-11 connectors used in telephone cables. UTP is inexpensive and easy to install compared With other types of cable. UTP is the type of cable used in telephone system.

• Shielded Twisted Pair - STP cable is similar to UTP but includes a foil or wire mesh shield between the wire pairs and the outer insulation. The shield is electrically grounded, and reduce emissions and susceptibility to EMI. STP cable is used in some Token ring and Apple Talk Networks. STP is more expensive than UTP, and its thickness and rigidity make it more difficult to install. It also uses special grounded connectors, adding to the expense.

2) Coaxial CableCoaxial cable consists of a single thick copper wire surrounded by an insulator. A shield surrounding the insulator is used as the second conductor, and is encased in an outer insulation. The shielding makes coaxial less susceptible to EMI and emissions than UTP. Thin coaxial cable is less expensive than the highest quality (cat 5) UTP, but is more difficult to install due to its thickness, its lack of flexibility and the connectors used.

3) Fiber OpticA fiber optic cable consists of thin glass or clear plastic fiber encased in a protective jacket signals are sent through the cable in the form of light. There are two types of fiber optic cable: Single mode, which uses a single wavelength, and multimode, which uses multiple wavelengths in the same cable. The advantages of fiber are high bandwidth (up to 2Gbps) and extremely low attenuation.

Connection-lessConnection less protocols does not establish a virtual circuit. Data is sent without establishing a connection and may be sent at any time. These protocols have low overhead, and are generally used where speed is a high priority.

1) Infrared: Wireless infrared networking systems use modulated beams of infrared light to transmit data. These types of networks require a line-of-sight, and are generally used for short distances.There are two types of infrared networks- Point-to-point networks use a focused beam, usually generated by a laser. Bandwidth can be as high as 16 Mbps.- Broadcast networks use a less focused beam that disperses rapidly. Bandwidth is usually no more than 1 Mbps.

2) Radio: The most common type of wireless networks use radio waves. Radio-based networks have a reasonably high bandwidth, but are very sensitive to EMI and eavesdropping. Many radio frequencies are regulated by the FCC, and are unavailable for use without a license.There are three basic types of radio links:•Low power single frequency•High power single frequency•Spread-spectrum

3) Microwave: Another type of wireless communication uses microwaves, which are similar to radio waves but at a higher frequency. Two common types of microwave networks are:• Terrestrial: This method provides for line-of-sight communications, usually across a short distance. Bandwidth can be as high as 10 Mbps.• Satellite: This method relays microwave transmissions via a satellite, allowing for a nearby global range. Bandwidth can, be as high as 10 Mbps.

Network TopologiesA network topology is the configuration, or shape, of the wiring used in the network. Each type of network has physical topology (the actual wiring) and a logical topology (the path data follows).

1. Bus: In a bus topology, a single cable supports an entire network segment. This cable is the bus, sometimes called a backbone. Nodes are attached at various points along the cable. Depending on the network architecture, nodes may be connected directly to the bus with T-connectors, or a cable called a drop cable can be connected between the bus and each node.The bus topology is usually inexpensive for smaller networks. The chief disadvantage of a bus topology is that a break at any point in the bus will bring the network down.

2. Star: In a star topology, each node is connected with its own cable to a central device called a hub. The hub internally connects each node to the other nodes.It is more reliable than bus because each node has its own cable. They are also easier to expand, since a new node can be wired to the hub without disconnecting other nodes.

3. Ring: In a ring topology, the nodes are connected to each other to form a circle. Each node receives signals from its upstream neighbor, and passes them onto its downstream neighbor.The main disadvantage of a ring topology is the same as a bus: a single node's failure can disrupt the entire network. Ring networks can also be difficult to troubleshoot and expand.4. Mesh: A mesh topology provides fault tolerance through redundant links. In this system, each node is connected to every other node with separate cables.The main advantage of this system is a high degree of reliability. The obvious disadvantage is that mesh topologies require large amounts of cable, making them very expensive to install and expand.5. Hybrid: A hybrid topology is any combination of the above topologies. One common hybrid topology is a star bus, in which several star-wired network segments are interconnected with a bus.Another hybrid topology is a star ring, in which the wiring forms a star topology, but the hub is intentionally connected as a ring.

Project IridiumIn 1990 Motorola broke new ground by filing an application with the FCC asking for permission to launch 77 low-orbit satellites for the Iridium project (element 77 is Iridium). The plan was later revised to use only 66 satellites, The idea was that as soon as one satellite went out of view. Another would replace it. This proposal set off a feeding frenzy among other communication companies. All of a sudden, everyone wanted to launch a chain of low-orbiting satellites.After seven years of cobbling together partners and financing, the partners launched the Iridium satellites in 1997. Communication service began in December 1998. Unfortunately, the commercial demand for large, heavy satellite telephones was negligible because the mobile phone network had grown spectacularly since 1990. As a consequence, Iridium was not profitable and was forced into bankruptcy in August 1999 in one of the most spectacular corporate fiasco in history.The satellites and other assets (worth $5 billion) were subsequently purchased by an investor for $25 million at a kind of extraterrestrial garage sale. The Iridium service was restarted in March 2001.Iridium's business was (and is) providing worldwide telecommunication services using hand-held devices that communicate directly with the Iridium satellites. It provides voice, data, paging, fax, and navigation service everywhere on land, sea

and air. Customers include the maritime, aviation, and oil exploration industries, as well as people traveling in parts of the world lacking a telecommunications infrastructure (e.g., deserts, mountains, jungles, and some Third World countries).The Iridium satellites are positioned at an altitude of 750 km, in circular orbits. They are arranged in north-south necklaces; with one satellite every degrees of latitude. With six satellite necklaces, the entire earth is covered, as suggested by the figure

INFORMATION SYSTEMSAn information system (IS) is any combination of information technology and people's activities using that technology to support operations, management, and decision-making. In a very broad sense, the term information system is frequently used to refer to the interaction between people, algorithmic processes, data and technology. In this sense, the term is used to refer not only to the information and communication technology (ICT) an organization uses, but also to the way in which people interact with this technology in support of business processes.A work system is a system in which humans and/or machines perform work using resources (including ICT) to produce specific products and/or services for customers. An information system is a work system whose activities are devoted to processing (capturing, transmitting, storing, retrieving, manipulating and displaying) information.Information system as an example of a system concerned with the manipulation of signs. An information system is a type of socio-technical system. An information system is a mediating construct between actions and technology. As such, information systems inter-relate with data systems on the one hand and activity systems on the other. An information system is a form of communication system in which data represent and are processed as a form of social memory. An information system can also be considered a semi-formal language which supports human decision making and action.

Use of Information SystemInformation system is an integrated set of components for collecting, storing, processing, and communicating information. Business firms, other organizations, and individuals in contemporary society rely on information systems to manage their operations, compete in the marketplace, supply services, and augment personal lives. For instance, modern corporations rely on computerized information systems to process financial accounts and manage human resources; municipal governments rely on information systems to provide basic services to its citizens; and individuals use information systems to study, shop, bank, and invest.

Importance of Information System The emergence of a global economy, transformation of industrial economies, transformation of the business enterprise, and the emergence of digital firm make information systems essential in business today. Information system is a foundation for conducting business today. In many businesses, survival and the ability to achieve strategic business goals is difficult without extensive use of information technology. There are six reasons or objectives why businesses use information system: 1. Operational excellence. Business improves the efficiency of their operations in order to achieve higher profitability. Information systems are important tools available to managers for achieving higher levels of efficiency and productivity in business operations. A good example is Wal-Mart that uses a Retail Link system, which digitally links its suppliers to every one of Wal-Mart's stores. As soon as a customer purchase an item, the supplier is monitoring the item , knows to ship a replacement to the shelf.

2. New products, services, and business models. Information system is a major tool for firms to create new products and services, and also an entirely new business models. A business model describes how a company produces, delivers, and sells a product or service to create wealth.Example: Apple Inc transformed an old business model based on its iPod technology platform that included iPod, the iTunes music service, and the iPhone.3. Customer/supplier intimacy. When a business serves its customers well, the customers generally respond by returning and purchasing more. This raises revenue and profits. The more a business engages its suppliers, the better the suppliers can provide vital inputs, this lowers costs. Example: The Mandarin Oriental in Manhattan and other high-end hotels exemplify the use of information systems and technology to achieve customer intimacy. They use computers to keep track of guests' preferences, such as their preferred room temperature, check-in time, and television programs.4. Improved decision making. Many managers operate in an information bank, never having the right information at the right time to make an informed decision. These poor outcomes raise costs and lose customers. Information system made it possible for the managers to use real time data from the marketplace when making decision. Example: Verizon Corporation uses a Web-based digital dashboard to provide managers with precise real -time information on customer complaints and network performance. Using this information managers can immediately allocate repair resources to affected areas, inform customers of repair efforts and restore service fast.5. Competitive advantage. When firms achieve one or more of these business objectives (operational excellence, new products, services, and business models, customer/supplier intimacy, and improved decision making) chances are they have already achieved a competitive advantage. Doing things better than your competitors, charging less for superior products, and responding to customers and suppliers in real time all add up to higher sales, and higher profits. Example: Toyota Production System focuses on organizing work to eliminate waste, making continues improvements, TPS is based on what customers have actually ordered.6. Day to day survival. Business firms invest in information system and technology because they are necessities of doing business. These necessities are driven by industry level changes. Example: Citibank introduced the first automatic teller machine to attract customers through higher service levels, and its competitors rushed to provide ATM's to their customers to keep up with Citibank. Providing ATMs services to retail banking customers is simply a requirement of being in and surviving in the retail banking business. Firms turn to information system and technology to provide the capability to respond to these.

Information systems are the foundation for conducting business today. In many industries, survival and even existence without extensive use of IT is inconceivable, and IT plays a critical role in increasing productivity. Although information technology has become more of a commodity, when coupled with complementary changes in organization and management, it can provide the foundation for new products, services, and ways of conducting business that provide firms with a strategic advantage.

ComponentsIt consists of computers, instructions, stored facts, people and procedures.

CRS FOR AIRLINES

Computer Reservations System (CRS) is a computerized system used to store and retrieve information and conduct transactions related to air travel. Originally designed and operated by airlines, CRSes were later extended for the use of travel agencies. Major CRS operations that book and sell tickets for multiple airlines are known as global distribution systems (GDS). Airlines have divested most of their direct holdings to dedicated GDS companies, who make their systems accessible to consumers through Internet gateways. Modern GDSes typically allow users to book hotel rooms and rental cars as well as airline tickets.

HistoryIn 1953, Trans-Canada Airlines (TCA) started investigating a computer-based system with remote terminals, testing one design on the University of Toronto's Manchester Mark 1 machine. The resulting system, ReserVec, started operation in 1962, and took over all booking operations in January 1963. Terminals were placed in all of TCA's ticketing offices, allowing all queries and bookings to complete in about one second with no remote operators needed.In 1953, American Airlines CEO C. R. Smith chanced to sit next to R. Blair Smith, a senior IBM sales representative, on a flight from Los Angeles to New York. C.R. invited Blair to visit their Reservisor system and look for ways that IBM could improve the system. Their idea of an automated Airline Reservation System (ARS) resulted in a 1959 venture known as the Semi-Automatic Business Research Environment (SABRE), launched the following year. By the time the network was completed in December 1964, it was the largest civil data processing system in the world.Other airlines soon established their own systems. Delta Air Lines launched the Delta Automated Travel Account System (DATAS) in 1968. United Airlines and Trans World Airlines followed in 1971 with the Apollo Reservation System and Programmed Airline Reservation System (PARS), respectively. Soon, travel agents began pushing for a system that could automate their side of the process by accessing the various ARSes directly to make reservations.Also in 1976 Videcom international with British Airways, British Caledonian and CCL launched Travicom, the world's first multi-access reservations system (wholly based on Videcom technology), forming a network providing distribution for initially 2 and subsequently 49 subscribing international to thousands of travel agents in the UK. It allowed agents and airlines to communicate via a common distribution language and network, handling 97% of UK airline business trade bookings by 1987. The system went on to be replicated by Videcom in other areas of the World Travicom was a trading name for Travel Automation Services Ltd. When BA (who by then owned 100% of Travel Automation Services Ltd) chose to participate in the development of

the Galileo system launched in 1993. Travicom changed its' trading name to Galileo UK and a migration process was put in place to move agencies from Travicom to Galileo.European airlines also began to invest in the field in the 1980s initially by deploying their own reservations systems in their homeland, propelled by growth in demand for travel as well as technological advances which allowed GDSes to offer ever-increasing services and searching power. In 1987, a consortium led by Air France and West Germany's Lufthansa developed Amadeus, modeled on System One. Amadeus Global Travel Distribution was launched in 1992.

Name Created by Also used by

Amadeus Air France Iberia Lufthansa SAS

Online travel agencies including Anyfares CheapOair ebookersr CheapTickets Expedia Flights Opodor Jetabroad Tripsetc Air-Savings

Over 500 individual airlines Over 120 individual airline websites Over 99,000 travel agencies in more than

195 countries Over 34,000 airline sales offices Over 86,000 hotels Over 24 Rental Car brands serving 36.000

locations

Sabre Aeroflot American

Airlines JetBlue

Airways Midwest

Airlines Frontier US Airways Westjet Volarisr Kingfisher

Airlines

Travelocity Zuji Lastminute.com Travel Guru Priceline Schedules for 800 airlines ability to shop and book for over 380

airlines 88,000 hotels 50 rail carriers 180 tour operators 13 cruise lines 24 car rental brands serving 30,000

locations 9 limousine vendors providing access to

more than 33,500 ground service

providers 55,000 travel agencies in over 100

countries

Galileo by Travelport (as Apollo Reservation System 1970-early 1990s)

Aer Lingus Sabena Alitalia British

Airways - > Moved to Amadeus

Swissair TAP United

Airlines (using their subsidiary Covia)

KLM (Subsequently migrated to Amadeus as part of Air France-KLM)

Olympic Airlines

Austrian Airlines

Following a merger with the Apollo System in the USA *Air Canada and *US Air joined the ownership group

CheapOair ebookers Flight Centre Orbitz

Worldspan by Travelport

Delta Northwest (Nor

thwest Airlines merged with Delta Airlines and is now using Delta Matic. Both are still based on the Worldspan Reservation System)

TWA (Merged with American

Expedia Hotwire Hotels Priceline Orbitz BookIt.com

Airlines and now is using Sabre)

TravelSky Air China China

Southern China Eastern Hainan Airlines

Online travel agencies including Ctrip eLong mangocity

Patheo Finnair KLM Lufthansa - >

Moved to Amadeus

Online travel agencies including Airgorrila American Express Anyfares Flights

Abacus All Nippon Airways

Cathay Pacific Airways

China Airlines Dragonair EVA Airways Garuda

Indonesia Malaysia

Airlines Philippine

Airlines Royal Brunei

Airlines SABRE SilkAirr Singapore

Airlines

Online travel agencies Over 450 individual airlines Over 25 countries in Asia Pacific Over 80,000 hotels

KIU Sol Líneas Aéreas

Aerogalr Star Peru LC Busre Peruvian

Airlines Cielos Andinos EasyFly LASER Airlines Aeropostal LADE - Líneas

Aéreas Del

Over 12 individual airlines Over 10 countries in Latin and North

America Travel agencies and wholesale tour

operators worldwide

Estado Amaszonas Maya Air

Computer Reservation Systems (CRS) - Airlines have found computer reservation systems to be extremely helpful in influencing travel agents' recommendations. By monitoring the behavior of individual agents, airlines can design commissions that will have the optimum impact on their flight recommendations. Developing and operating these systems is quite expensive, however, and only the largest carriers have been able to market them. At present, the seven largest carriers all own at least a share of a CRS. In the 1970s, airlines began modifying and enhancing their internal reservation systems to make the sale of airline tickets through travel agents more efficient. The CRS gave travel agents access to information about flight schedules, fares, and seat availability. It also enabled them to make reservations and issue tickets automatically. Although the computer reservation systems are owned and operated by particular airlines, an agent can use one to get information and make reservations on virtually any scheduled carrier.Since the systems make both airlines and travel agents more productive, CRS owners charge both of them for the use of their systems. Travel agents rent the equipment, while airlines pay a booking fee for each flight reservation.The influence of computer reservation systems on bookings can be seen in the fact that a relatively large proportion of the travel agents in a city where a carrier operates a hub use that carrier's CRS. If the systems did not influence the behavior of travel agents, there would be little reason for carriers to market them most aggressively in cities where they center their operations. Moreover, at present all the computer reservation systems are owned and operated by airlines. While the airlines have found the systems to be profitable, the systems that were not owned by an airline have ceased operating.

------------- SABRESabre is a computer reservations system / global distribution system (GDS) used by airlines, railways, hotels, travel agents and other travel companies. Sabre GDS is a unit of Sabre Holdings' Sabre Travel Network division. Current North American hosted carriers include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, WestJet, Cape Air, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Mesa Airlines, and Midwest Airlines. Its current IATA code is 1S. However some internal areas are still under 1W.The Sabre datacenter is in Tulsa, Oklahoma and was subject to the Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System II and is intended to be part of the predecor Secure Flight program for the selection of passengers with a risk profile, sometime in 2008-10.Sabre was developed in order to help American Airlines improve the way in which the airline booked reservations. By the 1950s, American Airlines was facing a serious challenge in its ability to quickly handle airline reservations in an era that witnessed high growth in passenger volumes in the airline industry. Before the introduction of Sabre, the airline's system for booking flights was entirely manual, having developed from the techniques originally developed at its Little Rock, Arkansas reservations center in the 1920s. In this manual system, a team of eight operators would sort through a rotating file with cards for every flight. When a seat was booked, the operators would place a mark on the side of the card, and knew visually whether it was full. This part of the process was not all that slow, at least when there were not that many planes, but the entire end-to-end task of looking for a flight, reserving a seat and then writing up the ticket could take up to three hours in some cases, and 90 minutes on average. The system also had limited room to scale. It was limited to about eight operators because that was the maximum that could fit around the file, so in order to handle more queries the only solution was to add more layers of hierarchy to filter down requests into batches.American Airlines had already attacked the problem to some degree, and was in the process of introducing their new Magnetronic Reservisor, an electromechanical computer, in 1952 to replace the card files. This computer consisted of a single magnetic drum, each memory location holding the number of seats left on a particular flight. Using this system, a large number of operators could look up information simultaneously, so the ticket agents could be told over the phone whether a seat was available. On the downside, a staff member was still needed at each end of the phone line, and actually handling the ticket still took considerable effort and filing. Something much more highly automated was needed if AA was going to enter the jet age, booking many times more seats.In a few years IBM sent a research proposal to AA, suggesting that they really study the problem and see if an "electronic brain" could actually help. They set up a team consisting of IBM engineers led by John Siegfried and a large number of AA's staff led by Malcolm Perry, taken from booking, reservations and ticket sales, calling the effort the Semi-Automated Business Research Environment, or SABRE.A formal development arrangement was signed in 1957, and the first experimental system went online in 1960, based on two IBM 7090 mainframes in a new data center located in Briarcliff. The system was a success. Up until this point it had cost

the astonishing sum of $40 million to develop and install (about $350 million in 2000 dollars). The SABRE system by IBM in the 1960s was specified to process a very large number of transactions, such as handling 83,000 daily phone calls. The system took over all booking functions in 1964, at which point the name had changed to the more familiar SABRE. By the 1980s, SABRE offered airline reservations through the CompuServe Information Service and GEnier under the Eaasy SABRE brand. This service was extended to Amerrica Online in the 1990s. Today the system connects more than 30,000 travel agents and 3 million consumers with more than 400 airlines, 50 car-rental companies, 35,000 hotels and dozens of railways, tour companies, ferries and cruise lines.One shortcoming of the Sabre reservations system that frustrates some travelers is that it only facilitates booking flights within 330 days of the booking date. Therefore, travelers who intend to stay in their destination for longer 330 days are unable to purchase their return ticket at the same time they buy their departure ticket and are forced to buy more expensive one-way tickets for each leg of their travel. Likewise, if the return date is to be 330 days after the departure date, round-trip tickets can only be purchased (at exorbitant rates) on the day of departure, if they are even available at such a late date. Most airlines, though, have a program where you can book your return within 330 days and change it for a later date free of charge.

AMEDEUSAmadeus is a computer reservations system (or global distribution system, since it sells tickets for multiple airlines) owned by the Amadeus IT Group with headquarters in Madrid, Spain. The central database is located at Erding, Germany. The development center is located at Sophia Antipolis, France. In addition to airlines, the CRS is also used to book train travel, cruises, car rental, ferry reservations, and hotel rooms. Amadeus also provides New Generation departure control systems to airlines. Amadeus is a member of IATA, OTA and SITA, and its IATA airline designator code is 1A.Amadeus was formed in 1987 by an alliance between Air France, Lufthansa, Iberia Airlines and Scandinavian Airlines System. Today, it is the leader in terms of number of bookings worldwide.

GALILEOGalileo is a computer reservations system (CRS) owned by Travelport. As of 2002, it had a 26.4% share of worldwide CRS airline bookings. In addition to airline reservations, the Galileo CRS is also used to book train travel, cruises, car rental, and hotel rooms. The Galileo system was moved from Denver, Colorado to the Worldspan datacenter in Atlanta, Georgia on September 28, 2008, following the 2007 merger of Travelport and Worldspan (although they now share the same datacenter, they continue to be run as separate systems). Galileo is subject to the Capps II and its successor Secure Flight program for the selection of passengers with a risk profile. Galileo is a member of IATA, OTA and SITA.Galileo was founded in 1971 by United Airlines under the name Apollo Reservation System. During the 1980s and early 1990s, a significant proportion of airline tickets

were sold by travel agents. Flights by the airline owning the reservation system had preferential display on the computer screen. Due to the high market penetration of the Sabre and Apollo systems, owned by American Airlines and United Airlines, respectively, Worldspan and Galileo were created in an attempt to gain market share in the computer reservation system market and, by inference, the commercial airline market. In response and to prevent possible government intervention, United Airlines started computer reservation systems and sought minority partners. Galileo International was the product of this reaction.The Apollo reservation system is still used by United Airlines and Galileo International (now part of Travelport GDS) travel agency customers in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Japan.Galileo UK was originally created from Travicom which was world’s first multi-access reservations system using the technology developed by Videcom. Travicom was a company launched by Videcom, British Airways, British Caledonian and CCL in 1976 which in 1988 became Galileo UK.