Galileo Merges U.S. Online Booking Products, Taps KDS For Europe

Galileo has decided to merge its two corporate online booking tools, Corporate Travelpoint 2.0 and Highwire, into a single product that will go under the Corporate Travelpoint name. The integrated product is scheduled for a second-quarter launch in the United States in 2002.

Bryan Conway, Galileo vice president for country management in northern Europe, said the decision to merge the two tools was taken last week in response to confusion about how they were positioned in relation to each other. Galileo announced the development of Corporate Travelpoint 2.0 simultaneously with its purchase of Seattle-based Highwire at the National Business Travel Association convention in Atlanta (BTN, Aug. 13). "Having reviewed the Highwire product in conjunction the Corporate Travelpoint product, we would prefer to take the best of both and roll them into one," Conway said. "We realize there was some confusion in the market."

Galileo already has unveiled IBM as a launch customer for Corporate Travelpoint 2.0. Highwire, which was virtually unheard of this time last year, has signed a small number of prestigious clients, most notably Microsoft.

Galileo plans to launch Corporate Travelpoint in Europe but only after making it compatible with all global distribution systems, not just its own. It also will make Corporate Travelpoint multilingual before releasing it in Europe.

News of the integration of Corporate Travelpoint and Highwire emerged as Galileo announced the launch of yet another corporate booking tool, this time for the European market. Called Galileo SpecialAgent, it is essentially a private-labeled and simplified version of the French online booking tool KDS Corporate. SpecialAgent is aimed squarely at small and medium enterprises.

Conway denied SpecialAgent was a stop-gap offering while Galileo sorts out a coherent strategy for Europe. Despite being market leader in several countries, including the United Kingdom, it has yet to offer a corporate online tool, even though such rivals as GetThere and Amadeus Corporate Traveller have been on the market for three or four years.

"Our strategy is one size doesn't fit all, so it makes sense to offer more than one product," he said. "SpecialAgent is aimed at the moderately managed traveler. Corporate Travelpoint is aimed at travelers in large organizations who are more tightly managed. There is no way we will withdraw SpecialAgent in favor of Corporate Travelpoint because it is a different type of product."

Conway added that Galileo has not been disadvantaged by entering the European market later than its rivals. "I don't think there is a large amount of catching up to do. Adoption rates are still relatively low," he said.