TRX, Eclipse Partner For Airline Data Collection, Contract Analysis
TRX Data Services and Eclipse Advisors, the technology unit of Rosenbluth International, have partnered to create a solution for airlines that includes corporate client data standardization and contract decision support technology. According to executives at both companies, five carriers currently are testing Cobra, a system similar to an existing product developed by the Prism Group and in use at Continental, Northwest and United airlines.
"We're interested in taking data from corporations or suppliers and placing this level of sophisticated optimization and decision support technology to provide good analysis, understanding and insight from that information on behalf of corporations," said Eclipse COO Michael Boult.
To provide carriers with contract performance monitoring capabilities, TRX would collect a corporate client's travel data in any of a wide variety of formats and use switching technology to align the information. Based on recommendations of the Data Advisory Board, a group in which TRX participates (BTN, June 24), the airlines would request only seven data fields, while excluding information deemed too sensitive, such as credit card information.
Regarding what thus far amounts to a monopoly for Prism, Boult said that "not everyone is happy with the one-size-fits-all solution in the marketplace," considering different models would generate different sets of results. "According to feedback from carriers, including those that use Prism, we think ours is the most robust." He cited Cobra's ability to project future traveler behavior, react quickly to changing market conditions and rapidly track client compliance.
Both TRX and Eclipse said the Web-based Cobra system addresses the lack of choice of data aggregators carriers ask clients to work with and privacy concerns, two issues repeatedly raised by buyers since Continental first went live with Prism more than two years ago.
TRX and Eclipse said they have been working behind the scenes for several months. Boult expects at least one of the five carriers now in testing to publicly announce a licensing agreement within 90 days.