TRX Upgrades Include Reporting, Self-Booking Features
TRX this month released a wave of modifications to its five core hosted technologies for corporate travel buyers, including enhancements to the value and features of its online booking and data integration tools. The Atlanta-based company also enhanced its Selex reservation platform, enabling users to input inventory from global distribution system alternatives and include all booked segments in one passenger name record and one itinerary.
The extent of impact of the Selex changes will be up to corporations, said Trip Davis, CEO of TRX. "They can negotiate deals with specific airlines on specific GDSs, then enable the travel management company to service the corporate account across multiple GDSs and sources," he said. TRX also replaced GDS screens in Selex with a Web-based interface, eliminating the need for agents to toggle between screens.
"This is year zero in the life cycle of Selex technology," Davis said of version 2.2. "The game is just getting started. We've reached a critical mass in terms of what to offer corporations."
ResX online booking tool enhancements of greatest interest to corporate travel buyers are in its improved pre-trip approval process, tracking of travelers and frequent flyer miles, and its traveler-profiling system.
Kelly Jackson, director of automation and online services at Travizon, a Woburn, Mass.-based travel management company, said the most significant improvements to ResX are on the client's end, citing TRX's updates of frequent flyer validations and limiting the number of travelers per flight as a safety precaution. She said the profiling system allows for information to be sent to the global distribution system for the agent. "It saves quite a bit on scans with the GDS," she said.
TRX's Datatrax release is a complete rewrite of the former online reporting tool. Focused on providing more flexible access to richer corporate travel data, users can query the data warehouse and quickly build reports without customizing the tool. Shane Hammond, executive vice president of sales and client services at TRX, said Datatrax is the most mature component of the technological portfolio. "Every time we enhance Datatrax, it gives procurement people more insight into better arrangements and spending," he said.
In addition to these improvements, TRX debuted enhancements to its Correx automated processing and Tranxact settlement and exceptions tools. Hammond said Correx saw a "significant improvement" in the way it interprets data regardless of the different formats that the GDSs use to transmit it. Tranxact's conversion to ACE, a third-party back-office system, streamlined operational processes and reduced system and maintenance expenses.
Hammond said travel agencies beta-tested the entire suite of upgrades with large corporate clients.
These enhancements underscore TRX's commitment to investing significantly in technology. "Historically, our financials have shown 8 percent to 10 percent of sales are invested in new technology," Davis said.
The demand, it appears, justifies that investment. "Corporations are asking more of travel agencies and credit card companies on the data front," Davis said. "There is a continued demand from corporations for timely and accurate data in a procurement mentality. They also want real-time access to reserve data. They want to be able to log on and see that information in as close to real-time as possible."