Amadeus' new agent desktop has undergone a significant reconfiguration since the company previewed the product last summer, Amadeus North America director of product management and support services Alix Arguelles said yesterday.
Arguelles said Amadeus "completely revamped" the user interface, which will enable more customizable agent widget integration, including interactive maps and other tools. The air booking flow also has been altered to mirror more closely how an agent interacts with a corporate traveler and how they can configure flight options based on travel preferences and corporate policies.
Based on usability tests with corporate agents, Amadeus One now displays traveler profiles throughout the booking process, which provides the agent constant access to company travel policy and profile information.
The travel technology company also is bringing on an undisclosed travel management company to join Travel Leaders Corporate as launch partners for the Amadeus One desktop. In November, Amadeus announced Travel Leaders Corporate as the initial pilot travel management company. At that time, Amadeus said full North American availability would be in the second half of 2010. However, the new roadmap presented to media yesterday has the implementation phase for new customers beginning in early 2011. Live bookings with Travel Leaders Corporate and the other launch TMC are scheduled for this summer. The pilot is expected to be complete by the end of 2010.
Last August, Amadeus unveiled Amadeus One and touted it as being built specifically for corporate travel management companies
(BTNonline, Aug. 11, 2009). The company's desktop initiative is part of the wave of travel technology suppliers developing new agent desktops that among other enhancements use graphical and cryptic user-interfaces, operate on multiple global distribution systems and enable the agent to manage a variety of mid-office processes at the point of sale
(BTNonline, Sept. 7).