Orbitz 2008 Annual Report Download - page 13

anticipate completion of this migration by the end of the first quarter of 2008, thus eliminating our dependency on the Travelport services (see Note 16—Related
Party Transactions of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements).
Systems Platform
Our systems platform emphasizes flexibility as well as breadth of product and service offerings. We have the ability to deconstruct the segment feeds from
our GDS partners for air flight searches and then reassemble these segments for cost-effective and flexible multi-leg itineraries. We also have the ability to
connect and book on multiple supplier host systems through our supplier link technology. Our easy-to-use Matrix display allows customers to simultaneously
view these various travel options so that they can select the price and supplier that best meet their individual travel needs. In addition, our dynamic packaging
technology enables travelers to view multiple combinations of airlines, hotels and other travel products and allows them to assemble a customized vacation
package that is generally more flexible and less expensive than booking each travel product separately.
We have technology operations teams dedicated to ensuring that our websites operate efficiently. These teams monitor our websites as well as the
performance and availability of our third party service providers. In addition, they coordinate major releases of new functionality on our websites as well as the
development and implementation of our new global technology platform.
We have undertaken a significant project with the development and implementation of our global technology platform. Our new platform will provide a
single technology infrastructure capable of supporting our brand portfolio as well as our white label partnerships. In July 2007, we launched the global
technology platform for our ebookers brand in the U.K. In November 2007, we migrated our ebookers brand in Ireland onto the platform, and by late 2008, we
expect to complete the migration of our remaining ebookers' websites. We believe the global technology platform will:
•
reduce development costs and the time it takes to launch innovative new features on our websites;
•
increase operating efficiencies through back office automation and by centralizing certain business functions such as customer service,
fulfillment and accounting;
•
increase the options available to our white label partners by tailoring their website experiences to match their customer bases and brand
identities; and
•
offer our suppliers an efficient way to access our distribution channels via a single extranet connection.
Customer Support
Our customer support platform includes OrbitzTLC, a proactive customer care service for our travelers. Our OrbitzTLC team is based in Chicago, Illinois,
and monitors Federal Aviation Administration, National Weather Service and other data to send customers real-time updates on information that may affect their
travel plans. Our customer support platform also includes call centers and customer service centers that utilize intelligent voice routing and intelligent call
management technology to connect customers with the appropriate center to assist them with their particular needs. We utilize a variety of third party vendors,
domestically and internationally, to manage these call centers and customer service centers.
Fraud System
We have an internally-developed fraud system that enables us to reduce our fraud rates and the costs associated with fraud detection and prosecution. The
system automates many of the manual functions of a fraud prevention agent while prioritizing suspicious transactions for review.
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Source: Orbitz Worldwide, In, 10-K/A, August 28, 2008