American hotel giant Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has awarded a contract to upgrade its web reservations platform to XML to Dublin-based software firm OpenJaw Technologies.
OpenJaw has partnered with website localisation player Translations.com to provide dynamic translation of room type and rate plan information for Hyatt on the reservations site that OpenJaw will host from its Dublin headquarters.
“We recognised that internationalisation of our online booking service was a key strategic objective for us,” said Joan Lowell, vice-president, electronic distribution, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts.
Hyatt has more than 215 hotels and resorts worldwide, amounting to over 90,000 rooms in 43 countries. There are an additional 38 hotels and resorts under construction, 13 of which are in China.
Lowell said the upgrade to an XML platform offers Hyatt the opportunity to compete in local markets and reach a wider audience on a global scale. “Our Asian sites, which are currently live, are already seeing a growth in their booking revenues with the new localised reservations facilities.
“The partnership with OpenJaw Technologies and our translation partner, Translations.com, provide Hyatt with a seamless managed service with efficient day-to-day management of information changes and resulting translation updates,” Lowell said.
Dublin-based OpenJaw is recognised internationally as a major contributor to the advancement of XML technology within the travel industry and is a member of the OpenTravel Alliance which standardises XML messaging for the travel industry.
Declan McGuinness, senior vice-president of sales and marketing at OpenJaw, explained the importance of the deal with Hyatt. “The agreement is interesting in a number of ways for OpenJaw. Primarily, we have secured a contract with another of the world’s leading travel brands, which as a leading hotel group has enabled us to broaden the scope of our solutions into a new vertical market.
“In addition our business partnership and technology integration with Translations.com enables us to deliver a proven multilingual solution for our clients,” McGuinness said.
By John Kennedy
