New Amadeus Program Will Drive NDC Innovation

Image: PHOTO: New capabilities to further personalize travel are being developed. (photo courtesy of Thinkstock)
Image: PHOTO: New capabilities to further personalize travel are being developed. (photo courtesy of Thinkstock)
Janeen Christoff
by Janeen Christoff
Last updated: 1:52 PM ET, Wed February 21, 2018

Personalization is becoming increasingly important when it comes to selling travel. The New Distribution Capability (NDC), created by IATA, is becoming an increasingly important factor in the evolving travel distribution and merchandising landscape.

As XML-based data transmission broadens in its capability, companies are looking to integrate it into operations, and Amadeus is stepping up to the plate.

The leading provider of advanced technology in the travel industry announced that it will create a dedicated program to drive the industrialization of the NDC and ensure its success within the travel industry.

Named NDC-X, a name inspired by the pioneering efforts of SpaceX, the program will bring together experts from across Amadeus' business to focus on developing practical uses of the standard in a test-and-learn environment.

The program continues Amadeus' previous efforts in digitalization of the industry and its creation of commercial possibility to build on NDC capability.

Gianni Pisanello, who has held various leadership roles on the IT and the distribution side of Amadeus, is leading the new program as vice president.

In a blog post for Amadeus, Pisanello discusses the potential for NDC and NDC-X, noting that this new standard holds huge potential to revolutionize the travel industry.

"We are at a critical moment in terms of the development of the standard and readiness of the industry," said Pisanello. "For NDC to truly take off, we need to create a real standard not only for the protocol itself but also for how it's implemented. We also need to ensure that it responds to travel-seller requirements and that it has the right economics to drive investment. At Amadeus, we recognize that we have a responsibility to make NDC work for all travel players, and that's what we will be doing through our NDC-X program."

The goal is to drill down on personalization to make the system work better and provide exactly what travelers want.

"The NDC-X program is a strategic priority for Amadeus," said Decius Valmorbida, senior vice president, travel channels, Amadeus. "Our aim is to create better journeys for travelers through the best use of technology, and this transversal program will work with our travel seller and airline customers to deliver just that. We are dedicating the right resources and have appointed a strong leader with a proven track-record in the industry to drive its success."


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Janeen Christoff

Janeen Christoff

Executive Editor - AGENTatHOME | TravelPulse Content Strategy

Editor Executive Editor - AGENTatHOME | TravelPulse Content Strategy true [email protected] 9088 14744 Janeen Christoff caught the travel bug while living in London, England. After two years on the road, she settled in Los Angeles and focused her writing on

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