EB2 International is set to launch a new IBE platform by the end of the year. The QuickTRIP NG (Next Generation) platform is the result of 18 months of engineering effort in EB2’s development centres in Sydney and Manila.
QuickTRIP NG delivers enhanced and innovative B2C, B2B & B2T functionalities on a flexible platform, whilst retaining EB2’s core technology capabilities such as availability caching and price-lead availability which have been previously rolled out on the original QuickTRIP platform.
The new platform introduces a service-oriented architecture and is built upon best-practice java technologies. A key feature of the new platform is the introduction of a Web Services API. This API covers the breadth of search, price and book functions and is aimed for use by 3rd party airline applications. EB2 has also placed significant emphasis on delivering flexible system functionality throughout the booking process.
“Our experience with the original QuickTRIP platform has shown us that airlines require a solution which is adaptable and allows them to rapidly respond to market conditions. The original QuickTRIP platform has been deployed to our clients for over 3 years and includes a number of very successful innovations but we’ve always felt it could be improved in terms of its ability to be customised”, commented Michael Huynh, EB2’s Chief Technology Officer. “In NG, we’ve created an IBE that offers greater flexibility through configurable functionality. This flexibility extends to being able to quickly re-define booking workflows, create new fulfillment or discounting rules based on complex criteria, and efficiently customise a fully featured presentation layer. We believe this unprecedented flexibility will enable our clients to drive their online distribution channel. ”
In terms of the technology stack chosen for NG, Charles Blaxland, EB2’s lead architect for the NG platform, commented: “We’ve chosen Spring and Hibernate as the foundations of the platform because they are the leading tools in the Java space for creating robust, scalable and high performance enterprise services. At the same time, these technologies support the agile development approach being fostered at EB2 for delivering against rapidly changing business requirements.”
QuickTRIP NG’ development will continue throughout 2007 and EB2 have identified a steady stream of platform enhancements which will improve the breadth and depth of functionality for online flight reservations.
——-