Hogg Robinson Group has appealed to the industry to work together to develop a robust set of technology standards.
The call to action came as HRG held its inaugural ‘New Opportunities’ technology seminar on 9 October. The seminar explored technological innovation and new ways for those involved in business travel technology development to work together to provide real value against the current backdrop of complex market conditions in corporate travel.

Bill Brindle, Business Technology and Distribution Director at HRG, said: “There is an urgent need to develop a common set of technology standards in corporate travel for the benefit of the whole industry.

“To date, all those involved in solutions development have tended to work independently, often creating connectivity and integration issues. Existing industry guidelines are extremely broad and lead to different interpretations, with the risk that systems developed by one company are often not compatible with those developed by partners or clients.

“Robust, common standards will eliminate this risk and enable companies to work more effectively together. This should help to prevent large scale fragmentation, strip out unnecessary development costs and pave the way for a new generation of integrated systems that add real value for the corporate travel industry.”

Known for its expertise and pro-activity in developing leading-edge and ‘future-proof’ technology systems, HRG is keen to help the industry reduce inefficiencies and unnecessary build costs for the benefit of all parties. Bill Brindle explained: “The cost incurred in terms of duplication of effort and the sheer time involved in the integration and development process can be significant and these are inevitably passed on to the end user. This is simply not acceptable.”

He continued: “The need to find a common solution is more important than ever as our industry becomes increasingly complex and works hard to contain costs and increase value for our clients.”

Over 100 attendees representing suppliers from across the industry, including air, hotel, car, rail and GDS, attended HRG’s inaugural technology event. The seminar’s packed agenda included an examination of changing market conditions and client needs, with HRG leading a discussion about how embracing technology can create new opportunities in today’s demanding climate. The day also included a presentation from rail experts thetrainline illustrating the challenges and success of integrating technology with industry partners, such as HRG, and an insight from Microsoft as to where the future potential of technology may lead.

To help engage and facilitate further discussions with industry partners HRG has launched an online technology forum accessible to all those who attended the day.
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