Worldspan to Deploy Siebel CRM OnDemand

Siebel Systems, Inc., a provider of business applications software, and IBM today announced that Worldspan, a technology service provider and global leader in e-commerce for the travel industry, will deploy Siebel CRM OnDemand (www.crmondemand.com) to its global sales force. Worldspan expects to save 50 percent over its current costs by using Siebel Systems' CRM solution, which is hosted by IBM. The company is currently in the implementation planning phase and expects to complete the deployment by March 2005. 

Worldspan provides 24-by-7 high-speed operation of travel shopping and booking solutions to Web sites such as Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline and Hotwire, access to inventory for more than 800 travel suppliers, and hosting solutions for airlines including Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines. 

"Earlier this year, Worldspan made a strategic decision to look for opportunities to move to the on demand model for financial, human resources, Sales Force Automation (SFA), and other systems that run our business behind the scenes," said Sue Powers, CIO and senior vice president -Worldwide Product Solutions, Worldspan.

Siebel CRM OnDemand combines Siebel Systems' industry-leading customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities with IBM's proven performance in hosting mission-critical business applications and Web sites. It incorporates IBM's industry-leading best practices for hosting and managing Siebel applications.

Major drivers behind the transition to Siebel's hosted solution includes the reduction in infrastructure costs compared to maintaining an on-premise solution, and the opportunity for Worldspan to divest itself of an effort that is outside its core business.

After Worldspan made the decision to move to a subscription model, Worldspan conducted an extensive evaluation of available offerings. The company required a technology provider that could meet its high standard of technology innovation and selected Siebel CRM OnDemand because of Siebel Systems' proven performance, ease of use, wide acceptance, and best practices, combined with IBM's world-class hosting capabilities.