Open AXIS Group Convenes its First Working Group;
Defines New Schema Access Policy

TORONTO — March 23, 2011 — On the heels of two very successful membership strategy forums that were held in Miami and London – attended by Airline and Allied Members as well as interested airlines and third party developers – Open AXIS Group is convening its first Working Group. Titled ‘Desktop 2.0’, the Working Group is being charged with understanding the distribution, content display and selling needs of airlines and their travel agency partners. With the rapid deployment of new airline products and services through airline websites, Open AXIS members have expressed concern over the inability of travel agency desktop platforms  to meet the display and selling requirements of both the airlines and travel agencies.

The Desktop 2.0 Working Group will consist of Open AXIS Member Airlines and third party developer Allied Members, along with invited prospective members from the travel agency, TMC, OTA and Corporate Booking Tool communities. The goal of the Working Group is to evaluate the requirements of all participants, define general airline product display standards, and make recommendations for developers of graphical user interfaces (GUIs).

“While there is overwhelming enthusiasm and support for the Open AXIS common XML connectivity to airlines, there is also a lot of positive discussion around how developers of graphical interfaces for travel agencies, corporate booking tools and consumer sites can effectively consume and display the airline direct connect,” stated Jim Young, Executive Director of Open AXIS Group. “Based on discussions that took place during forum sessions, it became clear that a typical travel agency cryptic ‘green screen’ will not handle new airline products and services coming down this new XML connection. Agencies will need the ability to ‘up- and cross-sell’ based on traveler authenticated offers coming from the airlines, and simultaneously provide a level of product comparison.”

Last year Open AXIS Member Airlines published a white paper called Distribution 2.0, outlining a common distribution strategy supported by Open AXIS airlines and its common XML schema. The Distribution 2.0 concept reinforces the airlines’ desire to provide a unique and customized display and selling experience similar to what they have on their own websites.

“Finding common ground is what this new Desktop 2.0 Working Group is all about – balancing the need to go from today’s selling systems with their commoditized airline display to a display based on traveler authentication and personalization, all the while maintaining agency productivity and workflow consistency,” added Young. “While not the easiest of challenges, it was very encouraging to witness the level of excitement among the highly creative and successful third party developers in attendance at our forums when they realized they could participate in creating and developing new display standards.”

New process for schema upgrades

The Open AXIS Group Board of Directors approved a new process for schema upgrades and public download availability during the Miami forum. The latest schema upgrade (version 1.1) will be available for public download for the next twelve months. As new schema enhancements are made over the course of the year, updated versions will be made available exclusively to members. Non-members will have to wait for the annual public release to gain access to schema enhancements made over the previous year.

“This only makes sense,” observes Young. “We have so many downloads by non-members, yet the members are funding all the organization’s work. It only seems fair that companies that are willing to join the Open Axis Group and are committed to maintaining and enhancing the most robust airline connectivity XML schema should get some exclusive benefit.” 

About the Open AXIS Group 
Open AXIS Group is a member-based, not-for-profit organization founded by North America’s largest airlines and ATPCO. Its primary goal is maintenance, advocacy and promotion of Distribution 2.0, a technology and distribution practice standard that utilizes eXtensible Markup Language (XML) for airline system connectivity used in full-content distribution.

Follow Open AXIS Group on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook or connect on LinkedIn.  Find out more, become a member, or register and download the Open AXIS Group’s schema and white papers at www.openAXISgroup.org.

Contact:
Jim Young
Executive Director
Open AXIS Group
jyoung@openAXISgroup.org
416-479-4079

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