EDS to Use Microsoft Tools to Modernize Airline Applications

EDS has signed a comprehensive agreement allowing it to use selected Microsoft tools, software and resources to modernize its airline reservations, flight planning and flight operations products.

The agreement calls for Microsoft to provide architecture specialists, advanced 24-hour support, a new model for software licensing, additional investment into the products, and access to new customer channel management tools, to form a "unique go-to-market" relationship. The agreement is to last eight years.

The companies say their joint sales and marketing activities will begin immediately, and the first technology components will go live this summer. The EDS airline products using Microsoft's technology will include reservations, flight planning, flight operations and SOA (service oriented architecture) interfaces.

As a member of the EDS Agility Alliance, Microsoft provides the standard platform for EDS' desktop and server operating systems, and its integrated development environments.  EDS clients turn to the alliance for development, management and modernization of their mission-critical applications and infrastructure, including the next generation of Microsoft's .NET, workplace and mobility solutions.

Geoff Cairns, Microsoft's managing director for hospitality worldwide, said. "This agreement is a strong validation of the capabilities of Windows and SQL [structured query language] Server and the broader product portfolio's ability to scale and deliver Enterprise SOA solutions."  05-07-2008.

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