Paris, France and Southlake, Texas – (14 May, 2009) – GetThere(R), the world’s leading online business travel procurement solution, today announced an agreement with ETAP-ON-LINE, the European leader in corporate expense management. The two prominent business travel brands will build an integrated solution targeted towards mid-size and large European and multi-national companies.
The technology and service partnership between GetThere and ETAP-ON-LINE gives corporations a formidable opportunity to manage travel and expense more effectively across multiple markets. GetThere, a Sabre Travel Network business, is deployed in 60 countries today, facilitating the booking of more than $9 billion (USD) annually by a host of the world’s leading multinational companies. ULYSSE Travel & Expenses, ETAP-ON-LINE’s expense management solution, has 900,000 users in Europe and elsewhere, with rollouts in more than 20 countries and a major presence in France and the United Kingdom.
The companies announced the agreement today at the Paragon Business Travel Conference & Expo in Paris.
“We are aligned with GetThere’s philosophy of providing choices to corporations as they seek the right combination of corporate booking and expense management solutions,” said Pierre-Emmanuel Tetaz, managing director of ETAP-ON-LINE. “The global recession has served as a tipping point for many corporations, with an increasing number of firms across Europe taking steps to implement automation across the entire travel chain. “
“Corporations are still travelling to visit clients and prospects, and they are squeezing more value out of every travel euro and pound,” said Jason Geall, director of EMEA for GetThere. “To help corporates meet that objective, GetThere and ETAP-ON-LINE will deliver a convenient solution for both travellers and travel arrangers, driving in-policy bookings, detailed reporting and seamless process gains that only accelerate as companies maximize use of the configurable options within the integrated solution.”
About GetThere
GetThere is the world’s leading global online business travel procurement solution, surpassing $9 billion in annual bookings. GetThere’s proven technology and unparalleled global service infrastructure helps corporations collectively save millions in air and hotel costs. Through its unique relationship with Travelocity(R), GetThere provides a familiar online booking experience for travelers of more than 3,000 companies, including a majority of multi-national Fortune 200 firms that deploy online booking. GetThere works with all major global distribution systems (GDS). Companies using GetThere and the Sabre GDS together can optimize efficiency and cost savings across the entire travel procurement process. More information is available at http://www.getthere.com.
Sabre Holdings connects people with the world’s greatest travel possibilities by retailing travel products and providing distribution and technology solutions for the travel industry. More information is available at http://www.sabre-holdings.com.
About ETAP-ON-LINE
ETAP-ON-LINE, the European leader in the business travel and expenses management market, designs, develops and publishes Ulysse Travel & Expenses, an automated solution for the complete management process from the travel request to the integration of the expense claims for companies of all sizes- from SMEs with 40 users to large international groups.
With over 900,000 users in Europe including 400,000 SaaS users (www.ulyssetravel.com), Ulysse Travel & Expenses reduces management costs up to 75% and travel management time by up to two thirds, allows corporate travel policy to be imposed and controlled.
ETAP-ON-LINE has 700 customers – including service and manufacturing organisations, public sector bodies and 12 companies quoted on the EURO STOXX 50 including AXA, BNP Paribas, CARREFOUR, CREDIT AGRICOLE SA, ORANGE, LAFARGE, L’OREAL, LVMH, SAINT GOBAIN, SANOFI-AVENTIS, SUEZ, TOTAL and RHODIA.
In 2008 the company announced a turnover of 7.4m euros and 70 employees. Ulysse Travel & Expenses has been implemented in 20 countries in Europe, USA and Asia. ETAP-ON-LINE is increasingly being asked by international organisations to deliver major pan-European and international projects, to meet these demands the company opened an office in the UK in 2007 and more recently in Toronto, Canada as part of its international expansion.
