Schmetterling continuously increases the share of high quality OTDS data in its distribution system. Within the past weeks OTDS offer data from Bentour, OLIMAR, and Schauinsland-Reisen have been integrated – more tour operators are already in the starting blocks.
End of September 2016 the hotel-only data of pilot customer FTI Touristik went live. Even if the processing of OTDS data is somewhat more complex than its production, it took Schmetterling only ten weeks to drive the processing of FTI Group data to success. „We follow the KISS-principle – Keep It Simple Stupid“, explains Schmetterling’s division manager Ömer Karaca the high development speed. „In addition we implement the standard in a very consequent manner, handle exemptions very restrictively, and reduce validation checks for the data deliveries. He who delivers invalid files produces incorrect offers. This method is fast and effective…“
At year-end the hotel-only offers of Bentour, OLIMAR, and Schauinsland-Reisen have been migrated. The integration of package travel OTDS data for FTI and XFTI will be concluded in the first quarter of 2017 and released in the search- and compare tool Schmetterling Vanessa as well as in the IBE Schmetterling Urania. The package trips of Schauinsland-Reisen, Bentour, and OLIMAR follow suite. Schmetterling also already disposes of OTDS data from the TUI Group for testing.
The advantages of a migration to OTDS for tour operators are obvious: since Schmetterling takes care of the generation expenses, costs for the operator are at a minimum. Significantly reduced is also the data traffic: For Schauinsland-Reisen the file sizes decreased from approx. 30 gigabyte in INFX format to 167 megabyte in OTDS. At the same time more product data may be delivered with OTDS than with legacy standards. In addition product details may be transferred in a larger variety and detail degree as for example Giata- or room matching and add-on service may be integrated.