EMPOWERING ONLINE TRAVEL
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Convergent Online is a powerful Web Services based technology that enables travel intermediaries to effectively conduct their businesses online.
Pulling from the power and depth of functionality of the Convergent CRS Gateway, Convergent Online is an advanced online reservations system that provides searching, booking, ticketing, profile management, shopping basket and automated back-office accounting interface capabilities for the following types of travel content and related sources of data that Convergent Online is capable of supporting:
| Module | Source of Content | |
| Air | GDS, Web, consolidators, charters and Convergent Publisher special fares | |
| Car | GDS, Web, direct-API, Convergent Publisher | |
| Hotel | GDS, Web, consolidator, Convergent Publisher | |
| Tour | GDS, direct-API, Convergent Publisher | |
| Cruise | GDS, direct-API, Convergent Publisher | |
| Insurance | Direct-API, Web, Convergent Publisher | |
All content, regardless of type (air, car, hotel, tour, cruise, insurance etc.), or where it comes from (GDS, Web site, direct supplier connection), is centralized within the Convergent CRS Gateway. Therefore, all data is consolidated into one quote, itinerary or invoice and associated automatically with the chosen customer profile in the Convergent Online Super PNR shopping basket.
Consumers want more from their online Travel Agency... Now you can give it to them
Cosmetically, the look, feel, process flow and layout of a Convergent Online powered Web site can be completely customized via the Convergent Online Web services API (application programmer interface). The API gives the Web site developer full control over the behaviour and appearance of the Convergent Online search and booking engine and the Web site developer can build the Web site from “scratch”.
A less independent, but still very effective method of customization is via XSLT (eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation), which is software that converts existing Convergent Online Web site templates into another format such as HTML (commonly used in Web site development), thus allowing a Web developer to create a very personalized search and booking engine launched in a short period of time.
Through the API or XSLT templates Web site developers can manipulate search boxes, search processing pages, search results pages, shopping basket / itinerary pages, customer profile pages, booking pages and confirmation pages.
Celebrate online success with a Convergent Online powered booking engine
Convergent Online also comes with a robust administration module that allows for further customization of processes and content such as pricing markups, discounts and e-mail notifications, relating to net fares and commissionable fares, enabling or disabling supplier content and personalized customer messaging related to the entire booking process.
The administration module also handles supplier Web site log-in usernames and passwords, service fees, queue configurations for GDS bookings, the ability to turn on or off automated booking, ticketing and invoicing capabilities for different content suppliers and operating rights, such as overriding automated booking capabilities based on date and time of day to help minimize fraudulent bookings.
Convergent Online also has a powerful reporting module that tracks key statistics associated with all bookings in the system. All data can also be exported to an external source such as a spreadsheet, database or 3rd-party reporting software.
Convergent Online has been designed to power B2C (business to consumer) Web sites. Convergent Online B2C Web sites can be simplified to attract leisure travellers or made more sophisticated to focus on corporate travellers or a combination of both.
Convergent Online can also power B2B (business to business) Web sites, where Travel Agency retailers, wholesalers or tour operators focus on selling their products and services to travel intermediaries such as other Travel Agencies.
Travel Intermediaries are receiving lots of feedback from their customers
“I want to see alternate and specific flight time options in one display and I want a matrix summary of all my flight options”
“I want to see alternate date options before and after my selected date of travel. My favourite airline should be displayed in a separate results tab”
“I don’t want to re-type my personal information every time I visit the Web site. I want to be able to save my profile and edit it whenever I choose. I want to be able to create multiple profiles and I want to know that the Agency behind the Web site has all my information just in case”
“Travel sites can be so slow... I hate waiting! I also don’t like it when I get a separate itinerary or invoice for each type of service that I book such as air, car, hotel and insurance. I just want everything to be integrated seamlessly in my shopping basket. I want to be able to start as many shopping baskets as I wish and save them even if I haven’t booked yet. Most of all, I want to be able to select my flights leg by leg as well as have filters that I can use to further narrow my Results”
Convergent Online gives travel intermediaries the ability to meet customer expectations
Modules - sign up online
CONVERGENT Professional
Professional agent desktop reservations software and productivity tools
CONVERGENT Online
B2B and B2C Web site search and booking engine software
CONVERGENT Publisher
Content, contract, inventory management and publishing software
CONVERGENT e-Marketing
Specialized B2C Web site design and search engine marketing program