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AIR CANADA FULL CONTENT ENHANCED DISPLAY AVAILABLE ON KDS ON-DEMAND TRAVEL MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

sberteloot — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:42:46 +0200

29/07/2008

Air Canada’s content, enhanced display and cost-cutting features fully available to corporations and travel agencies

July 30, 2008 – KDS, an international leader in on-demand travel and expense management, announced an enhanced display of Air Canada's content and fare information within KDS on-line travel solutions.

The KDS - Air Canada integration is the cornerstone of a team work between the two companies. KDS and Air Canada engineers have actively worked together to provide KDS's clients with the best Air Canada fare display, complete with all of the airline's innovative a la carte fare products and Flight Passes.

"With our ac2u direct connect, it has never been easier for the corporate market to take advantage of Air Canada's suite of innovative products," said Graham Wareham, General Manager Product Distribution at Air Canada. "We are extremely excited to have KDS, a leader in on-line travel management solutions, as an ac2u partner, providing our corporate customers with efficient access to our full inventory, including our award winning Corporate Flight Pass."

KDS connect to Air Canada’s ac2u direct connect platform. This connectivity is available to clients of KDS Corporate and KDS Portal, the seamless online travel booking and expense solution for global corporations, and to companies using KDS Portal, a complete online solution for travel management companies and service providers.

Through KDS, travelers are able to access the full range of Air Canada products, including the airline’s flight customization pricing model, which enables travelers to customize their chosen fare product by selecting options such as onboard café vouchers, seat selection and lounge access. Travelers will also have the ability to book an Air Canada Flight Pass credit, view their Flight Pass list and check individual Flight Pass details, including remaining credit balances.

Through KDS solutions, users have access to all of Air Canada's advanced options. Bookings can be modified, multi-segment trips are available and a Book on Hold facility is accessible for international flights.

KDS SURVEY TO GAUGE TRAVELLER OPINION ON EXPENSE CLAIM

sberteloot — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:17:46 +0200

10/06/2008

For the second year global expense poll give a chance to employees to speak-up about expense claim

London, June 9, 2007 – KDS, the leader in on-demand travel and expense, is asking business travellers to talk about their experience relating to expense claim processes. The resulting study will be announced late June and will put in perspective findings from the spring 2007, KDS Study.

Participants around the world are invited to share their views anonymously on a range of issues, including inflated expense claims, the frustrations of form filling, and the extent to which losing track of receipts sees travellers subsidising their employers.

"Peek previews on the current results are fascinating," said Stanislas Berteloot, KDS Marketing Director. "Expenses are still dealt with by many companies as they were ten years ago. People are growing frustrated with the time wasted filling cumbersome reports and the lake of efficient reimbursement processes."

Last year's study had revealed that 1 in 5 respondents admitted padding claims. The new study will provide a deeper look at the situation, analysing reasons why employees, at time, inflate their expense reports and ways they use to do it.

KDS will also provide industry best practices for organisations looking at optimizing their expense claim processes.

Everyone who regularly fills-in expenses is encouraged to take part to help improve understanding of one of the most contentious aspects of corporate life. To participate, simply follow this link and complete the simple online questionnaire:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=m5BLCS6uCyYWhkG6lwy5Vw_3d_3d

The findings of the survey will be publicly announced by KDS in June.

ENDS

KDS and Dubai Based Dnata Sign Strategic Distribution Agreement

sberteloot — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:08:30 +0100

06/02/2008

Partnership with the Emirates Group division boosts KDS international presence and provides Middle East support to global customers

London February 5th, 2008 – KDS, the European leader in on-demand travel and expense solutions and Dnata Travel Services, part of the Emirates Group and a division of Dnata Travel Services, one of the largest travel organisations in the Middle East, are announcing an agreement by which Dnata Travel Services has exclusive representation of KDS in the region.

This new relationship provides KDS global customers with a strategic advantage to deploy and support KDS travel solutions in the region and gives local sales and support to KDS product users. Stephane Donders, Executive Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, KDS, said: "Dnata’s unrivalled travel leadership in the Middle East, their travel information systems and their expertise in project management was the cement of our partnership. These are assets for KDS and now corporate users can count on Dnata to implement and support their KDS services in the Middle East.”

KDS has historically been present in Europe where it leads the market in France, Germany and the UK; more recently the company has opened offices in Sydney, Australia. KDS forecasts that, driven by the booming Middle Eastern economy, demand for online travel solutions will take off in the coming months.

According to the Dubai International Financial Exchange, the Gulf region’s combined gross domestic product is estimated at more than 600 billion dollars in 2006 and set to rise to 800 billion dollars 2010. The economic development of the Gulf region not only spurs domestic investments, but also supports growth in the rest of the Middle East and North Africa. Iain Andrew, Divisional Senior Vice President, Dnata Travel Services, said: "Teaming with KDS required little thought, KDS boasts enough global household brand names among its clients to convince anyone of the quality of its solution. We are proud to offer this technology, corporations in the Middle East will now be able to optimise their travel processes and slash travel costs while providing added services and security to travellers."

ACTE/KDS Survey Illustrates CSR Acceptance Has Grown Exponentially In The Business Travel Industry

sberteloot — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:14:57 +0100

05/02/2008

Link to study (to bottom of release)

ACTE/KDS Survey Illustrates CSR Acceptance Has Grown Exponentially In The Business Travel Industry

London (Feb. 5 ) -- In just over two short years since the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) introduced corporate social responsibility as a major industry initiative, the number of travellers and companies embracing environmental awareness has more than doubled. A joint ACTE/KDS industrywide survey indicates that 58 percent of respondents companies now have a CSR charter, and that 56 percent of their travellers look to these charters in making environmentally sound travel decisions.

“This is a major industry shift that goes beyond a trend or a public relations campaign,” said ACTE’s Executive Director Susan Gurley. “This is a major behavioral change that clearly indicates companies and their travellers are support corporate social responsibility because it is the right thing to do.” Gurley pointed out that in 2005, less than 7 percent of the association’s membership supported CSR. Those figures grew to 14 percent the following year. “CSR has quickly become a fundamental in the business travel process.

Looking beyond the travel program, survey respondents were also familiar with their respective company’s overall approach to CSR. This included neighborhood educational activities, emission offsetting, and carbon reduction at production plants. Thirty-nine percent believed their company was doing the “right” thing, while 48 percent believed more could be done. (The remaining 13 percent was divided on their companys’ CSR performance, but rated it as insignificant.)

The survey also indicated that 34 percent of respondents felt their companies supported sustainable travel and that 35 percent were working on it. The fact that nearly a third of the survey’s participants fell into a more critical category could be attributed to several factors. Primary among these is the fact cost reduction is once again being rated as the primary concern for 77 percent of respondents, with only 31 percent citing CSR as a key objective.

The fact that the US economy (a key global economic factor) is slowing may be adding to the cost-reduction emphasis.

“This is a very good report card for the CSR concept,” said Gurley. “But I am not surprised. Interest in CSR as an educational topic has continued to build at five of ACTE’s global education conferences in the past two years.
The CSR movement is now becoming more sophisticated. Companies and travellers want to do more than just offset carbon. They want new methods of carbon reduction, alternate fuels, and more fuel efficient means of travel.” She added that these concerns have become part of an extended CSR initiative for ACTE, to be further explored in 2008.

Speaking at a joint ACTE/KDS press conference in the Business Travel Show in London, Gurley said, “CSR is establishing new levels of what is environmentally acceptable to the global business travel industry. Ten years ago, this was the farthest thing from anyone’s mind. That fact that it has become a fundamental issue for 58 percent of this survey respondents clearly indicates that a growing majority of people feel this is the right thing to do.”

Two CSR presentations detailing program implementation and regulation are scheduled for the ACTE/BTN “Super” Conference scheduled for 18-20 May 2008, in Washington, DC. ACTE will celebrate it’s 20th Anniversary as a travel industry leader in education, research, and advocacy in a joint international event with Business Travel News, featuring some of best known speakers and authorities from Europe and Asia.

About KDS
KDS on-demand travel & expense offers a completely integrated solution for travel and expense management, addressing essential needs ranging from travel policy definition and enforcement, to online travel self-booking, to automated travel expense processing and beyond. Every critical procedure can be completed through the KDS ASP offering, resulting in greater efficiencies and associated financial benefits. In addition, KDS offers the most extensive back-end connectivity to airline, car, rail and hotel providers in the industry, ensuring optimized pricing and up-to-the-minute inventory control.

About ACTE
The Association of Corporate Travel Executive (ACTE) is a nonprofit association established to provide executive-level global education and peer-to-peer networking opportunities. Membership spans all of business travel, from corporate buyers to agencies to suppliers, and accords all sectors equal membership. ACTE is represented in 83 countries.

http://www.kds.com/en/global-warming-concerns-begin-to-impact-business-travel-0

KDS Travel & Expense Solution Selected by Daiwa Securities SMBC Europe

sberteloot — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:36:40 +0100

05/02/2008

Global investment bank to implement end-to-end solution with KDS to cut travel and expense costs in its London operations

London February 5th, 2008 – KDS, the European leader in on-demand travel and expense solutions announces that its flagship product KDS Corporate was selected by the Fixed Income Division of Daiwa Securities SMBC Europe Limited (Daiwa), a major Japanese investment bank, to optimize its travel and expense processes in Europe.

Daiwa Securities SMBC Europe Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Daiwa Securities SMBC, an investment banking joint venture 60% owned by Daiwa Securities Group and 40% by leading Japanese bank Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group.

KDS's full end-to-end implementation for a major City of London financial institution is another milestone in the growing market maturity for solutions streamlining processes along the entire travel and expense chain.

Daiwa's strategy to control its travel and expense spend matched KDS Corporate Version 6 innovative features and market leading technology.

"Our on-demand web based solution covers from a single, user-friendly interface all of the corporate needs for travel and expense optimisation", said Matthew Frost, Sales Director KDS UK. "Corporations realize that 50% of travel spend is expense related, only a true end-to-end solution can easily be implemented and provide a rapid return on investment."

"Daiwa selected KDS for its flexibility to handle complex corporate workflows and its ability to cover global corporation's requirements," said Andrew Asbury, Managing Director, Co-Head of Fixed Income at Daiwa. "We wanted a solution to streamline both our expense and travel processes while providing extensive travel content. KDS proved to rank first for every item we considered."

KDS Corporate will initially be implemented in the Daiwa Fixed Income operations in London.

Global Warming Concerns Begin to Impact Business Travel

mhanus — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:01:26 +0100

24/01/2008

Third annual ACTE - KDS survey to reveal behavioural changes in the industry

Paris – January 24, 2008 – There are clear signs that business travel behaviour is beginning to change in response to global warming concerns, a forthcoming study by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives and KDS will reveal. For the third consecutive year, ACTE and KDS, the European leader in on-demand travel & expense solutions, surveyed the opinions of an international group of business travellers and travel managers, and, for the first time, identified a real desire to reduce the frequency of travel and select ‘greener’ options. The full details of the wide-ranging study will be announced at next month’s London Business Travel Show.

The ACTE – KDS survey sampled the opinions of over 250 business travellers (53 percent of the sample) and travel managers (47 percent) between November 2007 and January 2008. The majority (40 percent) worked for businesses employing over 10,000 employees, and the largest geographic markets represented were the United Kingdom (29.5 percent), the United States (23.5 percent) and Continental Europe (22.9 percent).

The full research findings will be announced at a joint ACTE – KDS press conference to be held on February 5, 2008 at 1.30pm in Conference Room 1 at Earl’s Court.

Among the findings to be discussed will be details about the fact that 45 percent of respondents felt that guilt about global warming now directly impacts individuals’ decisions about business travel. The significance of this is explained by the related finding that almost 70 percent of respondents now use an online travel booking tool, thereby potentially creating a far closer link between individually held concerns and actual travel bookings. The traveller is now directly involved in the selection process and when given a choice may select a travel option according to its impact on the environment.

“This joint survey is especially significant as it indicates a major behavioral change in the way business travelers now link carbon reduction with the travel process,” Said Susan Gurley, Executive Director of ACTE. “It is inevitable that travelers, and their companies, will incorporate a growing sense of environmental awareness into traveling smarter, more productively, and with less impact on the environment. Our industry will soon be looking at bold new trends.”

The survey will also reveal that in the past 12 months businesses have done more to convert good environmental intentions into firm actions. When compared with last year’s ACTE – KDS survey, the new study will show that the proportion of companies advocating a reduction in travel for environmental reasons has leapt from under a quarter to over one third. This rise in corporate social responsibility has also seen a marked increase in the proportion of travel departments reporting on carbon emissions to senior management.

"Individual travellers seem to be leading the way when it comes to greener behaviour", says Stanislas Berteloot, marketing director of KDS. "While businesses are taking more action to improve their environmental conduct, this survey will show that most of their employees believe they should be doing even more. With the increasing adoption of self-booking travel systems, the quickest route to improved corporate social responsibility seems to be through individuals’ actions.”

For further information
Stanislas Berteloot KDS +33 (1) 46 29 33 80 sberteloot@kds.com
Marc Cornelius 80:20 PR +44 20 7924 7576 marc@8020pr.com

About KDS
KDS on-demand travel & expense offers a completely integrated solution for travel and expense management, addressing essential needs ranging from travel policy definition and enforcement, to online travel self-booking, to automated travel expense processing and beyond. Every critical procedure can be completed through the KDS ASP offering, resulting in greater efficiencies and associated financial benefits. In addition, KDS offers the most extensive back-end connectivity to airline, car, rail and hotel providers in the industry, ensuring optimized pricing and up-to-the-minute inventory control. For more information, visit www.kds.com.

About ACTE
The Association of Corporate Travel Executive (ACTE) is a non-profit association established to provide executive-level global education and peer-to-peer networking opportunities. Membership spans all of business travel, from corporate buyers to agencies to suppliers, and accords all sectors equal membership. ACTE is represented in over 50 countries.

The Business Travel Industry is Looking at "Travel Guilt"

mhanus — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 15:16:01 +0100

18/12/2007

For the third year the industry will measure progress made to tackle travel impact on greenhouse gas emission.

Paris – December 18, 2007 – KDS, the European leader in on-demand travel and expense solutions and the Association of Corporate Travel Executives are issuing a survey to gauge how corporations and travellers are taking into account environmental issues in their business travel management.

In this year's edition of their third survey, ACTE and KDS are asking industry members about a rising feeling among environmental conscious travellers: "the travel guilt".

The survey will tell if business travellers are increasingly ashamed of contributing to greenhouse gas emission and if travel policies are progressively promoting "green" travel suppliers.

Although many firms are actively putting together a corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, most of their actions are targeting their production and core service area. Too often, corporations omit to include travel in their CSR plan. However, airlines are said to produce 3 percent of the total emission of greenhouse gas and that is not going to get better anytime soon if traffic trends prove to be correct. The ACTE – KDS survey will reveal whether things have changed in 2007.

The new study is also looking at how respondents feel about their employee's social corporate responsibility's program. Previous studies exposed the gap between public announcements of goodwill and concrete actions. They also made clear how difficult it was for travel buyers to find any "green" travel service suppliers.

A year ago the ACTE – KDS study showed that although most respondents said they were "working on it" nothing was actually in place to track and reduce travel related carbon emissions. Will things have moved forward a year later?

Individual travellers and travel managers are warmly invited to contribute to the study by answering 21 short questions online.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=1FrXA9GQTEOGtEpOAlhstg_3d_3d

Results will be announced during the London Business Travel show on February 5 to 7, 2008.

KDS adds complete Air Canada Content to its On-demand Travel Management Solutions

mhanus — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:25:04 +0100

06/12/2007

Corporations and travel agencies acclaim KDS' extensive supplier content and travel cost-cutting features

December 6, 2007 – KDS, an international leader in on-demand travel and expense management, today announced a direct connect agreement with Air Canada that gives users of KDS online solutions complete access to the full range of Air Canada’s innovative à la carte fare products and Flight Passes.

KDS will connect directly to Air Canada’s ac2u platform. This connectivity will be available to clients of KDS Corporate, the seamless online travel booking and expense solution for global corporations, and to companies using KDS Portal, a complete online solution for travel management companies and service providers.

Through KDS, travelers will be able to access the full range of Air Canada products, including the airline’s flight customization pricing model, which enables travelers to customize their chosen fare product by selecting options such as onboard café vouchers, seat selection and lounge access. Travelers will also have the ability to book an Air Canada Flight Pass credit, view their Flight Pass list and check individual Flight Pass details, including remaining credit balances.

Starting January 2008, KDS will take greater advantage of Air Canada’s powerful ac2u platform to also offer the functionality of modifying Air Canada bookings, multi-segment trips and a Book on Hold facility for international flights.

“Continental Travel believes that no other online portal is as complete as KDS”, said Daryl Silver, president of Continental Travel Group, of his company’s experience of KDS. "It allows Canadian corporations to manage their travel with incredible flexibility and cost control. KDS takes online booking to the next level by decisively responding to the needs of Canada’s unique corporate marketplace. KDS understands the importance of Air Canada's innovative airfare and product offerings and provides access to them in an easy to use environment at no additional cost."

Yves Weisselberger, CEO of KDS, said, “We are delighted to address this strategic market with a uniquely powerful offering that includes Air Canada content, making KDS the natural online solution for North American business. Our advanced functionality unlocks the potential of online bookings, matching comprehensive content and pricing options with unrivalled convenience and flexibility. This solution offers the key to substantial efficiencies and cost savings for corporate customers and the travel agencies that manage them.”

Graham Wareham, General Manager Product Distribution at Air Canada, remarked, “We are pleased that KDS, with its growing business, will use ac2u to access the full range of Air Canada’s products, inventory and programs, including our increasingly popular Flight Passes. Forward-looking suppliers of corporate travel management solutions such as KDS realize that to best serve their customers they must provide the broadest product offerings in the most efficient way using modern technology. Air Canada has been working hard to create new distribution solutions and welcome KDS as a partner in our efforts, which will ultimately result in tremendous benefits for both corporate travel managers and their clients.”

About Air Canada
Air Canada’s achievements have been honoured recently by consumers and the industry. This year, Washington D.C.-based Air Transport World, gave Air Canada the magazine's Market Leadership Award based on the airline’s success in implementing an innovative and transparent pricing structure, its use of online technology to meet consumers’ needs and its fleet-wide renewal with a consistent, market-leading onboard product among North American airlines. In 2007, Air Canada was also ranked “Best Airline in North America” for the second time in three years in an independent passenger survey of 14 million air travellers conducted by Skytrax. In addition, Air Canada was named favourite carrier by Canadian travel agents in a survey of travel agents conducted by Baxter Travel Media.

About Air Canada
Air Canada’s achievements have been honoured recently by consumers and the industry. This year, Washington D.C.-based Air Transport World, gave Air Canada the magazine's Market Leadership Award based on the airline’s success in implementing an innovative and transparent pricing structure, its use of online technology to meet consumers’ needs and its fleet-wide renewal with a consistent, market-leading onboard product among North American airlines. In 2007, Air Canada was also ranked “Best Airline in North America” for the second time in three years in an independent passenger survey of 14 million air travellers conducted by Skytrax. In addition, Air Canada was named favourite carrier by Canadian travel agents in a survey of travel agents conducted by Baxter Travel Media.

Montreal-based Air Canada provides scheduled and charter air transportation for passengers and cargo to more than 170 destinations on five continents. Canada’s flag carrier is the 14th largest commercial airline in the world and serves 32 million customers annually with a fleet consisting of 335 aircraft. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, providing the world’s most comprehensive air transportation network.

EADS achieves €5 million annual cost savings with KDS Corporate

mhanus — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 11:51:53 +0100

14/11/2007

Average ticket costs down 15%, total travel spend down 30%

Paris, Novembre 14, 2007 – EADS, the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company, has reported significant annual savings of over €5 million in its corporate travel budget as a result of using KDS’s travel management solution over the past three years. KDS Corporate has been widely adopted within EADS and now handles over two thirds of its business travel. Through improved travel booking decisions and reduced TMC costs, KDS Corporate has allowed EADS to reduce average booking costs by 15 percent and its total travel spend by 30 percent.

As part of its enterprise-wide cost saving program EADS had looked for a way to reduce its travel expenses as well as rationalize and unify its overall business processes. As a global leader in aerospace, defense and related services, EADS has a complex organizational structure with a wide variety of systems and processes across its operating units. Reliability and transparency were therefore high amongst its travel management priorities.

“We wanted a tool that would be easy to implement, need minimal resources, yield a fast return on investment and would greatly simplify our day-to-day life,” says Michael Doerr, Director, Travel Management, EADS. “With KDS Corporate we found a solution that satisfied all these requirements.

” KDS Corporate offered EADS an end-to-end solution for business travel bookings that spanned travel authorization, the enforcement of corporate policies, efficient self-booking and comprehensive management information. By embedding KDS Corporate within EADS TRAVEL.net, the company’s own travel management portal, EADS achieved a seamless integration with its wider travel and expense systems and thereby delivered enhanced travel policy compliance.

"Linking the booking and accounting processes enabled us to reduce complexity and achieve an improved workflow on all levels at EADS. This led to lower manpower requirements which in turn resulted in further cost savings," explains Frank Füllbeck, Sales Director, KDS Germany.

Commenting on the success achieved over the initial three years, Michael Doerr says: “Thanks to KDS Corporate we have made a lot of progress and are well on our way to achieving our goals. Adoption rates are as high as 80 percent in some departments and we have seen total cost savings of 30 percent. KDS has proved an extremely effective tool and we are now well equipped to deal with the rising business travel costs that are forecast for the coming years”.

EADS is shortly to upgrade to KDS Corporate V6, the latest version of KDS’s market leading technology. EADS expects its enhanced expense management feature to contribute to even greater user adoption and further cost savings of 10 percent.

About EADS
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defense and related services. In 2006, the EADS Group generated revenues of € 39.4 billion and employed about 116,000 people. EADS includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world’s largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and EADS Astrium, the European leader in space programs from Ariane to Galileo. The EADS Group is the major partner in the Eurofighter consortium, develops the A400M military transport aircraft, and holds a stake in the joint venture MBDA, the international leader in missile systems. For more information please visit www.eads.com.

KDS teams up with Assima to provide e-learning support to customers

mhanus — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 16:42:48 +0100

06/11/2007

Partnership delivers enhanced user support through e-learning and change management services

Paris / London November 6, 2007 – KDS, the European leader in on-demand travel and expense solutions, and ASSIMA, a global e-learning software company, today announced a partnership to provide KDS customers with e-learning solutions and change management services to support their adoption of KDS solutions.

Under the agreement KDS will provide its customers with access to Assima’s e-learning tools and portal to help train their employees on use of their T&E solution. KDS will also provide full change management support, including the coaching of change leaders, development of internal communication tools, and management of communication and training campaigns.

"We are delighted to offer our customers the know-how, expertise and global reach of ASSIMA," said Stanislas Berteloot, marketing director of KDS. "Implementing a KDS solution is a strategic move for our customers. This typically involves numerous teams across many sites around the world. Although training needs are minimal because of KDS’ intuitive and user-friendly design, carrying out proper change management and educating users about the benefits of KDS Corporate are important in helping customers to achieve a rapid return on investment."

ASSIMA's role includes the development of a training environment to match KDS's client environment. Not only will the look and feel of the e-learning interface duplicate the environment used by travelers, but the actual content used – such as travel suppliers, negotiated deals and travel policies – will match those of each customer. Meanwhile, the ASSIMA portal will provide users with a structured means for following up on training, including personalised progress monitoring.

"KDS and ASSIMA already share common customers and our products are a natural fit for each other. Combining our expertise will help KDS to ensure that its customers derive the maximum performance and benefit from its solutions," said Michel Balcaen, chairman of ASSIMA Ltd.

END

Press Contacts:
Melanie Hanus / Marc Cornelius / Elise Manicardi
KDS / 80:20 PR / ASSIMA
+33 1 46 29 58 88 / +44 (0)20 7924 7576 / +33 1 47 30 71 30
mhanus@kds.com / marc@8020pr.com / emanicardi@assima.net

About KDS
KDS on-demand travel & expense offers a completely integrated solution for travel and expense management, addressing essential needs ranging from travel policy definition and enforcement, to online travel self-booking, to automated travel expense processing and beyond. Every critical procedure can be completed through the KDS ASP offering, resulting in greater efficiencies and associated financial benefits. In addition, KDS offers the most extensive back-end connectivity to airline, car, rail and hotel providers in the industry, ensuring optimized pricing and up-to-the-minute inventory control. For more information, visit www.kds.com.

About Assima
ASSIMA creates technology solutions to support largescale application deployments, delivering measurable return on investment through increased user performance. Assima's award winning software, training and change management solutions drive adoption, utilisation and organisational proficiency for all your business critical IT change projects. For more information, visit www.assima.net

KDS strengthens senior management team

mhanus — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 11:04:41 +0200

22/10/2007

Internationally Experienced Software Veterans Reinforce Product Development and Delivery

Paris / Munich (ACTE CONFERENCE) October 22, 2007 – KDS, the European leader in on-demand travel and expense solutions, has announced a strengthening of its management team through the appointment of two new vice presidents. Yves Michali has joined as Vice President of Product & Program Management and Jim Saunders as Vice President of Engineering. The two will sit with CEO Yves Weisselberger, CFO Adi Sossover, and Executive Vice President Stéphane Donders on KDS’ Executive Committee.

Yves Michali, who will manage KDS’ product road map and product market strategy, brings considerable experience of the software industry. After serving as General Manager of Novell France he spent ten years at Microsoft, six of which were based in Seattle. Returning to France, he oversaw iMediation's product strategy and co-founded Mobiclick. He was subsequently head of EMEA operations for Groove Networks, where he worked until the company was sold to Microsoft by founder Ray Ozzie, the creator of Lotus Notes.

Jim Saunders, who will lead the R&D team and oversee product development, maintenance and service delivery, brings a unique combination of technical and management skills. With over 20 years’ experience in the software industry, he started his career in Europe, where he first worked as a development engineer at Digital Equipment before passing eight years in California where he joined Apple Computer. After being hired by Netscape as Senior Director of Engineering he managed engineering teams responsible for the Netscape Netcenter Portal and collaboration applications. From there he took over responsibility for the Instant Messaging and Chat service used by Netscape and AOL's 140 million users. Moving back to Europe with AOL he created the European Wireless Development Center. Prior to joining KDS, he served as Vice President of Worldwide Product Development for Cartesis SA, a financial reporting company which was recently acquired by BusinessObjects, which has in turn been bought by SAP.

Yves and Jim will share the responsibilities previously held by Moncef Khanfir, General Manager, who will leave KDS to pursue new business challenges.

Yves Weisselberger, CEO of KDS, commented, “The appointment of Yves and Jim represents a significant step for KDS as a leader in travel and expense solutions. Both have strong track records in the development and efficient delivery of innovative software technologies. Their expertise and international experience will bolster our ability to bring advanced new products to market and ensure world class customer service and support.”

KDS and Airbus to Present Together at the Business Travel Conference

sberteloot — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 11:40:50 +0200

03/10/2007

KDS will today join with its customer Airbus in a presentation at The Business Travel Conference in the UK

London, October 2, 2007 – KDS, the European leader in on-demand travel and expense solutions, will today join with its customer Airbus in a presentation at The Business Travel Conference in the UK. At the conference, being held at the Renaissance Hotel, Heathrow Airport, the companies will take part in a seminar on Managing Travel Expenses and discuss how online solution providers such as KDS enable businesses to achieve major efficiencies and savings in their expense processing.

KDS will be represented in the seminar by Matthew Frost, KDS’ UK sales director, who will deliver the company’s insights on best practice based upon its position as a leading, independent expense solution provider. Speaking on behalf of Airbus will be Geoff Allwright, UK travel manager.

Airbus, Europe’s leading passenger aircraft manufacturer, recently completed its organisation-wide rollout of u.go, its KDS-powered travel reservation system, which in only 18 months has delivered a return on investment of more than 200 percent. U.go manages an average of 4,000 bookings per week for over 60,000 employees and subcontractors, making it the busiest-ever application of KDS’ on-demand travel technology. The system integrates KDS’ travel management technology with Airbus’ expense processing systems to create a seamless travel solution.

Matthew Frost says, “Companies can achieve tremendous efficiencies and savings by managing their travel expenses online, particularly as part of an integrated travel and expense solution. However, success depends on starting with a clear strategy and employing sound project management throughout the implementation and roll-out. Airbus is a great case study of what can be achieved so today’s session should be invaluable for any business contemplating a move online.”

KDS continues its international expansion with new subsidiary in Australia

mhanus — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:10:07 +0200

25/09/2007

Leading Travel & Expense Management Solution Provider Opens in Asia Pacific to Support Global Customers and Address Regional Demand

Sydney, September 25, 2007 – KDS, the European leader in on-demand travel and expense solutions, is to establish a presence in Asia Pacific to improve support to regional customers and respond to market demand for advanced T&E technologies.

Emma Magnusson will lead the KDS APAC operation, working on a regional basis to support KDS customers and provide them with the products and services they require. She will also oversee the opening of a KDS office in Sydney and the development of distribution strategy on a national basis, including key channel partner relationships. Emma has 10 years’ successful experience of data consolidation programs, MIS development and business process improvement management, gained through regional and global executive positions with Nextfeed Australia and Rosenbluth International. Previously, she was Commercial Program Manager for Qantas Airways with responsibility for development of their major client MIR system as well as major commercial innovation programs involving British Airways, American Express and Global Operations. Emma has extensive experience of quality management systems, having successfully completed Six Sigma Black Belt certification and become a Project Management Professional.

Stéphane Donders, Executive Vice-President of KDS, commented, “Asia Pacific will be an important market in the next stage of KDS’ development. After an exhaustive market study, we have found that mid-size and larger organisations across the region are looking to improve their expense management processes and adopt true end-to-end travel and expense solutions. We are committed to establishing a highly responsive support and sales organisation and are delighted to welcome Emma Magnusson to the team. She brings highly relevant career experience, a true understanding of the market and strong personal credibility to back-up KDS’ goals in this region.”

KDS Selected for UK Government Online Travel Management Contract

sberteloot — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 22:27:52 +0200

13/09/2007

Roll-out to start with the Ministry of Defence

London, September 12, 2007 - KDS, European leader in on-demand business travel and expense management solutions, announced today that its flagship product KDS Corporate has been selected to manage online travel booking for the UK Government.

KDS is part of a consortium led by Capgemini UK plc that has won the contract to design and operate a new electronic travel booking service for use across UK Government departments. This will be a true cross-departmental shared service, which will enable the participating departments to realise substantial savings through improved management of travel booking and expenditure. The first user of the service will be the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Group Captain Andy Towler, Defence Travel Modernisation Team Leader, said: "This service is a key component of modernising travel within the Department, which will simplify the travel booking process by allowing journeys to be arranged online."

KDS was selected both for its user friendliness and its ability to handle complex requirements. KDS’ graphical user interface, inspired by the best Internet consumer sites, makes it simple to search and book trips online without extensive training.

To handle what is generally considered to be the largest travel account in the UK it was critical that the solution accommodate heavy loads and varied environments. KDS Corporate’s scalability and configuration flexibility was carefully reviewed and found to be the most complete solution against an extensive set of functional and security requirements.

"KDS is proud to have been selected to provide the UK Ministry of Defence's online travel solution. We believe that KDS and our partners are well placed to meet the exacting requirements of the MoD for travel inventory, ease of use and, of course, security. We are excited about the opportunity to work with the MoD and other government departments to drive improved value for money for their travel spend", said Yves Weisselberger, CEO of KDS.

KDS Corporate provides extensive direct connectivity to suppliers outside GDS distribution systems, including all major low cost carriers and UK and European railways. Travellers are able to easily compare their different options as, uniquely to KDS, all are displayed together on a single screen.

The contract was awarded by OGCbuying.solutions and covers the design and implementation of the service, as well as its operation for five years. OGCbuying.solutions is an executive agency of the Office of Government Commerce within H.M.Treasury. The third consortium member working with KDS and Capgemini is travel management company Carlson Wagonlit Travel.

The deployment for the MoD will provide 300,000 staff around the world – covering both civil servants and armed forces – with a quick, easy and secure solution for planning and booking travel. For use by individual travellers or arrangers, the online tool will have a look and feel familiar to anyone who has booked a holiday or business trip online.

The departments using the system will also benefit from access to in-depth reporting, including details of low cost carrier usage and potential savings foregone, as highlighted by KDS’ ’lost savings‘ feature, as well as more general travel pattern data. The service will give the MoD greater visibility of its travel expenditure and help ensure that its staff travel efficiently and cost effectively.

Cliff Evans, MoD Account Director at Capgemini, said: "We found KDS Corporate to be the most suitable solution for the UK Government. It is extremely simple to use for travel booking while providing travel managers advanced policy monitoring features and offering the stringent security required by the Government."

The new system will provide an important step forward for the Government’s shared services agenda, enabling substantial cost savings to be realised by multiple departments through the secure use of the latest online technology.

http://www.kdsinternational.com/en/mod

Boston Scientific to Present End-To-End KDS Case Study at Online Travel Management Conference

sberteloot — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 10:06:06 +0200

05/09/2007

Paris, September 4, 2007 – The benefits of KDS’s end-to-end Travel & Expense solution are to be showcased at Business Travel World’s Online Travel Management conference in London on September 13.

Boston Scientific, the worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices, will present a case study of how it has implemented KDS’s T&E solution throughout the EU, creating a 'one-stop-shop' for all its travel and expense requirements.

Volker Spichal, Boston Scientific’s European finance director, will discuss the company’s motivations for choosing an on-demand solution and its observations on how to introduce such a system efficiently across multiple markets. In particular, he will focus on the need to establish clear communication between the company, T&E partner and TMC; the vital importance of the project design phase and data standardization; and the need to tailor automated business processes to local operating environments. In addition, Volker will discuss how an end-to-end T&E solution may be integrated with an ERP system, and how such an approach can help a business achieve Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.

Stanislas Berteloot, marketing director for KDS, said, “Travel and Finance departments are increasingly working together to achieve complete T&E process management solutions. Boston Scientific’s global deployment illustrates how such end-to-end solutions streamline travel related processes. KDS is delighted that Boston Scientific is prepared to share the secrets of its success with this select audience.”

ENDS

Press Contacts:
Melanie Hanus / Marc Cornelius
KDS / 80:20 PR
+33 1 46 29 58 88 / +44 (0)20 7924 7576
mhanus@kds.com / marc@8020pr.com

Notes to Editors

KDS on-demand travel & expense offers a completely integrated solution for travel and expense management, addressing essential needs ranging from travel policy definition and enforcement, to online travel self-booking, to automated travel expense processing and beyond. Every critical procedure can be completed through the KDS ASP offering, resulting in greater efficiencies and associated financial benefits. In addition, KDS offers the most extensive back-end connectivity to airline, car, rail and hotel providers in the industry, ensuring optimized pricing and up-to-the-minute inventory control. For more information, visit www.kds.com.

Boston Scientific is a worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices whose products are used in a broad range of interventional medical specialties. For more information, visit www.bostonscientific.com.

KDS strenghtens Ariba's travel spend management solution

mhanus — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 14:02:54 +0200

23/07/2007

KDS to power best-selling U.S. procurement management system

SUNNYVALE, Calif. - Paris, France, July 23, 2007 – KDS, European leader in on-demand travel and expense, is joining forces with Ariba, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARBA), the leading U.S. spend management solutions provider, to deliver the first truly integrated solution for managing travel spend from end-to-end. The news came during the National Business Travel Association International Conference & Exposition being held this week in Boston.

Through the new partnership, KDS’s travel booking functionality will be integrated into the Travel and Expense™ module of Ariba’s Procure-to-Pay™ and Invoice Presentment and Payment™ spend management solutions, which are widely used by companies in the United States and internationally.

“Companies are increasingly turning to integrated solutions offering complete sourcing and procurement offering and until now travel was not available in these systems,” said Annicka Lofstrand, Business Development Director EMEA, KDS. “By teaming with Ariba, we can provide an industry-leading end-to-end offering that enables corporate travel managers and procurement managers to achieve these goals and measure them on the same platform as all other spend categories.”

“Corporate travel procurement executives are under increasing pressure to implement processes and solutions that deliver savings and efficiencies,” said Charles Brossman, Solution Line Manager, Ariba Travel and Expense. “In order to do this, they must look beyond point solutions that focus exclusively on travel and leverage offerings that allow them to manage their spend in a more comprehensive way.”

In joining forces with KDS, Ariba will enable companies to combine travel with other spend categories and drive everything from sourcing, procurement, invoicing, expense, reimbursement and analysis using a single solution. An industry first, the new offering will allow travel procurement executives to improve cost control efforts, create process efficiencies, drive compliance with managed travel programs and deliver greater results and ROI.

Ariba® Travel and Expense™ – On-Demand Key Features:

Ariba Travel and Expense combines proven technology with spend management best practices to help companies better manage their travel-related spend. With the integration of KDS travel services, companies can manage online, offline and webform travel booking right from their procurement system, creating a closed-loop system and policy compliant process that drives savings more quickly to the bottom line. Leveraging the new features, companies can:

Drive compliance with corporate travel policies and curb maverick spend
Increase accuracy of expense data and improve audit and regulatory reporting processes
Enhance visibility into spend and drive more optimal sourcing
Better manage supplier relationships
Perform more detailed travel commodity reporting

“Spend management is a critical driver of effective corporate travel strategies,” Brossman said. “With our closed loop system, corporate travel professionals can move beyond managing routine processes and engage in strategic activities such as evaluating new global and domestic sources of supply, managing existing relationships, negotiating optimal contracts and analyzing spend at granular levels to drive better business decisions and bottom-line improvements.”

Availability

Ariba’s on-demand Travel and Expense solution is available and in use by customers today. During the fourth quarter of 2007, integrated KDS functionality will be delivered in the Ariba Travel and Expense module of Ariba’s spend management solutions, including Ariba Procure-to-Pay™ and Ariba Electronic Invoice Presentment and Payment™.

About Ariba, Inc.

Ariba, Inc. is the leading provider of spend management solutions to help companies realize rapid and sustainable bottom line results. Successful companies around the world in every industry use Ariba Spend Management software and services. Ariba can be contacted in the U.S. at 1.650.390.1000 or at www.ariba.com.

Galileo launches new online self-booking tool with KDS

mhanus — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 16:28:40 +0200

11/07/2007

With a new user interface and a wealth of new features, KDS Portal Version 6 extends the cost savings corporate customers achieve through on-line booking

Langley, UK, Paris France - 11 July, 2007 - Galileo, a leading global distribution system (GDS) and subsidiary of Travelport, and KDS the European leader in on-demand travel and expense solutions, announced today that they have joined forces to launch the KDS Portal Version 6 online self-booking tool. The new tool provides corporate travellers with a faster booking process, more in-depth content, an enhanced user interface and more sophisticated One-way and Flexible faring options.

Galileo and KDS have worked together to design a self-booking tool that will empower travel management companies and their corporate clients to compete head-on with online retailers by offering both lower fares and superior support. Corporate travel policies are easily incorporated into the search and booking process so that policy compliance can be guaranteed.

Other new features include an enhanced user interface, requiring fewer clicks to complete a booking, along with a wide variety of faring options allowing travellers to combine fares from multiple carriers and different sources. The new Fare Matrix displays scheduled air, low-cost carriers and rail fare results on one page enabling users to view and compare all available travel and pricing options.

Patrick Lukan, general manager for UK & Ireland commented, “The demand for feature-rich online booking tools has never been greater. KDS Portal Version 6 not only provides corporates with the content and functionality expected of a booking tool but also enables TMCs to compete head-on with consumer sites on the Internet. What’s more, the tool is very straightforward to deploy, meaning there is no technological burden or disruption to daily business.

"We are delighted that Galileo selected KDS as its online travel management solution provider," said Stephane Donders Executive Vice President, KDS. "We believe that Galileo's market expertise, together with the strength of KDS Portal V6 will provide companies with the right resources and tool to best control their travel spend."

KDS Portal Version 6 is now available to all Galileo-connected agents in the UK and Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Benelux, Australia and South Africa and will be extended to other Galileo markets worldwide during the course of the year.

Notes to editors:

About Galileo
Galileo is a global technology leader. Its core business is providing electronic global distribution services for the travel industry through its computerized reservation systems, leading-edge products and innovative, Internet-based solutions. Galileo is a value-added distributor of travel inventory dedicated to supporting its travel supplier, agency and corporate customers and, through them, expanding traveller choice. Galileo, www.galileo.com, headquartered in Langley, UK, is a Travelport brand. Travelport is one of the largest and most geographically diverse travel companies, dedicated to creating the exceptional travel experiences the world demands.

For media enquiries
Please contact Kate Aldridge on 00 44 1753 288720 or kate.aldridge@travelport.com

One in five employees cheats on Expense Claims

mhanus — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 11:41:05 +0200

26/06/2007

International survey highlights need for improved expense systems

Paris, June 26, 2007 – Nearly one in five employees has cheated their employers through their expense claims according to a new survey released today by KDS, European leader in on-demand travel and expense. The company’s online survey of almost 400 business travellers conducted in May and June revealed that the Americans and French are most inclined to fiddle their expenses, followed by the Germans and then the British.

Download the study

The KDS survey revealed that 21.4% of American and 20.6% of French respondents had cheated on expense claims, compared with 16.1% of Germans and 13% of British respondents. The majority of people who confessed to having inflated their expenses felt that the amounts involved were insignificant at less than €5. However, around 11% of UK based respondents and nearly 20% of French respondents who admitted to cheating had falsified their expenses by €50 or more.

The expense item perceived by American and British travellers as most open to abuse was taxi charges, whilst in France and Germany claims for business mileage were seen as the most vulnerable.

In contrast, however, 60% of those surveyed said that they had not claimed legitimate expenses in the past, mainly due to lost receipts or because they had simply forgotten that they had incurred expenses in the first place.

The majority of respondents were submitting average expense claims of between €500 and €1,000 at a time.

Yves Weisselberger, CEO of KDS, observes, “In our experience, most business travellers are honest, but it is vital that companies have robust systems in place to verify expense claims. It is, of course, wholly unacceptable for employees to defraud their employers, but equally they should not be expected to pay legitimate expenses without being reimbursed.

“Nearly half of the respondents in our survey said that their companies did not have an online expense management system, which in itself appears surprising. The technology is currently available to make the whole process of expense management, verification and payment more efficient and transparent, and we believe that companies and their employees would see significant benefits from implementing these systems.”

Press Contacts:
Melanie Hanus / Marc Cornelius
KDS / 80:20 PR
+33 1 46 29 58 88 / +44 (0)20 7924 7576
mhanus@kds.com / marc@8020pr.com

Notes to Editors:
KDS on-demand travel and expense offers a completely integrated solution for travel and expense management, addressing essential needs ranging from travel policy definition and enforcement, to online travel self-booking, to automated travel expense processing and beyond. Every critical procedure can be completed through the KDS ASP offering, resulting in greater efficiencies and associated financial benefits. In addition, KDS offers the most extensive back-end connectivity to airline, car, rail and hotel providers in the industry, ensuring optimized pricing and up-to-the-minute inventory control.

'Self-Booking Tools are Dead, Long Live T&E' - KDS CEO

mhanus — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 11:44:51 +0200

15/06/2007

Yves Weisselberger to speak at ITM Focus Forum in London

Paris, June 15, 2007 – Yves Weisselberger, CEO and co-founder of KDS, will speak about the rise of integrated Travel & Expense (‘T&E’) systems when he takes part in the Institute of Travel Management’s Focus Forum on automated expense management in London on 20th June. As a panelist in a session entitled ‘SBT Utopia – The Battle with Technology’, Weisselberger will explain how companies are increasingly turning to integrated solutions as opposed to single-function legacy systems to deliver much needed cost savings and efficiencies.

In the panel session, Weisselberger will join senior executives from Airbus, Expedia and Amadeus as they consider the opportunities and challenges of adopting the latest T&E technology, as well as effective strategies to encourage high user adoption rates. In his remarks, Weisselberger will confirm the recommendations of a recently published research note from Gartner, which emphasises the vital importance of business process change and cross-organisational best practice in unlocking the full potential of T&E solutions.

KDS, the European market leader in integrated Travel & Expense systems, has been a pioneer of end-to-end solutions that enable companies to manage both their travel bookings and expense management online. End-to-end solutions improve travel policy compliance, increase process efficiency and deliver significant savings in corporate travel budgets.

Yves Weisselberger said: “KDS strongly believes that integrated systems represent the future for travel and expense management. We are delighted that the ITM is hosting this forum, as it will provide a timely platform to discuss the advantages of true end-to-end technologies and the most effective ways to maximise user adoption and benefits across the organisation.”

Press Contacts:

Melanie Hanus / Marc Cornelius
KDS / 80:20 PR
+33 1 46 29 58 88 / +44 (0)20 7924 7576
mhanus@kds.com / marc@8020pr.com

Notes to Editors

Yves Weisselberger was named one of the 25 Most Influential Executives in business travel in 2006 by top US trade magazine Business Travel News (January 22, 2007). He was recognised alongside leaders including Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Atlantic; Hubert Joly, CEO of Carlson Wagonlit Travel; and Doug Parker, CEO of US Airways, based on nominations received from industry professionals. A photo of Yves Weisselberger is available at http://www.kds.com/en/yves.

Gartner’s research note, ‘Travel Expense Management: Best Practices Yield Success’, was published on 29 March 2007. www.gartner.com

In its December 2006 research brief, ‘A New Era in Managing T&E Expenses’, Aberdeen Group predicted increased adoption of integrated T&E solutions over the coming two years. www.aberdeen.com.

KDS Sponsors Artic Climate Research Expedition

vgalibert@kds.com — Fri, 11 May 2007 12:49:29 +0200

11/05/2007

Greenland study to measure physical impact of global warming.

May 10, 2007 – KDS, European leader in on-demand travel and expense, is to sponsor a scientific expedition to measure the impact of global warming on the Arctic region. The team, led by explorer and campaigner Luc Hardy, will travel this summer to some of the most northerly reaches of Greenland to gauge the consequences of rising temperatures for plant and animal life.

During their one month voyage, the six person team of researchers will undertake a range of studies to assess the ways that climate change is altering polar ecosystems.

At Mount Gunnbjorn, which at 3,693 meters is known as the ‘Top of the Arctic’, they will examine the extent to which ice is melting and whether lichens are forming due to higher temperatures.
One hundred kilometres further north, at Camp Ice field, the team will locate, count and survey ivory gull colonies. By equipping the gulls with tiny solar-powered transmitters, the team will determine if the birds are flying further north due to increasing temperatures.
At Kap Morris Jesup/Oodaaq Qeqertaa, the world’s northernmost land mass, the team will use GPS technology to obtain precise coordinates for the most northerly areas of dry land in the Arctic.
In Greenland’s Northeast islands, the team will survey polar bears and attempt to assess the health of the bowhead whale population.

The Sagax Greenland Double Top expedition, which is taking place during the International Polar Year, will support the activities of France’s Arctic Ecology Research Group (‘GREA’), which has been surveying conditions in the region for over 30 years. Its work will produce additional data to verify earlier GREA studies and extend scientific research to locations not previously studied by the Group.

Commenting on the sponsorship, KDS CEO Yves Weisselberger said: "KDS is committed to finding ways to understand and lessen the impact that business travel is making on the environment. Supporting this expedition is a logical extension of the work we are doing ourselves in developing a new generation of green travel management solutions."

Luc Hardy, who also heads the venture capital firm Sagax, has known KDS for several years and felt the company would be a natural partner for this project. “We knew that KDS had been focused on reducing carbon emissions for quite some time. They hadn’t simply seen the Al Gore film and woken up the next morning deciding to do something. Their financial support is helping us obtain important instruments and materials, and their enthusiasm is a welcome boost as we work to overcome various challenges in the final stages of planning.“

The expedition is made in partnership with Green Cross International (GCI). Founded and chaired by Mikhail Gorbachev, Green Cross International (GCI) is one of the few organizations focusing its attention on the crucial nexus between security, poverty, and the environment.

The expedition will take great pains to minimise the environmental impact of its visit, using low intensity modes of transport as well as solar energy to power its equipment. Any waste generated through its presence will be returned to Iceland for recycling or disposed of responsibly at the team’s temporary camp sites.

This will be Luc Hardy’s second polar expedition, as in 2003 he led an expedition to Antarctica to highlight the region’s importance as a regulator of global weather systems. That project was supported by various environmental organisations including the influential Cousteau Society, and the books based on the journey served to raise consciousness in business, academic and governmental circles.

As part of its work to help reduce carbon emissions, KDS recently joined with the Association of Corporate Travel Executives to survey opinion globally about global warming and business travel. This study showed that companies have yet to take serious action to minimise the environmental impact of their travel. A mere 32 percent said they have a sustainable travel policy and only 20 percent said that their choice of transportation was influenced by a policy that prioritised vendors with lower carbon emissions or a proper environmental charter. KDS believes that part of the reason for this limited action is a scarcity of appropriate travel management tools. Aiming to fill the gap, KDS demonstrated Proof of Concept for an environmentally friendly Travel & Expense management solution at the London Business Travel Show in February. The solution, which integrates a ‘carbon calculator’ from the CarbonNeutral Company, will be integrated into the KDS Version 6 solution in the second half of 2007.

Airbus completes international rollout of KDS travel solution

vgalibert@kds.com — Wed, 09 May 2007 17:00:09 +0200

09/05/2007

Busiest-ever KDS system delivers over 200 percent ROI

Paris, May 9, 2007 – Airbus, Europe’s leading passenger aircraft manufacturer, has completed its organisation-wide rollout of u.go, its KDS-powered travel reservation system, which in only 18 months has delivered a return on investment of more than 200 percent. u.go, which is now live in Spain as well as France, Germany and the UK, manages an average of 4,000 bookings per week for over 60,000 employees and subcontractors, making it the busiest-ever application of KDS’s on-demand travel technology.

Airbus selected KDS because of its ability to integrate the management of all European air and rail travel, including low-cost providers and Airbus’s own charter flights between major European centres. It also wanted a system able to deliver financial savings, improved policy compliance and which could be tailored to the individual requirements of all its European locations.

Since u.go’s launch in October 2005, Airbus has achieved significantly reduced average ticket prices. By highlighting ‘best buy’ travel options and potential missed savings, the system encourages users to make the optimum travel choice. As a result of ticket price savings and increased efficiencies, Airbus was able to fully recoup its investment in u.go within just six months.

The success of u.go reflects the high adoption rates achieved across the organisation. At launch, Airbus was targeting 60 percent adoption across all travel, but surpassed this within six months when adoption reached 70 percent. By April 2007, user adoption had reached 80 percent as a result of the emphasis that Airbus has placed on internal communications throughout the change process.

James Westgarth, travel technology manager at Airbus, said, “u.go has proved a great success for Airbus and, by providing the ideal technology platform, KDS has played an important part in this. Together, we have been able to deliver a system that gives a far more rational and efficient basis to our travel and has fully surpassed our initial goals. We are now targeting 90 percent user adoption across all travel and anticipate further important savings in the coming years.”

KDS Survey To Gauge Traveller Opinion On Expense Claim Abuse

mhanus — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 12:53:53 +0200

17/04/2007

First global expense poll asks if employees are winners or losers in the expense claim game

Paris, April 17, 2007 – KDS, European leader in on-demand travel and expense, is to uncover business travellers’ dark secrets and frustrations in an online poll about expense claims. Participants around the world will be invited to share their views anonymously on a range of issues, including inflated expense claims, the frustrations of form filling, and the extent to which losing track of receipts sees travellers subsidising their employers.

With travel expense compliance an increasing concern for businesses, the survey will also shed light on how companies are using modern technology to ensure claims are properly approved and efficiently managed. Business travellers and travel managers are encouraged to take part to help improve understanding of one of the most contentious aspects of corporate life.

To participate, simply follow this link and complete the simple online questionnaire: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=492793439828

The findings of the survey will be publicly announced by KDS in June.

KDS CEO To Speak On The Rise Of Integrated Travel & Expense Solutions At Corporate Travel World

mhanus — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 10:11:36 +0200

10/04/2007

Boston Scientific Europe to present case study on pan-European implementation of KDS T&E solution

Paris, April 10, 2007 – Yves Weisselberger, co-founder and CEO of KDS, is to share his vision of the future of travel management technologies when he delivers a keynote address at the Corporate Travel World meeting in New York City on May 22, 2007. In his speech during the Travel Tech Forecast session, Mr Weisselberger, who was recently named one of the past year’s 25 most influential business travel leaders, will discuss the increasing impact of integrated travel and expense technologies on corporate travel budgets.

KDS, the European leader in on-demand travel and expense, has been a pioneer of end-to-end solutions that enable businesses to manage both their travel booking and expense management online, thereby achieving significant cost savings, improved travel policy compliance and process efficiencies. In December 2006, research group Aberdeen reported growing interest among businesses in such integrated solutions, finding that, in addition to the 19 percent of companies already using these systems, a further 26 percent plan to introduce them in the next two years. Aberdeen believes that the driving force behind this interest is the potential of these solutions to greatly improve policy compliance, as it estimates that almost one in five T&E expenses is non-compliant.

Also during Corporate Travel World, Volker Spichal, European finance director of Boston Scientific, will present a case study on how his company has implemented KDS’s T&E solution throughout the EU. He will discuss Boston Scientific’s motivations for choosing an on-demand solution and its observations on how to introduce such a system efficiently across multiple markets. In particular, he will focus on the need to establish clear communication between the company, T&E partner and TMC; the vital importance of the project design phase and data standardization; and the need to tailor automated business processes to local operating environments. In addition, Mr Spichal will explain how an end-to-end T&E solution may be integrated with an ERP system, and how such an approach can help achieve Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.

Yves Weisselberger said, “Corporate Travel World is one of the most important forums in our industry and the prominence it is giving to integrated travel and expense solutions demonstrates how important this technology has become. We look forward to sharing ideas with our customers and colleagues and discussing where the latest innovations will take us.”

Press Contacts:
Melanie Hanus / Marc Cornelius
KDS / 80:20 PR
+33 1 46 29 58 88 / +44 (0)20 7924 7576
mhanus@kds.com / marc@8020pr.com

Notes to Editors

Aberdeen Group’s research brief, ‘A New Era in Managing T&E Expenses’, was published on December 1, 2006. www.aberdeen.com.

Global ACTE/KDS Survey Finds Companies Have Yet To Act On Business Travel Carbon Emissions

vgalibert@kds.com — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:49:19 +0200

13/02/2007

Business Travel Show, London - February 13, 2007 – Companies have yet to seriously tackle the carbon emissions generated through their business travel, according to a global survey conducted by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) and KDS, European leader in on-demand travel and expense. At a press conference held at today’s Business Travel Show in London, senior executives from both organisations called on companies and business travel providers to do more to close the gap between good environmental intentions and current industry practice.

The ACTE/KDS survey sampled opinion from over 200 travel managers and business travellers around the world during December 2006 and January 2007. It found that only a third of companies presently have travel policies that promote sustainable travel. While a further third were said to have such schemes under development many policies appear to lack teeth, as only 20 percent of respondents said that companies encourage their staff to use travel providers with lower carbon emissions or a proper environment charter.

Carbon emissions from business travel presently appear to receive little attention from senior management. Only 20 percent of respondents said their company travel departments were required to produce carbon emissions reports for senior management. At a time that company leaders are increasingly expected to address their firms’ environmental stance, it appears that business travel remains a neglected part of the equation.

The environment is seen to fare poorly against companies’ other major travel concerns. Employee Security came top, with 81 percent of respondents feeling it was a High priority; Cost Control came second, with 77 percent ranking it as a High priority; in contrast, most respondents (45 percent) saw Environmental Sustainability as a low priority, with only 20 percent ranking it a high priority for companies.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, therefore, companies also appear reluctant to cut down on travel in order to reduce emissions. Only 23 percent of respondents said their company had encouraged journeys to be reduced to support environmental sustainability.

Following the recently published fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, companies are expected to come under increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions is all aspects of their work. On 7 February 2007, British Environment Secretary David Miliband called on businesses to step up their efforts on climate change and alter their businesses ‘as a matter of financial self-interest’.

Susan Gurley, executive director and chief staff officer of ACTE, says, “Many companies have already committed themselves to reducing their environmental impact and the IPCC report will likely bring many more into the fold. Corporate travel is a significant area for potential improvements and ACTE will be working closely with travel professionals to help spread the knowledge and skills that can help businesses meet this challenge.”

Yves Weisselberger, CEO of KDS, observes, “In our experience, most companies are sincere in their desire to cut and manage their emissions and see travel as an area where improvements can be made. However, they are currently held back because the market doesn’t offer them the right tools to do this efficiently or on a large scale. Businesses need to be able to gauge carbon emissions when planning a trip, to weigh up greener alternatives at a glance, and to quickly generate management reports that give them a handle on this new area of data. KDS believes that the next generation of travel and expense management tools will introduce this capability and help companies truly align their corporate social responsibility and travel policies.”

ACTE and KDS highlighted that the business travel industry also has a vital role to play in helping companies make greener choices. Until such time that low emissions options become widely available in all aspects of travel and accommodation, companies will be frustrated in their efforts to lessen their environmental impact.

Full details of the survey findings are available here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/Report.asp?U=298291573296

ENDS

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

The Association of Corporate Travel Executives
Jo Lloyd                                   Cass Helstrip
Regional Director, EMEA   Rooster
+44 (0)208 932 4038            +44 (0)20 7953 8774
jlloyd@acte.org                      cass.helstrip@rooster.co.uk

KDS
Melanie Hanus               Marc Cornelius
Communications Specialist      80:20 PR
+33 1 46 29 58 88                   +44 (0)20 7924 7576
mhanus@kds.com                  marc@8020pr.com

About ACTE
The Association of Corporate Travel Executive (ACTE) is a non-profit association established to provide executive-level global education and peer-to-peer networking opportunities. Membership spans all of business travel, from corporate buyers to agencies to suppliers, and accords all sectors equal membership. ACTE is represented in 49 countries. For more information, visit www.acte.org.

About KDS
KDS on demand travel & expense offers a completely integrated solution for travel and expense management, addressing essential needs ranging from travel policy definition and enforcement, to online travel self-booking, to automated travel expense processing and beyond. Every critical procedure can be completed through the KDS ASP offering, resulting in greater efficiencies and associated financial benefits. In addition, KDS offers the most extensive back-end connectivity to airline, car, rail and hotel providers in the industry, ensuring optimized pricing and up-to-the-minute inventory control. For more information, visit www.kds.com.