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TMCnews Featured Article
July 13, 2009
Tripware's GUG, Genuinely Useful Gizmo, for Outlook '07 Announced
By David Sims, TMCnet Contributing Editor
File this one under GUG, Genuinely Useful Gizmo: Tripware, a new travel service, provides a plug-in for Microsoft (News - Alert) Outlook 2007 that lets travelers to handle all their business trip needs directly in Microsoft Outlook.
It may not give the economy much of a boost, though: "I no longer pay an assistant to book my trips," says the CEO and president of Tripware, Clark C. Rines.
The plug-in, OutBook, connects to a traveler's online travel portfolio storing flight, hotel, car, and scheduling preferences. Using the time, date and location information already entered into a business meeting, Tripware OutBook can book a trip and embed the itinerary in Microsoft Outlook within three minutes or less.
If you're not on Microsoft Outlook 2007, no problem: Tripware offers a desktop application called Tripware Travel Center with many of the same features as Tripware OutBook.
Rines claims he can "book a complete itinerary in under three minutes, know that I am getting what I want because the system knows me personally and when the payment is made, all of my corresponding frequent flyer, rental and stay numbers are sent to the appropriate vendors automatically." He says he doesn't even have to worry about typing in a credit card to pay: "This same system automatically puts my itinerary into my Outlook calendar along with maps and weather, keeps me apprised of trip events prior to and during my travels and even helps me do my expense report when I get back."
Travel writer Jay Hammond says "based on an unscientific comparison with other online travel services, Tripware holds up well. Prices are comparable to those on Travelocity and Expedia (News - Alert), at least for the trips this writer checked. Choices were also similar although Tripware was the only one that displayed options according to my stated preferences."
The company is headquartered near Phoenix and is owned by Remotian Systems.
In June TMC had the news that Tripware now allows travelers to book Southwest Airlines flights directly in Microsoft Outlook. This feature "marks a clear advantage for Tripware over online travel agencies," company officials said at the time: "With the addition of Southwest's flight itineraries, business travelers can book the #1 U.S. airline carrier through Tripware's OutBook software."
It may not give the economy much of a boost, though: "I no longer pay an assistant to book my trips," says the CEO and president of Tripware, Clark C. Rines.
The plug-in, OutBook, connects to a traveler's online travel portfolio storing flight, hotel, car, and scheduling preferences. Using the time, date and location information already entered into a business meeting, Tripware OutBook can book a trip and embed the itinerary in Microsoft Outlook within three minutes or less.
If you're not on Microsoft Outlook 2007, no problem: Tripware offers a desktop application called Tripware Travel Center with many of the same features as Tripware OutBook.
Rines claims he can "book a complete itinerary in under three minutes, know that I am getting what I want because the system knows me personally and when the payment is made, all of my corresponding frequent flyer, rental and stay numbers are sent to the appropriate vendors automatically." He says he doesn't even have to worry about typing in a credit card to pay: "This same system automatically puts my itinerary into my Outlook calendar along with maps and weather, keeps me apprised of trip events prior to and during my travels and even helps me do my expense report when I get back."
Travel writer Jay Hammond says "based on an unscientific comparison with other online travel services, Tripware holds up well. Prices are comparable to those on Travelocity and Expedia (News - Alert), at least for the trips this writer checked. Choices were also similar although Tripware was the only one that displayed options according to my stated preferences."
The company is headquartered near Phoenix and is owned by Remotian Systems.
In June TMC had the news that Tripware now allows travelers to book Southwest Airlines flights directly in Microsoft Outlook. This feature "marks a clear advantage for Tripware over online travel agencies," company officials said at the time: "With the addition of Southwest's flight itineraries, business travelers can book the #1 U.S. airline carrier through Tripware's OutBook software."
David Sims is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of David’s articles, please visit his columnist page. He also blogs for TMCnet here.
Edited by Patrick Barnard
