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New billing module from KDS brings control over travel invoices

sberteloot — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:40:18 +0100

10/02/2010

Lodge cards and invoices can now be broken down per traveller, to control spend and flag up opportunities for savings. Working out the total cost of every trip becomes easy.

London, February 9, 2010 – KDS, an international leader in Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) travel and expense management, is today announcing an enhanced billing module for the company’s ‘KDS Corporate’ solution.

The new module enables the reconciliation of supplier invoices and traveller expenses, adding control, saving and simplicity to travel and expense management.

The new KDS billing module meets a vital need of procurement executives: to gain visibility over the total cost of a trip. The end-to-end solution allows organisations to reduce the time and effort needed to reconcile actual spend.

Why the need? A true story...
Jo books and immediately invoices a trip to New York next month. As often happens, however, the meeting has to be rescheduled and she cancels the booking. The airline refunds Jo but, as a busy executive, she forgets to pass the refund back to her company. Finance departments don’t like it when that happens!

With the KDS Corporate billing module in operation, Jo’s company would have been alerted about the trip cancellation.

Travel services are paid via credit cards (both personal and corporate), lodge cards (corporate account) and cash. The job of the finance and procurement departments is to understand who spent what money on which services. However, working through and reconciling an extensive list of claims from multiple travellers on a single supplier invoice – whether covering airfares, hotel stays, car rentals or any other travel service – has until now been a long and painful task.

Yves Weisselberger, chief executive officer of KDS, says: “Without our new billing module, most of our clients had to wait for their travel management company’s report and spend hours analysing the data to match every booking against the invoice.

“Knowing the real, total cost of a trip has long been a goal of the travel procurement process. With KDS, that goal can now be achieved by every organisation.”

Billing for lodge cards
Lodge cards (or a travel account) are payment tools that centralise payment for the procurement of travel services. Although lodge cards considerably improve many aspects of the travel and expense process, the reconciliation of lodge card invoices with traveller bookings is nonetheless much improved with the new KDS billing module. Organisations can now better monitor their supplier contracts, their travel policy compliance and any savings that are being missed.

Not all travel services are paid for via credit cards or lodge cards. Organisations have direct contracts with suppliers for the procurement of services such as hotel rooms, car rentals and railway travel. These negotiated contracts provide organisations with lower prices and administrative overheads, and with simpler procurement processes. However, breaking down the invoices for each traveller can be a time-consuming process. The new KDS billing module simplifies that process of reconciling traveller expenses with invoices.

KDS Corporate closes the loop on travel procurement from trip planning and booking to payment and reimbursement. Travellers manage their bookings and expenses in a quick and streamlined manner, while the procurement and finance departments stay on top of travel spend, controlling and reconciling every booking.

BOSSES DRAGGING THEIR FEET ON GREEN TRAVEL BEHAVIOUR, ACTE-KDS POLL FINDS

sberteloot — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:33:39 +0100

09/02/2010

Corporate Social Responsibility not abandoned in the recession, but top managers should set a better example in choosing green travel

Business Travel Show, London, February 9, 2010 – According to a new global study, organisations are sticking with their commitment to greener travel, despite the recession, but bosses are felt to be setting a poor example in their own travel choices.

For the fifth consecutive year, the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) and KDS, the European leader in online Travel & Expense management systems, have undertaken an international survey of attitudes towards business travel and the environment. In December 2009 and January 2010, the opinions of 317 business travellers and procurement and travel executives were gauged via an online poll.

Download the study

Unsurprisingly, cost-cutting is said to be the top business travel priority for organisations, but it is striking that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes have not been ditched in the recession. The majority of respondents (57%) disagree that their company would care less about CSR because of the financial crisis. Supporting environmental sustainability is also still a mid-tier corporate concern, also according to a majority (46%) of those expressing a view.

However, most respondents (45%) say top managers set a bad example in the ‘greenness’ of their travel choices. The worst offenders are in France and United States: 44% of respondents in France say their managers set a poor example (good example: 36%); bosses in the US are also slammed by 44% of respondents (supported by 39%). The UK has the most virtuous bosses, whose travel choices are approved of by 51% of UK respondents (although criticised by 41%).

Other findings include:

The majority of respondents (61%) saw employers cut the amount of business travel undertaken in 2009.
Frustrating hopes for quick economic recovery, almost three-quarters expect to travel only the same amount this year, or even less (51%: travel unchanged; 21%: fewer trips). This is partly offset by the 27% who expect to travel more.
Around 19% say travel reductions resulted from CSR goals as well as cost-cutting objectives.
A growing number of travel departments are believed to report to senior management on business travel carbon emissions: in this survey, only 55% said this was not the case, versus 61% the previous year.

Respondents were asked what might help them travel in a more ecologically-conscious way. Most would like greater information about the carbon emissions of a travel option before booking – 66% say this is something they would welcome. Some 59% of respondents say they would like more guidance on their employers’ CSR and travel policies.

ACTE President Richard Crum says: “It is a great relief to see that Corporate Social Responsibility remains a strong priority for many corporations, and an equally strong concern for travellers, who are making an effort to reduce their impact on the planet. It is understandable that the last year has seen corporate leadership focus on the financial health of their companies. However, it is important to recognize that truly sustainable businesses balance the demands of shareholders with respect for the environment and the people and communities they impact every day.”

Yves Weisselberger, CEO of KDS, adds: “It is great to see that CSR has been taken to heart by so many organisations. However, the survey reveals that employees would like more help in making green travel choices. Online travel booking tools can be powerful in this regard, helping with policy enforcement, carbon calculators and highlighting low-carbon options. However, there is still much more to be done through employee communications, and here – as in their individual travel choices – top managers must take the lead.

The full report on the 2010 ACTE-KDS survey is available upon request.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Respondents from the following companies have agreed to talk to the press. Contact KDS for more information.
• BCD Travel • AirPlus International
• Sidecore AB • MDDUS
• AG2R LA MONDIALE • Safran USA
• Radiospares • Comitê de Viagens Corporativas
• Sika Services AG • LEONI AG

About ACTE
The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) represents the global business travel industry through its international advocacy efforts, executive level educational programs, and independent industry research. ACTE's membership consists of senior travel industry executives from 82 countries representing the €463 billion business travel industry. With the support of sponsors from every major segment of the business travel industry, ACTE develops and delivers educational programs in key business centers throughout the world. ACTE has representation in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and the United States. For more information on ACTE, please go to www.acte.org.

About KDS
KDS (www.kds.com) is a leading international provider of Travel & Expense (T&E) management systems for private and public sector organizations. KDS’s unified Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)-based technology addresses the full range of T&E requirements, from travel policy definition and enforcement, and the online self-booking of travel, through to automated travel expense processing and invoice reconciliation. With each stage handled seamlessly by KDS’s fully-integrated technology, clients achieve significant efficiencies and cost-savings. KDS offers the industry’s most extensive back-end connectivity to financial service and travel providers (airline, car, rail and hotel), ensuring optimized pricing and up-to-the-minute inventory control.

KDS CELEBRATES AWARDS FOR MoD PROJECT

sberteloot — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:31:21 +0100

23/11/2009

Top outsourcing awards honour Capgemini-led team including KDS

London, 23 November 2009 – KDS, the leading European supplier of integrated travel and expense management systems, is celebrating a double victory at the UK’s National Outsourcing Association’s 2009 Awards.

A Capgemini-led team, including KDS, won Best Public Sector Outsourcing Project and Best IT Outsourcing Project for the implementation of ‘Defence Travel Online’ (DTO) with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).

DTO, launched in the summer of 2008, allows 300,000 Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force personnel worldwide, as well as MoD civilian staff, to book business travel online, eliminating the burden of forms, warrants and dockets. The solution provides users with immediate price comparisons to find the cheapest travel option, cuts administrative costs and gives the MoD invaluable data to drive for better bargains with travel suppliers.

Yves Weisselberger, chief executive officer of KDS, says: “Travel and expense (T&E) management is at least as important in the public sector as the private sector. The financial operations of government agencies are under intense scrutiny.

“By turning to our project team, led by Capgemini, the MoD demonstrated a serious commitment to T&E. Hopefully these awards will encourage other government agencies to follow the MoD’s example.”

KDS Added as Trondent’s Latest ProFILER Sync Partner

COQUIL — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:39:51 +0200

10/07/2009

Trondent Development Corp. announced today that KDS Corporate is the latest addition to its growing list of ProFILER Sync technology partnerships.

Barrington, Illinois – Thursday July 9th, 2009 Trondent Development Corp. announced today that KDS Corporate is the latest addition to its growing list of ProFILER Sync technology partnerships. KDS Corporate is a leading SaaS travel & expense solution from KDS, Europe’s leading supplier of integrated travel and expense management systems. Based on a significant growth in demand from its TMC and corporate customers, Trondent has established profile synchronization connectivity with KDS Corporate’s profile system, thereby providing ProFILER Express customers with yet another online booking tool to synchronize profiles to.

”We are convinced that our new and existing customers will benefit from our partnership with Trondent,” says Yves Weisselberger, KDS CEO. “Our clients chose KDS to slash their T&E costs. They want to better control their supplier relationships and that’s what Trondent contributes to.

” “Our goal has always been to provide ProFILER Express customers with the ability to synchronize their profiles in real-time to every major GDS and online booking system globally” says David Wood, Trondent’s President and CEO. “When you consider KDS Corporate’s dominant position in Europe, combined with their fast-paced growth in North America, it made perfect sense for Trondent to partner with KDS. Our partnership with KDS further strengthens our global position as a leading provider of profile management technology, particularly in the EMEA region”, continued Wood.

In addition to KDS, Trondent offers real-time ProFILER Sync connectivity with most major travel management systems.

About Trondent Development Corp.
Founded in 1994, Trondent Development Corp. is a leading provider of web-based software applications and data management services to the global travel industry. Trondent’s customers are comprised of travel management companies, on-line booking providers, meeting management companies and Fortune 500 corporations. Trondent maintains a broad portfolio of affordable services developed to be compatible with all travel distribution systems. Trondent’s services are designed to improve operational efficiency, reduce costs and optimize profitability. For more information, please visit www.trondent.com.

KDS IN DUCK ADOPTION SHOCK

sberteloot — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:14:02 +0200

07/07/2009

Expense Fiddlers Cry ‘Fowl’ as KDS Recruits Feathered Friend as Mascot for Expenses Awareness-raising Campaign

London, 06 July 2009 – Following months of expense-related scandal in UK public life, an unlikely new champion has emerged to fight the battle to improve travel and expense management. KDS, the leading European supplier of integrated travel and expense management systems, has adopted the duck as the mascot for its campaign to encourage cost awareness amongst companies.

Yves Weisselberger, CEO of KDS, said, “With a deep recession upon us, and an extraordinary saga of expenses abuse by MPs, you would think that employers would be fully aware of the need take control of expenses. However, time and again we encounter businesses that are clinging to their old ways, rather than adopting more efficient new processes. When the potential savings are as great as 30% of a travel budget, you would think that more businesses would be pursuing better solutions and avoiding their own expense scandals.”

“To help beat the drum for this cause, we are delighted to introduce a refugee from the Duck Island furore as our new cheerleader,” he continued. “Not only will the duck be our mascot for this campaign, but those participating in our new online opinion poll stand a chance of winning a spectacular bath time companion of their very own.”

Summarising his message, Paris-based Weisselberger concluded, “When it comes to poor expense management, surely ‘an oeuf is an oeuf’.”

To take part in KDS’s eight-question survey on the challenges of controlling travel expenses, click here.

Visit the KDS awareness campaign at: http://www.kds.com/en/dont-expense-the-duck-0

- Ends -

KDS LAUNCHES TOTALLY COMPREHENSIVE TRAVEL & EXPENSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Valerie Ferat — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:18:52 +0200

24/06/2009

Complex trip’ booking and invoice integration enable KDS Corporate to handle all corporate T&E transactions; 100% user adoption finally an achievable goal

KDS LAUNCHES TOTALLY COMPREHENSIVE TRAVEL & EXPENSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

London, 23 June 2009 – Companies looking to extract even greater savings from their Travel and Expense (T&E) budgets have a powerful new tool in these challenging times. KDS, Europe’s leading provider of integrated T&E systems, has expanded the functionality of its KDS Corporate online solution so that virtually all travel bookings can be managed and all travel expenses captured for efficient reconciliation. One hundred per cent user adoption and policy compliance are now achievable goals - a first for a T&E solution.

KDS is firmly established as a leading European provider of travel management technologies, with household name clients including EADS, JPMorganChase, PwC, Unilever and the UK’s Ministry of Defence.

Until now, online T&E solutions have offered only partial coverage of processes and spend. Travellers still regularly book with an agency by phone, bypassing the online system for up to 50% of their trips, typically the more complex ones. In such instances, booking tools are unable to enforce travel policies, apply “visual guilt” to ticket prices, run workflows or generate reports, as the trips are ‘not seen’ by the system.

At the other end of the process, many expense tools fail adequately to address important sources of cost information. For example, many companies pay part of their travel costs by direct invoice from suppliers, including hotel chains, travel agencies and lodge cards. This type of spending is typically not captured within reimbursement-oriented expense management systems, and can therefore be labour-intensive to reconcile and process. Without this visibility of spend made “on account”, total cost of trip reporting is impossible.

Now, the power of KDS as a ‘cost killer’ has been enhanced through two new modules:
· KDS Total Travel is an online solution accommodating trips that benefit from travel agent assistance. All requests are made online. Simple bookings are completed in self-service mode. More complex requests are routed to an agent who proposes options back to the traveller, still within the online tool. By routing all bookings through KDS Corporate, policy is enforced, costs are monitored and data capture is complete.
· KDS Invoice Reconciliation automates cost allocation and reconciliation for imported supplier invoices. Lodge card data, travel agency and other supplier invoiced costs can be viewed and matched against existing trip data. Accounts Payable teams can confidently pay invoices without manually cross checking every line item. With all travel related costs held in the same database, the much sought-after, total trip cost reporting now becomes a reality.
These new modules expand the capabilities of KDS, allowing a redefinition of what an end-to-end, purchase-to-pay process can achieve when applied to travel spending.

Yves Weisselberger, CEO of KDS, said, “Customers using our systems have always been able to achieve significant costs savings but these new modules represent a T&E industry first. Now, unless you are booking a private jet, there is virtually no opportunity to circumvent the system. Employers can reap the rewards of lower spending and improved cost analysis, while travellers can be sure that even their most complex travel bookings are handled quickly and efficiently.

“Achieving 100% user adoption has long been the Holy Grail for T&E systems, and now that is within reach,” he continued. “The comprehensiveness of KDS Corporate makes it far easier for organisations to mandate the use of the system for all bookings. This in turn opens the door to far greater savings, which is welcome news in the current economic climate.”

KDS press contacts:
Marc Cornelius
80:20 Communications
Tel.: +44 20 7664 6310
mcornelius@8020comms.com

Stanislas Berteloot
Marketing Manager, KDS
Tel.: +33 (0)1 46 29 33 80
sberteloot@kds.com

Global KDS Survey identifies new priorities for business travel industry in the recession

ewollny — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:54:58 +0200

13/06/2009

GLOBAL KDS SURVEY IDENTIFIES NEW PRIORITIES FOR BUSINESS TRAVEL INDUSTRY IN THE RECESSION

Survey shows travellers adapting to life with less travel, but highlights areas where value is still perceived

Paris, France, June 12, 2009 – Business people around the world report that companies are indeed clamping down hard on travel in order to save money and that this is having a noticeable impact on their effectiveness. These findings come from a global survey by KDS, the European leader in Travel & Expense management systems, which shows the various ways in which business travellers are feeling the pinch. According to KDS, the results highlight new traveller priorities that the industry needs to respond to in order to tough out the downturn.

In May 2009, KDS surveyed the opinions of 435 business travellers around the world to see how their travel behaviour had changed as a result of the recession. The key findings were as follows:

TRAVELLERS FORCED TO CUT TRAVEL; FEELING THE EFFECT IN THEIR WORK

71% said their companies had significantly reduced their business travel.

The cutting of travel has accelerated in recent months: 37% saw cuts made over six months ago, 54% within the past two-to-six months, and a further 9% seeing cuts implemented just in the last month.

Trips for sales and commercial relations are the likeliest to be allowed (45% of approved travel), followed by customer support trips (21%), conferences and presentation visits (20%) and intercompany meetings (10%). Perhaps inevitably, training-related trips come off worst, at just 4% of those approved in the recession.

Almost half of respondents feel that business travel is important for their company’s success: asked about their most recent five trips, 49% said all were essential for their work, 16% said that four were essential, while 26% said that between one and three of these trips were essential. (9% said that none of their last five trips were essential, an interesting confession when cost-cutting is a priority!)

But not all travellers are complaining about reductions in travel. When asked generally if they would prefer to travel more or less, 62% said that, given the choice, they would be happy to travel less.

EMPLOYERS REQUIRE MORE SPARTAN LIVING

75% of respondents said they now had to work harder to justify their travel.

Only 38% said that their companies allowed them to travel business class and, of these, 70% said that it was only for flights of five hours or more.

58% said that they had reduced the frequency of their hotel stays in the past six months; of these, 35% had cut one stay out of five, 30% had reduced 2 stays out of five, and 22% had cut as many as three stays out of five.

But, if offered a choice, 73% would choose to fly business class on a long trip – the lure of the forbidden – rather than upgrading their hotel room on their arrival.

Happily though, most companies are still avoiding the uncomfortable and embarrassing policy of room-sharing, with only 7% saying that they were asked to do this.

THE PERCEIVED VALUE OF BUSINESS TRAVEL

Most people agree that the primary benefit of travel is that it really helped them to have a broader understanding of local issues and challenges, improved improve cooperation between colleagues at other offices and made it possible for them to identify unknown risks.
The work ethic remains strong though in spite of everything. 32% still travel although they feel it impacts their family life and 27% agree it has a detrimental effect on their health.
The restaurant industry will be pleased to hear that 90% replied that a business lunch was still useful in cementing relationships and facilitating projects, while 82% said that dinners also added value. (The majority - 92% - felt that business gifts were never or rarely a useful way of aiding their business.)

When travelling with colleagues and spending a night in a hotel, most people – 61% - would prefer to spend their free time with their colleagues, 19% wanted to stay alone and rest but the remaining 20% preferred to continue working, either with colleagues or on their own.
There are advantages to both companies and individuals. When spending a weekend away, 43% chose to go sightseeing, 19% rested and 9% went shopping. However, the remaining 29% carry on working to extract maximum value from their trip.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYERS AND THE BUSINESS TRAVEL INDUSTRY

According to KDS, the survey findings have highlighted four opportunities that employers and the business travel industry should focus upon:

1. Travel costs are under great scrutiny, so providers need to rebalance their offerings with a focus on value. Certain airlines are expanding their economy sections at the cost of underutilised first class compartments, and other businesses should follow this lead. In this context, KDS argues that travel and expense management systems have a bright future ahead, since they also facilitate lower-cost travel choices.

2. Travellers are prepared to make concessions in how they travel, but still place greater value on certain options. As many would sacrifice a comfortable hotel room for a business class air ticket – and potentially greater time to be productively engaged at the destination – employers should consider whether more flexibility in their travel policies could yield greater benefits for the businesses.

3. Travellers experience stress as a result of their travel, in terms of impacts on health and family life. Yet, they also find solace in the tourism and shopping opportunities they can experience on a visit. To create a more enjoyable overall visit, travel service providers should aim to offer a completely packaged experience that not only offers financial value but also uses social media and other technologies to make travellers aware in advance of the nearby opportunities to unwind.

4. Lastly, the industry should take heart from the fact that travellers still recognise the irreplaceable nature of direct human contact. They concede that meeting in person allows them to develop stronger business relationships, and that encounters over lunch and dinner are of significant value. Employers and providers should focus on this fact as they devise travel policies and service offerings.

“The intensity of the recession has undoubtedly impacted attitudes towards travel,” said Stanislas Berteloot, marketing director of KDS. “However, while superficially the outlook is bleak, in fact it is simply a change in demand patterns. Travel businesses that help employers save money, but in a way that still preserves their employees’ morale, are the ones that stand to perform strongest in this recession and emerge in an excellent position once the economy improves.”

- Ends -

About the study - More than 435 professionals from around the world took part in this online survey conducted by KDS from 12-29 May. They come from all-sized companies: 29% with 1 to 500 employees, 23% from 500 to 5,000 employees, 10% with 5,000 to 10,000 employees and 38% from companies with more than 10,000 employees. As to how often they travelled, 34% made 1-5 trips a year, 15% 5-10 trips a year, 21% from 10-20 times a year, 11% 20-30 times a year and 15% more than 30 times a year.

KDS press contacts:

Marc Cornelius

80:20 Communications

Tel.: +44 20 7664 6310

mcornelius@8020comms.com

Stanislas Berteloot

Marketing Manager, KDS

Tel.: +33 (0)1 46 29 33 80

sberteloot@kds.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.

UNIGLOBE Custom Travel partnering successfully with KDS in Canada

COQUIL — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:41:27 +0200

02/05/2009

UNIGLOBE Custom Travel, a leading Corporate Travel Management Company in Western Canada, and its operating subsidiary Custom Travel Solutions, along with KDS, the leader in on-demand travel and expense solutions, are pleased to announce that they have completed all necessary implementation, quality coordination and live testing of the KDS online booking tools.

An ongoing project for the past 12 months, starting with the implementation of KDS Portal in 2008, and KDS Corporate in 2009, UNIGLOBE Custom Travel has successfully launched the online booking service to several major Western Canadian corporations. 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.

Custom Travel Solutions and KDS have worked together to implement a self-booking tool that will empower Custom’s corporate clients, and the TMC itself, to compete head-on with online retailers by offering both lower fares and superior support. The tool enables customers to achieve substantial budgetary savings as a result of improved travel policy compliance, the automatic highlighting of lowest-cost fare options, and efficiency gains in the booking process. In addition, it offers the advantage of full corporate reporting and risk management. The companies have also successfully developed the interface for corporately owned and charter aircraft content to appear within display results, alongside commercial flights, accommodation and ground transport. Canadian content is 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. As a leader within Canada, KDS and Custom Travel Solutions were the first to successfully integrate both the Air Canada Flight Pass system on the KDS online tool, plus the enhanced connectivity between KDS and Air Canada through an API link to display full Air Canada fare attributes.

Vaughan Payne, President of UNIGLOBE Custom stated, “The demand for an online tool in Canada meant that any decision to partner with an online solution provider relied on their ability to recognize the unique offering of Air Canada and its flight passes, the low cost applications of WestJet, and to think out of the box based on the Canadian market. KDS met this critical demand in all applications.” Keith Johnson, Manager, Interactive Services at Custom Travel also noted that, “the tool is very straightforward to deploy, meaning there is no technological burden or disruption to daily business for our customers”.

"We are delighted that UNIGLOBE Custom Travel selected KDS as its online travel management solution provider, and we are also delighted that it chose to be our distributor of the Corporate KDS application in Western Canada, but also our distributor Internationally of both the online tool and the KDS Expense Management Solution as well," said Yves Weisselberger, CEO of KDS. "We believe that Custom Travel Solutions market expertise, together with the strength of KDS Portal and Corporate, and Expense Management will provide Custom Travel’s corporate customers with the right resources and tool to best control their travel spend."

About : UNIGLOBE Custom Travel Solutions

Over the past 14 years, Custom Travel’s executive has worked to assemble a service team that is committed and passionate about building long-term partnerships with Western Canadian companies and institutions. In 2007, they recognized the importance of forming a strategic relationship with KDS so as deliver on its long-term business goals and position themselves for future opportunities. The individual employees of Custom Travel Solutions bring the unique combination of experience, technical knowledge and vision required to deliver outstanding travel and logistics program results. Our Western Canadian local service exhibits the ability to deliver exemplary service with dedicated technical and training managers in a niche environment with the addition of strategic partners from KDS and InteliSys, the leaders in online and charter reservation processes.

In addition, Custom Travel has the ability to support its customers with exemplary full service agents of our own, anywhere around the world through its association globally with UNIGLOBE Travel and its associate offices. UNIGLOBE Travel is now the world’s largest single-brand travel franchise company with over 700 locations in more than 30 countries. The company has annual, worldwide sales of over $2 billion.

SWINE FLU: COMPANIES SLOW TO WARN STAFF ON MEXICO TRIPS, SAYS KDS

Valerie Ferat — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:06:22 +0200

29/04/2009

Top travel booking tech firm finds only a third of companies communicate risks to their staff

Paris, France, April 28, 2009 – According to a poll of corporate travel managers and business travelers on the rapidly-spreading swine flu epidemic, only a third of companies have formally communicated with their employees about travel in light of the outbreak.

KDS is the European market leader in online travel and expense management systems. Its clients include procurement managers at many of the world’s largest corporations, who oversee the travel planning for tens of thousands of employees. 163 executives and business travelers gave their feedback to this snap poll, which was conducted yesterday and today.

Only 31 percent of respondents said that their companies had communicated with their staff about the epidemic. Sixty-nine percent said that as yet no action had been taken by their employers.

Some 46 percent of respondents said their companies were looking at cancelling their Mexican trips, while 15 per cent said they were considering avoiding the USA, where cases of the illness have been reported in several cities.

The figures come as the first cases of the virulent flu – which has reportedly already killed more than 150 people in Mexico – are confirmed within Europe.

Commenting on the results, Yves Weisselberger, CEO of KDS, said: “With only a third of companies communicating on the issue to their staff, it is important for businesses to ensure that they can relay urgent travel information internally. This highlights two benefits of online travel management systems, as these enable businesses to post travel advisory notices to all staff at will, while also quickly establishing their travelers’ whereabouts.”

T&E SYSTEM USERS WANT BETTER MOBILE ACCESS, SAYS KDS

COQUIL — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:33:23 +0200

14/04/2009

Group feedback confirms demand as KDS steps up mobile development activities

To meet the expectations of the iPhone generation, corporate Travel and Expense (T&E) systems have to offer a new wave of optimized mobile applications, says KDS, Europe’s online T&E market leader. Its comments reflect a recent survey of the influential KDS User Group, 95% of whose members say they want mobile access to travel bookings, and follow a recent strengthening of the company’s mobile application development programme.

The KDS User Group includes travel and procurement managers from some of the world’s largest multinational corporations, who are responsible for tens of thousands of business travellers. Collectively, the Group has a purchasing power in excess of €2 billion. Over 130 members responded to the survey on mobile applications, undertaken in February.

Notable findings include the following:

95% of respondents were either Very Interested (80%) or Interested (15%) in being able to access information about business trips via mobile, such as booking references, addresses and phone numbers.
Of these, 60% were Very Interested and 27% Interested in accessing GPS positioning for appointment locations.
89% of respondents want not only to access travel information from a mobile, but also to search for and alter bookings. (65% considered this Highly Attractive and 24% Attractive.)
The most popular options for which mobile users would search would be flights or train (89%), followed by hotels (88%) and car hire (87%).
80% would like to submit expense claims via a mobile device during a business trip, underling the attractions of integrating travel and expense in a single system. (49% saw this as Very Useful and 31% Useful.)

Yves Weisselberger, CEO of KDS, says, "By definition, a mobile device is a natural way to access information about your business trip. Iconic products like the iPhone and BlackBerry have raised the bar of user expectation – Travel & Expense systems now have to roll out enhanced apps to complement the mobile experience.”

“We are at a turning point as far as mobile access to SaaS (Software as a Service) applications is concerned,” he continued. “KDS solutions are already accessible on iPhone, but we’re working to introduce fully optimized applications for this and other smart phone platforms.”

KDS has recently stepped up its development work on the mobile delivery of its integrated T&E applications, with careful consideration of the optimal functionality and interface. “Mobile apps should be powerful and yet easy to navigate on the smaller screen,” says Weisselberger. “To deliver such pared-down solutions for T&E is a real challenge, as the systems are so multifaceted, but this is the target we must aim for if we’re to truly meet the needs of business travellers.”

Notes to Editors

Further details from the KDS User Group Study:
89% would find it either Very Useful (65%) or Useful (24%) to search by mobile for a flight or train; 88% would find it either Very Useful (61%) or Useful (27%) to search for a hotel; and 87% would find it Very Useful (47%) or Useful (40%) to search for a car hire company.

90% use their mobile phone daily for professional reasons. Almost all are equipped with smartphones: 37% use BlackBerry, 24% Symbian (e.g. Nokia), 21% Windows Mobile (e.g. HTC), 10% iPhone and 1% Android mobiles.

Nearly 70% of respondents use their mobile to consult information relating to their business trip: 23.4% Often, 24.7% Occasionally and 21% Rarely.

Use of GPS for the moment remains limited to approximately 30% of business travellers.

Recession is Spurring Uptake of Online Travel & Expense Solutions, reports KDS

sberteloot — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:00:02 +0200

08/04/2009

Halton, SFR and EADS amongst the latest to increase their reliance on hosted travel and expense applications in search of budgetary savings

Paris, France, 7 April 2009 - The recession is proving a powerful recruiting sergeant for hosted travel & expense management systems, according to European market leader KDS. A widespread determination to reduce corporate travel and expense costs, plus the rising popularity of SaaS (Software as a Service) offerings, has led to a marked increase in sales enquiries for KDS over the past six months.

"We have the wind in our sails because companies are actively seeking cost killers," says Yves Weisselberger, the company’s CEO. "The magic bullets in our case are better control of claims processing, automatic matching of invoices with reservations, and assured policy compliance, all of which result from integrating travel and expense management into a single application.”

“The SaaS message has also reached tipping point,” he continued. “More companies now appreciate that hosted solutions save them money on hardware investments and maintenance, while also ensuring that the data they access is updated in real time.”

KDS is receiving enquiries from companies of all sizes, as they pursue cost savings that can be as great as 20 percent once a KDS application is fully deployed.

In France, Halton, a leader in ventilation and air-conditioning solutions, is one of the latest midsize businesses to turn to KDS. The company, which employs over 1,100 people, has chosen mid-market solution KDS Express to simplify its expense account processing. "KDS Express has allowed us to simplify expense account processing from start to finish, benefitting both the company and our employees," explains Frédéric Durot, Halton's administrative and financial manager.

As a larger employer, French mobile communications operator SFR has recently deployed the KDS Corporate Expense module to improve the management of expense accounts across the group. This is fully integrated with the KDS Corporate Travel module, which the company has used successfully for several years.

On the largest scale, European aviation and defence group EADS Group has recently extended its use of KDS Corporate’s Travel module for a further five years and complemented this with adoption of the Expense module. "EADS and Airbus selected KDS as a unified solution to simplify and automate our travel and expense processes,” says Michael Doerr, business travel manager for EADS. “The solution has already generated substantial savings in France and Germany and adoption throughout the Group is reaching 80%."

GREEN BUSINESS TRAVEL AT RISK IN THE RECESSION, ACCORDING TO ACTE/KDS GLOBAL SURVEY

Valerie Ferat — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:01:13 +0100

10/02/2009

Business Travel Show, London, February 10, 2009 – Companies’ commitment to improved Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is no passing fad, according to the latest annual opinion poll by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) and KDS, the European leader in on-demand travel and expense systems. However, ‘green’ forms of business travel are suffering in the recession, as organisations prioritize cost-saving over supporting sustainable travel.

Study finds companies upping their commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility, but putting cost-cutting ahead of the Environment when it comes to business travel

This is the fourth consecutive year that ACTE and KDS have gauged business opinion on issues around CSR and business travel. The latest survey was conducted between December 2008 and January 2009 and captured the opinions of 329 travel managers and business travellers from around the world, the largest-ever response to an ACTE/KDS survey and a 52% increase from last year’s respondents.

Confounding the sceptics, the study found that companies are not being blown off course by the global recession in seeking to promote CSR:
• 61% of organisations now have a CSR charter (versus 59% in 2008)
• 27% of organisations prefer to do business with suppliers and partners with a CSR charter
• 28% of corporate travel departments are required to report to management on carbon emissions performance
• The most common CSR activities are reducing energy waste within company buildings (76% of companies), contributing to the local community (55%), cutting carbon emissions in production plans (34%) and using carbon offset arrangements (25%).

However, this commitment to CSR does not automatically translate into greener travel choices, as these often entail higher financial costs. The survey finds that companies see cost-cutting as the top business travel concern (rated a high priority by 79% of companies), while environmentally sustainable travel is a high priority for only 17%. Overall, environmental sustainability is rated only a mid-level priority for business travel, ranked at this level by 48% of organisations.

Greater concern about our impact on the environment appears to be more of a European phenomenon. Only 35% of US respondents said they would consider their carbon emissions when planning business travel, compared to 42% of Europeans.

Meanwhile, the United States has already seen a greater focus on cost-cutting in the travel budget, suggesting that the situation in Europe may well worsen during 2009. Overall, 70% of respondents said their company has sought reductions in the travel budget to save money, but for US organisations the figure was 80%. Similarly, while 54% of respondents said they had been asked to cut their number of business trips because of the economic crisis, for US respondents the figure was 64%.

Susan Gurley, executive director and chief staff officer of ACTE, said, “The survey shows that, contrary to some predictions, Corporate Social Responsibility has not fallen from favour in these challenging times. Instead, the figures show that it is steadily gaining ground and becoming part of the DNA for organisations around the world. However, it also puts to rest the myth that good CSR practices automatically include greener travel choices. Under present economic conditions, green travel choices may frequently conflict with the greater urge to cut costs.”

Yves Weisselberger, CEO of KDS, commented, “At this stage, green travel choices remain scarce and are usually more expensive. For example, European companies can send their staff by high speed rail, which is low in emissions but often more expensive than a low-cost flight. However, in the current economy, paying a premium is hard to justify, so green business travel will lose out. Longer term, though, the picture is brighter – companies clearly want to do the right thing through CSR, so once the financial premium is erased, or the economy permits, we should expect to see green business travel become far more popular.”

ENDS

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE)
Caroline Allen
Regional Director
+44 (0) 7525 186 084
CAllen@acte.org

KDS
Stanislas Berteloot Marc Cornelius
Marketing Director 80:20 Communications
+33 (0)6 80 40 40 56 +44 (0)7876 500260
sberteloot@kds.com mcornelius@8020comms.com

NOTES TO EDITORS:
Many of the companies that took part in the survey have said they are prepared to discuss their views with the media. Represented companies include H. Lundbeck A/S, BMO financial group, Tourisme Montreal, AAPT Ltd, limagrain, Scor, berger-levrault, BATSA, União de Bancos Brasileiros – Unibanco, Sleepwell AB, IGATE, Class Tour, Derek Smith and Associates, Hotel Association of Canada, Hotel Sourcing Alliance, UNIGLOBE Travel - Sub Saharan Africa, Altadis, S.A., Fields, Community Financial Services Association of America, OKAIDI, PAR Travel Tech, Inc. and AirPlus International. For further information please contact KDS.

About ACTE
The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) represents the global business travel industry through its international advocacy efforts, executive level educational programs, and independent industry research. ACTE's membership consists of senior travel industry executives from 82 countries representing the €463 billion business travel industry. With the support of sponsors from every major segment of the business travel industry, ACTE develops and delivers educational programs in key business centers throughout the world. ACTE has representation in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and the United States. For more information on ACTE, please go to www.acte.org.

ACTE 2009 Global Education Conferences:
5-7 April, Washington, D.C.
25-27 October, Prague

PRIME AIR GLOBAL JOIN FORCES WITH KDS TO PROVIDE INDIAN CORPORATIONS/TMC’S WITH AVANCE SOLUTION TO CONTROL THEIR TRAVEL SPEND

sberteloot — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 11:11:27 +0100

20/01/2009

New Delhi -- January 19, 2009 -- Prime Air Global Ltd, a leading Indian travel management company and KDS an international leader in SaaS travel & expense management have entered into a partnership to provide KDS online travel management solution to the Indian market.

KDS web based solution enable organizations of all sizes to easily plan and book their travel online. Corporations using KDS solutions manage and monitor their travel policies and save travel spend by offering travel inventory on real time including Low Cost Carriers, Scheduled Airlines, Hotels and Car Rentals worldwide.

KDS international inventory includes European railways, and numerous international Low Cost Carriers.

Customers such as PriceWaterhouseCooper, Air Bus, ArcelorMittal, Alcatel Lucent, EADS, The British Government, Shell, Unilever etc. have chosen KDS unique end-to-end travel & expense solution for its independence, its supplier inventory and its ability to perform globally.

KDS solution help companies manage and reduce their Travel & Expense costs whilst simultaneously allowing employers to implement their travel policies and Travel Agencies to handle their clients more efficiently with a range of fulfilment services all under one screen and backed by efficient reporting systems.

KDS solutions are now available in India by Prime Air Global Ltd, a company that has been in travel industry since 1992 and has brought many pioneering products for the travel businesses and clients on Offline and Online Ecommerce travel business. The company has setup a separate department to look after KDS online travel management solution.

END

About Prime Air Global LTd

Prime Air Global Ltd is an established travel management company with operations in India, UK and USA. Our product portfolio includes Corporate travel management services, travel technology to Businesses across various industries and Travel Trade.

Visit us at www.primetravels.com/corporate-self-booking-tool.shtml to know more about Self Booking Tools.

As partner for KDS for India, the tool is being made available to Travel Companies and Businesses who have significant travel size and spend/volume and who wish to implement a tool that brings in efficiencies and cost savings in the process.

Press Contacts:

Arun Varma

Prime Air Global Ltd

E 8A, 1st Floor, Hauz Khas Market

New Delhi 110016, India

Tel: +(91.11) 4670 0000 (# 370)

Direct: +(91.11) 4670 0070

4th ACTE/KDS SURVEY TO MEASURE IMPACT OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS, TRAVEL SPEND TRENDS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Valerie Ferat — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:55:53 +0100

09/01/2009

The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) and KDS will collaborate again in 2009 on the industrywide 4th ACTE/KDS Survey. The survey will measure the impact of the global economic crisis, travel spend trends and the effect on companies’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs.

“With the global economy still the key issue going into 2009, it will be interesting to see how companies’ emphasis on cost-savings will impact their CSR programs,” Susan Gurley, ACTE Executive Director, said. “Every year brings new and provocative findings which are the benchmark for the industry. Last year’s survey indicated a sizeable shift toward a greener style of travel management – we will see if that holds true for 2009.”
“KDS is committed to leading the industry toward increased CSR awareness both through industry relations and through technology innovation,” commented Stanislas Berteloot KDS Marketing Director. “We are pleased to work with ACTE once again on this fourth survey at a historical time for our industry, which is faced with unparalleled financial and environmental challenges. We anticipate fascinating results.”

Several new questions have been added to the 2009 ACTE/KDS Survey that focus on the effect the economy is having on companies’ travel management programs.
To access the survey, please go to the ACTE website, or please click HERE.
The deadline for the survey is Friday, 30 January.

The results of the survey will be announced at a press conference during the Business Travel Show in London, 10-12 Feb.

Highlights from last year’s ACTE/KDS Survey included:
> 75 percent of travel managers who responded to the survey said their company had increased its travel spend in 2007
> 69 percent of companies said they used a self-booking tool to manage their travel arrangements
> 58 percent of respondent companies said they had a CSR charter
> 56 percent of business travelers looked to these charters in making environmentally sound travel decisions
> 34 percent of respondents felt their companies supported sustainable travel

Last year’s ACTE/KDS survey was taken by 263 respondents from 10 global regions including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Asia, Africa, Latin America, Middle East, and, Eastern and Central, Northern and Continental Europe. Forty percent represented corporations employing more than 10,000 people, while 15 percent worked for companies with 1 to 100 employees. Respondents were also frequent travelers: 31 percent made more than 30 trips per year, while 42 percent travelled more than 20 times per year.

ABOUT ACTE:
The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) represents the global business travel industry through its international advocacy efforts, executive level educational programs, and independent industry research. ACTE's membership consists of senior travel industry executives from 82 countries representing the €463 billion business travel industry. With the support of sponsors from every major segment of the business travel industry, ACTE develops and delivers educational programs in key business centers throughout the world. ACTE has representation in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and the United States. For more information on ACTE, please go to www.acte.org.

EMPLOYEES ‘EVEN THE SCORE’ AGAINST OBSTRUCTIVE EXPENSE SYSTEMS

sberteloot — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:23:33 +0100

16/12/2008

International survey shows expense processing is ripe target for cost-cutting corporations

Download Study: http://www.kds.com/en/KDS_expense_study

Windsor, UK -- December 15, 2008 – Business travelers are frequently out of pocket as a result of their employers’ archaic or unhelpful expense claim systems, which causes some staff to feel entirely justified in filing fictitious claims to recoup their losses. At the same time, these outmoded systems are saddling employers with excessive admin costs at exactly the time that they most need to trim budgets, according to new research from KDS, the European leader in on-demand travel and expense solutions.

KDS recently surveyed the opinions of 364 travel and expense professionals and regular travellers. Respondents were predominantly based in the United Kingdom, France and United States, giving a highly international perspective to issues around expense management. Key findings included:

As many as 60% of respondents employers remain wedded to time-intensive spreadsheets for expense systems.
Expenses are a major drag on executive time: 23% of travellers spend over an hour on each claim, and 35% take between 30 minutes and an hour.
Staff may be padding their expenses as ‘retaliation’ for enduring convoluted claims procedures: 24% say they fail to claim back all their expenses, often losing track of receipts; 10% say this can cost them as much as €100 personally per claim; 11% have to wait over a month to be reimbursed.
11% of respondents say their employers expect them to pay the Internet charges for checking work emails whilst travelling.
16% of US respondents admit to inflating their expenses, versus 9% of British and 10% of French
French staff cheat more often than their UK and US counterparts. However, while UK and US employees falsify expenses less frequently, when they do so it will, on average, be for a larger amount than their French counterparts would claim.
The favourite method of boosting an expense claim in France is – quelle surprise – restaurant bills. Brits and Americans prefer more mundane taxi fares.

Given the frustrations of expense claim processes, it is perhaps surprising that not more employees fiddle – or admit to fiddling – their expenses. Although 49% said they knew how to do so, just 13% of respondents said they bumped up their claims. In most cases, the amounts over-claimed came to less than €50.

Yves Weisselberger, chief executive of KDS, said, “Expense claims remain a bête noire for many employees, and this survey shows how a minority seek to even the score. The greater message of this study is that, by sticking with time-intensive systems, companies are forsaking important cost-savings when they need them most, and submerging their people in admin when they should be out winning business.”

A previous study by American Express and global management consulting firm AT Kearney found that indirect administrative costs associated with travel and expense accounts amounted to 4.6% of the expenditure occurred. Better practices, the report argued, could reduce this by more than half, to just 2.1%, or €21 for every €1,000 spent. According to KDS, the adoption of automated expense account management would make up a significant proportion of this reduction.

Comments from respondents to the KDS survey include the following:

“When I put in a claim, I have to complete an online form attaching a PDF version of the receipts, then print a copy to send to Finance with a copy for reference, then send a request to my management team to authorise payment, then ensure they send all the information and receipts on to the Finance department. This is extremely time consuming and information has to be accurate, otherwise it is all rejected and you have to start again!”
Secretary, mid-size consulting firm, UK

“A salesperson falsified some restaurant receipts and claimed for meals that were actually eaten at home.”
Accountant, large distribution company, France

“The finance department seems to think it runs the company, whereas in reality it is an outsourced entity trying so hard, yet so vainly, to adhere to stricter than normal rules given by the employer recovering corporate card data.”
R&D professional, large media company, UK

“It’s important to reflect on why people cheat with their expense accounts. I cheat because my company’s policy is sometimes so restrictive that I’m looking to compensate for lost money. It’s the only way to get all my money back. For example, I can’t claim for my minibar bill, so I increase my taxi fare by $5.”
Marketing professional, large IT company, USA

“One reason for a lack of receipts is the London Transport Oyster system. In effect the fare doubles if you want an individual receipt. You also need to queue, delaying the journey.”
IT manager, mid size financial services firm, UK

“The more I went on business trips, the more I lost money. My company’s policy was to make the reimbursement of business expenses lengthy, difficult and discouraging.”
Manager, large media company, France

“Companies often turn a blind eye to our phone calls and Internet connections although we’re often asked to be on duty (at night and during weekends) and are therefore likely to have to communicate from elsewhere. Trips to see customers in the Paris region are counted as Home-to-Office trips, although customers are invoiced for them.”
Engineer, large IT company, France

“This is definitely one of the areas – or the area – where we have the most work to do. We have unclear or unsuitable policies, inconsistencies, archaic processing, no reliable reporting...I won’t go on because the list is too long!”
Managing Director, small IT company, France

“One of the things that’s ‘broken’ in our expense account system, which is extremely frustrating, is that no matter how fast I complete my monthly expense accounts, the credit card suppliers invoice me for penalties for delay. There’s a problem between our tool and the credit card and I find it totally unjust that I’m penalised personally for this problem. Until it’s fixed, I’ll keep submitting overstated expense accounts to compensate.”
Sales person, large transport company, USA

A copy of the full survey report is available from KDS upon request from http://www.kds.com/en/KDS_expense_study

Business Travellers are Adopting Prudent Attitude in Face of the Financial Crisis: Stricter Rules and Teleconference

Valerie Ferat — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:52:59 +0200

22/10/2008

A KDS Client Survey shows how important cost control is in a time of crisis

London -- October 20, 2008 -- KDS, an international leader in SaaS travel & expense management, has survey hundred of its clients from large organisations on the impact of the financial crisis on their travel management program. It appears that they are anticipating tougher travel policies in the coming months.

The survey panel was comprised of 47 percent travel managers. Twenty percent were procurement directors and another 20 percent financial directors. All worked in organisations with 5000 plus employees.

They are 54 percent to believe that the financial crisis is going to force their companies to cut on travel between today and March 2009. Thirty six percent said that they have had to cancel booked travels. One of the financial director commented that since the crisis no trips under two days are authorised in his company.

Furthermore, 33 percent of the surveyed respondents had to cancel international meetings.

KDS plays a key role at Airbus to control travel costs. "In these turbulent economical times, Airbus relies on KDS to drive the unit cost of travel down to the most effective option," said James Westgarth, Airbus, Global Travel Manager.

The financial crisis will have consequences on the enterprise travel policy and the survey reveals that 69 percent are forecasting stricter rules in the coming months. However, most respondents are not anticipating the amount of authorise expenses reimbursement to be reduced.

Is the crisis an excuse to carry on cost reduction project started a while ago illustrating what Naomi Klein calls "The Shock Doctrine"? Some of the comments left by surveyed clients seem to go in this direction. For this financial director from a large American corporation, "Travel cuts begun during the first quarter and have nothing to do with the current crisis. We have been asked to do more teleconference and to cut on international trips."

"The financial crisis is putting procurement and financial department under pressure," explains Stanislas Berteloot Marketing Director of KDS. "Costs must go down. Then cutting travel costs is relatively simple and has an immediate impact on the bottom line."

"Survey respondents are all KDS users. They all have the necessary tools to adjust, in real-time, the travel procurement rules and approbation workflow. KDS solutions can be configured to promote a type of transportation option and even to promote teleconference usage."

Confronted with costs increase, corporations are struggling to slash their travel costs. Traditionally, Travel & Expense costs represent the second non-production related expense after payrolls. Consequently, 92 percent of the survey respondents are planning on using web meeting services and visio-conference systems to cut on travel.

The majority of respondents, 73 percent are based in continental Europe; 8 percent in the United-States and 19 percent in the rest of the world.

KDS European Rail Offering Continues to Grow with Swedish Rail

sberteloot — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:35:53 +0200

03/10/2008

European corporations are turning to KDS solutions for exhaustive rail inventory in order to meet green travel policy requirements

October 2, 2008 – Stockholm – KDS, an international leader in SaaS travel & expense management, announced the availability of Swedish Rail within its product suite. KDS clients of all sizes using KDS solutions either directly or via a travel agency portal can now book all main Swedish rail suppliers, directly from within the system.

With the recent addition of Swedish Rail including SJ and other main rail operators in the Swedish market, KDS users can now book rail tickets for even more European rail trips; a move in line with corporations' travel behaviour.

Being able to compare timetables and fares not only between traditional airlines and low cost carriers but also with rail on a multimodal display gives users added freedom. Studies show that with the extension of the European high speed rail network business travellers now select rail over air for most trips under 4 hours.

KDS allows travellers to choose the best offers while ensuring compliancy with their organisation’s travel policy, guidelines on carbon emissions and negotiated vendor contracts. This is in line with an increasing number of organisations' travel policies which take into account Corporate Social Responsibility items and which prefer rail to air on selected routes.

"SJ AB welcomes KDS's incorporation of rail into its intuitive user interface. The multimodal display of rail and air is an essential feature for our corporate costumers and gives users a better product experience," said Thomas Mann, Head of Distribution for SJ AB.

In Sweden, SJ AB the government owned rail provider operates 90 percent of rail journeys which distance exceeds 100 km. With roughly 1,450 daily departures, travellers are quickly and easily connected to the region’s prime business hubs and airports, including Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo. KDS also supports SJ Prio and other business travel concepts offered by SJ.

The Swedish rail integration was made possible by a collaboration between Swedish integrator Linkon, SJ and KDS.

“KDS has been the first online travel management solution to offer rail access in Europe. We are proud to add Swedish rail to our portfolio of rail content especially since rail is becoming an essential mode of transport for business travellers, particularly in the Nordic region, which was among the earliest green adopters,” said Annicka Lofstrand, Business Development Director EMEA for KDS.

A recent global survey of business travellers carried out by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives and KDS revealed there is now a real desire among corporations to reduce the frequency of travel and select ‘greener’ options, with 45% of respondents citing concern about how global warming directly impacts individuals’ decisions about business travel.

KDS launches KDS Express, the first travel expense management service designed for mid sized companies

sberteloot — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:54:37 +0200

30/09/2008

Pre-configured for setup in less than four weeks without IT deployment, KDS Express is a “pure Internet” solution that generates savings of up to 30% of the cost and processing of expense reports and travel bookings.

London, September 29, 2008 – During the Business Travel Conference, The Park Inn, London Heathrow 29 – 30 Sept.; KDS, the European leader in on-demand travel and expense management, unveiled KDS Express, its Mid-Market online solution for expense report automation and travel management.

KDS Express is a hosted solution, SaaS (Software as a Service) available from any Internet browser. Preconfigured to meet the specific requirements of small and medium sized companies, KDS Express can be deployed in less than four weeks. Requiring no IT skills, clients automatically benefit from ongoing product enhancement without any additional cost.

To illustrate the advantages of a SaaS expenses and travel solution, KDS has produced a comic strip that can be viewed at http://www.kds.com/en/comic_episode1

Extremely easy and intuitive to use, with a few clicks KDS Express makes available the full operating power of the latest generation of KDS software (see description further down in this press release).
“The mid-market is still largely under-equipped although we note a strong demand. It was essential for us to design a product for this segment that benefits from our large account know-how. Now enterprises of all sizes will have access to the full power of a unified travel and expense solution," said Stéphane Donders, KDS General Manager.
“While companies have a lot to gain by automating their travel expense management processes, a study we conducted on the subject last July shows that, in Great-Britain, expense reports are still entered on a spreadsheet in 68 percent of cases.”

Deploying a dedicated Travel & Expense solution makes it possible to save up to 30% of T&E budgets by streamlining processes, eliminating multiple entries and errors, focusing travel on preferred suppliers and increasing policy compliance.

Advantages of a unified solution for travel and expense management.

During implementation:

Users only need to learn one new system...
Adoption of the travel booking interface is increased by the fact that users are naturally using the expenses entry interface.

The software solution is automatically updated by KDS.

KDS Express will:

Provide a holistic view of your companies T&E spend
Reduce costs via standard application of company policies.
Decrease non-compliancy via automated business rules.
Eliminate manual tasks by automating accounting processes.
Control business travel-related expenses efficiently in real time.
Reduce expense report filling time for users by means of an intelligent reconciliation engine.
Simplify trip booking (flight, train, hotel, car, etc.).

KDS Express unifies business trip booking, expense reporting and invoicing within a single service. An intuitive user interface guides users through making a trip booking and then makes sure that they do not need to re-enter the same details on their expense claim.

Key features are:

Management of expenses and travel reimbursement policies.
Offline entry of expense reports.
Configuration of accounting processes and assignments (accounting, costs, etc.).
Reporting
Tracking of taxable benefit data for legal declarations e.g. DADS, P11D etc.
Expense-account, invoice and trip approval engine.
Powerful fare engine comparing the various travel option in order to selects the best fares according to the organization's policy.
Data import/export: integration of corporate card, lodge card, supplier invoices HR data and export of expense and invoice to the accounting system.

Online Travel & Expense Management
The travel and expenses policies are easy to administrate: the rules governing payment of expenses are integrated and applied automatically. Similarly, the trip purchasing rules guide users to preferred suppliers and ensure compliance with negotiated rates.

Supplier and corporate card data integration.
Management of the different accounting and analytical segments.
Calculation of deductible VAT.
Automatic conversion of currency.
Continuous monitoring of costs through predefined accounting reports.

Online travel & expense management
The travel and expenses policies are easy to administrate: the rules governing payment of expenses are integrated and applied automatically. Similarly, the trip purchasing rules guide users to preferred suppliers and ensure compliance with negotiated rates. Similarly, an intuitive user interface guides users through making a trip booking and then makes sure that they do not need to re-enter the same details on their expense claim.

The software is designed to integrate data from suppliers (e.g. lodged cards, etc.) and corporate cards. With this function, any expense paid for on a corporate card is sent to KDS Express as an expense-line thus saving time and providing 100% accurate data.

KDS Express manages different accounting and analytical segments, calculate deductible VAT and convert currencies. KDS Express's fare engine searches for the best offers according to the travel-policy and negotiated rates.

KDS Express is available immediately. KDS Express can also be easily interfaced with the portals of travel agencies and KDS partners.

Note: The KDS Express comic strip is available at: http://www.kds.com/en/comic_episode1

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.kds.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

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.

ACTE/KDS Survey findings to Shed Light On Corporate Travel Behaviour Re Global Warming

vgalibert@kds.com — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:54:19 +0200

01/02/2007

London - February 1, 2007 – A timely insight into the real impact on corporate travel of rising environmental concerns will be delivered at London’s 2007 Business Travel Show. At a press conference to be held on the event’s first morning, the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) and KDS, European leader in on demand travel and expense, will announce the findings of their joint survey into how organisations are adapting their travel behaviour to respond to the challenge of carbon emissions. The results reflect the opinions of over 200 travel managers and business travellers around the world who participated in the survey over the past two months. The ACTE/KDS press conference will be held at 11.45am on Tuesday 13th February in the Hospitality Lounge at Earls Court 2. Senior executives from both organisations will provide a detailed account of how environmental issues are currently prioritised by executives and how travel practice compares to the public debate about carbon emissions.

“The response to this survey has been very strong, which confirms that the environment is very much on people’s minds”, says Susan Gurley, Chief Staff Officer and Executive Director of ACTE. “As the leading industry association we believe that carbon emissions are one of the most critical issues before us and feel this research will play a helpful role as companies seek to convert good intentions into good practice.”

Stanislas Berteloot, Marketing Director of KDS, says, ”Given the increasing adoption of online self-booking travel management tools we felt it important to capture the views of business travellers as well as travel managers. This study gives a valuable snapshot of both groups’ views and holds a mirror up to companies as they work to align their CSR and travel policies.”

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 Manager      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.

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.

KDS to Preview Green Travel Management Solution at London Business Travel Show

vgalibert@kds.com — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 13:09:34 +0200

30/01/2007

Paris, January 30, 2007 - A Proof of Concept for an environmentally friendly travel and expense (‘T&E’) management solution will be unveiled at the Business Travel Show in London on February 13 - 15. KDS, the European leader in on demand travel and expense, will demonstrate an enhanced version of its end-to-end T&E solution that, when launched, will enable carbon emissions to be calculated and managed for each business trip.

The Proof of Concept, which will be on display on the KDS stand (# 210, opposite the VIP lounge), is based on the class-leading KDS Corporate Version 6 system. It is a working demonstration of how KDS believes travel management systems will very soon be able to help companies integrate their travel and Corporate Social Responsibility policies. The unveiled system will give an insight into advanced product development currently underway at KDS that is expected to produce a commercially available product by the second half of 2007.

KDS is currently running a survey jointly with ACTE (the Association of Corporate Travel Executives) to assess corporate thinking and practice with regard to environmental travel issues. The findings will be announced at a press conference during the show at 11:45am on February 13 in the Hospitality Lounge.

"The findings of the ACTE/KDS survey will show that companies are trying to grapple with the environmental impact of their travel. However, they currently lack the tools to help them do this effectively", says Yves Weisselberger, CEO of KDS. "We see KDS Version 6 as the ideal platform for such a next generation solution, because it gives a complete end-to-end picture of any business journey."

KDS Version 6 offers the widest range of travel content in the industry and is therefore ideally placed to help users consider greener travel options. The Proof of Concept builds on this by integrating a Carbon Calculator from the CarbonNeutral Company, one of the world’s leading climate change businesses. This will give travellers an actual measure of the emissions that their planned journey will create, providing a firmer basis for their decision-making. Furthermore, the expense component of the KDS solution means that environmental impact can be measured more completely after a trip, once associated expense claims are entered into the system.

This fully integrated emissions measurement facility will provide the hard data essential to any practical implementation of environmentally responsible corporate travel. In addition, since KDS Version 6 is designed to be programmed with customers’ unique travel policies, the intended new green system will enable environmentally based policies to be automatically enforced.

As well as helping companies to minimise their emissions through informed travel decisions, the new concept also facilitates the carbon offsetting arrangements that a customer may have in place with its own third party provider. By calculating the total emissions impact of the journey, the system generates a figure that, if desired, the company may charge to its offsetting programme at the click of a mouse.

For each visitor to its stand KDS will calculate the CO2 emissions associated with their journey to the show. The company will then offset this amount for them as a demonstration of the ease of use and value of this powerful new concept.

"There is much debate about the best way to manage emissions, but there is an emerging consensus that it must involve both reductions and some degree of offsetting", says Weisselberger. "The technology we have in development will directly address both issues and provide the easy to use management tool that industry so clearly needs."

ENDS

About KDS
KDS offers the market’s reference end-to-end software solution, spanning online travel self-booking, travel policy definition and enforcement, as well as the automated processing of travel expenses. Setting and enforcing corporate policy, bookings trips, managing expenses can all be done through the KDS ASP offering. In addition, KDS offers extensive back end connectivity to airlines, cars, rail and hotels providers, ensuring optimized pricing and up-to-the-minute inventory. For more information, visit www.kds.com.

About the CarbonNeutral Company
The CarbonNeutral Company is one of the world's leading climate change businesses and helps thousands of people and hundreds of major companies around the world to measure, reduce and offset their CO2 emissions. The company, originally known as Future Forests, was founded in 1997 focusing originally on providing carbon credits generated from forestry projects. For the last 4 years, we have led the climate change market and expanded our product and service portfolio, including offsets from technology driven projects. To reflect this evolution, the name of the company was changed in September 2005 to The CarbonNeutral Company.

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

KDS CEO Named Amongst 25 Most Influential People in Business Travel

mhanus — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 17:35:08 +0100

24/01/2007

Paris, January 24, 2007 – Yves Weisselberger, co-founder and CEO of KDS, the European leader in online business travel management solutions, has been named one of the 25 Most Influential Executives in business travel in 2006 by top US trade magazine Business Travel News.

Alongside leaders including Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Atlantic, Hubert Joly, CEO of Carlson Wagonlit Travel, and Doug Parker, CEO of US Airways, Mr Weisselberger has been cited as having exerted great sway over the industry’s development in the past year. The top 25 decision makers were named on January 22, 2007 by the editors of Business Travel News, based on nominations received from industry professionals.

According to Business Travel News, KDS’ influence in travel technology “has always been formidable”. It says, “Business travel in Europe is more complex than the United States, and this consequently has required its self-booking tools to be more complex. Among the innovations credited to KDS in its quest to serve European needs are multi-GDS connectivity, establishing direct connections to suppliers, and introducing rail content and multi-modal displays that compare rail and air on the same screen.” Commenting on the latest iteration of KDS’s travel management solution the magazine continues, “By far the most influential aspect of version 6.0 is that it includes not only trip booking but also a fully fledged, fully integrated expense management system…The vaunted concept of end-to-end travel automation suddenly has moved a lot closer.”

Full details of The Top 25 Most Influential Executives of 2006 are available at:

http://www.btnmag.com/businesstravelnews/headlines/frontpage_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003535206

About KDS
KDS offers the market’s reference end-to-end software solution, spanning online travel self-booking, travel policy definition and enforcement, as well as the automated processing of travel expenses. Setting and enforcing corporate policy, bookings trips, managing expenses can all be done through the KDS ASP offering. In addition, KDS offers extensive back end connectivity to airlines, cars, rail and hotels providers, ensuring optimized pricing and up-to-the-minute inventory. For more information, visit

www.kds.com .

About Business Travel News
Business Travel News has been the voice of authority for corporate travel buyers throughout North America for over 20 years. BTN publishes 29 issues annually, including 23 newspapers and six Reference/Resource manuals. In addition, BTN offers product extensions providing total coverage of the commercial travel industry. Visit

www.btnmag.com .

Unilever to Broaden Use of KDS Corporate Self-Booking Tool to UK Market

sberteloot — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 14:57:12 +0100

19/12/2006

Paris, December 19, 2006 - KDS, European leader in online business travel management solutions, today announced that multinational manufacturer Unilever will implement KDS solutions to its workforce in the UK.

This rollout comes after three years of initial projects that resulted in €1 million in annual savings and streamlined Unilever’s reservations process. The initial engagement began in 2003, when Unilever looked to KDS to help them change travel buying behaviour across the company.

The primary objective was to implement a self-booking tool in the Netherlands that – if successful – would serve as a blueprint for other regions. Unilever selected KDS Corporate as the self-booking tool most likely to address its needs, specifically seeking the ability to create a specific travel policy for each corporate location, provide advanced workflow capabilities, and offer quick, on-screen access to pricing information. KDS responded with its versatile KDS Corporate solution, providing:

A global solution built for worldwide markets, supporting 11 languages and more than 170 currencies.
Multiple travel information sources (GDS, a supplier site, web based information) properly configured for comprehensive travel management.
Direct access to clients’ negotiated fares, hotel rates and airline schedules.
A smart and powerful fare quote engine.

Based on ease of use and an intensive awareness programme around the new solution, Unilever NL was able to achieve an adoption rate of 83 per cent by the end of the pilot phase, far exceeding the company’s expectations. Going beyond the tool’s proprietary benefits, KDS Corporate also allowed Unilever to make the most of its relationship with Travel Management Company Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT). By integrating the KDS self-booking tool with CWT’s U-Travel solution, Unilever estimates an average of €1 million annually over the past three years and enjoys a usage rate of 75 per cent.

Based on these results, Unilever will bring KDS Corporate to its UK offices and continues to investigate its use in other European locales.

“We chose KDS Corporate for its ease of use, flexibility and performance,” said John Aussems, General Facilities Manager for Corporate Centre, Rotterdam at Unilever. “We were also very impressed by the company’s professional attitude and ability to help us clearly identify and reach our objectives.”

“Looking back over KDS’ relationship with Unilever, we feel the results speak volumes about how big an impact the right business travel solution can have,” said Yves Weisselberger, CEO of KDS. “Going forward, with travel & expense solutions converging, these types of projects will continue to have a reliably positive long-term return as companies truly optimise their travel and expense management processes.”

KDS at the EVP 2006

sberteloot — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 10:34:13 +0100

13/12/2006

Yves speaks about the EVP

Amex EVP in Paris
Uploaded by KDS-Travel

Our Planet: We Are Concerned!

vgalibert@kds.com — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 17:44:57 +0100

08/12/2006

The Survey "Impact of Climate Changes on Business Travel" is a collaborative work of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) the Belgium Association of Travel Managers (BATM) and KDS.

Your involvement will make a difference - please take a few minutes to answer our 17 questions.

Contribute to raising awareness of Social Corporate Responsibility in the travel industry by distributing this survey within your company and to industry colleagues.

The survey has been designed by Industry Associations and KDS to analyze issues concerning carbon emissions and the latest travel trends. Please complete it now to share your views and play a role.

The study covers the following key areas:
Environmentally friendly travel alternatives - impact on behavior Measurement efforts for carbon emissions - comparison of the impact of different travel activities
Latest business travel trends (as compared to last year's survey) The results will be presented at the Business Travel Show at London's Earls Court on February 14th 2007 at 11:30am. The study will be available upon request.
To participate in the survey, please copy this link into your browser.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=284842982915

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.
Contact: mlenfant@acte.org About BATM
BATM is a non-profit making organization representing the interests of the Corporate Travel Management within the Belgian travel industry, promoting in industry best practice, education and providing forums for networking and knowledge sharing.
Contact: nora.buysschaert@batm.be

KDS Wins Business Travel Award in Paris for Innovation and Excellence of “Version 6”

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 15:34:43 +0100

01/12/2006

Paris, December 3, 2006 - KDS, European leader in online business travel management solutions, won the “New Technologies & Management” award of the Business Travel Awards during a ceremony attended by 800 business travel executives and held in Paris on November 27.

This prize, rewarding innovative solutions dedicated to Business Travel Management, was granted to KDS for its new online business travel & expense solution, KDS Corporate Version 6, by a panel comprised of buyers, journalists, publicists and adventurers.

The judges were:

Cyriaque BENOIST, President of the Business Travel Pole French Buyer Association (CDAF)
Jean Marie EPAILLARD, President of France Sales Leaders
Pierre PELOUZET, President of the CDAF
Anne QUEMERE, Adventurer
Thierry SCHLUCK, President of the TV channels « Voyages » & Fox France
Jean Philippe ZOPPINI, Architect of the Z Island project, designer of a floating islands concept

The jury also rewarded Abdelaziz Bougja, Global Travel Manager at Veolia Environnement, as “Travel Manager of the Year.” This prize rewards Veolia for putting an innovative travel policy in place at the company through the deployment of KDS Corporate, which allows Veolia to consolidate its travel spend and therefore make significant savings on this budget.

"The jury rewarded KDS for all the innovations brought by Version 6," explains Cyriaque Benoist, President of the Business Travel Pole of the CDAF. "We are delighted to have received so many high-quality applications. This proves the dynamism of the Business Travel Industry.”

About KDS
KDS offers the market’s reference end-to-end software solution, spanning online travel self-booking, travel policy definition and enforcement, as well as the automated processing of travel expenses. Setting and enforcing corporate policy, bookings trips, managing expenses can all be done through the KDS ASP offering. In addition, KDS offers extensive back end connectivity to airlines, cars, rail and hotels providers, ensuring optimized pricing and up-to-the-minute inventory. For more information, visit www.kds.com.

KDS and the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) Survey Impact of Climate Changes on Business Travel

mhanus — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 14:29:42 +0100

01/12/2006

Paris – London -- 05 December, 2006 - KDS, European leader in on demand travel and expense, and the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) announced today the launch of a joint survey targeting business travelers.

The survey will gauge views on carbon emissions and what role business travelers could play in addressing this issue. With a number of leading corporations reviewing travel programmes from a “green” perspective, the joint KDS ACTE survey will identify business travelers’ views on this issue and how their travel choices can make an impact.

The survey will look to cover the following key areas:

Environmentally friendly travel alternatives – impact on behavior
Measurement efforts for carbon emissions – comparison of the impact of different travel activities.

In addition, the survey will gauge the views on the latest business travel trends and will be presented at the London Business Travel Show at Earls Court February 13th, 14th and 15th, 2007.

To participate in the KDS/ACTE survey, please click here. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=284842982915

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.