Travelport, IBM Join on Expense Management, Corporate Booking Tools

Travelport GDS announced an agreement to jointly deliver an integrated expense management and booking solution that combines IBM’s Global Expense Reporting Solutions (GERS) with the capability to integrate all Travelport GDS bookings. This agreement brings to Travelport and IBM customers an expense management solution with integrated travel booking data regardless of how the transaction was booked.

Under the agreement, Travelport GDS will focus on its core competencies of delivering GDS content and Traversa, the company’s online travel management booking solution. IBM will provide expense management services via its well known GERS solution that enables employees to submit, approve, reimburse, and monitor T&E and other business related expenses with an efficient automated workflow.

Travelers whose organizations deploy Travelport solutions coupled with GERS will enjoy the convenience of having credit card billings automatically matched against travel reservation transactions. Corporations will benefit because greater visibility into booked versus actual spend, is a critical component of effective corporate travel policy compliance.

The joint solution enhances corporate control and travel policy compliance, streamlines travel and expense management reimbursement processes, offers expert global delivery and localized support and enterprise business travel intelligence.

IBM GERS is part of IBM Managed Business Process Services (MBPS), a unit that automates and standardizes core business processes for clients in areas such as human resources, accounting, mortgage origination and expense reporting.

IBM GERS is deployed in over 90 countries and processes more than 20 million expense reports annually. Clients using IBM GERS can increase the process efficiency and cost effectiveness of their overall travel expense management.