Galileo International

WINDSOR, UK, Galileo International, the leading provider of electronic global distribution services for the travel industry, has signed a global agreement with SAP AG, the leading provider of e-business software solutions, that will provide SAP customers quick and real-time access to information from more than 500 airlines, more than 30 car-hire companies and 51,000 hotel properties, as well as 431 tour operators and all major cruise line companies, via the Galileo® computer reservations system.

Under the agreement, Galileo will apply the leading Applications Programming Interface (API) solution, XML Select(TM), to the next version of the SAP® corporate self-booking tool of the Travel Planning functionality within the mySAP(TM) Financials Travel Management solution. XML Select utilizes structured data, which ensures customers' applications are inherently more stable than those based upon older screen-scraping APIs, and result in more time-and cost-efficiency in the travel-booking process.

Jonathan Siddons, vice president, Product, Marketing and Development, for Galileo's EMEA region, highlighted the fact that corporate purchasing departments are exploring and seizing the opportunities for e-procurement due to potential cost savings and more efficient management of travel.

"The agreement with SAP clearly demonstrates Galileo understands and has responded to the challenges facing its corporate customers and their clients in the travel arena. By allowing corporations to utilize the core SAP R/3® Enterprise software solution to book travel via the Galileo system, Galileo will be releasing a market-leading solution based on the latest technology," said Jonathan Siddons. "The interface with SAP will be added to Galileo's portfolio of corporate self-booking tools as an additional option for corporations looking to better manage their travel."

Under terms of the global agreement between Galileo and SAP AG, the companies will jointly develop the interface to the SAP corporate self-booking tool. This is designed to be available with SAP R/3 Enterprise Extension 2.0, which, according to SAP, is scheduled to be released in the second quarter of 2003.

About Galileo International

Galileo International is a global technology leader. Its core business is providing electronic global distribution services for the travel industry through its computerised 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. A subsidiary of Cendant Corporation CD, Galileo is headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, USA, and has offices worldwide. Visit www.galileo.com .

Galileo has its Europe, Middle East and Africa headquarters in Windsor, United Kingdom. This region spans more than eighty countries, through a mix of wholly owned subsidiaries and distributors.

XML Select(TM)

The XML Select interface, supported by end-to-end structured data into Galileo's host system, is invaluable both for the support of high transaction Internet travel web sites and for interfaces into the inventory management systems of tour operators and consolidators. By using structured data, it eliminates the data volatility problems in screen scraping that can be caused by host data changes.

XML Select can be supplied as a tool kit directly to travel agents or third-party software companies to enable the building of a completely customized Internet booking engine. With XML Select, Galileo customers can build an online presence and seamlessly integrate bookable travel content into a new or existing Web site. Based on XML (extensible mark-up language), XML Select helps to reduce costs and contributes to a flexible distribution strategy. The effort and specialized knowledge required for development is minimal, and at the same time, access to a range of new distribution channels, including digital TV and wireless applications, is possible.

XML Select is a trademark of Galileo International.

SAP, mySAP and all other SAP product and service names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and several other countries.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.