Travelport announced plans to launch next week in 25 countries a third-party developer network offering members access to the firm's Universal and Classic APIs, dedicated technical support and account management, participation in a member forum, listings in Travelport's Developer Directory for use by agencies and the opportunity to have applications certified.
Membership requires what officials called a "nominal" flat fee, while models for revenue sharing on applications sold through the network have yet to be worked out. Travelport in the near term is not launching an "app store" with a standardized commercial model, officials said, but that is part of the grand plan.
By mid-2012, Travelport expects to offer members a software development kit for creating applications that run on the Travelport Universal Desktop, which is scheduled to go into production in the Americas next month. "The extensive configurability can be further enhanced to meet agency needs with custom activities incorporated into workflows, shopping and booking from blended GDS and non-GDS content, and custom pop-up widgets with anytime access," Travelport stated.
Travelport said more than 20 developers already had enrolled in the new program, including Dolphin Dynamics, Flextrip and Rearden Commerce. Participants in Travelport's traditional developer network are not automatically enrolled.
"Travel agencies, tour operators and travel management companies are not eligible to join" the new network, according to Travelport's website.
Amadeus and Sabre also are revamping their developer programs.