Thomas Cook has abandoned its long-term and company-wide tour operating reservation system, a move confirmed today in delayed annual results which revealed a wider cost write-off of £428 million.
Thomas Cook axes long-running IT project as part of £428M write-off plan
December 14, 2011 By 1 Comment
New travel platforms redundant the moment of completion, agile is only way to go
September 22, 2011 By 1 Comment
When people speak of their experiences with technology at a conference, very often it’s what they don’t say that’s more revealing.
Manny and Thomas Cook: Technology, tankers and culture
August 3, 2011 By 4 Comments
The exit of Thomas Cook Group CEO Manny Fontenla-Novoa will come as quite a shock to many given that he was always seen as a safe pair of hands.
Advertisement
BlueSky staff hit Thomas Cook with class action over company collapse
January 13, 2010 By 3 Comments
A group of ex-employees from the collapsed BlueSky Travel Systems has launched a class action lawsuit against Thomas Cook Group regarding the failure of the company and treatment of staff.
Tnooz understands that the action was handed to the Employment Tribunal in Manchester, UK, on 23 December 2009, three months after the reservation system software supplier to Thomas Cook went into administration.
The collapse of BlueSky left around 60 members of staff out of a job – a further 20 staffers went to work immediately for Thomas Cook and another eight have since joined Amadeus-owned TravelTainment.
BlueSky and Thomas Cook – the aftermath, featuring IBM and others
December 24, 2009 By 4 Comments
Thomas Cook is busily re-arranging its technology requirements following the BlueSky saga earlier this year, with IBM looking like the latest victim of a turbulent few months.
Tnooz understands that IBM’s position as Prime Contract Holder for the Globe project to overhaul Thomas Cook’s tour operating reservation systems has ended earlier than expected.
IBM handled all the wider IT logistics for the Globe project and worked closely with BlueSky before the company controversially went into administration in September 2009
BlueSky latest: Thomas Cook battles on, ex-staff still in the dark
October 28, 2009 By 5 Comments
It is over a week since Thomas Cook snapped up the Intellectual Properties Rights for the BlueSky Travel Systems software which runs a large part of its reservation system, yet much of the saga remains a mystery.
In a statement sent to Tnooz this week, Thomas Cook responded to a number of questions arising as a result of the acquisition of “certain assets” last week.
The tour operating giant says it cannot say how long the team which was created within a week of BlueSky going into administration will be working on the iTour project.
Advertisement
BlueSky latest: Thomas Cook Group purchases ‘certain assets’
October 20, 2009 By 8 Comments
It has been a busy day for the beancounters at Thomas Cook Group with news that not only has it spent a rumoured £20 million to become a second tier sponsor of the London 2012 Olympics but has also parted with a sizeable amount of money to shore up its software development.
Tnooz has learned today that TCG has acquired some elements of the former BlueSky Technologies business in a package that could reach around £1 million.
A spokeswoman for the company would only confirm that a deal had been completed for “certain assets” of the company following BlueSky’s collapse into financial administration in late-September.
BlueSky latest: Closing Stages and Ten Important Questions
October 16, 2009 By 6 Comments
The BlueSky-Thomas Cook saga is potentially entering its final days as administrators juggle with five bids for the Intellectual Property Rights of the beleaguered company’s iTour software system.
Tnooz understands that although the bidding process is officially still open, administrator MCR is already evaluating the five bids on the table and is expected to make a decision “far quicker than normal”, a source says.
The five companies are believed to be technology shops Comtec, Traveltek, Partners Software and another unnamed tech firm, alongside Thomas Cook, as revealed earlier this week.
BlueSky latest: Thomas Cook bids, uses ex-employees as temporary cover
October 13, 2009 By 6 Comments
The plot thickens with the BlueSky-Thomas Cook saga this week as Tnooz learns of moves at the European tour operating giant to ensure its live product system continues to run smoothly.
It is understood that a team of 25 ex-BlueSky Technologies staffers are working on the system for Thomas Cook either as contractors or through agencies.
Thomas Cook is also believed to have submitted a bid for the intellectual property rights for the BlueSky Technologies iTour system.
BlueSky update: bids hitting the inbox, no deadline
October 5, 2009 By 3 Comments
Rumours that bids for the beleaguered BlueSky Travel Systems business would only be accepted before 5pm BST today are apparently wide of the mark.
The cut-off date appeared rather hurried as the company only officially went into administration last week, on September 30.
Administrator MCR has confirmed how many bids have been received “so far” and also remarked that any technology company or investor that wanted to put a proposal together for BlueSky needn’t panic at missing what was supposedly an official deadline.
