Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) has acquired WorldMate Inc, the mobile travel technology company providing itinerary management systems and other mobile apps for corporate travellers.
While the value of the deal was not revealed, CWT said that San Francisco-based WorldMate will now operate as its subsidiary, giving CWT a ready-made unit focused on the development of mobile corporate travel solutions.
WorldMate will work with CWT teams to enhance existing tools such as the ‘CWT To Go’ mobile app for corporate travellers, which includes itineraries, mobile check-in, flight alerts and destination information.
“This acquisition puts us in an exciting place within the industry; working with the expert in mobile technology puts us in control of our own ‘mobile destiny’,” said Douglas Anderson, CWT’s president & chief executive officer. “Injecting WorldMate’s proven mobile expertise into our existing range of products will bring additional services and functionalities to our clients and their travellers.”
According to CWT these additional functionalities will include a range of travel services including airport parking, restaurant bookings, hotel reservations, ground transportation and airline offers such as in-flight internet. It will also look to tackle issues of corporate travel policy compliance and tracking travel spend.
“We’re delighted to offer CWT clients access to WorldMate’s leading range of on-the-road services,” commented Jean Tripier, WorldMate’s chief executive officer. “In addition to becoming an integral part of CWT’s growth strategy, we will remain committed to providing the highest levels of support to our existing clients and the millions of travellers we service today.”
WorldMate was founded in 2000 and its mobile app is now used by over 10 million travellers.
