SiteMinder boosts Asian presence with Globekey acquisition
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SiteMinder has acquired Globekey, the Asia-based online reservation systems provider.
The deal, which was completed this month, will significantly increase the contribution of direct bookings to SiteMinder’s business in Asia, especially in Indonesia and Thailand, where the majority of Globekey’s 1,200 hotel customers are located.
Mike Ford, co-founder & managing director at SiteMinder, said the acquisition would strengthen the company’s presence among “hard-to-reach hotel users” who book using of internet booking engines in Asia.
“Globekey is a trusted company with a 15-year track record of operating successfully and establishing relationships as experts within the strategic Asian market. And with the ever-increasing importance of direct bookings, Globekey is well positioned to continue providing this most valuable product solution – as part of a complete distribution strategy – for hotels,” said Ford.
And speaking to Travel Daily on Wednesday, Ford outlined the next steps the company expects to take following the acquisition.
“Our immediate focus… is on ensuring alignment and facilitating a smooth transition,” said Ford. “Following the transition, it will be very much about sharing the market knowledge we’ve gained over the years to help enhance the functionalities of Globekey’s product offering. It will be about closer collaboration and providing Globekey with access to SiteMinder’s global resources.
He added; “Globekey has the opportunity to further develop its products and their customers can certainly expect positive product changes in the future. Importantly, Globekey is also well positioned to offer customers a market-leading integrated solution – as part of a complete distribution strategy, which is extremely difficult to manage in today’s dynamic online market.”
Globekey commenced operations in 2000 to provide online reservation systems for hotels, apartments, inbound tour operators and travel websites. The company has since developed a major presence in the direct bookings sector, providing internet booking engines to properties across Asia, EMEA and the Americas.
Globekey’s booking engine will now be further integrated into SiteMinder’s cloud-based Channel Manager online distribution platform.
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