Travel IT company Sabre Travel Network has launched a global reservation system for video conferencing.
Under a new agreement, Sabre will combine its global reservation platform with the video conferencing and telepresence services of Polycom.
Sabre Virtual Meetings will go live in the first half of next year, providing facilities at either public HD video conferencing rooms or at private ones run by individual companies.
The new facility will allow corporates to find suitable rooms, reserve and use them for virtual “face to face” meetings.
The booking system will be available for use on self booking tools or TMC systems enabling either company employees or their agents to make the reservations.
It will allow buyers to assess what facilities at chosen locations and review the competing rates before making a booking.
The system will also be open to “multiple telecom and video conferencing providers”, and accessible by other GDSs, Sabre said.
The Texas-based GDS said it was the first reservation system of its kind and claimed it would “increase the adoption and use of corporate-owned video conferencing solutions” and deliver a faster ROI on this type of equipment.
It would also increase the use of public video conferencing rooms, like those provide by Regus, the company said.
Greg Webb, president of Sabre Travel Network, said that technology has changed the way businesses were run and this new facility would create a “step change” in how people communicated.
“By making telepresence scheduling as simple as booking airline travel, Sabre and Polycom will help companies and employees form closer relationships with customers, enhance internal collaboration and increase productivity,” he added.
Sue Hayden, Polycom’s executive vp, described the agreement as a “bold new approach.”
She added: “It will make it easier for companies to locate and reserve a video conferencing room – either as a complement to business travel or in lieu of it – to connect with their customers, partners and vendors around the world.”