UK's leading tour operator migrates critical tour operation system to Linux.
Micro Focus® (LSE.MCRO.L), the leading provider of enterprise application modernisation, testing and management solutions, today announces that Cosmos Holidays, the UK’s largest independent tour operator, has migrated its critical Tour Operation System to a Linux operating system using Micro Focus Server Express and Micro Focus Server for COBOL. As a result, Cosmos Holidays has been able to reduce its operating costs by 40% per year over a three year period. The savings are being re-invested in additional connectivity for Cosmos’ new e-commerce platform, making it even simpler and quicker for customers and agencies to book holidays. The project will achieve positive return on investment within 12 months.
Cosmos Holidays’ Tour Operation Reservation System underpins all the company’s e-commerce, is responsible for handling all reservations made with the organisation and is used by up to 300 travel agencies at any one time, making it one of the most critical systems in the entire IT infrastructure. It was previously running on UNIX on HP9000. Cosmos was not only facing increasing hardware costs, but the ageing architecture was lengthening report times. The tour operator was faced with two options – either invest in a new HP9000 system or migrate the application to Linux. Following extensive testing, it soon realised that the Linux option was significantly decreasing report times.
Cosmos Holidays made the decision to migrate the application to Linux and, following a competitive pitch, the company opted to use Micro Focus COBOL on the new platform.
Rainer Kern, IT Infrastructure Manager, Cosmos Holidays said: “Since going live in April 2009, we have been very impressed with Micro Focus COBOL. We are realising significant financial benefits and the new platform has allowed us to considerably increase our efficiency. We are very pleased that we have been able to use our existing systems to generate so much value to our business and, ultimately, enhance the service for our customers.”
As well as the 40% cost saving, report times are now running up to ten times faster, meaning senior management have the latest information on sales and trends at their fingertips, allowing them to make strategic decisions on the direction of the company.
David Stephenson, UK General Manager said: “We are delighted to have enabled Cosmos Holidays to realise these savings and increase their productivity. We still see organisations seeing replacement of IT systems as the solution to complexity issues, despite the significant cost and risk. This is a prime example of how organisations can identify and exploit the value still residing in their core IT assets to increase their competitive edge and further their business.”
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About Micro Focus
Micro Focus, a member of the FTSE 250, provides innovative software that allows companies to dramatically improve the business value of their enterprise applications. Micro Focus Enterprise Application Modernization and Management software enables customers’ business applications to respond rapidly to market changes and embrace modern architectures with reduced cost and risk. For additional information please visit www.microfocus.com
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About Cosmos Holidays
Cosmos is the UK's largest independent tour operator and part of the Globus group of companies, a family run organisation established in 1928 which encompasses Cosmos Tourama, Avro, Monarch Airlines and Archers Direct along with Cosmos.
With over 40 years' experience, Cosmos is one of the most established names in the travel industry. Having started out offering holidays to just a few Mediterranean destinations, Cosmos now takes over half a million people to over 35 destinations around the world each year.