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 01.02 '10 Multicom and Pharos launch new travel partnership 
Multicom and Pharos, technology service providers to the travel trade, announce their agreement to work together in rail and ferry reservations.
The inclusion by Multicom of the Pharos Eurostar reservations service promises to enhance the existing Find and Book process by offering improved functionality. This will benefit the many Eurostar agents using the Multicom booking channel, significantly improving their business results, customer service, and market opportunities where Eurostar travel is included. Advantages include up-market itineraries, full range of classes of travel, flexible tickets and seat assignment. Agents may also benefit from payment terms, Rail Inclusive Tour fares and ticketing options. The Pharos service has been in use for eight years for Eurostar reservations and ticketing by tour operators requiring flexible intineraries. In addition under the agreement, Multicom will offer Ferry and Eurotunnel reservation services, providing their agents access to over thirty ferry operators and Eurotunnel via the Pharos Xchange trade hub. The Multicom Find and Book service, well established throughout the UK and in various overseas markets, is used by major Tour Operators and Travel Agents. Clients will now be able to take advantage of the additional channels and product by means of the FAB interface, enhancing Multicom’s current wide variety of services.  back
 31.01 '10 Must see Stand A12 Travel Technology Europe 
Earls Court 2, 9-10th February
Visit us at the exhibition on Stand A12 to hear the latest news in online Rail and Ferry reservations services. We look forward to seeing you ! back
20.01 '10 Reservation channels ready to go..... 
Spring 2009 was when we announced the long term agreement reached with Brittany Ferries to provide reservations services on their behalf,
and when we began the project.
Recognising the quality of our services, software and customer care during our decade of working together with Brittany Ferries, this agreement means increased responsibility for Pharos to deliver the new business critical trade channels. The new services are now ready to go, with the switchover at Brittany from current to new technology imminent, so trade partners can look forward to the improved access and choice of Unicorn or XML interfaces. A Web Services access will be provided complying with the TTI (Travel Technology Initiative) and Open Travel XML standard, allowing partners to deal online efficiently. In addition the new Unicorn channel will permit partners to continue with little or no upheaval, as well as offer the opportunity where required to access the service via IP instead of X25. We look forward to improved reservation success. back
11.01 '10 EYMedia 
We are delighted to announce that EYMedia Ltd has selected Pharos for its new ferry reservations solution.
EYMedia is an accomplished multi-media publisher specialising in travel and, amongst others, offers travellers extensive practical information and news about ferry services. They are also well established in online ferry reservations, working with a number of UK ferry operators. In their new reservations site, AnyFerry.com, they will expand coverage and create a significantly improved web site experience. EYMedia has extensive in-house web site expertise which will take advantage of our Web Services link to the ferry operators. Having reached this agreement to use Xchange Ferries, they predict expansion, greater control and improved business results, underlining their critical choice of Pharos. back
31.12 '09 Comtec and Pharos succeed in Eurostar link for Thomas Cook 
Thomas Cook’s Globe project reached a significant
milestone recently with the launch of automated
Eurostar reservations.
Taking advantage of Comtec’s Travelink tour operator solution and the Pharos Xchange connectivity service for Eurostar bookings, Thomas Cook operations now benefit from the unique, fully integrated, flexible interface to the rail operator. Embracing fully resilient systems for both online sales and call centre, reservations can now take advantage of Rail Inclusive Tour fares, all classes of fare, flexible ticket options and seat assignment. In addition itineraries may include over 100 destinations known as Eurostar Connections in France, Belgium, The Nederlands, Germany and Switzerland including TGV and other SNCF services. The technology solution enables Thomas Cook to meet the demand for their very popular Cresta holidays to Disneyland which take advantage of Eurostar services. It is planned to add support for other Thomas Cook brands within the Globe project to take advantage of this new link to increase the success and benefits available to business from their important partnership with Eurostar. The Travelink solution was delivered to Thomas Cook by Comtec in a very short timescale, taking advantage of the collaboration agreement formalised sometime ago between Pharos and Comtec for Eurostar, Eurotunnel and Ferry reservation services. back
21.12 '09 sFerries more in Greece 
Our continuous development of Xchange services has led to increased support of Greek ferry operators.
This has been made possible in partnership with FORTHcrs, the dominant ferry sector IT supplier in Greece, the most dense ferry services sector anywhere. Comprehensive FORTHcrs solutions are in use at over fifty operators, in addition to IT installations at agents, so we have great confidence in working with them to extend Xchange coverage. Ferry lines added with international routes are Agoudimos, Endeavor, European Seaways, Montenegro and Ventouris. The biggest operator, Blue Star Ferries, with around 700 routes and about 20% of the Greek domestic market, is also added. Blue Star is sister operator to Superfast, which together with Minoan means our online integrated support there now totals eight operators. back
16.12 '09 Passenger Shipping Association 
As a connectivity company it is vital we are well connected !
Recently Pharos became an Associate Member of the PSA, the 50 year old, unique, not-for-profit organisation based in London and representing sea travel internationally and particularly in Western Europe and the UK. The 14 Ferry Section Members, most of them Pharos clients and partners, regularly attend the association’s meetings, conferences and industry events. The PSA successfully cultivates strong press relations on behalf of its Members and industry. Increasingly this influences sea travel as a passenger choice, for example through their Sail and Drive campaign. We are now much better connected ! back
23.06 '09 Vertical Group joins in, moves up 
We are pleased to welcome the Vertical Group to our growing band of Xchange clients, to take advantage of our Eurostar, Eurotunnel and ferry reservation services.
Like many other Xchange users, they are a ‘second generation technology organisation’. Having already established themselves in online ferry reservations, with experience their needs became more discerning for a tailored solution to match their market aims, independence in their online links to suppliers of ferry and rail services and to be able to create their own markets. These were the factors in selecting Xchange. Vertical, quoted as the longest established and largest providers of technology to the UK travel industry, whose clients include the Freedom Travel Group and Advantage Travel Centres, will make the service available to clients through multiple channels. In the initial stage Vertical will utilise our flexible Internet Booking Engine, incorporating secure payments direct to bank and providing complete hand-off links to back office systems. back
06.02 '09 Comparison site specialist on board 
We are pleased to announce new client Grovelawn Internet Services Ltd has become the latest user of our Xchange reservations service.
Grovelawn are a well established company specialising in comparison web sites and offer a wide range of travel and insurance sites. Their activities embrace ferry reservations and will shortly feature ferry operators around the UK supported by our Xchange service. This will allow consumers to easily and swiftly find their ideal route, itinerary, price and operator to suit their needs. Later, Grovelawn plan to expand by creating similar continental web site ferry reservation services, so benefiting from the extensive number of ferry operators in central Europe already available via Xchange. back
31.01 '09 Irish Sea Trade Boost 
We recently welcomed our new client Travel Solutions of Belfast, a major agency and tour operator active in Northern
Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, to our expanding group of Xchange users.
Amongst their many specialist promotions, themes, events and tours, they are a well established ferry agent, working with P&O Irish Sea on the Scottish routes and Norfolkline on their Dublin and Belfast routes. The ferry activities will shortly be made available online via our Xchange reservation service at www.travel-solutions.co.uk, in anticipation of growth from existing and new business areas. Travel Solutions have opted to use our Webster Internet Booking Engine for the booking facility. Webster meets the complex needs of their wide variety of users, including members of Closed User Groups, subagents and affiliates, as well as retail consumers in both countries, with support of euro and Sterling payments. In addition to our enthusiasm in working with Travel Solutions we have a sense of déjà-vu: they are a user of the Tourplan system, a previous partner organisation that we are pleased to be working with once again. back
12.01 '09 Short Breaks – Ferries and Eurotunnel join Eurostar 
Short Breaks Ltd, our long standing tour operator client, have just celebrated 10 years of success and are developing and extending their business activities.
With accolades such as ‘Best Eurostar Branded Website’ (Eurostar Sales Awards), and ‘Favourite European Short Breaks Operator (by the Evening Standard Travel Awards), Short Breaks is very successful and well established as a Eurostar city breaks operator. Recently we have collaborated with them to extend their activities further, branching out into Self Drive Holidays and breaks in France, Belgium and to Disneyland® Paris with ferry operators including P&O Ferries, Eurotunnel and others. ‘This development takes advantage of our proven success in breaks to the same region and our intimate knowledge of attractions, events and hotels’ noted Tony Cancelliere, responsible for the venture at Short Breaks. ‘The Self Drive options complement our existing Eurostar program with a selection of very good value holidays, which are particularly attractive in today’s economy’.Due to the Pharos interface technology and Xchange reservations service, our client was able to incorporate the new reservations easily and without upheaval to operations. back
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