TourCMS®
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TourCMS product news



home > features > What makes TourCMS different to other tour operator systems?

Lets be straight talking about this. You don’t want to have chosen the wrong system just as much as we don’t want to have an unhappy customer. Hopefully this table will help:

 TourCMSTraditional tour operator software
YOUR PROJECT
Implementation time (from saying yes to trading online)1 day to 2 months1 – 6 months
Professional services / web designUse any web design agency

We support any web design agency or travel technology consultant who wishes to sell their own services alongside TourCMS or pay us for help
Use any web design agency

Most traditional technology companies make their money from selling professional services so you have no choice
TECHNOLOGY
Technical architecture Installed on our Internet connected hardware

Enables full remote access from any Internet connection
Network installed managed on your own computer network.

Remote access from home or other offices has to be handled through network VPNs etc
Access the system whilst travellingFull accessPossible, but often complex (meaning can be expensive)
Data backupsWe backup all dataDo your own backups
Hardware maintenanceWe maintain our hardware and ensure that all kit is 100% operationalBuy or lease your own servers. You are responsible for your own kit
Software upgradesIncluded (and transparent to your staff users)You must install all new upgrades yourself, or pay the software provider to do this for you
Custom and bespoke system developmentsAll new developments are available to all customers.

We often do developments requested by an individual customer – but which benefit all customers
Often charged per development
TRAVEL PRODUCTS
Product integration
(GDSs / CRSs like Sabre, Amadeus, Worldspan, Galileo, Abacus – or bed banks)
NoOften, yes
Viewdata (UK)NoOften, yes
POST LIVE
SupportEmail
Web based forums
Skype
Email
Telephone
On site
Meet with other customersMeet other customers and discuss solutions and ideas via the forumsDeal with the travel technology supplier only. No contact with other customers
OTHER
TrainingWeb basedOn site
PricingMainly based on how many staff members require access to the system, on a monthly basis

Full price information
A mix of:
Hardware capital costs
Software license
“Per user” price
“Per booking” fee
Contract lengthMonthlyAnnual or multi-year
StaffDesigned for small and proprietor run companiesDedicated IT staff often required

Why is TourCMS priced much lower than competing systems?
Our pricing is based on having a large number of small companies using the system, each paying an affordable monthly fee. This is the reverse of the traditional tour operator suppliers who are structured around having a small number of large customers.

TourCMS is run on the SaaS business model (Software as a service) - no further hardware or IT management expenditure is required in order to run your bookings management system. (You will need separate web hosting for your website)

Is TourCMS going to be around in the long term?
TourCMS has been operational since 2003.

We woudn't support TourCMS if it wasn’t profitable and didn't have a long term future

We ought to turn the question around to you - because individual customers (i.e. you!) only become profitable to us after you have been paying to use TourCMS for a few months! (if you become a paying customer at all)


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