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What makes TourCMS different?
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:| TourCMS | Traditional tour operator software | |
|---|---|---|
| Your project | ||
| Implementation time (from saying yes to trading online) | 1 day to 2 months | 1 - 6 months |
| Professional services / web design | Use 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 travelling | Full access | Possible, but often complex (meaning can be expensive) |
| Data backups | We backup all data | Do your own backups |
| Hardware maintenance | We maintain our hardware and ensure that all kit is 100% operational | Buy or lease your own servers. You are responsible for your own kit |
| Software upgrades | Included (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 developments | All 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) |
No | Often, yes |
| Viewdata (UK) | No | Often, yes |
| Post live | ||
| Support | Standard email support with option for more | |
| Meet with other customers | Meet other customers and discuss solutions and ideas via the forums | Deal with the travel technology supplier only. No contact with other customers |
| Other | ||
| Training | Web based | On site |
| Pricing | Simple, flat monthly fee, largely based on the number of staff users you require. Full price information |
A mix of: Hardware capital costs Software license "Per user" price "Per booking" fee |
| Contract length | Monthly | Annual or multi-year |
| Staff | Designed for small and proprietor run companies | Dedicated 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)