| Case Study for Regional Language Network North West - March 2005 |
| There is no language business like hospitality for e21Software |
| The challenge |
| Who would have thought that a company situated in the heart of the Lake District with just five staff is a global player in software development and Internet services. |
| e21Software in Carlisle was created in 2002 by a team of experienced professionals with an impressive track record in software, travel and hospitality. Robert Jones, managing director and his team identified a need to develop a product aimed at the hospitality industry where online reservation solutions and property management systems were merged to provide one application which had multi-lingual and mutli-currency capabilities, offer brilliant customer service and be sold around the world. |
| The Solution Today's traveller is more independent when it comes to booking a holiday or business trip and the Internet has never been so widely used. Online reservations and booking systems are a vital part of any hotel business. Unlike other systems, E21's unique software supports up to 13 languages, which means even the smallest of hotels can instantly become an international travel and tourism business. |
| "From a language point of view the software can provide an English hotel with facilities for a Japanese guest to book online in Japanese", commented Robert Jones. "When the booking is confirmed the hotel identifies this as being a Japanese booking and all other documentation such as invoicing and check-in forms are all translated into that language, which in turn provides a higher standard of customer service. What is more you do not have to be an IT specialist to use it. It is simply downloaded from the Internet and installed." Hospitality groups with operations in multiple countries can use one product, reducing training costs and standardising improved customer service rather than use different products in each country. |
| However not all customers need all languages. What e21Software identified was if language was used correctly and by looking at local market needs it can generate business. "Spain is a very language proud area", said Robert "with people in the Costa Brava region adamant about speaking Catalan. We produced software for Costa Brava in Catalan for all the potential retailers in that area to put into their properties. |
| "Another language we identified was Russian. Due to new low cost flights flying from Russia to Barcelona, we had the flexibility to drop in another language into the product." |
| The Benefits e21Software has developed a product which will grow from strength to strength, not only within the hospitality sector but within other industries where the internet and languages both play a crucial part. The company is already looking to expand its staff to 10 by the end of the 2005 and is looking at opening a second office in the UK, with possibly an operation in Spain and the US. "The use of language is one of the key drivers in our business. It's our reason for being." Added Robert. "Without it we wouldn't have a business." |
| For more information about Regional Language Network North West please contact Dr Cristina Sousa on 0161 295 3006, email cristina.sousa@rln-northwest.com or visit http://www.rln-northwest.com |
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