Latest news with #Spotnana
Travel Daily News
29-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Daily News
JTB Business Travel launches Teal to transform business travel management
Teal, powered by Spotnana, combines global reach and cutting-edge cloud technology to deliver a smarter business travel experience to companies of all sizes. TORRANCE, CA – JTB Business Travel, a service brand of JTB USA Inc., announced the launch of Teal, a modern, cloud-based travel management platform designed to simplify, personalize, and transform the way companies manage their global travel programs. Powered by Spotnana's industry-leading technology, Teal unifies Travel Managers, Travelers, and JTB Business Travel Advisors on a single platform to create a simplified, intuitive, and scalable experience for organizations of all sizes. JTB Business Travel is also the first Travel Management Company (TMC) to offer Spotnana's platform across owned points of sale in over 15 countries, expanding to 25 by the end of 2025 – enabling fast, truly global program rollouts. Built to address the evolving demands of modern business travel, Teal empowers Travel Managers with real-time visibility, policy control, sustainability tracking, and integrations with HR and expense systems. For Travelers, Teal delivers an easy-to-use, mobile-friendly booking experience that offers full inventory access across air, hotel, rail, and car rental, along with real-time alerts, global support, and personalized, policy-aligned options. Travelers also gain the autonomy to book, modify, or cancel their trips independently – with seamless support on the road whenever they need it. The results speak for themselves. According to data from Spotnana, the cloud-based platform that powers Teal, existing users have achieved a 94% average self-service online booking rate. This type of efficiency leads to meaningful cost savings through streamlined booking, increased traveler autonomy, and stronger supplier management. 'At JTB Business Travel, we're always challenging ourselves to find new ways to deliver exceptional service through smarter technology,' said Geert de Boo, General Manager and Vice President of Global Business Travel at JTB USA, Inc. 'Teal supports our pursuit of that goal and represents a major step forward for our clients – bringing together JTB's global expertise and Spotnana's cloud technology to deliver the best possible travel experiences.' Unlike legacy systems that require complex and lengthy rollouts, Teal makes it easy to deploy global travel programs – often as simple as configuring a list of countries to be launched. Teal also bridges the gap between managed and unmanaged travel by offering a turnkey, cost effective alternative that gives companies full support from JTB Travel Advisors with minimal lift to get started. 'Spotnana and JTB Business Travel are working together to offer businesses around the world a powerful combination of advanced technology and exceptional service,' said Steve Singh, Executive Chairman and CEO of Spotnana. 'By connecting JTB Business Travel's clients and expert Travel Advisors through Spotnana Cloud for TMCs, everyone can benefit from improved travel experiences, greater efficiency, and faster innovation.' With Teal, companies can roll out consistent travel programs across markets in minutes, manage costs with greater accuracy, and support traveler wellbeing with always-on access to human-centered support. Key Teal Features Include: Simultaneous global rollout across languages, currencies, and regions Real-time spend monitoring, safety tracking, and sustainability reporting Comprehensive booking inventory for air, hotel, rail, and car rentals Pre-built integrations with HR, finance, and expense management platforms 24/7 support powered by unified traveler profiles and policy information
Hospitality Net
20-05-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Achieving the Perfect Business Trip: New Study Reveals Top Challenges and Technology Solutions for Success
While business travel drives critical business outcomes, it can also come with challenges for organizations and employee travelers alike. These challenges can sometimes make the pursuit of the 'perfect business trip' seem like a distant fantasy. Yet, it is an aspiration the industry can work to achieve — with travel managers identifying various technological innovations that can reduce friction and drive trip success. This is according to new research released today by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the world's largest business travel association, in partnership with Direct Travel, Spotnana, and Troop. Findings from 'The Perfect Business Trip,' a report stemming from a survey of U.S.- and Canada-based corporate travel managers outlines the challenges they face in their travel programs including the use of online booking tools (OBTs) and addressing travel disruptions, as well as managing travel management companies (TMCs), meetings programs, and expense reporting and insights. Achieving a more 'perfect' business trip is within our reach through industry innovation and collaboration. Our latest research pinpoints the key challenges and offers technological solutions to ultimately transform business travel into a more seamless experience for both travelers and travel managers. Suzanne Neufang, CEO, GBTA Corporate travel managers cite their top sources of friction When asked to rate the level of friction experienced with key aspects of their travel program, 57% of travel managers responded that the online booking experience for unprofiled guest travel brought at least some friction along with it, closely followed by the management of travel disruptions (55%) and expense reports (50%), as well as the travel management company (TMC) servicing process (50%) and the online booking experience for meeting and event travel (50%). The survey also found that rising travel costs continue to be viewed as a challenge despite stabilizing travel prices, with more than half of travel buyers (53%) calling it the single greatest challenge they face in managing costs. Meanwhile, travel programs continue to struggle with 'leakage' for bookings made outside of 'managed' channels like TMCs or OBTs. Most travel managers (67%) said their company's air travel leakage increased (19%) or stayed the same (48%) over the past year. Hotel leakage is an even bigger challenge, with a total of 81% reporting that it grew (24%) or stayed the same (57%). This is more than a wake-up call—it's a signal that the future of managed travel is already taking shape. Travel managers want intelligent, connected solutions that meet today's needs and anticipate tomorrow's challenges. That's exactly what we're building with Avenir—a platform powered by leading partners like Spotnana and TROOP, designed to integrate global content, automation, and high-touch service into one seamless experience. By combining smart technology with trusted support, we're delivering the perfect trip from start to finish. Christal Bemont, CEO of Direct Travel Despite slow adoption, NDC shows promise as buyers experience OBT challenges New Distribution Capability (NDC) has the potential to drive savings and a better shopping experience. Yet, NDC continues to face a slow road to adoption, with more than one-third of buyers (37%) saying their program is not making any NDC bookings. An additional one-fifth (22%) say NDC bookings account for less than 10% of their program's overall air bookings. The single most cited reason why? Over half of travel managers (54%) surveyed say their TMC cannot adequately support NDC (28%), and there isn't enough NDC content available through their OBT (26%). Even when OBTs do have NDC content, they often do not have key features to support these bookings. Just 13% of buyers said their OBT supports self-services changes and cancellations for NDC bookings, while only 17% said their OBT allows employees to access free or discounted seats based on their loyalty status. This comes as travel programs experience a number of pain points with their OBT. These include the ability to manage exchanges and cancellations (identified by 64% of buyers), the ability to manage unused tickets (54%), limited access to NDC fares (46%), access to comprehensive global content (44%), and bookings for unprofiled guest travelers (43%). TMC innovation is a priority A majority (58%) of travel buyers are open to switching TMCs within the next year, suggesting that improvements are clearly needed in this sector. Buyers were asked to indicate the pain points travelers experience when using their TMC, with inconsistent service quality (41%), poor technology and user experience (36%) and slow or ineffective issue resolution (32%) standing as the most common pain points. Travel buyers say various innovations are important when it comes to TMC servicing, with 54% listing proactive disruption management among their top three desired innovations, just ahead of risk management/duty of care capabilities (46%) and the ability to easily service NDC bookings (35%). Buyers would also like to see better integration between TMCs and OBTs, with 63% noting it as a service improvement that would enhance their travelers' experience. Small meetings are often 'unmanaged' More than half of respondents (53%) said small meetings, those with under 25 attendees hosted by their company, are typically planned outside of a managed program. This means that companies do not have formal policies and processes for small meetings; rather, they are organized by part-time planners such as executive assistants. Companies with 'unmanaged' small meetings also do not have KPIs or dedicated technology for small meetings, and they do not collect data about small meetings in a central location. This poses a number of challenges ─ ranging from cost management to process inefficiencies and poor understanding of the ROI of small meetings. Additional key data points from the report include: Only 14% of travel buyers said their company's travel and meetings programs are mostly integrated, with 46% saying they're mostly siloed. 45% of buyers identified budget uncertainty and management as a challenge in planning and managing travel for meetings at their company, while 42% noted both last-minute challenges and coordinating attendees. A manual and time-consuming expense submission process stood out as the most- commonly mentioned pain point in expense reporting (63%), with innovations that streamline payment and expense processes being viewed as the most important, such as automated receipt capture and matching (55%). Methodology A total of 166 responses were received from travel managers across the U.S. and Canada between March 4-15, 2025. 'The Perfect Business Trip' full report can be downloaded on Direct Travel's website here and also via the GBTA Hub here for GBTA members. About GBTA The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world's premiere business travel and meetings trade organization headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area and serving stakeholders across six continents. GBTA and its 8,000+ members represent and advocate for the $1.48 trillion global travel business and meetings industry. GBTA and the GBTA Foundation deliver world-class education, events, research, advocacy and media to a growing global network of more than 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active contacts. For more information visit About the GBTA Foundation The mission of the GBTA Foundation, the US 501c3 charitable arm of the Global Business Travel Association, is to help the global business travel industry create a positive impact and better future for people and the planet. The GBTA Foundation focuses on the strategy and execution of GBTA's global sustainability programs, supporting initiatives related to climate action; diversity, equity and inclusion; and other talent-related topics via education, research and advocacy. For more information visit GBTA Enquiries GBTA View source
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NetApp Appoints Frank Pelzer to the Board of Directors
SAN JOSE, Calif., March 26, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NetApp® (NASDAQ: NTAP), the intelligent data infrastructure company, today announced that Frank Pelzer, Chief Operating Officer at Spotnana, has joined its Board of Directors. This brings the number of directors on the NetApp Board of Directors to ten, nine of whom are independent and 40% of whom have been appointed within the last five years. "I am delighted to welcome Frank to our Board," said George Kurian, Chief Executive Officer at NetApp. "Frank's impressive history of helping companies scale, along with his ability to strengthen software value and enhance its recognition at infrastructure companies, will be invaluable as we continue to grow and innovate in the era of data and intelligence." "Frank's sharp business acumen and extensive background in modern financial operations within cloud and as-a-service companies make him the perfect addition for the next chapter of NetApp's growth," said Mike Nevens, Board Chair. "He will play a key role in driving NetApp's strategic initiatives and strengthening our commitment to delivering long-term shareholder value." "It's an exciting time to be a part of NetApp," said Frank Pelzer. "With its intelligent data infrastructure platform, NetApp occupies a unique position in the market and has a visionary outlook for the future. I look forward to leveraging my insights and experience to support the company in achieving its goal of enabling customers to unlock the full potential of their data." Frank Pelzer serves as Spotnana's Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Spotnana, Frank was the CFO of F5, a security and app services company. He previously served as the President and COO of the Cloud Business Group at SAP and CFO of Concur and has also held senior leadership positions at Deutsche Bank AG and Credit Suisse Group. He currently serves on the Board of Directors at Freshworks and Direct Travel and previously served on the board of directors of Duck Creek Technologies and Benefitfocus as well as several private companies. He has a B.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. About NetApp NetApp is the intelligent data infrastructure company, combining unified data storage, integrated data, operational and workload services to turn a world of disruption into opportunity for every customer. NetApp creates silo-free infrastructure, harnessing observability and AI to enable the industry's best data management. As the only enterprise-grade storage service natively embedded in the world's biggest clouds, our data storage delivers seamless flexibility. In addition, our data services create a data advantage through superior cyber resilience, governance, and application agility. Our operational and workload services provide continuous optimization of performance and efficiency for infrastructure and workloads through observability and AI. No matter the data type, workload, or environment, with NetApp you can transform your data infrastructure to realize your business possibilities. Learn more at or follow us on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. NETAPP, the NETAPP logo, and the marks listed at are trademarks of NetApp, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. View source version on Contacts Media Contact Kenya Investor Contact Kris Sign in to access your portfolio
Associated Press
26-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Cadence Partners with Spotnana to Modernize Corporate Travel Management
LA JOLLA, Calif., March 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cadence, a Forbes-endorsed travel agency celebrating 30 years of operation, is excited to announce a new partnership with Spotnana, a leading provider of modern travel infrastructure. This collaboration is set to elevate meeting, incentive, and business travel programs, combining Cadence's expertise with Spotnana's modern technology to deliver seamless travel for every client. This strategic partnership highlights Cadence's dedication to staying ahead of industry trends, offering the best of both worlds—a seamless hybrid approach to booking. Whether travelers prefer leveraging innovative technology or relying on 24/7 concierge travel management support, the goal is to empower clients while staying true to Cadence's core company values of care and support. 'We really take the time to listen to our clients and stay connected to what's going on around us—we've got our finger on the pulse, which is a key reason why we decided to partner with Spotnana,' shared Chardell Robinson, VP of Corporate Sales + Account Management at Cadence. 'What makes us stand out is the care we put into everything we do. Our concierge-style service blends powerful travel tech tools with the kind of personal, always-there support that makes a real difference.' Spotnana offers industry-leading self-service tools, while Cadence's Business Travel and Meeting & Incentive teams can fully or partially manage bookings for clients. This flexibility ensures the right level of service for every need. 'We are delighted to partner with Cadence and provide their clients with next-generation travel experiences through our Travel-as-a-Service platform,' said Sarosh Waghmar, Founder and Chief Product Officer at Spotnana. 'Through this partnership, Cadence gains access to Spotnana's extensive suite of capabilities for improving customer experiences, reducing servicing costs, and accelerating innovation.' Through the partnership, Cadence's clients, including small to mid-sized businesses and meeting planners, benefit from a simplified way to book and manage travel. The solution powered by Spotnana streamlines workflows, improves efficiency, and keeps costs under control. Spotnana's tools are flexible and can be used by Cadence staff, host agency affiliates, and across various travel sectors, ensuring seamless support for all users. This collaboration enhances Cadence's ability to meet diverse client needs while prioritizing efficiency and cost-effectiveness. About Cadence Since 1995, Cadence has been an award-winning, internationally recognized travel company dedicated to the art of taking better care of people—their clients, employees, and partners alike. As one of the world's first Forbes Travel Guide-endorsed travel agencies, Cadence offers curated and customizable solutions for every travel need, whether that be meetings & incentive, business or leisure travel. With over 25 years as a proud top account and trusted Virtuoso member, Cadence has built a legacy of excellence. About Spotnana Spotnana is modernizing the infrastructure of the travel industry to power The Perfect Trip for travelers everywhere. Our open Travel-as-a-Service platform improves corporate and leisure traveler experiences, helps TMCs increase revenue and efficiency, enables travel providers to deliver personalized offers, and empowers any company to sell travel to their customers. To learn more, visit
