8 November 2006 – As part of preparation for privatisation, and to increase operational efficiencies, Cameroon Airlines today announced it is the first airline in Central and West Africa to migrate their legacy communications system to SITA’s Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IP VPN) service. The five-year contract with SITA, worth $4.3 million, will link the airline’s headquarters and regional offices over a secure network, enabling staff in all locations to run applications in a protected environment and enable secure IP access to Internet services.
Cameroon Airlines is currently reorganizing its operations with the aim of improving overall performance in advance of privatization which is planned by the government in 2007. The airline relies heavily on Information Technology (IT) to help reduce costs and improve operational efficiencies. As part of the deal, SITA’s professional services consultants will be migrating Cameroon Airlines’ current legacy network infrastructure to Internet Protocol (IP); a move that opens the door to new technologies that leverage the Internet – such as Voice over IP (VoIP) – while driving down costs.
Commenting on the deal M. Mohamadou Hamassali, Head of Strategy and IT department at Cameroon Airlines remarked "We at Cameroon Airlines consider SITA as our partner for telecommunications and information services. SITA has always been there for Cameroon Airlines even during times of difficulties. We are happy to sign this long term deal for telecommunications and professional services and count on SITA's continued support to ensure that Cameroon Airlines maintains competitive advantage through the use of modern technology."
“Our focus with Cameroon airlines is to reduce their communication-related costs and effectively make them more competitive in the marketplace,” said Khodr Akil, SITA Regional Vice President, Sales and Relationship Management, Africa. “Cameroon Airlines is aware of the huge benefits of migrating to IP. It will enable the airline to deliver a faster, more personal and seamless service to passengers as it prepares for privatization. We are delighted to play an instrumental role in the airline’s move to this more advanced technology platform in a cost-effective manner.”
SITA has worked with Cameroon Airlines for 30 years providing data and ground to air communication services. In addition, the airline uses SITA’s passenger services portfolio Horizon, including, SITA Reservations, Ticketing, Airfare, Frequent Flyer and Credit Card Authorization. Cameroon Airlines’ implementation of electronic ticketing is in progress with SITA and the first e-ticket is scheduled to be issued by the end of December 2006, well ahead of the IATA deadline of December 2007.
-ENDS-
For further information (not for publication) contact:
Joanna Masson / Lorna Thompson
SITA Press Office
Octopus Communications
Tel: +44 (0) 1753 672 755
Email: sita@octopuscomms.net
Notes to Editors:
About SITA
SITA is the world's leading service provider of integrated IT business solutions and communication services for the air transport industry. SITA manages complex communication solutions for its air transport, government and GDS customers over the world's most extensive communication network, complemented by consultancy in the design, deployment and integration of communication services. Its broad range of airline and airport IT applications and services includes airport operations and integrated baggage services, common use and desktop services, flight operations and air-to-ground communications and end-to-end airline distribution and fares services.
SITA has two main subsidiaries: OnAir, which is leading the race to bring in-flight mobile telephony to the market, and CHAMP Cargosystems, the world's only IT company solely dedicated to air cargo. SITA also operates two joint ventures providing services to the air transport community: Aviareto for aircraft asset management and CertiPath for secure electronic identity management. In addition, SITA sponsors .aero, the Internet top level domain reserved exclusively for aviation.
SITA covers 220 countries and territories and the head office is in Geneva, Switzerland. SITA had aggregated revenues of US$ 1.554 billion in 2005 (€ 1.295 billion).
Further information can be found at www.sita.aero
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