Case Study -- TUI Nederland Experience Communication in High Definition TUI Nederland Upgrades to LifeSize HD Video

One of the largest travel agencies in The Netherlands implements LifeSize high definition video to increase productivity and cut down on travel costs One of Europe’s most recognized tourism firms, TUI AG has offices in over 18 countries and owns cruise liners, hotel brands, travel agencies and TUI Airline Management, which operates seven European airlines. TUI Nederland is a subsidiary of TUI AG and is one of the largest travel agencies in The Netherlands.

Organization

TUI Nederland, TUI AG (ISIN: DE000TUAG000) Based in Germany, TUI AG (Touristik Union International) is one of the world’s largest tourism firms. Operating in over 18 countries across Europe and Asia, TUI focuses mainly on the travel, shipping and logistics markets. TUI owns approximately 3,500 travel agencies, 12 hotel brands, 10 cruise liners, retail stores, container ships and has its own airline, TUI Airline Management, which operates seven airlines, including Arkefly in The Netherlands.

TUI Nederland was formed in 1995 by a merger of the nation’s two leading tourism companies at the time, Arke and Holland International, and is now one of the leading travel agencies in The Netherlands. TUI Nederland is made up of approximately 220 travel agencies.

Challenge Videoconferencing has been an integral part of TUI Nederland’s communication infrastructure for many years. More than a decade ago, the travel agency incorporated standard definition Polycom ViewStations within the organization in order to communicate more efficiently between two main offices: Rijswijk (in the west of The Netherlands) and Enschede (in the east of The Netherlands).

“10 years ago you could drive within two hours to Rijswijk,” said Jan Rozeboom, Telecommunications Director for TUI Nederland. “Nowadays back and forth, you lose the entire day.” Case Study TUI Nederland upgrades to LifeSize HD video

In 1997, the first videoconference call between Rijswijk and Enschede was made using bonded ISDN lines at a speed of 384 Kbps, in a CIF resolution (352 x 288p). Six years later, TUI Nederland incorporated video over IP. The video systems became an important part of daily business, so TUI Nederland placed another system at the headquarters of KRAS, a subsidiary of TUI, in Ammerzoden, Netherlands.

Over the years, video became an effective communication tool for the different locations within the company. The technology spread widely throughout the organization, not only being used by the board of directors, but by nearly every manager of every department. “10 years ago you could drive within two hours to Rijswijk. Nowadays back and forth, you lose But during a board of directors meeting in 2007, the need for an improved the entire day.” solution arose. During a jittery, blurred call to Enschede, something every Jan Rozeboom group using the technology had experienced, one of the board members Telecommunications Director asked if there was a better way. The resolution of the standard definition TUI Nederland systems was poor and the video quality was often choppy. It had been nearly a decade since they first adopted the technology and TUI Nederland needed an improved solution.

“We knew there had to be innovations in videoconferencing technology that could improve our overall experience,” Rozeboom said.

Solution After attending the ISE2007 tradeshow in Amsterdam, Rozeboom met with a representative from GO Telecom, an authorized LifeSize dealer, who demonstrated the next generation, HD (1280 x 720p) video technology at their booth. The clear, crisp resolution and smooth motion handling was a stark comparison to the standard definition systems they were using.

“The price and quality of the solution was exactly what we were looking for,” said Roozeboom. “I could not believe that multipoint capability in full HD was also included in the offering.”

Soon thereafter, LifeSize® Room™ and Team™ systems were installed in four key locations within TUI Nederland.

Results

Prior to the LifeSize implementation, TUI Nederland was using videoconferencing a few times a week. By upgrading from standard definition, legacy video systems to LifeSize HD, videoconferencing is used much more than before.

“We are now using LifeSize HD video on a daily basis,” Rozeboom said. “Our meeting rooms with video are booked more often than those without it and we typically have three or more sites on at a time, utilizing the built-in MCU extensively.” Case Study TUI Nederland upgrades to LifeSize HD video

At TUI Nederland, executives and managers alike appreciate the ease of use of the LifeSize system.

“It’s easy to connect and set up a meeting between sites,” said Rozeboom.

“Without technical interference or helpdesk support, everyone establishes their own conference. We keep a small ‘cheat sheet’ of user instructions on the conference table so that even if someone has never made a video call before, they can do so by pressing a few buttons. It’s incredibly simple.”

Within the organization, the use of videoconferencing continues to grow in popularity. TUI not only optimizes the technology to meet more efficiently today, but the recent merger between TUI and First Choice Travel (TUI Travel PLC) will demand more international interaction. Implementing video in these locations is a must for the future.

Jan Rozeboom acknowledges that videoconferencing does not completely eliminate travel.

“Video is a good medium, but not a complete solution for travel-free communication. Naturally, every now and then you want to shake hands and meet in person. However, videoconferencing puts us in a position to conduct meetings with more structure and higher frequency while at the same time drastically reducing our travel expenses. It also contributes in a small way to a better environment, which is always a good thing.”

Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. March 2008. Information contained in this document is preliminary and subject to change without notice.

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