MOBILE MOVE: CWT acquires WorldMate

Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) has acquired WorldMate Inc., a specialist in mobile travel technology that provides itinerary management systems and on-the-road services for travellers. With more travellers using mobile devices to plan and purchase travel, the acquisition underlines CWT’s commitment to invest in innovation and position mobile solutions as an integral part of its offering. By acquiring the leading developer of mobile technology in travel, CWT will further reinforce its mobile offering — a fundamental step in its promise to deliver the perfect trip to business travellers. CWT indicates that the acquisition will open up further opportunities for both business travellers and corporate customers. Business travellers will have access to a broader range of on-the-go services including airport parking, restaurant bookings, hotel reservations, ground transportation, and airline offers such as in-flight internet. Customers will benefit from a new approach to tackling issues associated with compliance. The ability to aggregate travel information from multiple sources means that customers will be able to gain increased visibility of overall travel spend as well as better track travelers for safety and security purposes. Douglas Anderson, CWT president and chief executive officer commented: “This acquisition puts us in an exciting place within the industry; working with the expert in mobile technology puts us in control of our own “mobile destiny.” Injecting WorldMate’s proven mobile expertise into our existing range of products will bring additional services and functionalities to our clients and their travellers.” Go to http://www.carlsonwagonlit.com for more.