PRESENTATIONS AND SESSION DESCRIPTIONS
2004 OTA ADVISORY FORUM
SEPTEMBER 20 & 21, 2004
HYATT REGENCY McCORMICK PLACE
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS


Please find presentations from the Advisory Forum below next to the corresponding session.
Sessions with no presentation notes have been removed.

Sponsors

  • Gold
    • Best Western
    • Hertz
    • Hotel Information Systems
    • Cendant Car Rental Group
    • SkyTech
  • Silver
  • Bronze
    • Hauck and Associates, Inc.

Session Description

Day 1

Monday, September 20, 2004

2:15 PM - 3:15 PM
Technical Track
Cross-vertical Integration
Moderator: John Lambe, OpenJaw Technologies

For travel companies, online and offline agencies, tour operators and suppliers from other verticals looking to connect to new trading partners this session isa must.

Learn first-hand about the issues faced in a cross vertical integration, the advantages of the OTA specification, and how to approach those who have not yet implemented OTA xml. In addition, you will get a unique perspective on the management of different trading partners, issues concerning multiple business partners and what supppliers can do to assist in the implementation process.

Business Track
OTA 101
Moderators:Jessica Glace, OTA Specification Manager
Greg Wilson, OTA Specification Manager

OTA is a dynamic organization with a dynamic goal. Meet the specification managers of OTA, learn and relearn our mission, our goals and our future.

3:15 PM - 3:30 PM
Refreshment Break

3:30 PM - 4:20 PM
Technical Track
OTA Best Practices
Moderators:Jessica Glace, OTA Specification Manager
Greg Wilson, OTA Specification Manager

A review the OTA Best Practices document and discussion of OTA’s design approach to XML. We will discuss how OTA XML Schemas are built, how code lists are used,how Schema versioning and content deprecation are done and much, much more.

Business Track
Implementation Case Study
Panelists: Rahim Amlani, Sidestep
Harold Dibler, Best Western International
Don Johnson, Continental Airlines
Bill Saunderson, Marriott International

Join this panel on a journey through the business side of an OTA implementation.

Day 2

Tuesday, September 21, 2004

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Technical Track
Implementation InfoShare: A look at what's 'under thehood'
Moderator: David Rosenberg, Cendant Car Rental Group

The OTA specification provides a static data model that companies write software against. Commonly available toolsets such as JAXB, Castor, DOM, and others makethat process easier. We'll discuss how these are being used, the benefits they provide,performance impacts, and pitfalls you should know about.

Business Track
XML at the Enterprise Level: Strategic Positioning
Mark R. Crawford, Logistics Management Institute (LMI)

Mark R. Crawford is the XML lead for the Logistics Management Institute (LMI) where he coordinates LMI's XML initiatives and standards involvement. Mark has been active in XML research and implementation since 1997, and has completed several reports for various government agencies regarding XML. He is the LMI project leader for an ongoing EPA XML initiative to leverage the technology for State reporting of environmental permit compliance data. He also provides technical consulting to GSA and the Federal CIO Council XML Working Group, the EPA XML policy group, and the DON XML Working Group. He is active in a number of different XML standards efforts.He is the vice chair of the OASIS sponsored Universal Business Language initiative and vice chair and editor of the Design Rules and Naming Conventions subcommittee.He is the editor of the ebXML Core Components Technical Specification being developed by UN/CEFACT. He was the editor of the ebXML Requirements document and an active member of the ebXML architecture and core components groups. He was the chair of the recently completed joint ANSI and UN effort to develop internationally standardized core components and he was Vice Chair of the ANSI ASC X12 XML workgroup.

1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Technical Track Implementation Infoshare: A look at the OTA message anatomy (HTTP/S and SOAP headers, etc.)
Moderators: OTA Architecture Team
David Morley, Marriott International, OTA Architecture Chair

We'll do a detailed walk-through of how companies are building OTA messages, how they're handling security and non-repudiation, and what the future may hold.

Business Track
XML Conformance
Tom Litchford, Microsoft
Certification Forum
Moderator: Alan Young, Hotel Information Systems

What should OTA certification look like? What should be the process for certification,what should i mean to your business and your business partners. Join your peers in an open discussion of ideas.