Nationwide flies higher with ColdFusion

Macromedia`s ColdFusion, available through local distributor, Dax Data, has enabled Nationwide Airlines to improve workflow and enhance its on-line transactions with its passengers as a part of its comprehensive range of added value services.

Linda Graber, sales and marketing co-ordinator at Nationwide, explains: "Nationwide is known for offering high levels of service and attractive fare structures and we needed to ensure that our online services kept up with customer needs. Consequently, we commissioned Fusion Reactor to develop and deploy a ColdFusion-based content manager to meet our business needs."

Nationwide use a multiplayer reservations system from EDS that is hosted in a data-centre, based in Zurich, which interfaces worldwide with a number of Global Distribution - travel agency reservations systems. The company chose an "off the shelf" online Internet reservations tool from Galileo, which was customised for the Nationwide application.

"In addition to the normal online facilities, Fusion Reactor provided us with a self-service authoring capability formulated specially for non-technical content providers, so we could add promotional information and data content to our site," she adds.

According to Grant Jackson, marketing director at Fusion Reactor, development and design of the site and the process of updating content on the site was greatly simplified by the use of ColdFusion. "Nationwide required extensive functionality implemented on the Web site in a short period of time. ColdFusion made it easy to meet these requirements," he says.

"Customers need to be able to check flight availability, make bookings, cancel bookings and pay for bookings online. We also need to be able to handle the Web site in-house, without calling on third-party developers to update content," notes Graber.

Jackson agrees and points out that ColdFusion both simplified the development of the content management application and provided an extendable platform for future growth and development.

Jeremy Matthews, managing director at Dax Data, believes the keys to a successful online application are integration to back-end systems and the ability to update site content without having to call in the developers.

"A company with needs like Nationwide requires tools that enable them to build and deploy scalable Web applications that integrate browser, server and database technologies. They require open integration with a variety of databases, e-mail directories, XML (eXtensible Markup Language) and enterprise systems, as well as security on every level and they want to get their applications online as soon as humanly possible.

"ColdFusion fits the bill - on all counts," says Matthews.

The Nationwide Web site now offers an integrated workflow process, which automates content approval so client bookings can be handled by anyone in the building. There is also a component that archives records of site changes and provides an audit trail of the online booking process.

"Through the use of Macromedia ColdFusion, Nationwide now has a template-based Web content publishing and presentation system which allows it to add functionality to the site as and when needed," says Jackson.

"This means there is centralised and secure control of the site design elements which, among other things, helps with the adding and removing of flight specials."

Graber says that customers can use the Web site to control almost every aspect of their flight, with the assistance of an online back-end reservations consultant, if need be, and they can take advantage of various on-site promotions including special air fares - all with one click of a button.

Looking ahead, Jackson points to ColdFusion MX, the latest version of Macromedia`s Web development and hosting platform, and says it offers major possibilities for extending the Nationwide application. "ColdFusion MX will allow Nationwide to exploit the power of Web services and take advantage of the tight integration with Flash client technologies."