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 Auto Europe Gets Its Clients' Motors Running To access a gif file of the Centerfoldgraphic, click here. It may take some time to load in your browser! 
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By Mona R. Litt You're on the go and don't have time to make complicated European travel arrangements. What are your options? Call Auto Europe, which provides hassle-free travel arrangements to any European location, often at the click of your keyboard. Through Auto Europe's network, travel agents and other clients can arrange international hotel, air, auto and tour reservations, as well as rentals of campers and motorcycles. "Our goal is give clients information on Europe and provide sup port to them once they reach their destination," explains Steve Grant, Auto Europe's vice president of data processing and telecommunications. Auto Europe's networ k links to major airline systems such as American Airlines' Sabre system and Worldspan from Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines and TWA. Data General servers process reservations for auto, air, hotel, limousine and tour group bookings, accounting and customer service. Lanyon Liberator operates as a gateway interface between the airlines' computerized reservation systems and the TCP/IP and NetBIOS running on Auto Europe's network. Using IBM Corp.'s CALLPATH/6000 computer-telephony integration (CTI) application, Auto Europe employees in any department can instantly identify callers and their travel profiles. By knowing the clients' location, companies and other data, agents can assign the appropriate rate incentive package. Auto Europe uses AT&T's Definity G3R--with more than 450 telephones, modems and fax lines--as its PBX. Auto Europe employees can fax documents from their Windows desktop, using customized Fax Manager software and Biscom's 24-port FAXCOM 6000 units. FAXCOM 6000 manages the data for CALLPATH/6000 running on an IBM RS/6000. The RS/6000 tracks the information and forwards it to the Acer America Corp.'s P100 Server, which routes the fax to the appropriate department or employee. With so much information passed from person to person, Auto Europe relies on AT&T's services to make sure data doesn't get in the wrong hands. AT&T provides all security, as well as the voice and data backbone for Auto Europe. Cabletron Systems' Spectrum Manager for Windows provides Auto Europe with control over the network's Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)- and Remote Monitoring (RMON)-based devices. Supervisors depend on Netscape Navigator 3.1 for Internet access. Adobe Systems' Adobe PhotoShop is the tool for Web site design, and designers use Allaire Corp.'s HomeSite as a scripting tool and text-based editor. Accounting manage s financial operations using Lotus 1-2-3 for Windows 3.1, while sales and marketing use Microsoft Excel to keep track of sales figures. Customer service employees keep up to date on correspondence with their clients and operators with WordPerfect 6.1. Potential clients can learn about Auto Europe's services through its Web site (www.auto-europe.com). |
Updated May 12, 1997 |
