Happy New Year for easyJet Customers
easyJet, Europe's fourth largest airline, is using ntl:Telewest Business, part of the Virgin Media group, to upgrade its communications infrastructure.
easyjet is planning ahead for the New Year rush when
traffic to the company's website jumps by 60 per cent as people look to
escape the January blues. easyJet expects to carry close to 3 million
passengers in January alone, and will be taking bookings for the next 10
months.
The company is deploying 300 Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
lines from ntl:Telewest Business to create a single communications
environment that provides voice, data and internet services to its head
quarters and three sites at Luton Airport. The ISDN connection offers a
resilient, integrated service that enables users to send information and
make calls simultaneously. Because ISDN is an integrated network solution,
it provides a cost effective way for easyJet to connect workgroups at its
different locations.
The network helps easyJet to effectively manage the massive spikes in
customer demand, through providing fast digital connections between the
company's data centre and the rest of its network, and by empowering
employees with faster communication services. Having a fast and reliable
network infrastructure underpinning all communications means that easyJet is
able to ensure each customer embarks on their journey as quickly and as
effectively as possible.
"The start of the year is always one of the busiest times for us. Once the
turkey sandwiches have run out, people like to book a trip to get away and
banish the January blues and we see a massive increase in sales," said Bill
Codd, IT Manager, easyJet. "Approximately 98 per cent of all our sales come
via our website, so it's vital that we have the right communications
infrastructure in place to be able to meet demand. The network that
ntl:Telewest Business has built for us means that we are always in a
position to capitalise on customer interest no matter how great the
numbers."
In the year September 2006 to September 2007 easyJet flew more than 37
million passengers making it the fourth largest airline in Europe. Flying
289 routes through 77 airports, the company employs more than 5,600 staff
and generates £1.8 billion in annual revenue.
"Competition in the airline industry is so intense that having a fast,
resilient and cost effective communications infrastructure in place can make
all the difference. The performance of a company's IT systems and website in
this sector may reflect upon the overall performance of the airline to
customers, so ensuring that all runs smoothly especially at the busiest
times of year, is vital," said James Nicolson, Business Sales Manager for
ntl:Telewest Business in the Home Counties and East Anglia. "The
infrastructure we have delivered provides easyJet with the means to meet
customer demand and ensure an excellent level of service no matter how great
the demand is."
Information