Press Release 2003

Star Alliance improves global technology infrastructure with Novell solution
 
Star Alliance, the world’s leading airline alliance, has signed an agreement with Novell Inc. to establish a new strategic sourcing relationship. The agreement will provide Star Alliance member airlines the benefits of joint procurement while providing the alliance with the most sophisticated information and identity management solution on the market.

Following in the footsteps of a similar agreement with electronics supplier Rockwell Collins, the agreement represents a new way for suppliers to work with airlines, while presenting substantial cost savings opportunities for the Star Alliance member carriers.

Initially, Star Alliance will deploy a Novell Nsure secure identity management solution to enhance and improve information flow and security across its information technology backbone known as StarNet.   Star Alliance took an early leadership role in developing a common IT infrastructure – StarNet – that links together all the separate computer networks of the Star Alliance member carriers, enabling them to “talk to each other” and exchange information.  This network provides real-time access to information and enables better customer servicing across the alliance.

Since the initial creation and development of the StarNet infrastructure, Star Alliance has constantly been on the search for the newest, most secure and most leading-edge technology to power this network and give employees the ability to get the information they need quickly and securely.

“At Star Alliance, one of our key roles is to facilitate the cooperation and integration of our member airlines, while allowing them to save money and retain their individual identities,” said Jaan Albrecht, Chief Executive Officer, Star Alliance.  “One area where this is critically important is on the information technology side, since our industry is so reliant on the quick, accurate and safe sharing of information.”

The Novell Nsure secure identity management solution will give Star Alliance the power to provide secure IT integration across the alliance, while allowing each of the member airlines to continue leveraging the technology and investments they already have in place. The Novell solution provides Star Alliance with a cost-effective solution that will allow controlled access to network information across multiple platforms without compromising security.

Since the Novell solution enables employees of one member airline to use applications hosted and controlled by another member airline, the potential for savings is considerable. Instead of all the Star Alliance member airlines setting up their own directory and security infrastructure, they can now benefit from the central solution created by Star Alliance and Novell. This could easily amount to savings in the range of millions of dollars for the carriers.

Beyond all the obvious technology benefits, Star Alliance also chose Novell as a strategic supplier because the alliance saw them as the best fit for a broader joint relationship with all the Star Alliance carriers.  Common procurement is another focus area for Star Alliance.

“Now more than ever, as all airlines are looking for every possible way to reduce their costs, common procurement efforts within the alliance offer a huge and largely untapped potential for cost savings,” noted Albrecht.  “With Novell, we saw the potential to develop a common relationship that benefits not only Novell and Star Alliance as a whole, but also all the carriers individually as well.”

StarAlliancewas established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer customers global reach and a smooth travel experience. The members are AirCanada, Air NewZealand, ANA – All Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines Group, bmi, Lufthansa, Mexicana Airlines, SAS, Singapore Airlines, Spanair, Thai Airways International, United, and VARIG Brazilian Airlines. LOT Polish Airlines is scheduled to join the alliance in late 2003.

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