Amex GBT Adopts Cloud Computing

American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) is moving to the cloud.

Cloud computing refers to the practice of using a network of remote servers to store, manage and process data, rather than a local server or a personal computer.

Companies that adopt a cloud strategy access a service using a logical address or name and can complete a same task in the same way regardless of location via any Internet-enabled device.

Typically, companies that provide cloud-based services have servers in several locations to meet the needs of users in different areas of the world. It’s easy to scale up or down in terms of computing capacity and to adopt new tools that will work anywhere in the world.

Higher performance
American Express GBT is aiming to create a system infrastructure that will allow it to drive higher performance and efficiencies now that it is no longer a unit of the American Express Co.

It made the decision immediately after the completion of the joint venture that established it as a standalone travel management company.

GBT is upgrading its legacy business solutions with flexible cloud-based solutions for key business divisions including IT, procurement, finance, human resources, and administration.

It is integrating cloud solutions in phases and expects to complete its transition later this year.
 
“Best in class” tech
GBT said the move will enable it to provide customers with best-in-class technology tools.
 
Pat Bourke, chief administrative officer, said GBT is “uniquely positioned to shed all legacy technology platforms in favor of today’s market-leading solutions. The partners we’ve selected represent the best of what cloud services offer: security, operational cost savings and agility.”

Those partners include:
 
•    NetSuite: An enterprise-resource planning company with more than 20,000 customers worldwide. GBT said it will enable it to achieve greater visibility into global operations through improved financial management, billing management and revenue management systems and solutions.
 
•    Coupa: A provider of spend management solutions. Coupa’s mobile-enabled management platforms equip GBT with advanced procurement, sourcing, invoicing, and expensing applications.

•    Workday: A provider of applications for finance and human resource. Its Human Capital Management application streamlines human resource and management processes worldwide.
 
•    Dell Boomi: A provider of an Enterprise Integration Platform as a Service that will enable GBT to support the rollout of complex technology implementations by reducing development complexities. GBT is using Dell Boomi’s hybrid model to leverage both the cloud and on-premise capabilities offered by the product.
 
•    Jive: A provider of modern communication and collaboration solutions for business. Jive is upgrading GBT’s existing intranet platform using new cloud-based software solutions. It enables GBT to publish blogs internally, conduct polling, showcase video content, and engage employees in new ways and on any device. Jive’s digital collaboration hub brings together standard business tools and platforms to improve employee productivity, alignment and innovation throughout the company.