A History of Videcom International
Founded in 1972, the Videcom originally manufactured computer terminals for many uses throughout the aviation and travel sectors including airline reservation centers, airport operations and travel agency systems. Over 450,000 computer terminals were manufactured between 1972 and 2002 and although refurbishments are still supported today with many units still in use globally at airlines and airports, the company diversified into airline software development in 1987.
In 1976, Videcom International along with British Airways, British Caledonian and CCL launched Travicom, the world's first multi-access reservations system, (wholly based on Videcom technology), forming a network providing distribution for 49 subscribing international airlines (including British Airways, British Caledonian, TWA, Pan American World Airways, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Air France, Lufthansa, SAS, Air Canada, KLM, Alitalia, Cathay Pacific and JAL) to thousands of travel agents in the UK. It allowed agents and airlines to communicate via a common distribution language and network, handling 97% of UK airline business trade bookings by 1987.
The system went on to be replicated by Videcom in other areas of the world including the Middle East (DMARS), New Zealand, Kuwait (KMARS), Ireland, Caribbean, United States and Hong Kong. The Travicom multi access system was eventually replaced by Galileo in the UK and in 1988, Travel Automations Services Ltd (trading as Travicom) changed its trading name to Galileo UK and agents using Travicom were migrated to Galileo.
Since the late 1980s to the current day, Videcom has continued to develop products mostly related to airlines and airports, including terminal emulator software, airport check-in systems, Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE), Aircraft Weight and Balance systems, Unit Load Device management, and a modern Airline Reservations System, including an integrated Departure Control System.
In 2004, Videcom sold some of their standalone products, such as standalone DCS, Weight and Balance and the Common Use System, to Ultra Electronics in an effort to focus on a fully integrated hosted solution which could be used by larger airlines on a global scale.
The new product suite, which the company has provided to approximately 45 airlines since 2001, includes VRS, the Airline Reservations Systems and the new integrated Departure Control System and is used by regional and international airlines.