CCL sells a Harris

Press, 2 November 1982, Page 28

CCL sells a Harris

Computer Consultants, Ltd. has sold its first Harris super-minicomputer, to Newmans Tours. Ltd. Newmans will install a Harris HBO to run an international on-line reservations and tour-operations system. “The sale effectively launches CCL into the important super-minicomputer market in New Zealand," said Mr Bruce Fallaver, CCL’s Government and corporate systems branch manager. (Other Harris computers are used by CCL for its time-sharing bureau business.) In moving from batchbureau processing to an online, in-house system, Newmans Tours is hoping to gain an improved information system in terms of integration, continuity, accuracy and timeliness. A member of the TNL Group, Newmans Tours is New Zealand's largest and longest-established tour operator. Newmans' HBO will be

housed at its head office in Auckland. Remote terminals will be installed in booking offices at Mount Wellington, Sydney. Melbourne. Brisbane,' and. eventually, Los Angeles. The reservations and tour operations system is being developed by CCL’s Auckland office, it will follow each Newmans tour from initial reservations by the tourist up to 15 months in advance and the subsequent raising of invoices, to the booking of air travel and accommodation. allocation of coaches, the production of driver instructions. passenger lists and itineraries and, finally, sales analysis. An interface with the Post Office’s telex network will enable hotels to be automatically advised of late or changed bookings. Debtors, creditors, and general ledger modules from CCL’s Masterline suite of software will also be used. CCL is using Masterline in its own on-line time-share operation.

In addition, Newmans will be the first New Zealand user of Info a generative software tool developed by Henco Software, of Massachusetts. Infor features an application generator, integrated relational database, dictionary-driven report writer and query language, and personal computing facilities. CCL has alreadyused Info to develop an online booking system for Newmans Rentals. Ltd, a subsidiary which rents motorised caravans.. This system will also run on the HBO being installed by Newmans Tours. Newmans will be one of New Zealand's first international users of the Post Office’s new packet-switch-ing service when it begins in mid-1983. The Harris 80 will be installed early next year. It will have 160 megabytes of disc, a streaming magnetic tape drive. 15 video terminals, a word-processing terminal, and three printers.