Complete Technology Solutions

Traveltek and Western Office Systems are a Formidable Team in the IT Market

Western Office Systems and its trading division, Traveltek, are sister companies which are forging ahead in the IT market. Both offer unique services to business.....

Western Office Systems started life in September 1995 as a general office equipment supplier before developing into the more specialised field of IT. Set up by Managing Director, Ken Picken, the company offers complete IT packages including:

More interestingly, they offer an innovative contact management system, developed inhouse, that is internet based and works seamlessly with your voice and data systems. The Inform system works with your computer as follows:

Commercial Manager Lex Spence said: “The Inform system is ideal for businesses as it gives you all the information you require, wherever you are in the world, within seconds. It’s a convergence of technologies, a real hands-on product with multiple uses that can be installed in any type of company.

“It’s great for sales people who can access the up-to-date information they need through their laptops, portable organisers and mobile phones. It’s also ideal for company staff who work from home either part-time or permanently. Another advantage of the system is that it’s completely secure. Users can only get into the system through a security gateway and even then only to areas designated by their company.

“It’s a unique transglobal contact management package and the appeal is several-fold. All you need is internet access and Inform.”

Traveltek is the company’s aid to the travel industry. They are a travel technology specialists supplying total solutions and bespoke packages to the travel industry. They also offer Travelbase, a fast search system for holiday and flight availability slashes the time it takes using more traditional methods.

A travel agent with the Travelbase system can search for information on more than 25 different operators at a time. What’s more, they can hold information on screen about the best prices for comparisons between companies and print it off for the customer or convert them into professional window posters.

Said Lex: “The traditional method of trawling through each operator’s system can be time consuming and cumbersome. Our system not only gives the travel agency access to a number of operators at any one time, but also gives them one-touch internet access to travel related sites.

“We have more than 1200 travel agents as clients - 25% of the independent travel agency market in the UK - and are the internet and software supplier to Europe’s biggest independent travel consortium, Advantage Travel Centres. ”

With the new technology, the company has grown quickly. In fact, they have just taken on another five people to bring their employee total up to 26 and have doubled their office space at their College Milton base.

They also recently acquired a similar but smaller company in Manchester bringing their branches up to a count of three - apart from the East Kilbride office, they also have an office in Central London.

In addition to this and thanks to South Lanarkshire Council, some members of staff have recently undergone training in the company’s newly installed SAGE Line 50 networked accounting system. Funding from the course came from a Management Technology Training Grant of £2,700 managed by the Council’s Economic Development Service.

Lex added: “We have very ambitious plans for long term growth. Our intention is to become a Pan European supplier of these new technologies, although we are currently working towards being a dominant force in the UK in the short term. It’s not beyond us.”

Business South Lanarkshire - Summer 2000

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