OK, Apple hasn't much to worry about here because iPhone apps retain their sex appeal, but Cornerstone Information Systems has created a series of discreet applications, "much like iPhone apps," the company says, to consolidate and depict customized parts of the travel procurement process.
Let's see, should I download iPhone apps Zipcar or CNN Mobile? Or perhaps instead I should access Cornerstone's Travet Library -- the apps are called Travets -- and drag onto my desktop an app which slices and dices Cornerstone's data management platform, iBank, and provides a colorful, real-time portrait of my company's travel policy compliance.
The Zipcar app or even Zombie Pizza for the iPhone may get the most popular user reviews, but Cornerstone, which automates the reservations process for travel management companies and corporate travel departments, is holding out hope that travel managers and travel agents will find Travets portraying a breakdown of spend across travel segments or air policy performance equally as appealing.
Here is what a Cornerstone Travet on air contract performance might look like:
A Travet providing a graphical view of a company's air policy performance is equally beautiful. Just look:
Cornerstone says its Travets, which are being tested by 19 TMCs and corporations -- ranging from Uniglobe Preferred Travel to The Travel Authority -- are portable and can be viewed on mobile phones and desktops.
Cornerstone says it has 11 Travet applications available and will be rolling out new ones throughout 2010.