Mr. Offutt brings over 20 years of experience in information technology, IT management and travel industry dynamics to Phocuswright. He was most recently the chief architect and senior vice president for Sabre Holdings where he defined the strategy and plan to migrate from a monolithic Mainframe environment to distributed open systems and a service oriented architecture. Prior to being Sabre's chief architect, Bob founded and led Sabre Labs, a technology incubator that made Sabre the industry leader in new online products and services. Before Sabre, he spent 26 years in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he led the agency's information technology unit. Bob has also served on the faculty of the University of Puget Sound, George Washington University and the University of Southern California. His education includes a B.S. in engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and a master's degree in management science from the U.S. Navy Postgraduate School.
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Bob Offutt's Areas of Research
Bob Offutt is a travel technology visionary. His vast experience and hands on leadership in travel distribution make place him firmly at the forefront of innovation in travel. In his role as editorial director of Phocuswright's Innovation Edition and a leader of The Travel Innovation Summit, Bob Offutt knows how to identify the trends, technologies and platforms that will define the future of travel.
Travel Innovation and Technology Trends 2019
Category: Technology Innovation Published: March 2019 Analysts: Bob Offutt, Robert Cole, Michael Gerra, Cathy Walsh, Hollis Thomases, Norm RoseEach year, Phocuswright publishes an annual report that discusses the most significant technology-driven issues or developments that will shape travel distribution this year and beyond. This year we...
Search: The Enabler
Category: Social & Search Published: November 2018 Analysts: Bob OffuttVirtually everyone on the planet who has used the internet recognizes the three leading search engines, Google, Yahoo and Bing. Along with the big 3, there are several others, such as the Chinese search...
The Call Center at the Heart of the Customer Experience
Category: Technology Innovation Published: August 2018 Analysts: Bob OffuttIn many companies, the call center is an unpleasant but necessary cost center. However, to the customer, it is what they see and the impression they get of their suppliers. Customers contacting call...
New Distribution Capability (NDC) and One Order: Air Distribution Gets a Refresh
Category: Technology Innovation Published: July 2018 Analysts: Bob OffuttThe International Air Transport Association (IATA) has sponsored New Distribution Capability (NDC) to replace the outdated legacy messaging system known as Edifact. In addition, IATA has mandated that...
Artificial Intelligence (AI): The Future of Travel (or Not)
Category: Technology Innovation Published: May 2018 Analysts: Bob OffuttThe hype around Artificial Intelligence (AI) is staggering. It’s difficult to pick up a technology publication today without seeing some reference to AI, but what does it mean for the travel industry?...