CWT Acquires WorldMate, Leader in Mobile Travel Technology

AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) announces that it has acquired WorldMate Inc., a leader in mobile travel technology providing itinerary management systems and on-the-road services for travelers.

“This acquisition puts us in an exciting place within the industry; working with the expert in mobile technology puts us in control of our own ‘mobile destiny.’ Injecting WorldMate’s proven mobile expertise into our existing range of products will bring additional services and functionalities to our clients and their travelers.”

As more and more travelers use mobile devices to plan and purchase travel, this move underlines CWT’s commitment to invest in innovation and position mobile solutions as an integral part of its offering. By acquiring the leading developer of mobile technology in travel, CWT will further reinforce its mobile offering – a fundamental step in its promise to deliver the perfect trip to business travelers.

This acquisition will open up further opportunities for both business travelers and corporate customers. Business travelers will have access to a broader range of on-the-go services including airport parking, restaurant bookings, hotel reservations, ground transportation, and airline offers such as in-flight internet. Customers will benefit from a new approach to tackling issues associated with compliance. The ability to aggregate travel information from multiple sources means that customers will be able to gain increased visibility of overall travel spend as well as better track travelers for safety and security purposes.

Douglas Anderson, CWT president and chief executive officer commented: “This acquisition puts us in an exciting place within the industry; working with the expert in mobile technology puts us in control of our own ‘mobile destiny.’ Injecting WorldMate’s proven mobile expertise into our existing range of products will bring additional services and functionalities to our clients and their travelers.”

WorldMate, headquartered in San Francisco with operations in Israel, was founded in 2000. It will operate as a subsidiary of CWT. The WorldMate mobile app is used by over 10 million travelers to organize their itineraries, get real-time local information and book hotels and car rentals while on the go.

“We’re delighted to offer CWT clients access to WorldMate’s leading range of on-the-road services,” commented Jean Tripier, WorldMate chief executive officer. “In addition to becoming an integral part of CWT’s growth strategy, we will remain committed to providing the highest levels of support to our existing clients and the millions of travelers we service today.”

WorldMate will work with CWT teams to enhance existing tools such as CWT To Go™, CWT’s globally-recognized mobile app for travelers. Developed with Rearden Commerce, CWT To Go includes itineraries, mobile check-in, flight alerts and gate changes, information on nearby restaurants, maps and directions. CWT will continue to partner with Rearden Commerce on the distribution of Deem travel and merchant solutions.

About Carlson Wagonlit Travel
CWT is a global leader specialized in managing business travel and meetings and events. CWT serves companies, government institutions and non-governmental organizations of all sizes in more than 150 countries and territories. By leveraging both the expertise of its people and leading-edge technology, CWT helps clients derive the greatest value from their travel program in terms of savings, service, security and sustainability. The company is also committed to providing best-in-class service and assistance to travelers. CWT services and solutions comprise Traveler & Transaction Services, Program Optimization, Safety & Security, Meetings & Events and Energy Services. In 2011, sales volume for wholly owned operations and joint ventures totaled US$28.0 billion. As part of its commitment to responsible business, CWT is a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact Ten Principles. For more information about CWT, please visit our global website at www.carlsonwagonlit.com. Follow us on Twitter @CarlsonWagonlit.