IBS boosts its leader status in airfreight sector with AFLS acquisition
The AFLS acquisition is seen as a strategic step in recognizing IBS Software’s vision to establish itself as an end-to-end player in the global freight supply chain.
IBS Software, a prominent SaaS solutions provider to the global travel industry, has completed its acquisition of Accenture Freight and Logistics Software (AFLS).
AFLS provides technology platforms to help airline and ocean transportation companies manage their freight operations and grow through digital transformation and innovation.
The acquisition is expected to bolster IBS Software’s leadership as a technology provider to the airfreight industry by bringing together complementary solutions and a shared vision for innovating and transforming the air cargo businesses.
Boosting the freight business is an increasingly critical priority for airlines and the AFLS acquisition consolidates latest innovations to accelerate growth, especially AFLS’ cloud-based collaboration platforms which deliver advancements in airline partnerships – a major focus area for carriers.
IBS will also deploy cargo management expertise in ocean transportation
The company has said that the acquisition is a strategic step in recognizing IBS Software’s vision to establish itself as an end-to-end player in the global freight supply chain. AFLS has a strong heritage in ocean freight innovation with a suite of new generation platforms that enable ocean carriers to automate critical business functions and make data-led decisions for commercial operations. Further, the transaction helps IBS Software to deploy its cargo and logistics management expertise in the ocean transportation sector.
With increasing industry focus on the digitalization of the ocean supply chain to improve efficiencies, expansion into ocean cargo presents a significant growth opportunity for IBS Software. The acquisition will also allow IBS Software to tap into a highly capable talent pool of experts in logistics and supply chain management that can drive innovation and deliver value to the industry.
To support this expansion, IBS Software will open a new development center in Chennai, its fourth in India, for travel, transportation and logistics. The center will accelerate the company’s mission to transform how travel companies operate in a digital world by delivering next-generation products to accelerate growth, drive efficiency, and create differentiated customer experiences.
Cargo and logistics vital to global economy
“The acquisition of AFLS is a strategically important milestone for our cargo and logistics business to broaden its global footprint, with ocean transportation being a natural adjacent industry in which to expand our expertise,” said V K Mathews, Executive Chairman of IBS Software. It is a synergistic opportunity to bring our decades of experience and expertise to the ocean cargo business, as well as strengthen our own capabilities to provide greater value to the air cargo customers, he added.
Cargo and logistics are vital to the global economy. It’s an area ripe for growth and hungry for transformation. Recent moves by logistics businesses to enter air cargo as they seek to influence the supply chain at every level are evidence of the growing disruption in the sector. AFLS will be pivotal in our wider mission to transform the global supply chain through digital innovation, said Anand Krishnan, CEO, IBS Software.
IBS Software has been managing mission-critical operations for customers in the aviation, tour and cruise and hospitality industries. IBS Software’s solutions for the aviation industry cover fleet and crew operations, aircraft maintenance, passenger services, loyalty programs, staff travel and air cargo management. The company also runs a real-time B2B and B2C distribution platform providing hotel room inventory, rates and availability to a global network of hospitality companies and channels.
