Magazine Issue: May, 2010
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Q & A with Faisal Memon
Illusions Online is a major enterprise software provider, based in Dubai, Faisal Memon, CEO of the company spoke to Travel Trade Weekly about the importance of technology in difficult times.
Travel Trade Weekly: Please tell me about what Illusions offers to its customers and who your product is for?
Faisal Memon: Our main offering is something called Illusions Enterprise; which is essentially a complete suite of tools for tour operators and wholesalers, for managing every aspect of the business. In the Middle East region there is a very grey area between travel agents, tour operators and wholesalers, but our dealings are very much with the brick and mortar kind of operation.
However, even though we work with real-world businesses, we allow these businesses to be online and compete in that market.
Travel Trade Weekly: Has there been a lot of interest in enterprise software in the Middle East?
Faisal Memon:The interest has been huge; however, where the issue lies is that because we are offering an enterprise product, we focus on enterprise customers, which means the big boys in the market.
The barrier is the cost of the product, which can be up in six figures. We have obviously tried to be very creative in the way we priced the product, through user licensing and other initiatives, but it can still be difficult to convince smaller players to make the investment.
On top of which, it has always been a challenge to get people to adopt new technologies.
Travel Trade Weekly: Is there a particular resistance to new technologies in the Middle East?
Faisal memon: Oh yeah. You are bang on there. What you have to remember is that a lot of these travel companies, particularly the big ones like Kanoo or Al Rais, have been around for a long time.
These big players, many of them have boomed and grown because of the boom in the region.
For example, a couple of years ago in 2007 and 2008, these companies did not have to work too hard because there was so much going on in the area and everyone rode the wave.
At that time, we would go into offices and try to convince managers to spend six figures on a new program - well , you would see a lot of eyebrows.
You would usually get shown the door, too!
I think the actual understanding of the benefits of technology has not yet become widespread and this is something that can be seen in the travel industry around the world. Sure, in the US you have companies like Expedia and Orbitz, but this is a very different business model and traditional tour operators have remained very slow on the uptake when it comes to new technology.
So yes, although things are changing, there is definitely big resistance.
Travel Trade Weekly: How are things changing now?
Faisal Memon: We have seen a shift recently, as the market has not been as rosy as people have to work hard for pennies these days.
The biggest cost for travel enterprises is human resources, and our product is about automating procedures that would otherwise take up the time of staff.
What this means is that in hard times companies can operate with fewer employees and when things get better the can either manage greater loads with the same number of staff, or redirect staff to work on more complicated, high revenue business.
Another thing that is driving interest at the moment is that we are seeing the old school hand over the reins to the new school.
As the fathers in the big family business that are our main clients hand over the management to their songs, we are seeing a lot of new interest coming in.
www.traveltradeweekly.travel (PAGE 19)
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Travel Trade Weekly
