EDS announced the signing of a comprehensive agreement with Microsoft around EDS airline reservations, flight operations and service oriented architecture products. With the announcement, EDS will use selected Microsoft tools, software and resources in the modernization and operations of its airline service oriented architecture (SOA) products. Microsoft will provide architecture specialists, advanced 24-hour support, a new model for software licensing, additional investment into the products and access to new customer channel management tools to form a truly unique go-to-market relationship. The agreement is for a duration of eight years.

"We have spent considerable time analyzing technology tools and capabilities and reached the conclusion that EDS Agility Alliance partner Microsoft offers us the best path forward for modernizing and enhancing our airline reservations, flight operations and service oriented architecture products," said Jim Dullum, EDS vice president and leader Global Transportation Industry. "This relationship will be unparalleled in providing the strongest combination of technology, industry expertise, products and architectural innovation to the airline industry."

Joint sales and marketing activities will begin immediately and the first technology components will go live this summer. The EDS products using Microsoft's technology will include reservations, flight planning, flight operations and the airline SOA.

"The travel and hospitality industry is important to Microsoft. It is an ideal environment for .NET, SQL and distributed workflow services, and we found the EDS vision, investment and product direction to be a leading industry proposition," said Geoff Cairns, Microsoft's Managing Director for Hospitality worldwide. "This agreement is a strong validation of the capabilities of Windows & SQL Server and the broader product portfolio's ability to scale and deliver Enterprise SOA solutions."

As a member of the EDS Agility Alliance, Microsoft provides the standard platform for EDS' desktop and server operating systems, and integrated development environments. EDS clients turn to the alliance for development, management and modernization of their mission-critical applications and infrastructure, including the next generation of .NET, workplace and mobility solutions.

As a global airline IT services provider, EDS brings world-class technology solutions to help airlines and transportation customers sustain competitive advantage in a tightly constrained market.