Laszlo Systems Provides Dynamic Mapping Application for La Quinta Hotels
Leading Hospitality Provider Uses Rich Internet Applications to Streamline Online Booking Process
May 05, 2004, Dallas, TX., and San Francisco, CA. - Laszlo Systems, the premier provider of server software for rich Internet applications (RIAs), announced today at the 2004 TRAVDEX travel technology conference that La Quinta Inns (www.LQ.com), a leading hospitality provider with more than 370 hotels in 33 states, has implemented a Laszlo-powered dynamic mapping application to enhance the online hotel search process.
The mapping application gives consumers a visual way to quickly and easily find a hotel in their desired location. The single page Web interface enables visitors to use the La Quinta homepage to search for a hotel property without requiring them to work through a multitude of HTML pages and related page refreshes. The mapping application is the first step in a larger project to provide the current HTML web site with the more user-centric approach offered by Laszlo-based rich Internet applications.
"When our customers come to our Web site, we want them to be able to find exactly what they're looking for" said Sandy Heilman, Vice President, Electronic Distribution & Marketing at La Quinta Inns. "The Laszlo application gives our customers an online tool that makes the search process quick, easy and focused."
La Quinta Inns selected the Laszlo Presentation Server (LPS) as its platform of choice because of its unique ability to deliver a breakthrough user experience that works within La Quinta's current Web infrastructure. In addition, Laszlo applications can be viewed by most Web browsers without requiring any additional client install or download.
"In the online travel business, supporting the broadest possible audience is essential. Laszlo's unique support for Flash 5 or higher allows us to deploy media-rich applications to our online customer base using a variety of Internet browsers. In addition, Laszlo's use of open standards makes it easy for us to integrate LPS into our existing architecture without added complexity or infrastructure costs," said Raven Zachary, Director of Internet Technology at La Quinta Inns.
From a development perspective, LPS was an ideal fit for La Quinta because LPS can support a variety of dynamic data sources, including latitude and longitude coordinates for hotel properties. As a result, adding new properties to the Web site is an easy and straightforward process. Because La Quinta's corporate databases can communicate with the Laszlo server via XML, La Quinta's technical and design staff can enter new properties into the Web site without rewriting code, creating new artwork, or manually adjusting the placement of cities on the map. The streamlined development approach will save the company valuable resources, while at the same time, making it easier to keep the Web site up to date.
"The beauty of Laszlo's approach is that it makes a powerful impact both on the front- and back-end of online applications. From a consumer perspective, users get a single page Web interface that makes it easy to find what they're looking for, while from a development point of view, IT teams can use skills they've already mastered to build sophisticated applications," said David Temkin, Chief Technology Officer, Laszlo Systems.
La Quinta's Laszlo-powered mapping application, Search By Map, can be viewed at www.LQ.com.
About La Quinta Corporation
Dallas-based La Quinta Corporation (NYSE: LQI), a limited-service lodging company, owns, operates or franchises more than 370 La Quinta Inns and La Quinta Inn & Suites in 33 states. For more information about La Quinta, please visit its website at www.LQ.com or for reservations at any La Quinta hotel call 1-800-531-5900.
La Quinta, La Quinta Inns and La Quinta Inns & Suites are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office.
About Laszlo Systems
Located in San Mateo, California, Laszlo Systems has developed the Laszlo Presentation Server, an XML-native platform that enables companies to rapidly build rich Internet applications that deliver a breakthrough online user experience. By providing a differentiated, richer and more fluid Internet, Laszlo's single-page Web experience increases customer conversion rates, fosters brand loyalty and ultimately improves the bottom line. For more information about Laszlo Systems, please visit their Web site at www.laszlosystems.com.