The national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain Gulf Air today announced the renewal of its strategic IT partnership with IT giant Microsoft with the signing of ‘Enterprise Agreement.' Under the agreement, signed between Mr. , Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Air and Mr. Tareq Hijazi, Country Manager for Microsoft in the Kingdom of Bahrain and Sultanate of Oman, Gulf Air will gain access to a wide range of Microsoft's cutting edge solutions and innovations. Microsoft will supply a range of software solutions and services to upgrade and standardize Gulf Air's IT infrastructure and help improve its operational efficiencies while benefitting from attractive pricing and flexible, cost-effective licensing. Gulf Air will also gain access to extensive technical and operational support from a team of Microsoft experts. By acquiring this additional technological capability, Gulf Air will be able to boost its customer-interface functions to a faster, more efficient service as the back-end booking engine of the airline's website gulfair.com is supported by Microsoft. Gulf Air Chief Executive Officer Mr. Samer Majali said, “Sound IT infrastructure forms the backbone of our business that plays an important role in improving operational efficiencies, which are crucial to running a successful airline." He continued, “The agreement helps us improve our return on IT investment by acquiring the best practices in software management as well as a range of services and technologies that would enable Gulf Air to move into the next generation of technology offering our customers with state-of-the-art services." “Microsoft has long been a trusted partner and provider of IT solutions to Gulf Air and our decision to enter into this Enterprise Agreement reinforces our longstanding relationship," Mr. Majali concluded. Commenting on the agreement, Hijazi said “Gulf Air has long been a pioneer and early adopter of technology, as we have seen from their recent launch of in-flight internet connectivity. Technology has historically played a role in helping airlines transform into more agile, efficient businesses and Microsoft is well positioned to work with key players, such as Gulf Air, to help them get the most from their IT infrastructure. This agreement is yet another example of the airline's commitment to keeping up with the latest IT trends, while optimizing its operational efficiencies." Press Release
