Unisys Sees Opportunities Expand In India

Travel/Distribution Systems Aviation Daily Nov 16 , 2010 , p. 13 Neelam Mathews As cargo business starts to look up, Unisys Corporation is targeting India as a market for its web-based airline cargo Logistics Management System. The system is used by airlines worldwide to manage their air cargo business via a shared “software-as-a-service” model, paying on a per-shipment basis, providing savings and increased flexibility over in-house purchased systems. Unisys says it will focus on the vast opportunities that exist in cargo, baggage reconciliation and airports in India. Airline clients currently include Delta Cargo, Air Canada Cargo and SAS Cargo, and an Indian carrier will be added soon, according to Unisys. “We are also talking to five big airlines in Asia-Pacific as they need to do something quickly, not having invested for a long time (in the cargo space) since market volumes have increased,” says Sue Carter, Asia-Pacific VP-global commercial industries. Surging cargo and air traffic in Asia-Pacific has also increased threats, making security requirements at airports top priority, says consultancy Frost & Sullivan, which estimates the airport security market in the region will grow from $5.21 billion in 2008 to $9.23 billion in 2015. Infrastructure upgrades needed at airports include security systems to comply with new government regulations. “The (fragmented) supply chain consists of security system manufacturers, distributors and system integrators. Many new technologies such as IP-based surveillance and biometrics identification is being widely used in this region. Integration of different systems at different operational areas is considered to be a key challenge in this market,” says a Frost & Sullivan spokesman. Indian clients, too, are also showing interest in security and biometrics solutions on offer in the airlines and airports sector here, adds Carter. China and India together have planned to develop and construct at least 93 new airports to cater to the fast-growing air traffic demands with combined expenditure of over $33.4 billion. Unisys was the master system integrator for Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport Limited at Terminal 3, a 502,000-sq.-meter space with 92 automated walkways and 78 aerobridges. As a systems integrator, Unisys was responsible for reviewing and coordinating the design, installation, commissioning and integration of information technology systems delivered by 12 separate companies. These systems cover the full range of IT services required by a modern airport, including a terminal-wide managed network, full CCTV coverage with more than 3,000 cameras, complete access control, public address system, flight information displays, check-in and boarding gate systems, and a fully integrated building management system. “We are now looking at (tapping business) from the new Navi Mumbai Airport expected to be announced soon,” says Carter.