Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has revamped its online customer-experience with Microsoft Azure Cloud.

The deployment carried out by Link Development, a Microsoft Certified Cloud Service provider and global technology solutions provider, enables Gulf Air to deliver world-class Web and cross-device services while future-proofing its online platform, giving customers access to information and services around the clock, from anywhere in the world, with lightning-fast response times.

“At Microsoft our mission is to help every individual and organisation on the planet to achieve more and we are deeply proud to have played a part in Gulf Air’s digital transformation journey,” said Sherif Tawfik, country general manager, Microsoft Bahrain & Oman.

“Sub-second response times are critical to travellers as they plan their itineraries, and this was a high-priority aspect of Gulf Air’s digital transformation,” added Tawfik. “Azure allowed the company’s online services to react in real time to fluctuations in Web traffic, all while providing world-leading security for both the airline and its passengers.”

“The importance of the online user experience and the need for a superior online presence made us decide that a new, modern online presence was a high strategic priority. With the Azure-based portal, our unique visitor numbers have shot up, while we have reduced our backend operational costs,” said Dr Jassim Haji, director of Information Technology, Gulf Air.

With the help of trusted local Microsoft implementation partner Link Development; a driver of business transformation by delivering integrated, inventive and digitally productive experiences, Gulf Air has rebuilt its legacy Microsoft SharePoint-based website using a powerful combination of Azure and open-source software platforms.

“We at Link Development have always strived to offer solutions that cater to the needs of every customer.” said Sylvana Mounir, general manager, Digital Services, Link Development. “Microsoft innovations, coupled with our inventive ways of engagement, delivery and support, empower Gulf Air to harness technology in order to achieve their business objectives.”

Gulf Air’s multilingual site gulfair.com consists of a main corporate site and sub-sites dedicated to other Gulf Air services, such as its passenger loyalty programme, cargo partners and customers. The main site offers a wide range of responsive features, such as travel data, baggage claim, flight booking and even local-weather information. The flexibility of Azure will allow the airline to roll out other provisions as needed.

“So much of what is needed to revitalise an organisation – empowering employees, engaging customers and transforming products – is enabled by solutions like Microsoft Azure,” said Tawfik. “Gulf Air’s success is in bringing standout experiences to its passengers. In giving them cross-device flexibility, always-on connectivity and sub-second responsiveness, the airline is successfully future-proofing its IT systems, and we are delighted to have been a part of this process.” - TradeArabia News Service