US-based airline opts for Compu-Clearing software Information stored in Johannesburg

WHY WOULD an airline based in Miami, USA decide to keep its data in a computer in South Africa? Simple, says Compu-Clearing chairman Arnold Garber.
“We showed them that by storing the info here, and by developing the software to provide the service required, they can make a booking anywhere in the world at the touch of a button.”
But it isn’t as simple as it may seem, especially as the airline concerned serves Spanish-speaking destinations and requires all of its information in that language.
In addition, although air cargo systems are the same worldwide, Compu-Clearing had to customise software to US conditions that would convert pound weights into kilograms and inches into centimetres.
“We were initially approached by Santa Barbara Airlines of Miami in October last year to see if we could provide the necessary software in Spanish,” says Garber. “Immediately Mario Acosta was put in charge of the development, being able to speak the language and understand the requirements.
“Now he spends a considerable amount of time commuting between Johannesburg and Miami to ensure that everything is in place.”
It takes Acosta the normal 14 hours to travel to the US, but what he has developed is a software system that ‘flies’ from Miami to Johannesburg and back in less than a second, says Garber.
“The airline serves such places as Caracas in Venezuela, Quito in Ecuador and Madrid in Spain. But they are satisfied that having their information stored right here in Johannesburg is ideal. The whole plan has worked out perfectly.
“So often we South Africans underestimate ourselves. This is a first of its kind venture and once again there is proof that we can achieve anything of this nature in this country “