At one time, the technology that supported travel distribution – especially travel agents – was used as a case-study example of how to enable business processes through cutting-edge automation. That technology performed extremely well for the job it was designed to do. But the world is changing fast, and the travel industry’s technology platform needs to keep up. Cost pressures, the ability and economic incentive to bypass intermediaries, low-cost technology, third-party low fare search services, changing business models and global Internet connectivity have fostered the development of new technology models. But these models are still in a transitional state. PhoCusWright predicts that by 2010, with new technology capability, the playing field between suppliers, intermediaries and travel agencies/travel management companies (TMCs) will be substantially different than it is today.