Mr. Offutt brings over 20 years of experience in information technology, IT management and travel industry dynamics to Phocuswright. He was most recently the chief architect and senior vice president for Sabre Holdings where he defined the strategy and plan to migrate from a monolithic Mainframe environment to distributed open systems and a service oriented architecture. Prior to being Sabre's chief architect, Bob founded and led Sabre Labs, a technology incubator that made Sabre the industry leader in new online products and services. Before Sabre, he spent 26 years in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he led the agency's information technology unit. Bob has also served on the faculty of the University of Puget Sound, George Washington University and the University of Southern California. His education includes a B.S. in engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and a master's degree in management science from the U.S. Navy Postgraduate School.
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Bob Offutt's Areas of Research
Bob Offutt is a travel technology visionary. His vast experience and hands on leadership in travel distribution make place him firmly at the forefront of innovation in travel. In his role as editorial director of Phocuswright's Innovation Edition and a leader of The Travel Innovation Summit, Bob Offutt knows how to identify the trends, technologies and platforms that will define the future of travel.
Collaborative Consumption and the Opportunity for Travel Professionals
Category: Social & Search Published: November 2014 Analysts: Bob Offutt US $450Collaborative consumption – sometimes known as the sharing or peer-to-peer economy – can empower consumers to take advantage of services and facilities in new and potentially disruptive ways. It can...

Automated Speech Recognition: Getting More Important Every Day
Category: Technology Innovation Published: October 2014 Analysts: Bob Offutt US $250Automated speech recognition (ASR) is growing in both popularity and capability. In the travel category, it has become a preferred method for interacting with computing devices, and a strategic...

Fragmented Travel Content: How to Deal With It?
Category: Technology Innovation Published: September 2014 Analysts: Bob Offutt US $350In recent years, the travel industry has benefited from technologies that have aggregated and standardized data and processes to improve online shopping and booking. But most of these efforts have...

Five (No, Six) Things That Travel Distribution Companies Must Do to Survive and/or Maximize Profitability
Category: Technology Innovation Published: July 2014 Analysts: Bob Offutt US $250The travel distribution business has been fundamentally disrupted by OTAs, metasearch companies, Internet transparency and supplier direct initiatives. With distribution dynamics changing, small...

Phocuswright and The Future of Travel Distribution: Innovation And Technology Trends 2014
Category: Technology Innovation Published: June 2014 Analysts: Bob OffuttDiscover how innovation and rapidly advancing technology are reshaping the travel distribution landscape. In this June 18, 2014 webinar deck and recording, Phocuswright analysts examine the key...