JKCS develops Zhara HS software

Ramani KANGARAARACHCHI

The John Keells Computer Services (JKCS) best known for aviation industry software will expand its wings to the global leisure industry in the near future.

The company will introduce its latest product, Zhara Hospitality Suite (Zhara HS) the all in one hotel management software to John Keells Maldivian Resort as the first step, JKH IT Sector Head Sujiva Dewaraja told Daily News Business.

He said JKCS is the first to use ‘Cloud Computing’ in Sri Lankan hospitality industry software. Zhara HS enables a hotel or resort chain to run its entire operation by logging on to the internet, making the entire reservation process simple for the customer. “Hotel rooms are also like a seat on a flight. If you don’t sell a room within a stipulated time it is gone.

Zhara has enabled customers to pay only for the number of rooms that get booked through the system so it is becoming more and popular in the hospitality industry around the world.” he said.

Dewaraja said the company has now mastered the art of turnkey projects where they build software from zero taking complete responsibility for the entire process. But in the past the company outsourced most of its work and catered to overseas customers.

According to the old system the risk is once the product is built the software may become outdated running out of customers. But with the new product once it hits the target there is a chance of getting bonus customers. He said the company’s highly successful Accel Aero package built in 2005 for Air Arabia which took the JKCS brand international as a top player in the global aviation software industry today has 15 low cost carriers as customers.

Referring to the secret of success behind JKCS, he said it has been able to get the best software engineers in the country, as young IT graduates are attracted by the opportunities to work on cutting edge software and world class clients.

“They all grow with the company and get the opportunity to work in any other JKH group business laterally which gives them a much diverse experience and knowledge locally or internationally.

“The company has 250 employees at present and it is 90 percent export oriented,” he said.