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.
Sujiva Dewaraja |
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software may become outdated running out of customers.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. |