TravelEssence is a leading travel agency based in the Netherlands that focuses on one of the world’s most captivating destinations, the South Pacific.
They serve primarily European tourists who want to explore the beauty and diverse landscapes of Australia and New Zealand and design customized holiday packages.
Founder and owner Andrew Morten has a deep passion for that region, and it shows in his agency’s dedication to personalized adventures designed by experienced employees who either hail from “down under” or have lived in that region for an extended period of time.
Alongside the original Dutch branch, TravelEssence now operates subsidiaries and sales offices in many German cities (as well as Switzerland) that cater to increasing numbers of adventurous tourists. Their resoundingly positive feedback is the best advertisement TravelEssence could ask for.
As an enthusiastic Apple fan, Andrew Morten built his agency on Apple products. His team relies exclusively on their Macs, which is challenging when they need to access the Windows applications necessary for the travel industry.
"I think that a computer can only be a good computer if it doesn’t feel like a cryptic puzzle to an IT amateur like me. That’s why I’ve always loved Apple for its simplicity and user-friendliness.
I expect the same thing from a piece of software. It should intuitively, quickly, and reliably do what I need it to do so that I don’t have to download an operating system with which I’m not familiar onto my Mac for certain applications. Parallels Desktop Business Edition is precisely this type of software."
Not one Windows computer can be found on the desks of the roughly 60 employees. Morten says that macOS is just too simple and foolproof, the hardware too robust and reliable, and the design of Mac computers too attractive for a PC to measure up.
Standard Apple applications also cover most of the agency’s software requirements. They use Apple Mail for internal and external communication, iPhoto, Safari, and Pages for sales, and Numbers for the back office.
Add individually programmed automation scripts for managing travel information and meetings, and voilà! TravelEssence’s business operations stand on a solid Mac-based foundation.
The challenge — running Windows apps as a Mac-based business
TravelEssence had invested extensively in Mac computers but needed to run Windows applications like TourWriter (a trip planning system) and Galileo (a flight booking portal).
These two central elements of planning and organizing long-distance trips do not offer macOS versions and require the Windows operating system to run.
The Galileo booking portal, a global computer reservation system for flights, requires Windows to operate. The same applies to Tourwriter, the world’s leading tour-planning software.
Clearly, for a business founded by an Apple enthusiast, this was a problem. While the TravelEssence staff tried using macOS’s pre-installed Bootcamp utility, needing to restart constantly disrupted the team’s workflows and was generally inefficient.
The test — Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition bridges the OS gap
Enter Parallels Desktop for Mac. After installing and testing the free trial version, the TravelEssence team was impressed by the high-performance, sophisticated solution to their compatibility problems.
Installing the software was simple and seamless, but the Coherence Mode was what really won the TravelEssence team over.
It was a game-changer to have Windows apps (such as TourWriter and Galileo) displayed alongside macOS apps (Pages, Photos, and Numbers) with the option to copy and paste between them.
This capability guaranteed the exact level of usability and practicality that founder Andrew Morten had envisioned.
The solution — macOS and Windows, side-by-side in Parallels Desktop’s Coherence Mode
Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition offered the ideal combination of outstanding performance, user-friendliness, and reliability. It impressed the TravelEssence users with Coherence mode, which allows users to switch between operating systems without having to restart the computer (as opposed to Bootcamp, which required a restart).
The team also enjoys the ability to rapidly switch between macOS and Windows operating systems, copy and paste content, and use the clipboard across macOS and Windows, apps, and the ease of installation.
Overall, TravelEssence benefits from the user-friendly infrastructure, the 24/7 support, and the minimal impact Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition has on their budget.
The result — a user-friendly solution with an excellent TCO
Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition impressed the TravelEssence users with Coherence mode, which makes it possible to switch between operating systems without having to restart the computer (as opposed to Bootcamp, which required a restart).
The team also enjoys the ability to rapidly switch between macOS and Windows operating systems, copy and paste content and use the clipboard across macOS and Windows, apps, and the ease of installation.
Furthermore, the TravelEssence IT department benefits from the user-friendly infrastructure, the 24/7 support, and of course, the minimal impact on their budget.
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