Hema Oza
When Robert Kost started his company, Portaga, a little over two years ago, he says, his goal was to make a better travel-booking tool, one that integrated the various aspects of a business trip.
In particular, he saw an opportunity in the small-business industry, which is largely neglected when it comes to travel. "Business travel is often complex," says Kost, CEO of Portaga. With the hope of simplifying the process, Portaga went to work on developing a Web-based travel reservation application, incorporating Microsoft (MSFT Quote - Cramer on MSFT - Stock Picks) Outlook. In April, the company launched TripSync, an online booking tool that Kost expects "will change the game in online travel distribution." TripSync can be launched from anywhere -- from browser toolbars, inside Microsoft Outlook or within any Web page. "It uses the Web browser to interact with the user, but it behaves like software," he explains. "Once launched, the user picks the person whose travel he or she is managing, and can begin to build a trip, to change preferences or to review future and past trips." After the trip is booked, it's automatically placed in the calendar, available for cancellation or modification at any time. Kost says TripSync's target audience is small businesses in the services, manufacturing and professional sectors, which spend less than $3 million a year on travel.
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