IBS Software to acquire canadian aviation software major

May 21, 2019: IT solutions provider IBS Software (IBS) has entered into a definitive agreement with Massachusetts-based Kronos Incorporated to acquire AD OPT, a market leader in aviation software that provides crew management solutions. AD OPT, founded in 1987 in Montreal by a group of mathematicians and operations research experts, was acquired in 2004 by […]

IBS Software to acquire canadian aviation software major
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May 21, 2019: IT solutions provider IBS Software (IBS) has entered into a definitive agreement with Massachusetts-based Kronos Incorporated to acquire AD OPT, a market leader in aviation software that provides crew management solutions.

AD OPT, founded in 1987 in Montreal by a group of mathematicians and operations research experts, was acquired in 2004 by Kronos, a multi-national workforce management software and services company employing nearly 6,000 professionals worldwide.

The acquisition of AD OPT will add more than 20 airline customers to IBS, significantly widen IBS’ footprint in North America, boost IBS’ go-to-market capabilities and enhance IBS’ addressable market. The move will also deepen IBS’ managerial bandwidth by bringing into its fold AD OPT’s team of highly skilled subject matter experts, some with more than 25 years of airline operations experience.

Some of the biggest airlines that use the cutting-edge crew planning and optimization platform of AD OPT are Air Canada, EasyJet, Emirates, FedEx, Garuda, Lion Air, and Qantas. This acquisition will help IBS leverage AD OPT’s deep domain expertise to provide the most advanced, end-to-end, integrated digital solution for the highly complex task of flight and crew management.

Post the acquisition, IBS will take over the office of AD OPT in Montreal and evolve it into a modern Centre of Excellence dedicated to crew optimization technology. An aggressive R&D investment strategy is envisaged to make the solution a market leader in fleet and crew management, helping clients innovate at speed and execute at scale.

“IBS represents a well-established and logical acquirer of AD OPT – a game-changing combination which will bring meaningful expertise and complementary benefits to employees and customers of both organizations. AD OPT employees will be joining a thriving company dedicated to the travel industry. Customers will also benefit from IBS’ and AD OPT’s shared commitment and passion for innovation. Even though we plan to transition the AD OPT division to IBS, Kronos will continue to provide airlines with world-class solutions for workforce management and human capital management,” said Bob Hughes, Chief Customer and Strategy Officer, Kronos.

“OPT offers a sophisticated suite of airline crew planning and optimization products, a sizeable customer base and a highly experienced team of professionals. The coming together of IBS and AD OPT is, therefore, extremely relevant for the industry as it enables us to create the most advanced digital platform, delivering a holistic solution for flight operations and crew management. We will continue to pursue our inorganic growth strategy to expand our solutions landscape and deliver outstanding value to our customers,” said VK Mathews, executive chairman, IBS Group.

Prior to this, IBS has made six strategic acquisitions - three in the USA, two in Europe, one in India - in its 21-year history.

Read also: IBS Software appoints Tim Campbell to boost aviation industry expansion

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