Talya, which produces tourism and healthcare software and has been receiving R&D support for a year as a technopark company, will expand abroad, particularly with its tourism software. Talya Bilişim is a company established in 2004 at the Antalya Akdeniz University Technopark, with 41 dealers in Ankara, Istanbul, and Izmir, producing software for the tourism and healthcare sectors. Nilüfer Leblebicioğlu, General Coordinator of Talya Bilişim, whom we spoke with, stated that they will expand internationally in 2006 and that a significant percentage of their revenue will come from abroad. Leblebicioğlu reported that they developed Elektra, the first hotel software written in Windows 12 years ago and used in 1,137 tourism facilities, and that they have been producing Medisoft Hospital Management System software for the past two years. Leblebicioğlu noted that Riva, Joy, and Pegasus, which are among the top five companies in Turkey in terms of bed capacity, use Elektra, and said that there are 160 five-star facilities. Leblebicioğlu revealed that Elektra, which is taught as a course at many universities and tourism vocational schools, will also be offered as an elective course at Girne American University. Explaining that there are 1,143 users of tourism software in Turkey, Leblebicioğlu said, “There is no other program used as widely as this in Turkey.” Leblebicioğlu emphasized that Elektra provides centralized management for chain hotels, reduces data entry and time loss, brings together hotels in different locations under a single umbrella, enables centralized purchasing, and allows future goals and planning to be carried out from a single point. With the reporting system developed online, information such as occupancy rates and daily revenue at hotels can be monitored in a consolidated manner. Leblebicioğlu emphasized that the flexibility of their software is an important reason for choosing it, saying, “It is a package program, but certain necessary changes and additions can be made without disrupting the main structure of the program for each institution it is used in. There are 3-4 serious competitors in the sector that do the same job as Tayla.” “The target is Europe and the Middle East” Leblebicioğlu explained that Elektra was used in the UK, Baku, and the US in 2005, and revealed that they plan to diversify their existing products in 2006, increase the number of program modules from 18 to 20-22, and target international expansion, particularly with tourism software. Leblebicioğlu stated that they currently have connections in the US and Germany, and emphasized that they plan to generate a significant percentage of their turnover from abroad this year, with Middle Eastern countries and the United Arab Emirates looking particularly attractive. "Our goal is not to take technologies from abroad and apply them in Turkey. We want to develop technology and promote Turkey's name by taking our designs abroad," said Leblebicioğlu, pointing out that they have made great strides thanks to the R&D support they have received for the past year as a technology park company. Leblebicioğlu also mentioned that they are seeking support for exports, exploring alternatives, and will utilize suitable Kosgeb supports. Medisoft, which is used in Hacettepe and İbni Sina hospitals, works with international scientific disease codes, can connect to digital hospital devices and exchange data, and is supported by a good accounting system. Medisoft, which can display 18 different programs integrated on the web, from patient admission to examination, from laboratory to accounting, and can receive and send online provisions with the Pension Fund, SSK, private health institutions, insurance companies, and banks. Medisoft is used at Istanbul Private Özkan Hospital, Antalya and Burdur World Medical Centers, Izmir Çınar and Gümüşkan, Private Bodrum and Kuşadası Hospitals. Leblebicioğlu, who believes that companies producing value-added services have made significant strides in the sector after the crisis, said, “We are luckier because we produce software. Because if the product you create is based on accurate assessments, it easily stands out from the rest. Those who produce value-added services are doing a good job.”
