History
ITA's first product was an airfare search and pricing system called QPX. This system is now used by travel companies such as Orbitz, Bing Travel, Kayak.com, CheapTickets, and airlines such as American, United, US Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Alitalia, and ANA. ITA also hosts its own website based on QPX, although it's not possible to buy tickets from it.
ITA is known for using programming puzzles to attract and evaluate potential employees since 2001. Some of these puzzles have appeared in ads on Boston's MBTA subway system.
In January 2006, ITA received $100 million in venture capital money from a syndicate of 5 investment firms led by Battery Ventures, marking the largest investment in a software firm in New England in 5 years.
In September 2006, ITA announced a several million dollar deal with Air Canada to develop a new computer reservations system to power its reservations, inventory control, seat availability, check-in, and airport operations. In August 2009, Air Canada announced that the project had been suspended.
In July 2010, Google announced the acquisition of ITA for $700 million in cash, subject to DOJ review and approval. On April 8, 2011, the US Dept. of Justice and Google reached an agreement in terms to allow the purchase and dismiss a potential antitrust lawsuit.
On March 1, 2012, Google and Cape Air announced that Cape Air had migrated to ITA Software's passenger reservations system.
Read more about this topic: ITA Software
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