Where does on line distribution go from here?

With all the talk of recent acquisitions of vacation rental software companies by on line distribution channels (VRBO/HomeAway), the question of how to handle on line distribution looms big in the minds of many vacation rental managers. Perhaps the principal concern is whether anyone will become so powerful in this arena that they are able to control rates and terms in such a way that the vacation rental management industry will be negatively impacted.
    Enter the Vacation Rental Managers Association. With VRMA Vice President Steve Trover at the helm, the industry association has entered into an arrangement with Pegasus, one of the leading travel “switches,” to develop an industry-driven distribution channel to provide widespread and affordable distribution for its members.
    Virtual Resort Manager is supportive of this concept, and plans to move forward with integrating its rental management software with the VRMA/Pegasus switch as soon as the functionality becomes available, perhaps as soon as next summer. This integration will allow our clients who are members of VRMA to distribute their inventory to a wide range of channel partners, and to retain their branding in the process.
    VRM Vice President and Director of Development Michael Hill will be in Dallas later this week to meet with VRMA and Pegasus officials to begin the specific steps to move the integration forward. We’ll keep you posted as things progress.
    In our opinion, the industry will be well served by the new Vacation Rental Managers Association Switch.