USAS is
software suite
A software suite (also known as an application suite) is a collection of computer programs (application software, or programming software) of related functionality, sharing a similar user interface and the ability to easily exchange data with eac ...
for
mainframe computers
A mainframe computer, informally called a mainframe or big iron, is a computer used primarily by large organizations for critical applications like bulk data processing for tasks such as censuses, industry and consumer statistics, enterpris ...
, mainly intended for use in the
airline
An airline is a company that provides civil aviation, air transport services for traveling passengers or freight (cargo). Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or Airline alliance, alliances with other airlines ...
, transportation, and
hospitality
Hospitality is the relationship of a host towards a guest, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill and welcome. This includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Louis de Jaucourt, Louis, ...
industries. It is made up of a series of diverse and relatively complex
applications
Application may refer to:
Mathematics and computing
* Application software, computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks
** Application layer, an abstraction layer that specifies protocols and interface methods used in a ...
written for the
Unisys
Unisys Corporation is a global technology solutions company founded in 1986 and headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. The company provides cloud, AI, digital workplace, logistics, and enterprise computing services.
History Founding
Unis ...
1100-series, 2200-series, and Clearpath IX environments.
All Nippon Airways
(ANA) is a Japanese airline headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. ANA operates services to both domestic and international destinations and is Japan's largest airline, ahead of its main rival flag carrier Japan Airlines. the airline has approximate ...
became the first company to adopt the system in the late 1970s.
Its name was originally an acronym for Univac Standard Airline Systems, but the product line is now referred to simply as "USAS". With advancements in computing, USAS is slowly being replaced in the airline industry with other software, with Unisys also developing AirCore to replace its USAS offering.
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Applications in the suite
USAS was mainly developed for use by airlines. Check-in, reservations, and cargo operations are therefore among its main components. The original USAS applications such as USAS*RES (Reservation System), USAS*CGO (Cargo Application) were written in the early 70s and have been adapted in different forms in varying degrees of customization.
Most (if not all) USAS applications are written as text-based online transaction systems which are designed for low overhead and fast response times. The environment most commonly used is HVTIP (Unisys' High-Volume Transaction Processing
In computer science, transaction processing is information processing that is divided into individual, indivisible operations called ''transactions''. Each transaction must succeed or fail as a complete unit; it can never be only partially c ...
).
Development
Older USAS applications such as USAS*RES (Reservations System) or USAS*FDC (Flight Data Control) were written originally in Fortran, but elements of various applications were also written in COBOL
COBOL (; an acronym for "common business-oriented language") is a compiled English-like computer programming language designed for business use. It is an imperative, procedural, and, since 2002, object-oriented language. COBOL is primarily ...
, Unisys 1100/2200 assembly language
In computing, assembly language (alternatively assembler language or symbolic machine code), often referred to simply as assembly and commonly abbreviated as ASM or asm, is any low-level programming language with a very strong correspondence bet ...
(ASM or MASM
Microsoft Macro Assembler (MASM) is an x86 assembler that uses the Intel syntax for MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows. Beginning with MASM 8.0, there are two versions of the assembler: One for 16-bit & 32-bit assembly sources, and another (ML64) for ...
), and the LINC 4GL. Lufthansa plays a major role in developing the USAS suite.
Current Users
*Unisys Cargo Hosting Services, Minneapolis :: Delta Cargo, Air Canada Cargo
*Air Iberia
*Travel Sky, China
*Amadeus
*NorthWest (cargo)
*Cathay Pacific
*Qantas Airways
*Air India
See also
*List of UNIVAC products
This is a list of UNIVAC products. It ends in 1986, the year that Sperry Corporation merged with Burroughs Corporation to form Unisys as a result of a hostile takeover bid launched by Burrough's CEO W. Michael Blumenthal.
The Remington Rand years ...
References
{{reflist
Business software
Fortran software
UNIVAC software