Sabre have appointed Dave Shirk to lead the airline IT unit to replace Hugh Jones. Sabre have selected an executive with technology product management expertise rather than an airline industry executive. Dave arrives at a time when Sean Menke's team have some significant challenges ahead. They have to deliver a competitive product portfolio in the commercial systems segment against a competitor that has significant advantages in technology, economies of scale and service presence. T2RL's research suggests that price competition will intensify in the coming years as the PSS/GDS system providers seek to win the inventory system that prevents longer term disintermediation in the GDS business and locks in the industry marketing architecture of class, fares via ATPCO or other standards and schedules.