Expedia Tech Exec on Build Versus Buy: Keep Customer Data Close

Key Points

• Expedia Group builds internal solutions for anything involving customer data, privacy, and supplier operations.
• The company partners with major technology providers and LLMs for customer service and to meet customers on popular platforms.
• Expedia is aware of competition from Airbnb but remains focused on its own long-standing strategy and customer choice.

Summary

Expedia Group Chief Product and Technology Officer Shilpa Ranganathan outlined the company's approach to technology decisions, emphasizing that anything involving customer data and privacy is developed internally. Expedia partners with leading technology firms for customer service and collaborates with major language model providers to stay accessible to customers. While recognizing Airbnb's expansion into new offerings, Ranganathan said Expedia remains confident in its own strategy and focuses on providing customers with choice.