Travel brands benefit from partnering tech firms, DataArt question time hears

Big travel brands like Tui are “happy to partner with smaller companies” when it comes to developing technology.

Pictured: Deepak Jha of Tui Travel

Big travel brands like Tui are “happy to partner with smaller companies” when it comes to developing technology.

At software company DataArt’s third question time event in London, based on travel and the Internet of Things (IoT), panellists were asked how smaller travel brands can make the most of the IoT.

Deepak Jha is head of the Mobility Hub at Tui Travel – a team of experts who work on mobile app development.

He said: “Big brands like Tui are happy to partner with other software service providers as we can’t build each piece of functionality.

“What is required in the market changes very quickly. It’s about making the process as seamless as possible, we can’t do everything.”

Paul Saggar, group director of IT at Maybourne Hotel Group, added: “Tech has moved a long way in the last few years and it is brilliant that you can now get good off-the-shelf products that will give you differentiation.

“Coincidentally we are engaged with Jason’s company as we don’t have the funds to build our own tablet software.”

Jason Jefferys, founder of iRiS Software Systems, was also on the panel.

“When it comes to the IoT I think the only limitation is our own imagination,” he said.