Travel technology giant Sabre and Wi-Fi and wireless specialist AT&T have announced a collaboration that promises to offer a more personalised, stress-free experience for travellers.
Sabre and AT&T announce partnership to combat stress and boost personalisation
Travel technology giant Sabre and Wi-Fi and wireless specialist AT&T have announced a collaboration that promises to offer a more personalised, stress-free experience for travellers.
The pair have started investigating how device-based location information services can help airlines, airport retailers, and other travel-related companies deliver targeted services throughout a traveller’s journey.
AT&T has technology known as LIS Hybrid which can locate or geo-fence a user in real time with a specific geographic area both indoors and outdoors using data that is shared by the user.
Sarah Kennedy, director of Sabre Labs, technology incubator run by the GDS, said: “By applying cutting edge technologies, coupled with data analytics and better intelligence, we can give travellers the personalized experience they have come to expect in today’s connected world.
“Together with AT&T, we will explore the role advanced location-based services can have in helping travel suppliers provide better, more personal service to their customers.”
Sabre said the partnership could result in the development of apps that can alert airline staff when a high-status passenger is still clearing security when a flight is due to depart, or that notifies travellers of special promotions as they approach an airport bookstore, or warns a passenger if he is in the wrong terminal for his connecting flight.
The firms are exploring technology that could underpin these types of apps across almost all types of smartphones, tablets and operating systems. Any services developed as part of the trial will meet location services best practices guidelines when it comes to customer privacy including customer opt-in.
Laura Merling, vice president of ecosystem development and platform solutions at AT&T said: “Our application programming interface, or API, and software development kit allows companies like Sabre to build multi-carrier geo-aware mobile applications.
“AT&T LIS Hybrid works with Wi-Fi as well as existing cellular device-based information location services such as GPS, to deliver near-precise device location information indoors and outdoors.”
Phase one of the pilot project between Sabre and AT&T is expected to be completed during the first half of 2014.
