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Unused
satellite phone minutes now carry forward
TORONTO -- Month-to-month rollover minutes for ordinary mobile phone service
might not be all that important to many business travellers. But, for those
who travel internationally and use the more expensive Iridium satellite phones,
the option to carry forward unused minutes to the next month could be an attractive
cost control feature. Roadpost, a provider of global voice and data communications
solutions for the business traveller, announced this week that it is the first
service provider in North America to offer carry forward and pooled plans for
international cellular and Iridium satellite service subscribers.
m-Travel.com -- 21 January 2004
Audible,
PortalPlayer plan audio book service
Not every mobile device for the frequent traveler needs to be wirelessly connected,
and pre-recorded programming of books, news and music played on a pocket-size
device appears to be the current hot item meeting a demand. Audible, Inc. and
PortalPlayer, Inc., are planning to integrate listening features and audio format
support for audiobook and spoken word audio fans.
m-Travel.com -- 9 January 2004
China
Airlines latest to announce in-flight Internet
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- For in-flight, real-time Internet access, 2003 was a breakthrough
year with many major airlines either launching or announcing plans for this
new service for passengers. The new year starts off with China Airlines announcing
intentions bring high-speed Internet connectivity to travelers on China Airlines
commercial flights in and out of Taiwan.
m-Travel.com -- 2 January 2004
Detroit
Airport now has Wi-Fi network access
DETROIT --
By this time next year, it will not be news that a major airport is providing
travelers with high-speed wireless access to the airport. This is remarkable
because it was just a couple of years that the first airport in the world installed
a Wi-Fi network.
The latest
major airport to announce the availability of wireless Internet access Detroit
Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) at the the state-of-the-art McNamara
Terminal / Northwest WorldGateway. Through the Christmas and New Year's holiday,
Wi-Fi access will be available and free of charge to travelers flying through
Detroit's McNamara Terminal.
m-Travel.com — 22 December 2003
T-Mobile
and iPass sign distribution agreement
The adoption of Wi-Fi for airline lounges, hotels, coffee shops and convention
centers will soon reach the tipping point where special announcements of new
services are no longer necessary or newsworthy. But, for the moment, a new agreement
between T-Mobile USA and iPass serves as a strong signal of where the wireless
industry is headed. T-Mobile USA and iPass have announced what is described
as " a landmark distribution agreement" that will enable corporations
to access the T-Mobile HotSpot network through the iPass virtual network.
m-Travel.com — 16 December 2003
MapInfo
offers map database of Wi-Fi hotspots
TROY, New York -- The rapidly maturing Wi-Fi industry is already well established
at major airports and hotels. But, how does the traveler find other hotspots?
MapInfo, using a Jupitermedia database of Wi-Fi hotspots, is now providing one
answer. Mapinfo Corporation has released HotSpotInfo, described as a "
first-of-its-kind data solution" that enables users to determine the location
of Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the United States.
m-Travel.com — 15 December 2003
Wireless
identity cards ease US border crossingsWireless identity cards and tags
for trucks and drivers are easing the traffic flow at US borders with Canada
and Mexico. So, the question is: how long before similar technology is adopted
for airline passengers? Of course, there are some legitimate privacy concerns,
and some hysterical fears, about national personal identity cards. But, it is
likely that within the next several years airline travelers will be using a
new type of identification and it will probably have wireless functions. And,
the cross-border trucking industry is providing a working laboratory for the
airlines.
m-Travel.com — 8 December 2003
Wi-Fi,
broadband for European hotels offered
Demand is growing as fast or faster than supply, and tomorrow's hotel guest
will expect a high-speed, secure Internet connection to be as common and as
easy-to-use as the old land-line voice telephone. Anticipating growth of Wi-Fi
and fixed broadband to meet these demands, STSN and BT Openzone will jointly
offer throughout Europe "the first total broadband service designed specifically
for the specialist hospitality sector."
m-Travel.com — 5 December 2003
Starwood
Hotels selects MapQuest server
DULLES, Virginia -- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has licensed the
MapQuest Enterprise Server v2.0 as the provider of location-based services on
Starwood's branded hotel web sites. In addition, the agreement provides for
future deployment of MapQuest services in a number of customer service applications,
as well as internal enterprise applications, including Starwood's corporate
intranet site.
m-Travel.com — 4 December 2003
In-flight
Internet service takes a step forward
WALTHAM, Mass. -- In-flight Internet connections have been talked about and
seriously promised for a couple of years. But, there have been problems -- regulatory,
technical and financial. Now, it looks like a significant step forward is being
taken toward what could become the next big thing in airline services to passengers.
m-Travel.com — 2 December 2003
Single
SIM card offers Greater China roaming
CUPERTINO, Calif. -- International travelers may now have one less complaint
about incompatible mobile phone networks. Roamware, Inc., a global provider
of voice and data roaming systems, has announced that it is providing its new
SIMM service to Hong Kong CSL, enabling subscribers across the Greater China
region to use multiple local mobile numbers in multiple destinations with one
SIM card.
m-Travel.com — 27 November 2003
Tech-savvy
Americans switching to wireless
WASHINGTON
-- A new study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project finds that as
people surround themselves with the latest technological gadgets and services,
the landline telephone plays a less prominent role in their communication routines
and the television recedes in importance as an information appliance. Computers
and the Internet are encroaching on the TV and the landline telephone as important
information and communication tools for a growing number of tech-loving Americans,
especially those in their twenties.
m-Travel.com — 24 November 2003
AT&T
and Microsoft to deliver wireless services
REDMOND, Wash. -- AT&T Wireless and Microsoft's MSN have formed an alliance
that will offer consumers subscriptions to MSN Mobile services delivered through
AT&T Wireless’ mMode-capable phones nationwide by the end of the year.
The deal will give AT&T Wireless customers mobile access to MSN network
content, their MSN Hotmail e-mail accounts, MSN Messenger and other offerings
as a premium paid service.
m-Travel.com — 20 November 2003
Mostly
pubs, but Exeter is UK’s Wi-Fi Capital
SWINDON, UK -- Exeter has been declared the Capital of Britain’s Wi-Fi
revolution in a new study by Intel to locate Britain’s technology hubs.
Bangor is Britain’s second Wi-Fi city, while the gateway to the North,
Newcastle, comes in third. The figures are on a per capita basis, which partially
explains why London came in 33rd. And surprisingly, or maybe not, it’s
over a pint that Britons are getting wireless, with more of the UK’s 3,000
Wi-Fi hotspots located in pubs than anywhere else.
m-Travel.com — 14 November 2003
French
Riviera tourism goes high tech
Jean-Claude Louis, the harbor master at Port Camille Rayon, near Cannes, France,
connects his laptop computer to the Internet using a Wi-Fi wireless network.
The port is one of nearly 100 new Wi-Fi hotspots for visitors to the French
Riviera at yacht harbors, the Nice Airport, hotels, convention centers and other
points of activity for tourists, business people and convention delegates. The
application of mobile technology for the travel and tourism industries will
be a focal point of Tourism@ 2003, a conference to be held in Cannes, December
11-12, 2003.
m-Travel.com — 11 November 2003
Wi-Fi
deployed at four California yacht marinas
ICOA, Inc.
has signed a three-year agreement with LGW, owner and operator of California
Yacht Marina (CYM) to deploy Wi-Fi Internet access at CYM's marinas. CYM has
over 1,800 boat slips at its four California marinas. Beginning with Port Royal
Marina, ICOA will install and manage Wi-Fi services for four marinas owned and
operated by LGW under a revenue sharing agreement.
m-Travel.com — 6 November 2003
Wi-Fi
installed at tourist lake in Kashmir
Just two months ago, portable phones were restricted in the state of Jammu &
Kashmir in a government effort to control separatists. Now, to attract tourists
once again and to restore the economy, the state of Jammu & Kashmir is working
with an Indian networking company that has turned the scenic Dal Lake into a
Wi-Fi hotspot.
m-Travel.com — 5 November 2003
Peggy
Lee named to direct US travel Wi-Fi for BT
ARDEN HILLS, Minnesota — Peggy Lee, the former CEO and founder of b-there.com,
has been named by Syntegra as business development director for its North American
travel and leisure sector. Syntegra, a provider of Wi-Fi and other mobile solutions,
is a US $1 billion subsidiary of British Telecommunications. Lee will lead proposition
development and implementation for the sector in the areas of mobility and Wi-Fi,
messaging and anti-spam and electronic ticketing. She will focus on the hospitality,
travel and live entertainment markets which includes zoos, museums, sporting
events, performing arts and attractions, the company said.
m-Travel.com — 1 November 2003
Xybernaut
expands mobile/wearable computing
FAIRFAX, Virginia — Xybernaut Corporation has signed an agreement that
will have Cap Gemini Ernst & Young serve as a primary integrator of mobile/wearable
computing solutions for existing and potential Cap Gemini Ernst & Young
clients. Xybernaut's Mobile Assistant V (MA V) and the Mobile Assistant TC (MA
TC) are used in a variety of customer service and self-help applications in
the travel and leisure industry.
m-Travel.com — 30 October 2003
Marriott
now has 1,000 hotels with fast Internet
WASHINGTON — Marriott International is reporting that the more than 1,000
of its hotels worldwide have been installed with high-speed internet access,
representing the largest distribution of high-speed internet access in the hotel
industry. Marriott hotels in major business travel destinations, including New
York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Chicago, London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Singapore,
and Hong Kong now offer high-speed internet access.
m-Travel.com — 28 October 2003
Disney
content set for Chinese mobile market
TOKYO — Index Corporation, a major provider of mobile phone content and
information services, has signed an agreement with the Walt Disney Internet
Group (WDIG) to develop and distribute Disney branded mobile content for the
Chinese market.
m-Travel.com — 27 October 2003
European
Wi-Fi growing faster than in America
The growth of Wi-Fi in Europe is growing more rapidly than in North America,
although there are some unsolved technical issues, according to two separate
studies released this week. Frost & Sullivan, in its report, says the European
WLAN public access hotspots market is starting to look like a hype bubble. Despite
widespread failure to address the technical and business challenges that need
to be overcome before the market can truly flourish, many players are viewing
WLAN hotspots as an exciting business opportunity, with wide-ranging business
models being debated.
m-Travel.com — 24 October 2003
Global
hotspots to exceed 45,000 by year end
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts — According to the latest issue of Global Wi-Fi,
the number of hotspot locations globally will surpass 45,000 by year end. More
than half of these hotspots will reside in Asia, although the U.S. and Europe
are gradually taking a larger share of the pie.
m-Travel.com — 22 October 2003
Teamlog
partners with Wificom for expansion
PARIS — Teamlog, a major French wireless integrator, has announced its
partnership with Wificom Technologies to include the SAB Server as a major system
component for its wireless offerings. Teamlog provides services to a broad range
of large corporate customers including 75% of France's publicly
traded companies.
m-Travel.com — 21 October 2003
New
York Times offered for mobile devices
NEW YORK — NYTimes.com is partnering with Vindigo Studios, a developer
and publisher of consumer information and entertainment applications for mobile
devices, to launch NYTimes.com Mobile News with Verizon Wireless, the largest
wireless service provider in the USA. The new subscription service, priced at
$3.75 monthly access, is available to Verizon Wireless customers with select
Get It Now-capable phones.
m-Travel.com — 17 October 2003
Easy
access: Wi-Fi singals new era for travelers
You've seen them at Starbucks, at airport gates and at Borders: savvy computer
users surfing the Net without wires. These early adopters signal a new era for
travelers: high-speed access to home or office accounts without having to mess
with a tangle of cables. Called wi-fi (short for wireless fidelity), these connections
can be twice as fast as DSL or cable and are accessible in leading-edge hotels,
convention centers, cafes and even some McDonald's franchises.
San Francisco Chronicle — 5 October 2003
More
business travel being booked on Net
Online travel sites that catered to the leisure market are targeting corporate
accounts. Internet travel bookings by businesses are expected to grow, experts
say, especially as wireless technology allows travelers to make changes efficiently
even while on the road.
Los Angeles Times/Baltimore Sun — 3 October 2003
Wi-Fi
Zone keeps global travelers connected
MOUNTAIN VIEW, California — The most often asked question by wireless
LAN public access service users has been: " Are we in a wireless LAN zone?"
Now, the Wi-Fi Alliance has announced that the Wi-Fi Zone program has been adopted
by over 6,000 public access service locations in almost 50 counties. The Wi-Fi
Zone program began in March of this year, and has participating locations ranging
from hotels and coffee shops to RV parks and McDonald's restaurants.
m-Travel.com — 3 October 2003
Global
travel industry embraces wireless
According to a new research study, emerging wireless technologies, new networks
and smartphones will create a boom in applications for the frequent business
travel and the leisure traveler. Travel Tech Consulting, Inc., a leading authority
on emerging travel technologies and travel-related e-business, announced today
the release of "Emerging Trends in Wireless Technology and The Global Travel
Industry."
m-Travel.com — 2 October 2003
Netinary
offers new Wi-Fi version specifically for hotels
(Linked news article is in French.) Netinary, a wireless start-up company based
in Sophia Antipolis, France, has announced a new "Hotels" version
of its software at the Show Equip Hôtel exposition this week in Paris.
"This product responds to our WISP (wireless internet service provider)
customers who want to give hotels the capability of billing customers directly
on their hotel room invoices," said Stephane Conti, founder and managing
director of Netinary.
SophiaNet.com — 1 October 2003
Swisscom
Eurospot to put Wi-Fi in UK's Travel Inn
High-speed Internet access is becoming as ubiquitous as air-conditioning at
British hotels. Swisscom Eurospot is set to significantly expand its network
of Wi-Fi hot spots across the UK through a deal with Travel Inn.
ZDNet UK — 30 September 2003
Road
warriors can stay connected without wires
Need to get online easily and cheaply with your laptop while waiting at airports,
meetings or on long flights? Wish you could call several people instantaneously,
even when cell phone calls can't connect?
Charlotte News-Oberserver — 30 September 2003
List
of major US airports with Wi-Fi hotspots
These major U.S. airports contain public Wi-Fi hot spots in addition to those
found in airline clubs. The Web site WiFi411.com contains information on such
locations within each airport.
Charlotte News-Oberserver — 30 September 2003
Business
travelers on the roadway, not the runway
In still more fallout from the crowded conditions at today's security-heavy
airports, some business travelers are forsaking the runway for the road, making
entire trips in chauffeured vehicles with high-tech mobile office equipment.
CNN — 28 September 2003
Sabre
Travel, Proximus Belgacom sign deal
BRUSSELS — Sabre Travel Network, the business that connects travel suppliers
and agents through the world's leading global distribution system (GDS), has
signed a contract with Belgian mobile phone operator Proximus to make its Virtually
There personalised travel website available through Proximus’ wireless
Internet service.
m-Travel.com — 25 September 2003
Motorola, Microsoft jointly market smart phone
Motorola
and Microsoft have jointly introduced the new Motorola MPx200 mobile phone with
Microsoft Windows Mobile software, the first in a series of smart phone and
Pocket PC wireless devices designed to create a virtual "remote control"
for the Web-centric, work-centric, mobile professional. The alliance of the
two companies will also include cooperation on joint marketing and wireless
developer programs. The Motorola MPx200 is expected to be available in Europe
next month from Orange and from other distributors throughout Europe and Hong
Kong.
m-Travel.com — 15 September 2003
Mobile
usage higher at home than at work
FRAMINGHAM, Massachusetts — Mobile users continue to take advantage of
wireless network capabilities, but more so in their personal lives than in their
professional lives. According to a recent survey of more than 2,500 members
of IDC’s Mobile Advisory Council, 34% of respondents use a wireless 802.11
(Wi-Fi) LAN at home compared to 27% at work.
m-Travel.com — 10 September 2003
MSNBC
offers Wireless Traveler news service
REDMOND,
Washington — MSNBC.com, the web site of television network specializing
in breaking news and original journalism, has launched MSNBC Wireless Traveler,
a way for unwired mobile professionals to stay on top of the latest news and
information. MSNBC is a 24-hour cable and Internet joint venture of Microsoft
and NBC News.
m-Travel.com — 20 August 2003
Britannia
Airways wireless wins Sybase award
LONDON — LogicaCMG has announced that the wireless solution it provided
to Britannia Airways enabling cabin crew and pilots to access flight and company
information via a personal digital assistant (PDA) has been awarded the Sybase
2003 Innovator Award for Mobile Solutions.
m-Travel.com — 13 August 2003
Show
tickets sold on mobile phone in Singapore
TEL AVIV — Worldwide, there are 300 million people use the Internet, but
some 500 million pack a mobile phone. With these numbers in mind, the Israeli
company RegiSoft has been developing ticket sales on mobile devices, and now
the first such wireless transaction system is up and running in Singapore.
m-Travel.com — 31 July 2003
Avis
offers Motorola Navigation in US, Canada
LIBERTYVILLE, Illinois — Avis Rent A Car System and Motorola will make
the Avis Assist phone-based navigation system available in up to fifty cities
across the United States and Canada. Avis Assist, developed by Motorola, allows
Avis customers to rent a Motorola phone with a location-based navigation service
that literally 'talks them through' directions to a destination, broadcasting
street names and maneuvers along the way.
m-Travel.com — 28 July 2003
European
WLAN access remains highest priced
LONDON — Pricing in Europe for public access wireless local area networks
(WLANs) remains the highest in the world, according to a new report issued by
consulting firm BroadGroup. The report also forecasts that growth in hotspot
deployment will increase across Europe by some 45% by the end of this year,
across the companies surveyed.
m-Travel.com — 24 July 2003
Sprint
plans Wi-Fi at 2,100 airports and hotels
OVERLAND PARK, Kansas — Through a combination of Wi-Fi Zones built and
managed by Sprint and roaming agreements, Sprint plans to provide customers
with high-speed Wi-Fi access in public locations such as airports, convention
centers and hotels at speeds 50 times faster than standard dialup.
m-Travel.com — 21 July 2003
My
AvantGo adds Wi-Fi hot spot locator
NEW ROCHELLE, New York — As Wi-Fi networking technology continues to gain
ground, My AvantGo has created a Hot Spot Locator channel for personal digital
assistants (PDAs) and smartphones. In addition to being able to access more
than 2,500 channels of content, My AvantGo users can now locate the nearest
"hot spot" for Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) connectivity by entering
a local postal code or city name.
m-Travel.com — 15 July 2003
McDonald's
begins Wi-Fi trials at 75 locations
SAN FRANCISCO — About 75 McDonald's restaurants in the San Francisco Bay
area today will offer Wi-Fi high-speed wireless access for wireless-enabled
notebook computers and handheld devices. Although the Starbucks coffee chain
has had wireless for some time, McDonald's has the claim of being the first
quick service restaurant to offer high-speed wireless access in a major market.
m-Travel.com — 8 July 2003
Scandinavian
Airlines to offer in-flight wireless
STOCKHOLM — Scandinavian Airlines has signed a contract with Connexion
by Boeing for the installation of wireless broadband on board. Installation
will begin in February 2004 and the entire long-haul fleet will be equipped
a year later, the airline announced.
m-Travel.com — 2 July 2003
12
airports, 565 hotels now have Wayport Wi-Fi
AUSTIN, Texas — With installations at 565 hotels and 12 airports, Wayport
is justified in claiming to be the world's largest provider of Wi-Fi (802.11)
wireless and wired high-speed Internet access. This week, Wayport passed the
2.5 million mark for customer connections, and has undertaken an extensive advertising
campaign to heavily promote its high-speed Internet service to business travelers
and hoteliers.
m-Travel.com — 26 June 2003
UK
broadcaster to use GetThere online travel booking
LONDON — British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB), the United Kingdom’s
leading digital television provider, has signed a contract to use the GetThere
DirectCorporate online self-booking system for business travel. BSkyB expects
about 500 employees will use the product to book about 7,000 trips a year.
m-Travel.com — 25 June 2003
Microsoft
and partners make Wi-Fi access easy
REDMOND, Washington — Microsoft is teaming up with high-speed wireless
service provider T-Mobile HotSpot as well as Boingo Wireless and Wayport with
the goal of making it easier for U.S. customers to find, access and use Wi-Fi
network discovery configuration capabilities.
m-Travel.com — 24 June 2003
Windows
Mobile is new brand for Pocket PC OS
REDMOND, Washington — Microsoft Windows Mobile is the new global brand
for Microsoft software for mobile devices such as Pocket PCs and Smartphones.
The launch of Windows Mobile 2003 software for Pocket PCs kicks off the new
Windows Mobile brand, which Microsoft is marketing as extending Windows to the
full range of mobile devices.
m-Travel.com — 23 June 2003
Forrester
CEO looks above IT iceberg waterline
In this commentary, Forrester Research CEO and President George F. Colony writes
that some of IT is a commodity — but much of it remains a source of competitive
advantage. Think of corporate IT as an iceberg, with the standardized technology
below the water line and the nonstandardized above.
m-Travel.com — 18 June 2003
United
Airlines, Airfone launch in-flight e-mail
CHICAGO — United Airlines and Verizon Airfone have launched what is described
as the first U.S. commercial carrier to offer Verizon Airfone JetConnect service,
with two-way e-mail capability, on its U.S. domestic flights.
m-Travel.com — 17 June 2003
Motorola,
Nextel announce location services
Motorola and Nextel Communications have announced several location-based services,
ranging from voice-enabled driving directions to asset tracking solutions, that
can now turn Motorola's GPS (global positioning satellite) enabled iDEN mobile
phones into sophisticated workforce management and navigational devices for
Nextel customers.
m-Travel.com — 11 June 2003
Mobile
credit card authentication to be developed
TORONTO, Canada — Arcot Systems Inc., a provider of systems for securing
digital identities, and Diversinet, a provider of secured mobile solutions,
have jointly agreed to develop and co-market systems for mobile authentication
of online credit card transactions.
m-Travel.com — 10 June 2003
Opera
browser on Portuguese mobile phones
LISBON — Optimus, Portuguese mobile operator, and Opera Software have
agreed to include Opera's Web browser on Optimus Zone, the new multimedia Optimus’
offer, supported on Nokia 3650 and Nokia 7650 and other smartphones. Optimus
is the first mobile operator to choose Opera as the default browser for its
smartphones.
m-Travel.com — 9 June 2003
Boeing,
Lufthansa cleared for in-flight wireless
SEATTLE — Boeing and Lufthansa Technik have received industry-leading
aircraft certifications from the German aviation authorities (LBA) and the U.K.
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) that will enable the use of airborne wireless
applications on select commercial flights using the Connexion by Boeing mobile
information service. The groundbreaking rulings pave the way for passengers
to use their own IEEE 802.11b Wi-Fi devices within the airline cabin environment.
m-Travel.com — 4 June 2003
Integrated
wireless offered to business travelers
Roadpost, a Toronto-based global provider of voice and data communications for
the business traveler, has launched an integrated WiFi, Ethernet and dial-up
service. The new service was described as the first of its kind in North America
to combine all three Internet connection options under one North America unlimited
dial-up plan of US $19.95 per month for 150 hours.
m-Travel.com — 3 June 2003
Wired life: Vacation hot spots for wireless devices
David Hoye writes that vacations once were about getting away from it all. But
many people now insist on staying in touch. We can't rest knowing there's an
unread e-mail out there.
Sacramento Bee — 29 May 2003
Wireless
Internet tested at Paris metro stations
PARIS — Cisco Systems is working with Naxos in a WiFi (wireless fidelity)
test of local area network points deployed in the city's metro stations. The
project, named WIXOS (for Wi-Fi eXtensible aux Operateurs de Services), is seen
as a potential precursor to the roll out of a metropolitan area network that
will be used to ensure the development of hotspots for wire-free Internet access
with minimum visual and environmental impact on the French capital.
m-Travel.com — 27 May 2003
Wireless
helps parents track kids at Danish zoo
AALBORG, Denmark — BlueTags, a Danish manufacturer of wireless airport
security devices, is launching a new product that will help parents keep track
of children at large public venues. Beginning this July, visitors to the Aalborg
Zoo will be able to use one of the most novel applications for a Bluetooth tracking
system.
m-Travel.com — 26 May 2003
Wi-Fi
launched for French hospitality industry
PARIS — Passman, a specialised network installation and Internet services
company, is launching a Wi-Fi service for the French hospitality industry, based
on Wificom's SAB Server platform.
m-Travel.com — 23 May 2003
Sweden's
Ark Travel picks Sabre Travel Network
Swedish Turbo Sabre growth initiative starts to pay off. Ark Travel, the only
publicly owned corporate travel agency in Sweden, has chosen to use the Sabre
global distribution system (GDS). The five-year agreement means that Ark Travel
will convert from Amadeus to Sabre Travel Network’s customisable, high-speed
Turbo Sabre booking platform.
EyeforTravel — 21 May 2003
Wireless
fans plan 100 free hotspots in Atlanta
ATLANTA — When you think of all the efforts offering free Wi-Fi hotspots,
New York City or Portland, Ore., are likely to spring to mind. A group of southern
wireless enthusiasts are trying to shatter that stereotype by kicking off a
"100 hotspots in 100 days" public awareness campaign with the ultimate
goal of a top spot on the list of most unwired cities of America.
802.11 Planet — 20 May 2003
Slow
response to Wi-Fi hotspots in Canadian coffee shops
TORONTO — The GrabbaJabba coffee shop on Queen St. E is a hotspot in the
Beaches community. It's not just the fresh brew and smiling staff. Two months
ago, owner Moufeed Bissada decided to set up a public Wi-Fi service, commonly
known as a "hotspot," with the help of a local firm called Spotnik
Mobile.
Toronto Star — 19 May 2003
South
African airports get wireless hotspots
AMSTERDAM — Wireless G, the leading Wireless ISP in South Africa has signed
an agreement with Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) to roll-out HotSpots
in the three major South African Airports – Johannesburg International,
Cape Town International and Durban International.
Unstrung — 19 May 2003
BT
to push wireless Web access in pubs, hotels
LONDON —BT Group Plc, the biggest U.K. phone company, brought forward
by a year a target for broadband wireless Internet connections after saying
it will soon make access available in places such as pubs, cafes and hotels.
Bloomberg — 19 May 2003
New
Yorkers test Verizon's expanding Wi-Fi service
NEW YORK — Verizon Communications has announced to launch Wi-Fi services
in New York City for its Internet access customers, as part of a broader business
plan for deploying public wireless hot spots. The New York deployment, which
today consists of 150 access points, will include 1,000 hot spots pegged to
Verizon payphone locations by the end of this year, making it what Verizon claims
will be the widest ISP hot spot deployment yet in a single city.
Wireless Week — 13 May 2003
Many
tourist spots in western US have Wi-Fi
SEATTLE — Technology writer Paul Andrews took a three-week tour of interior
western US states and found that some people could get a distorted sense of
how far the wireless revolution has progressed. But, the good news is that Wi-Fi
expansion seems inevitable.
Seattle Times — 12 May 2003
Have
Palm, will travel -- and not get lost
AMSTERDAM — Late for the next appointment? You'll no longer have the excuse
of having taken a wrong turn -- if you have a handheld computer with the latest
navigation software, that is. Satellite navigation -- once a $3,000 luxury for
yachtsmen, big-rig truckers and back-country campers -- has dropped in price
and grown in portability, having found its way into Palm and Pocket PC handheld
computers.
Reuters — 11 May 2003
Are
you ready for Wi-Fi's high speed Internet access?
In its issue dated May 19, Newsweek looks at the surge in wireless computer
networks. “Once you get wireless, you never want to go back to being tethered
to a connection,” says Julie Ask, a senior analyst at Jupiter Research.
“It’s very addictive.”
Newsweek — 11 May 2003
Paris
experiments with city-wide wireless network
PARIS — Led by Cap Gemini Ernst Young and joined by Cisco and the Paris
Metro Agency, an experiement is being conducted that could turn Paris into one
very large Wi-Fi network. A dozen Wi-Fi antennas have been set up outside subway
stations along a major north-south bus route, providing Internet access to anyone
near them who has a laptop computer or personal desk assistant equipped to receive
the signals. The access is free until June 30 but will require paid subscriptions
afterward.
International Herald Tribune — 5 May 2003
Unisys to provide Wi-Fi for Starwood hotels
BLUE BELL, Pennsylvania — Unisys Corporation has been chosen to manage
a wireless Internet solution for Starwood hotels across the United States. The
Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) solution, leveraging the emerging 802.11 standard
for wireless connectivity, will complement the wired offering already installed
and managed by Unisys in many Starwood properties.
m-Travel.com — 30 April 2003
Surveys
shows travelers want more PDA services
DUBLIN, California — A recent My AvantGo Travel Survey show that
travel decisions are primarily driven by price, followed by schedule, convenience
and frequent flier accounts. Online travel has grown so popular and convenient
that nearly a third of respondents report that they purchased 100% of their
travel online last year. The survey also found that more than 65% of survey
participants would be interested in receiving travel discounts on their PDAs,
while 67% desire flight delay notifications via mobile devices. Driving directions,
weather, flight schedules, flight status and airport maps also top PDA wish
lists.
m-Travel.com — 24 April 2003
Air2Web
offers new instant messaging product
ATLANTA — While the travel industry has been somewhat slow in embracing
wireless technology during the current global economic slump, some experts are
saying that instant messaging (IM) could be the application that gets the ball
rolling. Air2Web has launched a new product called 2IM, which the company says
is the market's first mobile instant messaging (IM) solution to integrate popular
public and corporate IM services.
m-Travel.com — 22 April 2003
American
Airlines adds AvantGo mobile channel
DUBLIN, California — My AvantGo has expanded its mobile channel with a
new mobile Web site from American Airlines, offering up-to-the-minute flight
schedule and loyalty program information for frequent fliers. In addition to
the new airline site, My AvantGo channels let companies extend their marketing
efforts to more than eight million registered mobile users worldwide.
m-Travel.com — 14 April 2003
Boingo,
Intel promote wireless for business travel
SANTA MONICA, California — Boingo Wireless has signed an agreement with
Intel to initiate a joint marketing campaign promoting wireless Internet access
services to business travelers. The marketing campaign is in conjunction with
the recent introduction of Intel Centrino mobile technology for notebook PCs
that features integrated wireless LAN capability.
m-Travel.com — 9 April 2003
Wireless
Internet to be installed at RV parks
AUSTIN, Texas — At most RV parks in America, getting access to the Internet
is a problem. There are few telephones for dial-up connections and, when available,
can be expensive. Now, TengoInternet, a provider of custom high-speed Internet
access networks to businesses and consumers, has reached an agreement with Destiny
RV Resorts, a Phoenix-based owner and manager of RV Parks, to install and provide
wireless Internet access at each of Destiny's properties in three states.
m-Travel.com — 7 April 2003
Travel
seller lastminute.com offers SMS newsletter
LONDON — European online travel selller lastminute.com has contracted
with InfoSpace to provide an SMS newsletter service for mobile phone users.
The weekly newsletter will be used by lastminute.com as a marketing tool to
increase sales from customers visiting its web and WAP portals.
m-Travel.com — 4 April 2003
Wi-Fi
offered at key business travel locations
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, California. — Nomadix and Swisscom Eurospot have announced
several key business locations at airports, major rail stations, hotels and
conference centers in the United Kingdom and Germany that have been enabled
for public access Wi-Fi. "Partnering with Nomadix will give Swisscom Eurospot's
premier Wi-Fi hotspots flexibility, security, and roaming capabilities,"
said Chris Brown, UK country manager for Nomadix.
m-Travel.com — 2 April 2003