What's Holding Back Mobile Services For US Travel?

Air Date: Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Cost: $250

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Presented By:

Sarah Rotman Epps
Analyst
Forrester Research, Inc.

Who should attend: eBusiness & Channel Strategy professionals

Description:

The release of the Apple iPhone in 2007 and the announcement that Motorola, Samsung, LG Electronics, and HTC will build Google-software-powered phones in 2008 has spurred travel eBusiness execs to ask whether their strategies are on track for the mobile travel future. Skepticism is warranted. Although one-third of mobile travelers use data services like text messaging and the mobile Web, barely 10% use these services for travel-related purposes. The obstacles holding back mobile travel are many, including the lack of standardization across platforms and providers, as well as travelers' own price-sensitivity and discomfort using their mobile devices for more than voice. While many travel sellers now have mobile-optimized Web sites for basic lookups and transactions, few have developed entirely new services for the mobile channel. Developing new services may be the key to unlocking mobile's full potential: Travelers are interested in using their phones in ways that travel sellers have not yet exploited, such as checking into or out of a hotel or using phones as boarding passes or hotel room keys.

Agenda:

Overview of Forrester's most recent data on travel-related mobile data use
Discussion of obstacles — why are travel sellers reluctant to invest in mobile?
How are leading travel companies using mobile today?
What should travel companies invest in for the future?

Vendors mentioned: Delta Air Lines, GoldenWare Travel Technologies, InterContinental Hotels Group, Moblico, Sprint Nextel, Travelocity.com, Usablenet, and US Airways.

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