Digital travel companion
The marketplace is in need of new technologies that are both mobile and online. Service suppliers and content suppliers came together under one platform to integrate the needs – and systems – of both suppliers and buyers. Imagine a hand-held device that guides you when you're on the road, connects you to customers, allows you to reschedule a trip and provides information about the area you're in. Thanks to the EU-funded project 'i-Travel - Service Platform for the Connected Traveller' (iTravel), steps have been made towards realising the concept. The iTravel project produced key recommendations to build a platform on mobile devices that would be very powerful in providing and exchanging valuable information. iTravel provides 'the connected traveller' with sophisticated content about the community and quick access to buy almost anything, including delivery of goods and services. It the concept becomes a reality, it could be the first business-to-business (B2B) 'eMarketplace' in the travel and traffic information services sector. The concept also includes 'a virtual travel assistant' that supports travellers before and during a journey, offering tailor-made, context-based information at any location. Most available online services for travellers are poorly integrated and do not offer the level of personalisation conceived under this new platform. They are also not readily available to travellers during the journey itself, which would be very useful, such as informing the traveller of any disruptions and proposing alternatives. The project team recommended that a number of live pilot studies in selected European cities should be undertaken to test the new prototype and see how it functions. If the expected results come about thanks to the successes of the project, this may change the way we travel forever.
