http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000 PhoCusWright Research Subscriptions: Technology Edition - releases http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list Optional Services: The Coming Sea Change in Air Travel Distribution—ATPCO and ARC This transition – from selling just an airline seat to offering ancillary products like onboard meals, checked bags, toys and T-shirts – will require significant changes in the way airlines display and sell their products. The reverberations will be felt across the entire travel distribution ecosystem as intermediaries and points-of-sale alike scramble to keep up with the airlines. This is the first in a series of papers that will examine the developments in airline optional services and the implications and required changes for distribution companies across the travel industry, including the leisure and corporate markets and both online and offline channels. The article focuses on two companies in the U.S. that serve as essential hubs in air distribution and provide business tools that enable air shopping and booking. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list Innovation Profiles: Learning and Shopping The first stages of travel planning are dreaming, learning and shopping. The business model for these activities generally involves advertising, placement fees and referral fees. This article takes a look at the business and technology models of 25 companies in this space. This article also explores the variety of business models, profile techniques, social networking tools, platforms and content aggregation, and manipulation and display approaches these companies use. Wed, 06 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list The Facebook Phenomenon The online social network space is one of the most dynamic areas of business and technical innovation on the Web today. Almost weekly, we come across a new social network and hundreds of new applications and services are launched on existing social networks every day. Over the last three years, two networks in particular have gained enormous mind share and market share: MySpace and Facebook. As consumers have swarmed to these networks, advertisers and businesses have raced to monetize the growing virtual neighborhoods. More recently, software developers have begun to leverage these communities, with their inherent viral and network effects, as launching pads for a vast array of innovative and attractive applications. Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list Analyst Briefing: PhoCusWright's Mobile: The Next Platform for Travel This analyst briefing covers highlights from PhoCusWright’s Mobile: The Next Platform for Travel report published in March 2009. You can view and download the presentation here. Note: If you download the webinar, you will need a Webex player. If you do not have one installed, please download the player here. Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright's 2009 Technology Trend Predictions With 2009 in full swing, we again look at the technologies that have the potential to drive change through innovation and create business value in the travel industry in the next several years. These 10 technology trends have been carefully selected by PhoCusWright from the plethora of global business and technology initiatives that dominate the press and the Internet. Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright's Mobile: The Next Platform for Travel As mobile technology has evolved and mobile phone adoption has gradually increased over the last two decades, travel companies have speculated about when mobile will begin to have a significant impact on the travel industry. Recent handset innovations and the introduction of 3G (third-generation) mobile networks indicate that worldwide adoption numbers will continue to soar, creating a marketplace that is ripe for the introduction of mobile travel applications. The mobile platform has the potential to enable innovative personal interactions with travel customers, enhance the travel experience and enable travel companies to reach new levels of operational efficiency. Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list Hyperlocal Content Services “All politics is local.” So goes the aphorism attributed to late-Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Thomas “Tip” O’Neill as he attempted to explain how the local issues of neighborhoods and cities around the country shape the response of elected officials at the national level. This focus on local concerns and problems is not new, nor is it particularly surprising. But it is driving an important trend that is gathering speed, fueled in part by mobile technologies and the ubiquitous availability of various modes of communication. Increasing access to local information on places, people, organizations, events and news is transforming a number of established information sources, including local newspapers, listings and directories and classified advertising. It is also proving to be a valuable resource for travelers and a potential growth opportunity for travel marketers, content publishers and aggregators. Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list Innovation Profiles: Shopping and Booking Shopping and booking have come a long way since the early days of text-based “dumb” terminal input screens, but there is still considerable scope for innovation. This article examines seven innovations that address different aspects of shopping and booking. These include: talking persona, open source neutral shopping and booking, fare and award availability tracking, around-the-world shopping, attribute-based shopping, and an interactive consolidator and tour operator marketplace. Some of these innovations have significant challenges to overcome, while others are clearly ahead of the curve. Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list Innovation Profiles: The Long Tail Comes of Age in 2008 The Long Tail is a phenomenon associated with the adoption of the Internet that enables large numbers of small suppliers to create a market that may be larger than today’s big business-dominated Internet sites. The travel industry is a perfect example of how technology has enabled small suppliers to have more distribution, providing a new market for travel industry products. While considerable progress has been made since the first online reservation system in the 60s, a substantial amount of opportunity can still be realized. To do this, a number of technical and business issues need to be and will be resolved. New aggregators such as AdventureLink, LiveRez and Escapia are already staking their claim to this new marketplace. Wed, 14 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list A Winning Philosophy for Travel-Related Web Site Design Web site design has matured substantially over the years as tools and design concepts have become more sophisticated. Some of the early groundbreaking sites that were considered “leading edge” in their day look primitive in today’s world. Today, complex user interaction and response can be facilitated by the use of broadband with AJAX and Flash technologies – an improvement over the page-based, request-and-reply paradigm that is the signature of HTML-based Web content. Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list Hotel Revenue Management Revenue management is a strategy for selling the right product to the right customer at the right price. It involves dynamic pricing, overbooking, predictions of demand and allocation of perishable assets (rooms) across multiple pricing structures and distribution channels. What makes hotel RM so challenging are the number of variables that must be taken into account to determine the price at which to offer a room. In addition to room type and expected demand, these variables can include maximizing total guest spend, negotiating group pricing and optimizing yield over a number of properties in a given geographic area. The process is extremely complex, challenging many of the best minds in academia. Wed, 24 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list Semantic Web and Semantic Search The explosive growth of user-generated content, multimedia and vertical data across the Internet has brought a renewed focus to finding new methods of extracting meaningful information. An increasing number of technology companies are looking for ways to add meaning to, or extract understanding from, these vast pools of data. In essence they are aiming to make the Web a meaningful guide rather than a static catalog of information. Over the last several years, this long-term goal has fueled a number of promising approaches to a more meaningful Web, commonly referred to as the semantic Web. Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list Learning to Think Like a Mobile Traveler To date, travel industry mobile efforts have largely been limited to creating scaled-down versions of travel Web sites formatted for mobile. While this is a good first step, it fails to take advantage of the unique contexts in which travelers use their mobile devices. Rather than just viewing mobile as a smaller screen for viewing travel Web sites, it’s crucial to recognize the contextual implications of a device that travelers use when they are on the move. Travel companies will not begin to reap the benefits of mobile until they introduce mobile offerings that account for the mobile user’s context and the unique capabilities of their handset. Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list Travel Apps for the iPhone: The First Wave The iPhone has been hailed as a game changer in the mobile space largely because its innovative design makes it possible for users to reasonably browse the full Web, rather than rely solely on mobile-optimized interfaces. But while users enjoy the option of surfing unhindered, a site designed for a big screen quickly becomes inefficient when a targeted mobile task is being performed (e.g., looking up a train schedule or viewing a travel itinerary). When it’s time to get things done (or, in the case of one application, when you feel like using your iPhone as a tiny lightsaber), a mobile application is the way to go. Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list Much has been written about the process of shopping for, purchasing and consuming travel-related products and services, but very little has been done to document the financial systems that enable the world’s largest business: travel and tourism. For the travel market to be efficient and effective, processes and systems must be in place to collect, distribute and reconcile transfer of funds and commission payment. These systems are well established and mature for the air segment, fragmented but maturing for hotels, and somewhat less developed for cruises and tours. Commission settlement systems are still in their infancy for newer forms of content, such as activities. This paper explores the components that make up the financial settlement structure for travel agent commissions, and highlights key vendors and their roles and capabilities in the settlement process. Future opportunities are also discussed. Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list The PhoCusWright Consumer Technology Survey Second Edition, Part Five of Five The PhoCusWright Consumer Technology Survey Second Edition studies a range of consumer technologies relevant to travel and assesses U.S. online traveler familiarity and usage patterns, as well as the degree to which these technologies influence purchasing behavior (see Methodology below). The current article is the last in a series presenting the findings from the larger research initiative. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list What if Airline Seats Become Products Instead of Commodities? Airline seats have long been sold as commodities, with all the associated rules and classes. But as Sabre unveils its significant three-year investment in its SabreSonic Customer Sales and Service platform, there’s no denying that change is on its way. The platform aims to offer airlines the potential to redefine airline seats as unique products with varying characteristics and price points, and the company is pairing this with enhanced revenue management and advanced inventory capabilities, comprehensive merchandising functions and a customer-centric platform. If Sabre is successful in its endeavor and the approach is broadly adopted, air distribution, shopping and booking could be substantially redefined. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list he PhoCusWright Consumer Technology Survey Second Edition, Part Four of Five The nature of social media – especially traveler reviews and social networks – is highly personal. From user-generated content to Facebook applications, travelers are interested only in the information or promotions that are most relevant to them. Reviews from friends and family are significantly more influential than those from strangers. And generic banner ads in social networks like Facebook? A large number of travelers view them negatively, opting instead for giveaways or offers personalized totheir interests. Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list The PhoCusWright Consumer Technology Survey Second Edition, Part Three of Five Travelers are reading user-generated travel reviews online – but seem to be taking traveler advice with a grain of salt. U.S. online travelers rate consumergenerated reviews as less reliable than expert reviews, advice from friends, and recommendations from traditional travel agents. Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list TravelMuse is a venture-funded startup based in the Bay Area, founded in 2007 by Kevin Fliess and Eric Wood. The company launched its public beta on June 9, 2008 and offers several tools to help with trip planning, most notably its Inspiration Finder, which endeavors to help would-be travelers answer the question: Where should I go on vacation? Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list Airline Revenue Management Revenue management, the successor to yield management, was originally pioneered by the airline industry to determine the number of overbookings to allow. With industry changes such as deregulation, revenue management (RM) became increasingly important, providing substantial improvement to airlines’ bottom lines. As RM’s importance increased, the science behind it continued to evolve, providing ever-increasing incremental benefits. This article explores the foundations of revenue management and presents some opportunities to improve the value of RM to airlines. While this article (with another to follow, focusing on hotels, cruise, car rental and restaurants) is airline-oriented, many of the key points, particularly those that relate to customer choice and shopping alternatives, are applicable across multiple areas of travel and global e-commerce. While RM’s foundation lies in complex mathematical concepts, this article attempts to provide a layman’s view in business terms. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list Get Friendly with Social Search: A Travel Marketing Mandate Social search, which has emerged at the intersection of search and social networking, offers more personalized, targeted search results by focusing them through the lens of user-generated content (UGC), user actions, group interactions and social relationships. The various types of social search are still in their infancy, but they have the potential to respond to travel research queries with highly relevant results. And because social search is targeted to a very specific interest and social group, it may provide an opportunity for travel marketers to more easily identify and connect with well-qualified, brand-appropriate travel buyers. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list The PhoCusWright Consumer Technology Survey Second Edition, Part Two of Five Any travel company aiming to make its travel Web site a one-stop shop, take note: online travelers are all but guaranteed to visit multiple sites.The most popular type of site for both beginning a travel search and booking travel is online travel agencies. The PhoCusWright Consumer Technology Survey Second Edition covers a range of consumer technologies relevant to travel and assesses U.S. online traveler familiarity and usage patterns, as well as the degree to which these technologies influence purchasing behavior (see Methodology below). The current article is one in a series that will present the findings from the larger research initiative. Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list Search, Shop, Buy: Inside the Tangled Web of Online Travel As the online travel market continues to mature and growth slows from the extreme pace seen in earlier phases, competition for online travel shoppers is intensifying. The flagging economy means that travelers will be even more careful when deciding how to spend their hard-earned travel dollars. This could potentially increase searching and shopping behaviors, but may shrink the overall travel-bookings pie. Bookings, however, are no longer the whole story. There are numerous new entrants to the online travel space that offer travelers a wealth of tools designed to enhance the search and shopping processes. Travel 2.0 has introduced sites dedicated to travel reviews, social networking, search and rich media. Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list Social Search Emerges in the Travel Vertical Social search is a relatively new approach to discovering online content that puts more power in the hands of individuals and thus has the potential to be disruptive to traditional corporate search marketing. It is emerging out of the intersection of fast-growing social networks, vertical and universal search platforms, and the huge expansion in user-generated content. Social search offers the promise of more relevant search results to consumers and better targeting opportunities to travel marketers. This article takes a close look at these social approaches to search and delineates the most visible trends. The findings show that while this area holds considerable promise for the travel sector, there are numerous challenges that need to be addressed, including issues of privacy, trust and control. Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list The PhoCusWright Consumer Technology Survey Second Edition, Part One Consumer familiarity with various Web 2.0 technologies may not be increasing as rapidly as previously anticipated, with a recent survey indicating that recognition of most technologies is flat compared to 2007. The sole exception is social networks. Online travelers are becoming more familiar with social networks, although a slightly smaller number report participating in them. Fri, 30 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list Internet Booking Engines Internet booking engines (IBEs) are necessary for online travel e-commerce. Over the years, they have become increasingly complex, fully featured and available through a variety of suppliers. PhoCusWright defines 123 IBE evaluation criteria both in terms of the business features and technical capability used to compare IBEs from 19 participating companies. This was a selfreporting exercise, using inputs supplied by the participants. Additional comments and differentiating features that the vendors presented are included. This project was not intended to select one IBE over another, but rather, to level the playing field in terms of comparative capability so the reader can select the IBE that best meets her business and technical needs. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list TripIt: Organize Your Travel Along with many of its contemporary startups, TripIt was created to address a consumer pain point – in this case, the messy bunch of itineraries, reservations and scraps of information otherwise known as travel plans. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list Virtual Worlds and the 3D Web Virtual worlds have received a great deal of attention in the last year, as Second Life captured the imagination of the press and prompted scores of companies to set up shop within its online world. As current platform limitations and the challenges of transitioning to a virtual worlds-based marketing approach became apparent, enthusiasm waned. Despite the challenges, however, virtual worlds have numerous near- and long-term applications for travel companies. This article describes the various types of virtual worlds, analyzes current virtual worlds and travel marketing efforts and outlines the prospects for development of a future 3D Web. Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list InsideTrip: Improved Flight Insight for Travelers InsideTrip responds to the recent slate of traveler complaints over unpleasant air travel experiences with a tool that provides greater insight into airport and flight variables that can affect travel speed, comfort and ease. Travelers can evaluate potential flights using the site’s proprietary “TripQuality” ratings, evaluations based on twelve flight characteristics assigned to all itinerary options. Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.phocuswright.com/research_subscriptions_technology_edition_publication_list PhoCusWright