Digital Lifescapes

To what degree are business travelers using mobile device technology? What types of mobile offerings disrupt legacy corporate travel policies, and in what ways? How frequently are guidelines for mobile usage communicated? These were the key questions that eMarketer considered during their latest assessment. Granted, mobile devices have enabled more productive business travel, allowing people to stay in touch and adapt to changing schedule needs -- among the many other apparent benefits. The same devices can also create challenges for typical corporate travel managers trying to contain their organization's expenses. According to a new eMarketer study, many travel managers are therefore evolving their travel policies to address the current environment. Moreover, according to an AirPlus International study during 2012, 95 percent of travel managers worldwide said they were either making policies more stringent or keeping them the same going forward. Managed corporate trave...

comScore released the results from a U.S. market study on mobile travel related activities. The results indicate that 51 percent of smartphone owners accessed travel content on their devices during the three month period ending February 2012 -- with nearly 1 in every 5 smartphone owners using their device to book air travel or hotel reservations. "The on-the-go convenience of smartphones has facilitated their emergence as an essential companion for travelers," said Mark Donovan, comScore SVP of mobile. "We all know how hectic a travel experience can be, but smartphones have really stepped in to meet a variety of needs for travelers, such as coordination of schedules, locations, trip itineraries and transactions." With more than half of all smartphone users now engaging with travel content and related apps, there has never been a better opportunity for suppliers and OTAs to invest in their mobile strategies to provide a great experience and win loyalty from thei...

Telepresence is video conferencing taken to the next level -- participants feel as if they are in the same room together. Despite the tough economic environment, sales of telepresence hardware, software and services grew to $567 million in 2009, according to the latest market study by ABI Research . Expanding the options for access to telepresence products and services is critical for maintaining strong market growth. Video conferencing products that are a step above talking-heads at reasonable price points allow companies to experience the benefits and incorporate them into their business processes. According to ABI's market assessment, other major trends and supplier contributions driving the market in 2010 and beyond include: - Saving on travel costs, particularly for companies experiencing supply chain expansion. - Suppliers targeting companies with legacy video teleconferencing systems and expanding telepresence system interoperability. - Telepresence enhanced with...

In-Stat conducted a survey of their Technology Adoption Panel to determine what devices road warriors -- defined as those who travel five or more days in a typical month -- travel with, and what interface options they use. The results from 522 respondents show that these Digital Nomad travelers carry several devices, and stay connected through multiple interface options. The results show that 85 percent travel with a notebook PC, 66 percent with a mobile phone, 43 percent with a smart phone (defined as a combination mobile phone and computing device), 53 percent with a headset, 38 percent with a portable media player, 21 percent with an external storage drive, and 17 percent with a PDA. In terms of notebook connectivity, business travelers depend primarily on Wi-Fi, USB and Ethernet as their lifelines on the road. Wi-Fi was used by 93 percent of road warriors with notebooks, while USB was used by 84 percent and Ethernet by 72 percent. Those using Wi-Fi in their notebook employed it to ...