m-Travel.com and Travel Distribution News

Archive Category: Messaging

CustomWeather adds to wireless global coverage

SAN FRANCISCO -- Weather forecasts and reports for 58,000 cities around the world are now available on Web-enabled mobile phones and other wireless handheld devices. CustomWeather, a supplier of syndicated geo-coded weather data, will provide location-sensitive weather services for more than125,000 global locations by year-end. 

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Travelocity offers wireless messaging suite

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Flight delays and schedule changes make real-time travel information a very valuable commodity. Travelocity.com is launching this week My Messaging, a suite of travel notification tools that allow Travelocity.com customers to take control of when and where they receive important trip updates. 

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Former Ericsson Microsoft executive joins Mobeon

STOCKHOLM -- Ulf Avrin, former CEO of Ericsson Microsoft Mobile Venture, has been named CEO of Mobeon, a leading provider of mobile messaging and personal information management (PIM) to GSM systems. The Mobeon product portfolio mPIM gives users the ability to access their company's e-mail, calendar and contacts from any wireless enabled device. It can also access documents stored within company information system. 

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Motorola adopts Centerpost alerting technology

CHICAGO -- Centerpost will provide Motorola with an enterprise alerting solution to deliver real-time, mission-critical information to employees on any wired or wireless device. Centerpost already provides alerting systems to United Airlines and Travelocity. 

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Germany's E-Plus launches i-mode mobile

By Ken Smith | Editor, SmartTravelNews.com

E-Plus, the German subsidiary of the Dutch company KPN Mobile, this week launches wireless Internet services using NTT DoCoMo's i-mode service. E-Plus is the first European operator using i-mode and expectations are high that German consumers will adopt the new technology as quickly as did the Japanese.

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Southwest picks V-ONE for remote communications

GERMANTOWN, Maryland -- V-ONE Corporation, a major provider of virtual private network (VPN) security products, conventional and wireless networks, has announced that Southwest Airlines has deployed V-ONE's SmartGate clients server software to secure communications for 35 of the airline's remote marketing offices.

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Autodesk introduces multimedia messaging

CANNES -- Autodesk Location Services has announced the availability of what it calls the industry's first location MMS (location-enabled Multimedia Messaging Service) and location SMS (location-enabled Short Messaging Service) solutions. At the 3GSM World Congress in France last week, Autodesk described Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS) as offering a dramatic increase in mobile-to-mobile messaging by enabling two or more media sources -- including sound, animations, and video clips -- to be integrated and sent along with text.

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AOL-backed Niragongo offers smart wireless proxy

CANNES -- Niragongo, an Israeli wireless developer with financial backing from AOL Time Warner and Carmel Ventures, launched its Lava Platform 2.0 today at the 3GSM World Congress. The company described its new flagship product as "a smart wireless proxy that enhances all services routed through it."

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Mobile operators waiting for 'killer app'

By Bruce Jackson | Chief Technical Officer, Elata

As executives of mobile operators recover from the festive season, the talk will inevitably turn from indebtedness to the new "killer" applications which are planned to relieve the gloom in 2002. Historically, every time a mobile operator has needed to improve revenue from services, it simply launched a new one. And why not? After all, Short Messaging Services (SMS) have so far proven lucrative beyond expectation, and Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS) that use next generation networks to send pictures and video clips between subscribers may soon offer a good return. 

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Wireless Village releases initial specifications

LONDON -- Wireless Village, the initiative sponsored by Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia and more than 100 other supporters, today released the Wireless Village version 1.0 specifications, which will enable interoperability of mobile instant messaging and presence services (IMPS).

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White paper on mobile travel technology future

i:FAO, a major provider of business travel electronic procurement software, has published a white paper on mobile commerce and business travel. The white paper, titled Personal Travel Assistant, addresses the current disorganization in the delivery of information to the traveler, and it also spells out the great potential for the mobile travel industry.

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Wireless travel intelligence service launched

SILVER SPRING, Maryland -- IMC WorldCell, a provider of international mobile voice and data services for enterprises and mobile professionals, and iJET Travel Intelligence, a provider of real-time travel intelligence for the global travel industry, have announced the launch of WorldLink, a wireless travel intelligence and assistance service for international business and leisure travelers.

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Terra Lycos markets i3 Mobile service in US

STAMFORD, Conn. -- i3 Mobile, a leading provider of premium wireless content and services, has signed an agreement with Terra Lycos, the largest global Internet network, to co-market Pronto, i3 Mobile's new premium subscription service. 

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New Palm i705 has enterprise messaging

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Palm has introduced an enterprise-class, end-to-end, behind-the-firewall, wireless messaging solution, based on the new Palm i705 wireless handheld. Palm says the new i705 Wireless Messaging Solution directly addresses the manageability, support and security concerns of IT managers who are deploying handhelds to large numbers of mobile users.

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Siemens launches TravelAngel mobile service

MUNICH -- Siemens Mobile Travel Solutions is launching TravelAngel, a mobile travel application for Siemens employees in Germany. The company has begun a project with partner ICM in Germany to introduce TravelAngel, a mobile application to support business travellers during their trips. 

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Europeans will use mobile phones to buy travel

AMSTERDAM -- More than 23 million Europeans will use their mobile phones to buy travel products and services by 2005, according to a new study by IDC. Travel is the leading e-commerce product category on the fixed Internet in Europe, with purchasing of online leisure and business travel services becoming easier and more cost-effective than traditional channels. IDC believes this trend will be mirrored on the mobile Internet, despite the adverse effects of September 11 on the European travel industry.

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BlackBerry used by police at Boston airport

BOSTON -- The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) is arming State Police troopers with wireless handheld computers to check up electronically on passengers, airport employees and vehicles at Logan International Airport.

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Centerpost names Jim Patrick VP of Sales

CHICAGO -- Centerpost Corporation, a provider of automated communications systems, has appointed James N. Patrick as executive vice president of sales and business development. Centerpost's customers include United Airlines and Travelocity for action alerts to customers and employees using voice, wireless, e-mail, fax and instant messaging.

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Verizon Wireless picks ScreamingMedia content

NEW YORK -- ScreamingMedia will provide Verizon Wireless' digital Mobile Messenger customers with access to current information, the two companies announced this week. Through technology integration, ScreamingMedia is offering filtered third-party content and data to the Verizon Wireless' text messaging service Web site, which was launched last week.

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Nokia, Lycos Europe work on multimedia messaging

GÜTERSLOH, Germany -- Nokia and Lycos Europe will work together to develop multimedia messaging services (MMS), the two companies announced this week. Lycos Europe recently launched its Mobile Channel, merging its communities with the power of mobile technology. The Lycos new channel is currently built around its mainstay SMS service, which the company claims is the leading SMS Web-to-phone and phone-to-Web service in Europe. 

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Alaska Airlines passengers get flight information

SEATTLE -- As airlines scrambled to resume flying after the September 11 terrorist attacks, thousands of passengers searched for information, unsure whether their flights would operate, or if they would proceed with their current travel plans. Behind the scenes, Alaska Airlines and Par3 Communications worked around the clock to implement an automated flight confirmation and notification system -- two months ahead of schedule, the two companies are reporting.

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AOL's Instant Messenger offered by VoiceStream

America Online and VoiceStream Wireless have introduced a built-in version of the AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) service on a new, stylish Nokia 3390 phone for VoiceStream Wireless customers.

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Mobile operators need multimedia strategy

LONDON -- With approximately 667 million text messages sent across the globe every day, mobile operators have been reaping easy money from SMS, according to a new study by business intelligence firm Baskerville, a division of Informa Telecoms. The study also says collective failure to develop a cohesive multimedia messaging strategy means many of the world's operators risk stifling a potentially hugely lucrative market. 

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Wireless messaging system installed at FAA

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Emergin, Inc., a wireless messaging software company, has completed the installation of its Emergin WirelessOffice 4.0 at major Federal Aviation Administration operations centers. FAA technical and facility managers are using Emergin WirelessOffice to broadcast critical conditions such as security alerts, utility outages or authorization breaches to staff and security personnel located within FAA Operations Center or at external support sites. 

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Sabre's Virtually There now on BlackBerry wireless

TORONTO -- Sabre Holdings Corp. has announced that its Virtually There, a personalized travel Web site, is now available on BlackBerry Wireless Handhelds. This new service enables the fast-growing BlackBerry wireless user market to access and receive personal itineraries, weather and notification about flight changes or cancellations. This information is accessible when travellers book their trip through a Sabre connected travel agency, online booking site, or other participating travel supplier.

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Keynote Systems measures wireless performance

SAN MATEO, Calif. -- Keynote Systems has launched its newest hosted application performance benchmarking service, Keynote Wireless Perspective, that the company says is designed to measure, monitor and diagnose problems with wireless data services including wireless messaging, wireless Internet, and next-generation wireless services. 

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Air2Web launches mobile e-mail platform

ATLANTA -- Air2Web is launching its Mobile Email Platform providing wireless access to Lotus Domino and Microsoft Exchange applications in November. The platform, a subset of Air2Web's Mobile Internet Platform, will include real-time access to e-mail, calendars, contact data and attachments, as well as the ability to securely authenticate the device and user prior to giving wireless access to e-mail accounts.

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CustomWeather offers geo-coded wireless alerts

SAN FRANCISCO -- CustomWeather, a leading global supplier of syndicated weather data, has launched its geo-coded Severe Weather Alerts service. "Now, for the first time, alerts from the U. S. National Weather Service are available as a real-time, geo-coded XML data feed," the company announcement said.

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Handspring introduces combo mobile phone, PDA

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- Handspring today introduced the Treo family of compact communicators, combining a GSM mobile phone, wireless email, messaging and web browsing, and a Palm OS organizer in a small, lightweight handheld device. Treo will be available in two versions: the Treo 180, featuring a built-in keyboard for text input, and the Treo 180g for those who prefer Graffiti text input. Handspring said both will be available in early 2002 for an estimated street price of $399 with GSM service activation.

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Sabre's Virtually There uses SMS flight information

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Sabre Holdings Corporation today announced that travelers utilizing the Sabre Virtually There Web site now have the option to receive text messages to their cell phone or pager using Short Message Service (SMS) protocol should a flight be delayed, canceled or experience a gate/terminal change within 24 hours of a flight's departure time.

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SMS and location-based services in travel

By Tim Gunstone | CEO, EyeforTravel

LONDON -- SMS, is becoming the killer app of the wireless world. Just as we saw with e-mail in the Internet revolution, it is the massive uptake of SMS that has taken the marketing world by surprise, and now is the time to exploit it. Everyone knows that SMS (Short Messaging Service) is the ability to send and receive text messages to and from mobile telephones.

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E-Power announces Palm platform alliance

HOUSTON -- E-Power International, a manufacturing and service company with mostly military applications, has announced that it will develop and support the Palm OS and the resale of wireless solutions based on integrated wireless asset control using the Palm OS.

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E-mail grows with more devices, mobile workers

E-mail is on the rise. According to a new report by IDC, a global market analysis firm, the number of worldwide e-mail mailboxes is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 138%, from 505 million in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2005. IDC says there are three factors responsible for the e-mail increase: Web services, wireless access, and workers without e-mail.

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AOL launches enchanced mobile messaging

DULLES, Va. -- America Online has announced the availability of  improved software for the AOL Mobile Communicator, adding a new level of convenience to a two-way messaging device designed for mobile access to the popular AOL instant messaging and e-mail services.

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Ericsson, Nokia and Motorola welcome WAP 2.0

ESPOO, Finland -- Ericsson, Nokia and Motorola have announced their support of the newest version of the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) standard, WAP 2.0, as developed by the WAP Forum. The companies also expressed their intention to develop products, content, and services based on the new standard.

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Vodafone introduces instant messaging

LONDON -- Vodafone Group announced today that it has signed a global agreement with Followap, the leading provider of Instant Messaging services for mobile operators. Followap will be the sole provider of Vodafone’s Instant Messaging global platform.

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