THE YEAR IN CORPORATE TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
THE YEAR IN CORPORATE TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
THE YEAR IN CORPORATE TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
THE YEAR IN CORPORATE TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
In an era when many travel management companies call themselves “technology companies,” virtually every travel software provider calls itself a “platform” and tech startups enter corporate travel at a breakneck pace, it is hard to overstate the impact technology is having on distribution, the traveler experience, supplier sourcing, data management and operations.
An economy of sharing, transacting, repackaging and/or consuming digital services between software applications via application programming interfaces that typically are owned or operated by separate entities.
A field of artificial intelligence that uses statistical techniques to give computer systems the ability to “learn” (i.e., progressively improve performance on a specific task) from data, without being explicitly programmed.
A field of artificial intelligence that uses statistical techniques to give computer systems the ability to “learn” (i.e., progressively improve performance on a specific task) from data, without being explicitly programmed.
A form of business process automation technology based on the notion of software robots or artificially intelligent workers.
"Automation is a trend that has been around for a while,” Sabre principal applications architect Dan Cohn said at the Global Business Travel Association convention in August. “We’ve been using robotics and software scripts for a long time.”
A subfield of computer science, information engineering and artificial intelligence concerned with interactions between computers and human languages, in particular how to program computers to process and analyze large amounts of natural language data.
Whether extended through voice channels like Amazon’s Alexa or text-based modes like SMS, Web chat or messaging platforms, bots that interact in natural language were all the talk this year.
A subfield of computer science, information engineering and artificial intelligence concerned with interactions between computers and human languages, in particular how to program computers to process and analyze large amounts of natural language data.
The interconnection via the internet of computing devices embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data.
We already live in a world of connected things,” wrote one respondent. “Most of us have a phone and a computer, for example. But wearables, smart buildings, sensors in vehicles and communication between vehicles and travelers and brands: These are examples of broader ‘things’ connecting than we see today.”
A blockchain is a growing list of records, called blocks, which are linked using cryptography. This decentralized and distributed digital ledger is used to record transactions across many computers so that the record cannot be altered retroactively without the alteration of all subsequent blocks and the consensus of the network.
No other category assessed in this study elicited as much division as blockchain. Its impact score of 35 averages some very high scores from true believers and low scores from doubters.
A blockchain is a growing list of records, called blocks, which are linked using cryptography. This decentralized and distributed digital ledger is used to record transactions across many computers so that the record cannot be altered retroactively without the alteration of all subsequent blocks and the consensus of the network.
An interactive computer-generated experience taking place within a simulated environment that incorporates auditory and visual feedback. While virtual reality is regarded as more immersive, augmented reality layers virtual information over a live camera feed.
Nope.” That was the entirety of one respondent’s view on the impact virtual and augmented reality will have on corporate travel in the next 12 months. This category netted the lowest aggregate impact score of all assessed. “For now, it’s a gimmick,” wrote one respondent.
The Beat in October and November 2018 invited a few dozen experts attuned to trends in technology and managed travel to complete an online survey. The Beat presented and defined seven major tech categories examined and asked respondents to rate each on a scale from 0 (not at all impactful) to 100 (highly impactful), based on the expected impact each would have on corporate travel in the next 12 months.
Survey respondents were asked to consider the potential impact of these tech fields on corporate travel distribution, including shopping, booking and settlement; sourcing and procurement; traveler experience; data management; and/or supplier and intermediary operations. The Impact Score is the average of all respondent ratings in each category.
The 36 respondents include travel e-commerce veterans, startup founders and CEOs, travel and tech consultants, system builders and engineers, data scientists, corporate travel technologists, venture capitalists, chief technology and/or information officers at travel management companies, airline digital and/or distribution execs as well as research, development and product leaders at travel technology and distribution companies.
The definitions presented to respondents and republished in this study for each category were adapted and/or lightly modified from such Creative Commons sources as Wikipedia.
About The Beat
The Beat is the must-read digital publication for senior-level corporate travel professionals, providing breaking news, insightful views and compelling interviews on corporate travel distribution, travel management and technology. The Beat serves an audience of more 10,000 through its paid-subscription newsletter and website.