Has been a hectic few weeks and I am proud of Our company and our dedicated collegues for a super achievement. As of March 31st 2007 Iteamic is now SEI CMMi Level 3 Certified. There has been a lot of other things that have kep me busy and away from my blog. I could not restrain myself from writing on Travel 3.0 and what it is going to usher in for the days to come by!!!
There have been numerous articles on how Web 2.0 has changed the face of online businesses globally. The growth has been phenomenal propelled analyst fathom its impact every now and then. It has been a catalyst for the sudden surge in online Travel Portals [OTP's], distribution technologies and products built around them. It is constantly driven by online communities of collaborators who share information online because we trust it more than business-generated information.
In a traditionalistic approach it would be without a doubt that your trusted travel agency should and must get you the best deal. Invariably, unlike every-time there would be hiccups and it would always eat up into your purse, your holiday / business experience and end up leaving a foul taste in your mouth.
For most of the online users today Web 2.0 has done a lot of good with Dynamic Packaging. Just think for a moment - if you would have to do things sitting in a place like -
(a) booking air tickets [Lowest Fares - mind you]
(b) ensure that you have an advance Hotel Reservation/s and
(c) voila a car bookings, pick up and drop included
One-on-one from different sites – it would be chaotic!!!
In comparison - with the advent of Travel 2.0 you are just a step away from planning everything on your own. Its as easy and you can evaluate expert tips from your online community on everything under the sun. What more to say, you can get videos, pictures, food tips validated by the user community - from the community, by the community and for the community.
All you need is to get on to a suggested online travel portal - without even having to physically be there to oversee arrangements. With quality information and rich user interfaces for the user in place you can have the best of both worlds!!!
Hold your breath for here comes the 3rd wave Travel 3.0 - riding high on the success of the Web 2.0 - Its is something more like you can have the cake and eat it too
I would want to quote Mr. Tim Wright, MD at HyperTech Solutions UK, here - “Users could have access to these pre-defined itineraries (created, posted and ranked by individual community users), as well as abundant destination and component content and detail. Powerful vertical search tools will let users comparison-shop amongst a huge variety of travel components and products that best match their individual preferences - and they’ll be able to select, book and pay, all online and on one site.
With its rich content, choice and book-ability, and close collaboration between the travel portals, like-minded suppliers and a technology partner with the platform, capabilities, data structures would be envisioning the Travel 3.0 Saga. Read more >
This Phocus Wright Report has more interesting things for us to know about.
More for later!!!
April 30, 2007
Travel 3.0 what is it??
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2 comments:
My name is Matt Thomas and I frequently visit your blog travel technologies. I am writing to let you know about a new “Travel 3.0” site – eTripBuilder.com.
Until now, most online travel solutions have simply focused on specific searches, failing to provide a means to manage a traveler's complete trip itinerary. eTripBuilder.com presents a solution that satisfies both the needs of the recreational and corporate traveler by transforming the way they schedule, purchase, and manage all their travel related services. For most travelers, trip planning begins with a search box. But a single search is just the start of what often becomes hours, even months of intensive online searching and planning. With eTripBuilder.com, travelers can now leverage all the services that surround a trip such as transportation and accommodation bookings, dining reservations, and attractions.
eTripBuilder.com extends far beyond the conventional online travel agent to deliver a total travel planning and management experience.
eTripBuilder.com was developed as a web application that lets travelers
book their hotels, flights, and car rentals, as well as make reservations at local restaurants and browse thousands of attractions. Travelers are able to print a copy of their itinerary or enjoy the valuable conveniences of exporting their itinerary to their GPS device, importing their itinerary to Google Calendar or other calendaring software, or accessing their itinerary via a mobile handheld. Developed using Google’s new Google Web Toolkit and integrated with Google Maps, eTripBuilder.com presents the user with a rich user interface that works more like a web application and less like a website.
I hope you enjoy the website. If you have any comments or suggestions I would love to hear them. Please do not hesitate to contact me.
Matthew Thomas
eTripBuilder.com
HI! Matt,
Let me start by saying its a great concept, and will definitely help people like us, who keep on traveling and loose a tab on their itineraries.I tried looking at etripbuilder.com and wanted to know more about the functionality but ended up going to the blog site. Could you please get me few details here or send me an email at neeraj@indiangypsies.com
Also, when we talk about travel 3.0, it will be a tool, where the user can get the holistic experience. Any traveler goes to 3 different phases:
1. Planning: A stage where he is looking for information, researching a destination and the fares etc. Which most of the website have been able to do. There are millions of websites which offers destination guides.
2. Bookings: So what do you exactly do after you have researched a destination? You try and reach there. So, the next logical step is to book a ticket, a hotel room, a taxi and perhaps look for a local guide?
Though most of the websites offer first three booking, they still lack in finding a local guide.
3.Post Travel Experience: When you go for a holiday with friends, families, girl friend, you obviously shoot pictures, videos with your loved ones. So now the requirement comes of where to store them?
While there are websites which offers everything in bits and pieces, no one really offers everything integrated into one and offer it to customers. A user end up having gone to three different website for three different but entirely interlinked need.
Travel 3.0 would be a phase where all the above three phases would be integrated seamlessly to give the user a single window for his/her entire travel need.
Travel 3.0 will be all of sales, peer reviews and social networking
There are couple of websites like wayn.com and travelobuddies.com still in beta (and I think will take its own sweet time to get launched) are attempting to become one.
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