Academy demonstrates a novel deployment of iBeacon technology

Academy Ground Transportation, based in Los Angeles, is set to test a novel deployment of iBeacon technology in ground services. Pauline Sokolovsky demoed the technology at this week's GBTA conference. The app uses iBeacon technology to inform the traveler of three key pieces of information: the location of a traveler's bag, the location of the driver, and the side of the street the car is on. The company will give a traveler an iBeacon to place into their luggage for the tracking part of the app, so that the bag can be monitored nearby when waiting at baggage claim. The driver will also have a dedicated iBeacon that shows the traveler an image of the driver's face and how close the driver is to the current position. This eliminates any guessing game regarding the driver's location. The final feature is that the iBeacon will allow the traveler to see which side of the car to enter on - left or right. There's been plenty of buzz, including here on Tnooz focused around airlines and airports, about the potential of iBeacons in travel. This is one of the emerging applications to streamline the travel experience using proximity-based sensory awareness. Tnooz spoke with Sokolovsky about the new iBeacon deployment, which is just on its way to being tested in the field. Why iBeacons? Traditional Location Aware Services using GPS technology stop working inside buildings. Yet there are still many use cases where Location Aware Services make sense within buildings. Beacons is a technology that can provide these services when GPS signals are not available.  We also see use cases where combining Beacons with GPS tracking can provide a more end-to-end solution. We brought working prototypes of three apps to the 2014 Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Convention to test the reception of the App primarily with ground transportation suppliers. We received a very positive response. We also spoke to other travel verticals that we believe would be interested in this technology primarily for purposes of accomplishing proximity marketing and personalization but also to solve important operations problems.  In addition to business travel, we see many applications of this technology for leisure travel. We have not yet field tested the App, but our experience in the ground transportation industry tells us that drivers will welcome the addition of this technology to help them achieve on-time performance - meeting up with the passenger on time and getting them to their destination on time. Drivers are well aware that if they do not achieve on time performance, which is the biggest customer satisfaction driver in the ground transportation vertical, they will incur a service defect, and this factor alone can significantly impact the passenger's perception of other aspects of the driver's service delivery and their overall trip experience. Business travel itineraries frequently have demanding schedules that must be met to realize the full value and business objectives of the trip. On time performance in the ground transportation industry plays an integral part in meeting those schedules. Today we have a working prototype. In three to six months, we will have completed a Release 1 that will reflect a product development strategy, marketing strategy, and business plan that considers both the Business and Leisure segments and the many travel verticals who can benefit from this technology. We will focus initially on small to medium sized businesses that may lack infrastructure and apps to help them solve their relevant problems. For these customers we see creating a series of secure, cloud and SaaS based apps that provide a complete solution to their problem. For Release 2, another three to six months of product development will result in a series of Beacon Services that are easy to integrate with the more elaborate and evolved work flows and operations systems of larger travel industry companies who also will be interested in these solutions.