With more than a third of Priceline's mobile customers booking hotels within a mile of their current wanderings, the company needs its Hotel Negotiator app for Android to speedily and accurately pinpoint users' locations and hotels in the area.
Priceline apparently wasn't satisfied with the Android's native location system, so the online travel agency and mobile app provider turned to and integrated Skyhook's location engine to enhance what the Android system provides, the companies said.
"The default locating system wasn't as precise as Skyhook in Wi-Fi hotspot settings, which is where we think a lot of booking activity will take place," says Brian Ek, Priceline spokesman.
Skyhook says its location engine is "based on Wi-Fi positioning, GPS and cell tower triangulation. Taking advantage of the hundreds of millions of Wi-Fi access points throughout populated areas, Skyhook consistently provides accurate location information indoors and in urban areas."
Priceline's Hotel Negotiator app for Android enables users to book last-minute hotel rooms at published prices or to bid for discounted inventory.
Rooms can be booked up until 11 p.m. on the night the room would be occupied.
Might as well have accurate location information at that hour.
Priceline says using Skyhook's location engine will enable the OTA to further enhance its Android app.