Corporate buyers are pushing the need for the rapid developments in business travel technology, rather than tech providers, says a key player in the sector.
David Chapple, event director at Travel Technology Europe 2012, which is including a dedicated zone for business travel technology in its coverage this year, reckons technology companies are unable to innovate or push developments in the sector forward "unless they have customers".
This argument may not chime with some of the firms trying to bring new products to market to ride the technological revolution currently taking place in business travel.
But Chapple has a point.
He believes there are a number of companies that are doing creating interesting products to help save corporate travellers money in the long term.
But "they need companies that are willing to be their guinea pigs", Chapple says, claiming that "at the end of the day, tech guys are just the facilitators - without a customer there wouldn't be any technology".
Chapple also believes there is another interesting evolution in travel technology, with tools which perhaps previously would've been seen as the preserve of leisure travellers, are now finding a role in corporate travel.
Travel managers use mobile travel tools for their own personal use, Chapple says, but increasingly their companies are realising that some of those services are useful for corporate clients as well.
There is therefore a need to pull leisure content into business travel services, especially in the mobile space, where travellers on-the-go can be serviced quickly but effectively, he adds.
This not only helps out the business travel world, but leisure travel technology and product suppliers as well.
"For leisure agents, it's about diversification and tapping into new opportunities," Chapple says.
NB: Tnooz is a media partner (and has a stand this year) for the show on February 7 and 8 2012, running four high-level debates over the course of the event.
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