TECHNOLOGY BY NICK EASEN
analyse lots of data points – and artificial intelligence (AI), where machines replace
could be making a dif- ference in predicting a lot more travel behav- iour, using algorithms
“Technology today is taking what used to be scarce and making it abundant, over and over again”
our travel policy on now have more pro- cessing power than the Apollo moon landing spacecraft – also expect that acceleration to continue as well, with consequences (see p60). “There is also a low cost to entry with
any type of technology now,” says Howard Rawlings, travel buyer and partner at Cloudberry Digital, a supplier of digital marketing technologies to the food and drinks industry. “Software development cycles and lead times are reducing con- stantly,” he says. This adds up to a heady storm of disruptive innovation ahead.
DISRUPTORS
So what can we expect, moving on? Well, there are many disruptive technologies on the horizon. First, ‘big data’ – the ability to
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
to do more listening, talking and even thinking. “AI and its application are big topics.
There are a lot of things being developed in leisure travel today, which can be really exciting if applied to business travel in the future,” says BCD Travel vice-president for product strategy and innovation, Torsten Kriedt. When Apple’s Siri really can second
guess your answers or IBM’s Watson can track down your rogue traveller anywhere around the globe, you know we’ll have reached a new era. “Extremely sophisticated predicting modelling of consumers is already big in the food and drinks business. I can see it coming to business travel soon,” says Rawlings. Chatbots and cognitive advisors for corporate travel are already in play. But these are likely to be taken to the next level in the decade ahead.
FUZZY LOGIC
Quantum computers – which rely on the fuzzy world of quantum mechanics to function – are also starting to make an appearance, albeit with Google, IBM and NASA. For some calcula- tions they are 100 million times faster than your laptop. These are used to calculate very complex optimisation
BBT JULY/AUGUST 2016 57
brain power,
problems, many of which appear in travel planning applications. “Those who are looking at using intel- ligent data to address behavioural change have the greatest opportunity,” explains Trevor Elswood, chief commercial officer at Capita Travel and Events. The rise of artificial intelligence, big data and super-fast computers could completely transform the nature of work and business in the travel sector. Data centres will be able to pool vast amounts of information from a myriad of sources into a single mesh, and process this into actionable intelligence that travel buyers can use – all at a speed close to real-time. Driverless cars will be possible with this type of technol- ogy, smart-connected cities, hotels and airports as well.
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