Friday, December 14, 2007

Mobile networks are quick, fast and efficient in Japan

You are now able to book your airplane ticket through your mobile phone in Japan. It takes about 2 minutes and once you have booked your flight through your mobile phone, you are sent a "barcode" to your mobile phone. When you get to the airport you place your phone over a reader that will talk to you to 2D mobile barcode. It immediately prints you a ticket and off you go to your plane.

Quick, fast and efficient!

"The International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade body that represents 240 airlines and 94% of scheduled international travel, has reached an agreement on a global standard for mobile barcodes, which it says "paves the way" for air travelers to use mobile phones for check-in at airports." (review .pdf)

In July, Air Canada started testing the 2D mobile barcode with select passengers out of Montreal.

"Passengers involved in the pilot test first check in without baggage on mobile.aircanada.com. This generates a 2D barcode – in fact an e-boarding pass – which is sent directly to their mobile device. They then use this e-boarding pass to cross screening check points and to board the aircraft. 2D barcodes can be found on all Web itinerary receipts and on the paper boarding passes issued by an agent, at a kiosk or through Web check-in. "

School Chat.....

The mobile phone is evolving at a very quick rate. I was watching an interview on the news with a famous Japanese clothing designer that has now turned to "mobile design." He said that in Japan the mobile phone has seasons just like the fashion industry. The Asian market demands that a mobile phone changes every 3 months. In most countries the mobile phone is only used for talking.....but in Japan, the end-user demands that the mobile does so much more from booking airline tickets to booking restaurant reservations. The services that are demanded from the end-user are growing rapidly and quickly.

How many schools in most countries still ban the mobile phone instead of embracing the technology?

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