SOUTHLAKE, Texas, Nov. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Sabre
Corporation is developing travel services that work across the
emerging spectrum of wearable technology including smartwatches and
Google Glass, preparing for the dramatic impact wearables will have
on the way consumers shop for and experience travel.
Researchers expect a large proportion of the population to
embrace wearable computing in the near future as evidenced by the
adoption trajectory of other technology advances like the smart
phone and tablets. Juniper Research forecasts that worldwide
spending on wearable technology will hit $1.4 billion this year and will reach
$19 billion by 2018. Further,
wearable computing is already expanding beyond the early adopters
and quickly becoming more mainstream, according to International
Data Corporation (IDC). The research firm estimates that more than
19 million wearable computing devices will be sold in 2014, and
forecasts the global market to reach 111.9 million units in
2018.
TripCase, Sabre's leading travel itinerary management app, is
the first travel app of its kind to integrate with the
highly-anticipated Samsung Gear S smartwatch, launched Nov. 7 in the US market. The integration allows
the traveler to click the notification on the watch to open the
TripCase app to the relevant place on the mobile device, and will
include a click-to-call feature next month. In addition, consumers
using Android Wear devices and the Pebble and Pebble Steel watches
can receive TripCase travel notifications directly to their
wearable devices.
TripCase users wearing these smart devices will receive
real-time flight alerts, gate changes and other travel information
conveniently on their wrists at a time when minute counts. This
initial integration lays the ground work for more advanced TripCase
services to be accessible on wearable technology in the future.
TripCase is on pace to manage more than 25 million trips in
2014.
"As the adoption of wearable technology grows, we want to ensure
that the travel industry is ready to leverage this technology and
serve travelers on the device they prefer," said John Samuel, senior vice president of Sabre
Travelers Solutions. "Wearable technology is fast becoming a
prominent means of customer notification and communication. We're
looking to take it even further – from a one-way means of
communications to an interactive, on-the-go service experience,"
said Samuel.
Sabre recently showcased its Google Glass prototype travel app
at the World Travel Market in London. The app can find a flight based on a
user's simple voice command, for example: "Ok Glass, Find a Flight
from London Heathrow to Miami in
June."
"Wearable technologies – such as smartwatches and heads-up
devices like Google Glass – will forever change the way consumers
experience travel – from shopping via virtual reality to voice
command recommendation," continued Samuel. "Creating these full
service experiences require not just smart devices but also more
precise location services and smart recommendation services."
Sabre Labs, the technology incubator and research lab at Sabre,
continues to explore the application of geo-location technologies
and their application to wearable devices in the travel experience.
Understanding a traveler's precise indoor location and developing
services that use that context to share information and
interactions on wearables will be a critical piece in creating a
more intuitive experience for travelers.
About Sabre Corporation
Sabre® Corporation
(NASDAQ: SABR) is a leading technology provider to the global
travel and tourism industry. Sabre's software, data, mobile and
distribution solutions are used by hundreds of airlines and
thousands of hotel properties to manage critical operations, such
as passenger and guest reservations, revenue management, and
flight, network and crew management. Sabre also operates a leading
global travel marketplace, processing over $100 billion of estimated travel spend in 2013 by
connecting travel suppliers to their most valued customers, the
business traveler. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre operates offices
in approximately 60 countries around the
world.
Media Contact:
Heidi Castle
682-605-4290
Heidi.castle@sabre.com
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SOURCE Sabre Corporation