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TTD: Thomson launches technology labs
Customers will be invited to help develop future technology for Thomson as part of a new initiative.
The tour operator will use its new ‘Thomson Labs’ to showcase technology that could be incorporated into its business, including biometric fingerprint scanning, bar codes on mobile phones and voice search.
Head of new media Graham Donoghue said all of these technologies were being investigated by the tour operator.
“Customers can scan their fingertip on their computer and store personal booking information which they can retrieve at a travel kiosk, at the airport check-in or hotel,” he said.
“Mobile phones equipped with barcode readers would allow customers to scan bar codes in brochures or adverts and information can be transferred to their mobile screen.
“We could even have the situation where a customer walks into one of our shops and we would be able to read their barcode on their mobile and know all about their preferences before we’ve even spoken to them.”
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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