IBM says hotels could one day be connected to airports, airlines, rail operators and taxis through a new framework allowing them to improve efficiency and customer service.
The Travel and Transport Framework combines five revamped systems that eventually could see all levels of the travel and leisure industry connected.
IBM Travel and Transportation vice-president Raul Arce said IBM hopes the new framework will create the basis for a global standard and an interconnected travel network.
The framework is made up of reservation system modernisation (RSM), asset optimisation (AO), safety, security and surveillance (SSS), multi-channel sales and services (MSS) and OCS.
RSM helps improve the efficiency of booking the ticket and promotes e-ticketing, AO helps to ensure assets are being used to their full potential, SSS combines CCTV and traditional security checks, MSS improves customer service and OCS automatically schedules staff shifts and timetables.
Companies will be allowed to pick what parts of the framework suits its needs and could improve efficiency by up to 15%.
Arce said being able to share this kind of information will save companies time and money integrating systems and sharing information with other businesses.
The framework is currently being used by individual companies in the railway sector but IBM hopes it will be used on a much larger scale to create a global interconnected travel network.
