Travel Technology: Making the World a Smaller Place?

We’ve been carrying around technology for as long as devices have been able to fit into our pockets. Some early adopters were even willing to carry around a suitcase to make that business call whilst on the move. The truth is that as devices have shrunk, battery life has improved and people wanted to be seen with the next big thing; it has now become commonplace to see all ages carrying around their iPads, Kindle’s and mobiles. Where this sector of the technology industry has particularly flourished is in the vacation division.

How Technology has Started a Vacation Revolution

There is no denying that social media has changed the way that we plan and experience holidays. Mobile technology has been the great enabler in this. It has given us the freedom to make informed decisions and share our experiences. From canvasing opinion as to where you should go, sharing pictures whilst on holiday, looking up reviews of restaurants and giving us the ability to check in to our flights ahead of time – technology is now the first thing that goes into most suitcases. A recent poll conducted by MDG advertising brilliantly illustrates how more and more of us are using technology and social media websites to assess and share our vacation experiences. What’s for sure is that there is definitely a demonstrable shift in the way that people are holidaying.

Indie App producers have latched on to this trend and you are now spoilt for choice when it comes to apps right across all mobile platforms. Consumers are desperate for the newest and most seamless ways of enhancing their travel experience and there are plenty of Apps for their consideration. Luckily for them IGLU Cruise have compiled a list of their top travel apps and it’s a great place to get started. These sorts of Apps are always looking to attract new users. New users in different locations are particularly important to travel orientated software and hardware – local knowledge is a premium and helps mark out their product against others. As the African App market continues to inflate as a result of cheaper hardware becoming more readily available and this new hardware attracts new users; Apps will ultimately improve in quality as they take on a new wave of information.

All of this app development makes for lucrative business. Recent figures have confirmed that travel apps in Apples’ App store account for over 5% of all downloads. When you consider that Apple has predicted App revenues of 35,000 million (that’s 35 billion!) that makes the travel portion of their business worth $1.75 billion.

When we start to think that these numbers don’t even include the hugely popular (and profitable) eBook market or the Google Play store figures, there is absolutely no doubt that travel technology has latched on to and enhanced the way travel companies can make money.

Travel Technology for the Professional: How Technology is Extending the Office to our Homes

Of course as much as technology has enhanced our leisure, it has also changed our work dynamic. With Office 365 integration on Windows 8 and companies utilising SharePoint systems and Skype infrastructure for meetings, the boundaries between life and work have blurred.

For some, taking your work home with you is only a last resort, however, there are many others that argue that working from home is actually proving to be beneficial. London Loves Business has studied the effect of taking just two days off from the office and spending those days working from home. They found that you could save money and increase your leisure time, overall they were satisfied that this system of working could provide more of a life work balance. More and more employers are offering flexible hours and it would appear that more and more employers are taking this option up. This is caustically linked to the increase in broadband standards and as bandwidth increases so does the potential for file sharing and telecommunicating and conference calls.

It is clear that we are currently experiencing an influx in a consumer need for more travel technology and more travel software. As has always been the case in recent technological history this has been fuelled by social media – but is ultimately reliant on hardware that is slimmer, lighter and more durable, it is even better if your product is a must have. The most exciting thing is to see how new technology can encourage and enhance the way we travel – the downside may be that we are never too far from our work inboxes but by the same measure, nearer sharing the little time that we have on vacation.