You probably won’t get to the end of this article. Our
attention spans are getting shorter, dropping in the last 20 years from 12
seconds to just eight today.
Unlock. Click. Tap. Load. Swipe. Like. Book. Pay. Ta-da.
Done!
The Path to More
We live in the world of the three I’s: information,
interaction and instantaneity. The early 2000s set the path for our
always-connected world of smartphones, social media, collaborative platforms
and hyperlinks in the middle of everything you read. But we have just entered a
new era, so get ready for much more. A major technology shift is underway which
will undeniably have an impact on our personal and professional lives in the
coming years.
More information: Data is created and consumed every second
at an exponential rate. It’s generated by mobile usage and ever richer content:
high-definition pictures, live streaming, videoconferencing, live chat and
social media live feeds are just a few sources.
More interaction: Pretty much everything we do depends on
connectivity today, from a simple Google or Alexa query to advanced artificial
intelligence, telemedicine, self-driving cars, augmented/virtual/mixed reality
and even more futuristic technology. All the things that will make our (business)
lives easier, safer and healthier will require high-speed transmission
technologies.
More instantaneity: The promise is that 5G will transmit
data at incredibly fast speeds—the kind that would let you download an entire
movie in a few seconds, keep up with mobile devices on high speed trains,
connect hundreds of thousands of objects together. We are talking about a tech
more than 600 times faster than the typical 4G speeds on today’s mobile phones.
According to EVP & CEO of Verizon Consumer Group Ronan Dunne, a lot of
businesses haven’t really realized how revolutionary 5G is. At The Web Summit
in Lisbon last November, he said it will reshape business and society: “It’s
not simply a faster horse, it’s what the automobile was to the horse.”
What Does it Mean for Travel?
Meanwhile, in the travel
sector, the maturing of the API world is the first step that will bring our
industry to the next level. It is now becoming possible to plug and play
content and inventory much more easily than in the previous decade. Plus,
industry tech standards are aimed at facilitating connectivity.
With all this in mind, it’s time to shift our thinking
beyond the shopping experience and, instead, focus efforts on services brought
to travelers while they are on-the-go. The mobile device is the business
traveler’s best friend. The maturing of the mobile world and the emergence of
hyper speed through 5G offers those with traveler touchpoints today to leverage
all that lovely data and give the traveler what they need, when they need it.
Time to reload the traveler experience.
Good news: Your travel strategy has just reached a whole new
level for 2020.
Swipe. Lock. Done.