RIM Announces BlackBerry Travel App
New app lets BlackBerry smartphone users plan, book, manage and share travel activities quickly and easily
Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM) today announced BlackBerry® Travel, a new app that provides BlackBerry® smartphone users with an all-in-one integrated and contextual experience as they plan, book and manage their travels and itineraries while on the go.
"The BlackBerry Travel app is set to be the next must-have tool for travelers, offering convenient push notifications and seamless integration of travel itineraries, profiles, and flight status updates into the familiar BlackBerry Calendar," said Jim Tobin, Senior Vice President, Software and Services at RIM. "We also think the BlackBerry Travel app represents a great opportunity for travel industry leaders to work with RIM to deliver enhanced services and better travel experiences for their customers, and new revenue opportunities for travel providers."
When a new booking confirmation or itinerary arrives in the user's inbox, the BlackBerry Travel app is automatically updated with the relevant details, which makes travel planning and management easier than ever.
BlackBerry smartphone users can also have their calendars automatically populated with itineraries as soon as they are confirmed and, by leveraging the BlackBerry push technology, the BlackBerry Travel app can keep users informed and in control of their itineraries by monitoring flight statuses and promptly providing notifications about changes. The app can even identify potential omissions or scheduling concerns with the itineraries, such as missing accommodations or timing conflicts, and provide users with suggestions.
The BlackBerry Travel app also brings together tools that travelers need while planning on the go, including:
- Hotel booking
- Currency converters
- Weather forecasts
- Local searches
In addition, BlackBerry smartphone users can share their travel information with colleagues, friends and family over email or through LinkedIn®, directly from the BlackBerry Travel app. The LinkedIn integration allows users to search for people in their network who will be in the same city, send messages to contacts and update their status.
The BlackBerry Travel app also features a desktop component that allows users to book flights and car rentals, as well as print and edit itineraries, from their computer.
The BlackBerry Travel app was built in collaboration with WorldMate, a leader in mobile travel platforms.
"WorldMate is tremendously excited to bring its unique itinerary management, travel expertise and technology to RIM to create the next stage in mobile travel services. The BlackBerry Travel app represents a quantum leap over existing solutions in features, functionality, polish and ease-of-use," said Jean Tripier, CEO, WorldMate Inc.
WorldMate and RIM are working together with leading travel service, content and technology partners to provide BlackBerry Travel app users with an amazing mobile experience. Travel industry leaders will be able to work within the BlackBerry Travel partner program to point users back to their mobile sites for additional information, as well as access the itinerary API in the BlackBerry Travel service to enable the delivery of up-to-date information and itinerary details.
"When United and Continental customers are travelling, access to the best, most up-to-date information is key. Integrating with BlackBerry Travel will provide customers not only that information, but the ability to quickly jump to our web sites for additional information and access to enhanced services," said Jared Miller, managing director of self-service and emerging technology at United Airlines. "We're excited to team with RIM and WorldMate to give the customers of the combined carrier a great option for managing their travel and information while on the go."
"As mobile usage grows exponentially, Expedia Affiliate Network provides the technology and solutions to allow travelers to plan and purchase their perfect trip quickly and easily," said Benoit Jolin, VP of Product and Marketing at EAN. "We've supported RIM and WorldMate to bring our hotel booking capabilities to BlackBerry Travel to give our users an integrated experience as they plan, book and manage their travel with their BlackBerry smartphone."
"Working with RIM and WorldMate gives Hilton Worldwide customers a great new option for keeping track of their stays with us while on the go," said Chuck Sullivan, senior vice president, global online services, Hilton Worldwide. "Our customers will appreciate having a place to go to quickly and easily manage their travel itineraries."
"BlackBerry Travel is a superb tool for travelers who want the most accurate and pertinent information delivered promptly and reliably," said Kurt Ekert, chief commercial officer, Travelport. "We look forward to working with RIM to introduce BlackBerry Travel to the corporate market and believe its integration will continue to enable our travel management company clients to serve their customers even more effectively."
Pricing and Availability
The BlackBerry Travel app will be available as a beta download today from the Test Center category on BlackBerry App WorldTM (www.blackberry.com/appworld). The app is free* and works on select BlackBerry smartphones running the BlackBerry® 5 OS (Device Software) or higher.** The BlackBerry Travel app will be showcased at the BlackBerry Booth at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain this week. For more information please visitwww.blackberry.com/travel.
