Security 'a major benefit' of mobile travel

A new report has underlined the growing importance of mobile travel to business customers, with security emerging as one of the major benefits of the growth of mobile technology.

The Upwardly Mobile study, which was carried out by Amadeus and the Association of Corporate Travel Executives, sought the opinions of 72 travel managers as well as a number of technology experts worldwide.

Every respondent said that the potential to track and communicate with travellers for security purposes was a significant benefit of mobile technology.

Some 98 per cent of the people surveyed said there was value in being able to provide security alerts in the event of a crisis, while 92 per cent said the potential to receive satellite directions via a mobile device was highly useful.

Peter Smith of Amadeus Asia Pacific said: "This survey demonstrates that the corporate community are increasingly recognising the benefits of mobile technology in terms of productivity, flexibility, and employee welfare.

"These findings are particularly relevant for the Asia Pacific region, where we observe a high rate of adoption for new technology and mobile devices."

The report indicated that there is still some way to go before mobile technology becomes an essential part of the travel industry, with only a handful of managers saying they had incorporated mobile services into their travel programmes.