 | Issue: | Europe II 2012 |
| Article no.: | 7 | |
| Topic: | Travelling makes you mobile – on the smartphone, too | |
| Author: | Gerald Tauchner | |
| Title: | CEO | |
| Organisation: | DIMOCO | |
| PDF size: | 631KB |
About author
With the aim to make the mobile phone a modern pocket book, Gerald Tauchner and his brother Roland Tauchner founded DIMOCO in the year 2000. The two brothers thus joined the ranks of pioneers in the mobile industry, especially in the field of the first payment possibilities via the mobile phone. What began as an idea has become a success story, 12 years later. During this time Gerald Tauchner, together with Roland Tauchner, developed the company’s business to become one of the leading mobile operator payment providers in the European market. DIMOCO offers companies the possibility to bill their digital content via the consumer’s mobile phone account.
Before becoming proprietor and CEO of DIMOCO, the Marketing graduate was head of sales at Feibra, Austria’s leading advertising distributer. From the very beginning, travelling played a central role in his career. Today, Mr Tauchner still spends a lot of time at airports, in airplanes and taxis. Working while on the go is a matter of routine for career-driven Gerald Tauchner. His most-used mobile tool is, first and foremost, the email function on his mobile phone. “I can wrap up all my correspondence on my smartphone, it’s child’s play” says Mr Tauchner.
Article abstract
Travelling is increasing and so isthe ownership of smartphones. The mobile smartphone as a travelling companion is a perfect example of the synergy – it can plan trips, bookthe transport and accommodation, pay for tickets, provide price comparisons and guide through all the phases of the trip. The smartphone is a shopping assistant while being awayand provides local information and entertainment while on-the-go. It even allows sending electronic postcards. Most importantly, the smartphone provides email access and messaging to enable you carrying on working, wherever you are, even on holiday.
Full Article
Every day billions of people travel. By plane, bicycle, train or car – they are constantly on the go from one destination to another. The reasons for their mobility are just as varied: people travel on business, for personal occasions or simply to go on holiday.
What to some is the suitcase is to others the travelling bag. In short: when people travel, they don’t do it unaccompanied. They always have a load of luggage with them. Besides the average 20 kg of personal belongings that we tend to lug about with us, another travel companion has joined the ranks -the mobile phone. In its even more intelligent form also known as the smartphone. Thus the mobile wave has not stopped at the tourism industry either, and taken it by storm. With mobile applications, mobile websites or QR (Quick Response) codes, travellers can constantly stay connected with the mobile world.
Mobile travel companion
They say that a trip is only as good as its planning. Mobile travel companions can plan your trip by road or air by means of mobile applications, web apps or mobile websites. These mobile helpers make it so easy to simply enter the departure and arrival destinations and define itineraries. The big advantage of a mobile travel companion on the smartphone is the mobility of the device itself. It is always with us.
When you want to switch from the road to rails, mobile travel companions not only help you plan your route, they also keep you up to date about the current departure and arrival times. Even if there are changes or delays, the transport providers can inform their passengers in real time.
So now you’ve planned your route and any changes have been communicated, you still need a ticket? The mobile travel companion will book train or plane tickets and, in most cases, even pay for these. Depending on the validation system, there are different types of mobile ticket. Tickets with barcodes similar to those you see in the supermarket hide all the information of a rail or plane ticket in this 2D pixel code. Depending on the provider, billing is done either by mobile operator payment – that is, with the mobile phone bill – via a credit card or you can simply pay cash at the point of sales.
About shopping and packing suitcases
Sun lotion, bikinis and beach towels – what do you take with you on vacation? The smartphone’s intelligent services even help you do your holiday shopping and plan what to pack. Even before you leave the house the little all-rounder is a great personal shopping assistant. User evaluations help you make decisions in the shopping centre, compare prices when bargain hunting while mobile shop systems take care of all your shopping for you. When you’re finally at your holiday destination, the mobile currency converter and language assistant are at your side to help you overcome the first challenges.
Mobile entertainment
While listening to music, reading, strolling through the museum – in other words, whatever you do to relax while on vacation – again, the smartphone is your constant companion. Things once strictly only enjoyed at home, like the latest music tracks, audio books and even videos can now be enjoyed at the beach or on camping holidays as well. The mobile phone provides the best entertainment – even infotainment programs such as current navigation software, weather services and much more –on the go.
To ensure that those who had to stay behind get a bit of entertainment, too, it is even possible today to send postcards via smartphones. We don’t mean text messages – this has been all the rage for years already – we mean mobile services by which photos can be uploaded and the recipient receives them as haptic postcards. The mobile postcard service is, of course, billed the mobile way.
When work calls
The mobile phone not only delivers a multitude of benefits for private use when travelling – it has become impossible to do without it in professional environments. Emails can be read on the mobile, appointments managed and even office documents edited and accessed on in-company systems. The smartphone has become a mobile computer for business people and, if the worst comes to the worst, provides mobile support even when they are on vacation.
Whether for planning, entertainment or work reasons, people are more mobile every day. They travel and do it always, everywhere, every single one of them, with the smartphone. According to the market research institute IDC, 2.1 billion mobile phones, of which 1 billion will be smartphones, will be delivered by the year 2015. This will make mobile applications for the tourism industry even more widespread and attractive and companies from the hotel & catering industry will jump on the bandwagon. After all, this mobile world should be conquered to provide users with maximum benefit even when they travel.
In this spirit I wish you a great mobile trip with your mobile phone and to your mobile future.
