Dépêches

Passenger Tracking by SITA and Bluelon to Revolutionise Services at Airports

Dépèche transmise le 2 février 2011 par Business Wire

COPENHAGEN, Denmark--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SITA, the global air transport IT specialist, and Bluelon, the inventor of Bluetooth-based tracking, today announced a partnership to provide sophisticated real-time passenger tracking and queue management to airports around the world.

“Airports, airlines and security entities are interested in anonymously tracking passenger movements throughout the airport to better understand passenger behavior. In doing so they can reduce bottlenecks, optimize existing infrastructure, increase non-aeronautical revenues, and improve the passengers' overall travel experience.”

This innovative partnership means that Bluelon's iQueue solution will be provided by SITA to airports for the first time, using the company's unique industry expertise in the deployment and support of airport management systems.

iQueue's advanced technology will be used to track movements throughout the airport infrastructure, including queues in security and immigration areas, to ensure rapid deployment of available resources to deal with long wait times.

Ilya Gutlin, SITA, Vice-President Airport Solutions, said: "Airports, airlines and security entities are interested in anonymously tracking passenger movements throughout the airport to better understand passenger behavior. In doing so they can reduce bottlenecks, optimize existing infrastructure, increase non-aeronautical revenues, and improve the passengers' overall travel experience."

Queue management is a priority for passengers too. In the 2010 SITA Passenger Self-Service Survey, when asked what makes for a pleasant trip, passengers ranked short queues in second place after punctuality.

Gutlin added: "Bluetooth-based technology provides an effective method of tracking passenger movements. After researching various technology providers within the marketplace, we selected Bluelon, due to the maturity and stability of its technology, which has been proven over a number of years, in all sizes of airports, including some of the world's largest such as Heathrow and Frankfurt."

The key to accurate tracking via Bluetooth is in Bluelon's unique, highly advanced, patent-pending algorithm for tracking passenger movements. This algorithm has been optimized over eight years of research and development and is based on extensive experience gained from the largest installed base of Bluetooth data collection devices worldwide. SITA will provide Bluelon solutions that are specifically designed for tactical, and strategic, terminal management decision support.

Thomas Bonde, CEO, Bluelon, said: "Our partnership with SITA leverages the strengths of both companies in order to provide Bluetooth passenger-tracking technology. SITA is exclusively providing Bluelon's technology to the global air transport industry along with SITA's deployment, training, and ongoing support. Additionally, Bluelon will support SITA and its customers from its offices in Denmark and the USA."

The SITA/Bluelon partnership is already in discussion with several major airports on deploying the new solution.

About SITA:

SITA is the world's leading specialist in air transport communications and IT solutions. SITA delivers and manages business solutions for airline, airport, GDS, government and other customers over the world’s most extensive network, which forms the communications backbone of the global air transport industry.

SITA’s portfolio includes managed global communications, infrastructure and outsourcing services, as well as services for airline commercial management and passenger operations, flight operations, aircraft operations and air-to-ground communications, airport management and operations, baggage operations, transportation security and border management, cargo operations and more.

With a customer service team of over 1,900 staff around the world, SITA invests significantly in achieving best-in-class customer service, providing integrated local and global support for both its communications and IT application services.

SITA has two main subsidiaries: OnAir, which is the leading provider of in-flight connectivity, and CHAMP Cargosystems, the world's only IT company dedicated solely to air cargo. SITA also operates two joint ventures providing services to the air transport community: Aviareto for aircraft asset management and CertiPath for secure electronic identity management.

SITA is one of the world's most international companies. Its global reach is based on local presence, with services for over 550 air transport industry members and 3,200 customers in over 200 countries and territories. Set up in 1949 with 11 member airlines, SITA today employs people of more than 140 nationalities, speaking over 70 different languages. SITA had consolidated revenues of over US$1.49 billion (€1.07 billion) in 2009.

For further information go to www.sita.aero

About Bluelon:

Bluelon is the leading global supplier of Bluetooth-based, OFM (Object Flow Management)systems for airport terminal performance solutions, including queue monitoring, dwell time analysis, access control, and associated services, targeted at the rapidly evolving airport terminal management and access control markets. Founded in 2002 and privately held, customers of Bluelon include airports large and small, Fortune 1000 corporations and governments. In addition, Bluelon devices have been installed into office buildings, factories, managed gate and parking facilities, road infrastructure and other applications worldwide. Bluelon researches, designs, manufacturers, markets and supports their hardware and software products and related services that allow applications such as airport logistical management centers to better manage large volumes of passengers.

For further information go to www.bluelon.com

This press release may contain statements relating to future plans, events or performance. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.