TravelNow.com launches services via wireless Web

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Some might consider the growth that TravelNow.com has experienced in recent years from just six employees in 1995 to more than 100 today a tough act to follow and would choose to rest on their laurels.|ret||ret||tab|

But that's not the type of thinking that brought about the hypergrowth the company has enjoyed over the past five years. Rather than take a break, TravelNow.com recently completed an agreement that will place it in the vanguard of those exploring the newest capabilities of the Internet.|ret||ret||tab|

On June 8, California-based Go2 Systems Inc. announced that it would be the first wireless Internet provider to launch TravelNow.com services. The agreement will allow travelers to purchase, confirm and change travel reservations from any Internet-enabled wireless phone or other portable device.|ret||ret||tab|

"Wireless is the next frontier for the Internet," said Ross Summers, TravelNow.com's general manager. "Today, people are more mobile than ever, and with the explosion of these devices, it's logical for us to move in that direction."|ret||ret||tab|

The object of the move, said TravelNow.com's Chief Information Officer Chris Kuhn, is to give people more control.|ret||ret||tab|

"This opens up a whole new world," Kuhn said. "They can make changes when they need them most, when they're on the fly. They're no longer tied to a computer that they don't have when they're traveling."|ret||ret||tab|

Kuhn uses the following example to describe the capabilities of the wireless Internet: "Imagine you've arrived at your travel destination thinking you had a hotel reservation, only to find out you don't. With this system, you could stand in the lobby of the hotel and make a new reservation at a hotel near to where you are."|ret||ret||tab|

The system provides users with choices nearby, Kuhn said, because unlike traditional Internet access, it always knows not only the location, but the identity, of the user.|ret||ret||tab|

"Every wireless phone has a unique signature," Kuhn added. "So the computer knows who and where you are instantly. It's able to feed you location-specific information based on that knowledge."|ret||ret||tab|

Kuhn said markets in other parts of the world, especially Europe, have been ahead of the United States when it comes to the development of the infrastructure needed to support cell phones.|ret||ret||tab|

"The poor quality of traditional land lines helped to accelerate the cell phone market over there," he said. "We're starting to catch up. Recent innovations have helped the U.S. market move up."|ret||ret||tab|

Although the service is available in many major metropolitan areas at the present time, Kuhn said cell phone users will not be able to access the complete capability of the system in the Springfield area until the installation of much-needed infrastructure is completed in coming months.|ret||ret||tab|

"The service is available in Kansas City and St. Louis," Kuhn said. "The problem locally is the lack of digital towers that can handle the required bandwidth."|ret||ret||tab|

Behind the implementation of systems such as this one is the traveling public's acceptance of online programs that allow travelers to book, and pay for, airline tickets, hotel rooms and rental cars, Summers said. That acceptance, he added, has made the travel industry one of the leaders in e-commerce despite the reluctance that some still feel when making purchases online.|ret||ret||tab|

"Some still have reservations about using a credit card over the Internet," Summers said. "But those numbers are getting smaller. Security has not been a problem."|ret||ret||tab|

Summers said the business development team at TravelNow.com came up with the idea for the partnership between TravelNow.com and Go2 Systems Inc.|ret||ret||tab|

"They know the players in the wireless industry," he said. |ret||ret||tab|

Go2 Systems Inc. provides global addressing and locator systems designed for the Internet and wireless devices. These systems facilitate physical navigation and commerce by allowing users to find products and services closest to their location. Through Go2 Systems Inc., users are able to access more than 15 million businesses around the country.|ret||ret||tab|

"Adding TravelNow.com services to Go2's intuitive wireless directory allows users to obtain all the relevant location-based information from one place, their Web phone," said Lee Hancock, founder and president of Go2 Systems Inc., in a recent statement. "TravelNow.com content delivers the ability to access and change travel information on the go, a highly relevant service for business travelers."|ret||ret||tab|

Hancock, a Greene County native and graduate of Southwest Missouri State University, founded Go2 Systems Inc., in 1995. Customers include major franchises such as Howard Johnson, Ramada, Avis and Century 21. Go2 is available for licensing by businesses to make it easier for customers to find real-world stores, products and services.|ret||ret||tab|

Describing Go2 Systems Inc. as a consolidator of content on the Internet, Summers said TravelNow.com is glad to be a part of the overall package offered to Go2's Web-enabled consumers. And while additional infrastructure is still needed to provide complete Internet access to wireless devices locally, Summers said he believes improvements are on the way; improvements that will make the system easier for consumers to use.|ret||ret||tab|

"Using one of the wireless devices is not like looking at a 15-inch computer screen," Summers said. "You're not able to do everything on a cell phone that you can on a computer, but you can still get the job done."|ret||ret||tab|

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