CONNECTED TRAVELLER

"We insist on the notion of a travelling companion".

Expandable memory, photovoltaic recharging, keyboard case or anti-wave, data encryption: this new nomadic selection should give ideas to 'trendy' business travellers.

On 7 December, MagicEvent unveiled its new Magic Travel Manager tool, which integrates the reservation tool into the workings of the company and business travel.

"I'm rather sceptical as to whether a machine will ever translate a text as well as a human. It's an art...

Time for yourself or your family even on business trips, practical apps and advances in home automation: high-tech is making everyday life easier for travellers.

Since the beginning of November, AirPlus has been trialling a new service aimed at gaining greater visibility over expenditure linked to business meals. The project, called AirPlus Checkout, is being carried out in partnership with orderbird. 

Two new 'air' features have significantly enhanced the functionalities offered by TripNavigator, the booking tool offered by Egencia. Within a few days of each other, the business travel agency has integrated both flight booking and the personalised information offered by the Routehappy platform.

On Wednesday, Concur announced that AccorHotels has joined the TripLink ecosystem as a major new partner.

On Thursday, in the hushed atmosphere of the Shangri-La Hotel, Amadeus unveiled some of the new products that will be on show at the end of the month at the IFTM Top Resa trade fair. These include the launch of Amadeus Cytric Travel & Expense, an end-to-end solution that definitively marks the arrival of the technology giant in the corporate travel management segment.

HRS is stepping up its technological drive by adding new business travel functions to its iHotel HRS application. At the same time, the acquisition of a stake in the Berlin start-up conichi, which specialises in beacon technologies, opens up new prospects for the business travel hotel specialist.

The second Concur Fusion Exchange Paris was held on 8 September at the Cinémathèque française. It was an opportunity for Concur to take stock of the latest developments in its business travel offering, starting with the integration of new partners: Capitaine Train, Citybird and Business Table join Airbnb and Uber, which were integrated into the TripLink platform ecosystem last year.

 MagicEvent is launching the Agences Travel Pro solution to optimise the distribution of this accommodation to business customers via corporate channels. 

Digital strategy - The world of business travel is embracing the new habits and customs of a digitised world, a world in which established players are having to adapt at high speed to the practices of tomorrow.

What business traveller today could do without a WiFi connection? Wireless internet is the essential link that keeps you in touch with both your professional and personal worlds.

"Customer expectations for connected luggage are clearly there. We've been working on this for several years and we've been able to test it...

Everyday objects have never been so connected. After telephones and watches, we now have smart suitcases and e-tags, which are set to make travellers' journeys through airports smoother.

Rethink Technology and iPass have published the Cost of Connectivity Index for business travellers: an opportunity to better measure the financial impact of technological mobility, depending on the type of connection (4g or WiFi).

From chic PCs and shock-proof hard drives to smartphones that can withstand the test of time and malware, the new Voyages d'Affaires shopping selection gives an overview of the new arrivals on the connected business travel market.

In September, Microsoft will be launching a new product designed to take the world of meetings into a new dimension. The Surface Hub - as it is called - offers companies two options, depending on their objectives and budget.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is launching SkyZen, a mobile application designed to improve the well-being of business travellers before, during and after their trip, in particular by combating the harmful effects of jet lag.