Techbytes June/July 2012

Access IS has become an IATA strategic partner in order to participate with the development of a standard to assist the air transport industry in accelerating the adoption of Near Field Communications (NFC) technology for secure, efficient passenger processing. Major airports and airlines worldwide use Access boarding gate (BGR) and passport readers; the company has recently announced that all of its BGRs can now be upgraded for NFC operation by changing the bases of the units for NFC-enabled versions. The physical footprints of the BGRs and their existing functions are unaffected by the change; www.access-is.com.

Travel Information Solutions

Innovata and FlightStats will collaborate in the development of products and services that blend Innovata's flight schedules database with FlightStats' flight status database. Travelers, application developers, and any travel and aviation-related company that needs accurate and flexible Web services and Web-based tools for travel planning and status updates will benefit from the Innovata-Flightstats combined effort, say the companies. The first product release is a Schedules Connections API. The API gives developers access to worldwide scheduled flights by airport, route, carrier, and flight number. Search results can include flights that are non-stop and codeshare for direct flights; http://www.flightstats.com.

Virtual Assistants 

Washington Dulles Int'l Airport unveils its first next-generation digital signage solution, the Tensator Virtual Assistant. Located at the International Arrivals Building, the custom-designed virtual assistant captivates passengers with its 3D look and feel and provides welcome messages, essential Customs and Border Protection information, guidance for connecting flights, and historical information about the airport in celebration of Dulles’ 50 Year Anniversary, says the company; www.tensator.com.