Created by SITA, specialists in air transport communication and IT solutions, the program shows different colored dots for arriving passengers and departing passengers and the system is stated as being able to pick up on passenger locations “within about 10 feet or so of accuracy...this is enough to see where passengers congregate, how much time they spend in stores and restaurants and where there may be bottlenecks. It will also enable airport retailers to communicate with travelers directly” (Negroni). Also interesting is that the technology is in a sense a “two-way street”, in which passengers can download an app to their smartphone and locate the shortest security lines, find deals at in-airport stores, and find the quickest and less congested routes to their desired gates. SITA as well as the airport have a focus on the customer and want to present them with the best and most efficient travel experience and therefore in a 2010 “SITA Passenger Self-Service Survey, when asked what makes for a pleasant trip, passengers ranked short queues in second place after punctuality” (SITA).
I find this technology to be very essential to travelers and important tool for making for a more successful trip experience. I have traveled many times, both with my family and on my own, and certainly find that dealing with lines and congested areas can be exhausting and adds extra stress that is not needed while traveling. If this technology can actually aid the passenger in a way where it presents them with a quicker less congested route or displays a security line or other lines that are shorter and quicker then I can say that this technology is a strong improvement for air travel and a great thing for all passengers. One issue I have with this technology however is that it begins to encroach on the line of privacy and the idea of tracking begins to give the user a feeling of less control. Dave Bakker, senior vice president for SITA Global Services, commented on this and stated “that only devices were followed, not individuals, and so the program did not intrude on travelers’ privacy. ‘We do not know who is behind an individual dot other than that it is an inbound or an outbound passenger.’” (Negroni). If this is actually true and the technology is strictly used to better the airport and the passenger’s experiences than I am eager for it to reach more airports and become a more widely used system.
Works Cited
Negroni, Christine. “Tracking Your Wi-Fi Trail”. The New York Times. 22 March 2011
“Passenger tracking by SITA and Bluelon to revolutionise services at airports”. SITA. 22 March 2011
I think that this is one of the more interesting articles I have read on this blog. I agree with John that this type of technology could be a great way of improving the congested atmosphere that is in almost every international or major airport. The fact that this technology could be used by both the manufacturer and airport attendees is also great, because both could reap the benefits of it. I am also skeptical, however, about the security concern. If a company can track people based on Wi-fi what is to say that they can't figure out a person's specific IP addresses or other personal information from that signal? I guess until something occurs publicly to contradict SITA's claims I have to believe them. This is an IT advancement that will definitely be beneficial to millions of people in the future if it does what it is supposed to do.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read articles like these, I always tend to wonder what is really going on. Yes, this does seem to be a beneficial piece of technology that may in fact make airports run smoother over all. But is that what this technology will actually be used for? It seems to me with the power of being able to track people and locate them to approximately 10 feet of where they are, while at the same time having complete access to their networks, is a major risk to people and their personal security. It is stated above that this technology will improve security, but I am inclined to ask, for whom? What is stopping someone working with this technology from not using it for their own personal gain? I read articles like this that claim great improvement and more security but never is it considered the great risk people are being put in. With technology like this being developed, it is only increasing personal risk, even if it is reducing the security problems at the airport. To what end will this technology be used? I guess once someone takes advantage of the system, we'll know the true risk each individual is at.
ReplyDeleteThis was actually an extremely informative and interesting article. I think that this is a great idea and I think that it is likely that it is going to spread to a lot (if not all) major airports in the future. As John exemplified, everyone has bad experiences at airports and I think that frequent travelers have them even more so. If you think about what make a trip more enjoyable, it usually points to shorter lines, more open seats by the gates, less crowds, and more empty restaurants if you have to wait. If this technology was put in place, you would be able to know ahead of time what the best route through the airport would be and where would be the best place to sit or eat. From the standpoint of SITA, I think that it would make a huge difference to see what needs to be changed in the airport, based on actual activity. Many times, you are not able to get really accurate studies about things like this, but this would enable you to. However, I do agree with Nick's point on the security problems this could cause. How much information would they be able to access from you? Even if the system was completely trustworthy, they would need to have extremely strong security on the system itself, in case an experienced hacker tried to get into it. An airport is a place that is highly populated at all times of the day, so a lot of peoples' information could be at risk. Overall, I think that this is a great idea that could change the way airports work.
ReplyDeleteI will admit, the article provided some incredibly interesting information, and the idea of WiFi tracking in airports seems convenient and helpful, but I have to agree with Keith. If airports around the world begin to implement this sort of technology into their airports, it could potentially pose an enormous threat to security. The ability to track people, see what lines are short, what areas are congested or empty, etc. could work both ways. Yes, it facilitates your travel experience and provides many conveniences, but it also provides terrorists and criminals with easy-to-access information to determine how to plan a possible attack. They could figure out how to get through security quickly, find an empty store to hide in, track the WiFi devices of any security or airport officials, and so on. Even further, now that ticketing and identification can now be automated via smartphone, boarding passes and other identification can easily be tampered with. If airports figure out a way to make the system completely secure, which is usually an unachievable goal, perhaps this idea would prove beneficial.
ReplyDeleteOn a positive note, this new technology could definitely improve airport efficiency. Lines would move much faster, crowds would be much more manageable and retailers would improve sales. There is no doubt that the technology would provide airports with many much-needed benefits, but with those benefits come some obvious negatives.
It is clear that we all agree this article was interesting. I believe it is because the topic is relatable. Traveling has become much more stressful due to long security breaches. I would agree that this technology would facilitate smoother travel. The ability to detect shorter lines/congested areas. Information provided by this emerging technology should be especially interesting to businesses located beyond security. It could be a good marketing tool to grasp foot traffic patterns and what type of consumer is passing through. But as Keith and Thizzelle Washington (Cameron?) pointed out, this efficient technology could be used with bad intentions. I am wary this technology could get into the wrong hands.
ReplyDeleteOn the topic of airports and "Wi-Fi". I recently flew AirTran. Perhaps it was me, but I was surprised to find the airline was now offering Wi Fi at a price as part of their inflight entertainment. I'm wondering not only how profitable this service will be for AirTran, but if it is a security risk for those who purchase it. As we have learned in class, sharing Wi-Fi may allow strangers to tap into your personal information.