Newly Launched Travel Innovation Hub from CellPoint Mobile Will Develop Blockchain Applications for Travel-Sector Payments and Services
Through partnerships with travel innovators and airlines, CPM will integrate blockchain-supported products for verified passenger IDs, payments, security and loyalty
MIAMI, Oct. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CellPoint Mobile, a company that provides mobile-first commerce and payment solutions for global airlines and travel companies, has launched a Travel Innovation Hub to develop and fast-track the application of blockchain technology on travel-related business services and transactions.
Led by CellPoint Mobile's Chief Executive Officer Kristian Gjerding and Chief Technology Officer Jonatan Evald Buus, the Travel Innovation Hub and its partners' mission is to create blockchain-supported products and services that generate revenues for the travel sector and make travel easier.
"Our goal is to work with partners who are interested in integrating practical, real-life travel solutions into our e-commerce platform," says Gjerding, who will meet with potential partners at the Oct. 23-26 Money 2020 event in Las Vegas.
Based on the company's 8+ years of experience with data integration, mobility, and the authentication, verification and security of payments and travel transactions, CellPoint Mobile will work with industry partners, innovators and clients to identify and integrate into its platform key blockchain capabilities and products involving four main travel activities:
- Traveler/passenger identification and verification
- Travel security
- Loyalty program identity and transactions
- Payments
Potential products will include a unified and secure passenger ID created from existing verified data (e.g., passports, visas, IDA, licenses, company and payment data, airline and travel records, loyalty program memberships and more); loyalty products that use blockchain processes to streamline and protect earn-redeem transactions in airline and travel loyalty programs; and payment products that integrate blockchain authentication, digital wallet blockchain payment processors and other services directly from CellPoint Mobile's payment orchestration layer.
Mission: Revenue-Generating Blockchain Products & Services for the Travel Sector
"Fully functional applications of blockchain processes are still some time away from commercial use, but CellPoint Mobile is staking a claim in the travel market now because of blockchain's potential to make the travel experience easier, more seamless and secure – for airlines, travel merchants and passengers alike," says Gjerding. "We invite like-minded partners and innovators to explore blockchain's potential in the travel setting, and we look forward to fast-tracking the deployment of viable blockchain-related products and services to our travel clients."
Anchored in Miami, Copenhagen and Pune, the hub invites and encourages participation, collaboration and input from airline merchants, clients and partners whose products and services fall into the four categories - chosen because of blockchain's application to security-, interaction- and transaction-related activities in the mobile environment.
"The ability to uniquely and securely identify a passenger or customer opens the door to a variety of activities and transactions that could be incredibly beneficial to the travel industry," explains Buus, who notes that blockchain grew out of a need to verify Bitcoin and cryptocurrency transactions. "The simple ability to have a single, verified passenger identify from start to finish of a trip – across borders, carriers, merchants, payment methods, mobile devices, etc. – will be a tremendous boon to passengers, airlines and travel merchants alike. That is just one of the innovative ideas we hope to pursue with our innovation partners and collaborators."
Integrating Blockchain Capabilities as They Evolve
CellPoint Mobile's purpose-built, enterprise-grade, core orchestration layer decreases the massive complexity and effort required for clients to integrate operations into the payment eco-system, travel company subsystems and the mobile ecosystem. By adding public and private blockchain capabilities and products to this orchestration layer – which already supports translation, normalization, security functions, operational deployment, and end-to-end, control, monitoring and reporting – CellPoint Mobile clients will be able to access the blockchain universe as it evolves.
For information about CellPoint Mobile's Travel Innovation Hub, or to arrange interviews contact Vanessa Horwell at +1-305-749-5342 ext. 232, or mobile +1-305-776-8817 or vhorwell@thinkinkpr.com, or Sara Leiter at sleiter@thinkinkpr.com or +1-305-749-5342 ext. 236. Partner, travel company and airline inquiries, sales@cellpointmobile.com
About CellPoint Mobile (www.cellpointmobile.com) provides comprehensive and powerful commerce and payment solutions for global airlines, supporting all payment methods, all channels, all currencies and all devices. Since 2007, it has helped clients in transportation, retail and financial service sectors achieve an average 9.5% increase in incremental, direct-channel revenues. CellPoint Mobile has offices in Miami, London, Copenhagen, Dubai, Pune and Singapore.
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