IBM
IBM gaat drukte op vliegvelden voorspellen met luchthaven simulator
Amsterdam -- 27 oktober, 2004 -- IBM heeft voor de luchtvaartindustrie
een simulator ontwikkeld die de drukte op een luchthaven kan
voorspellen. IBMs PaxFlow simulator kan met meer dan 90 procent
nauwkeurigheid aangeven hoeveel passagiers een luchthaven op ieder
gegeven moment te verwerken krijgt. Met het systeem wil IBM
ergernissen als rijen aan incheckbalies, te weinig bagagekarretjes en
lange rijen bij de douane na lange vluchten terugbrengen.
Het systeem werkt op basis van gegevens uit het Amadeus
reserveringsysteem over vluchtreserveringen dat de reisbranche
gebruikt en algoritmes uit IBMs research laboratorium in Zurich. Deze
gegevens worden gecombineerd met data over de infrastructuur van de
luchthaven, het aantal beschikbare medewerkers en het aantal stappen
dat iedere passagier moet doorlopen op de desbetreffende luchthaven.
Ook kunnen zaken als oude weersvoorspellingen worden toegevoegd, om zo
mogelijke vertragingen te voorspellen.
De informatie wordt vervolgens via een beveiligde internetverbinding
aan het management van de luchthaven toegestuurd. Deze geanalyseerde
gegevens worden gebruikt om de verwachte passagiersdrukte en het
benodigde luchthavenpersoneel op elkaar aan te passen op verschillende
plekken op een luchthaven.
Voor meer informatie kunt u contact opnemen met:
IBM - Tineke Mertens
Tel. 06 - 200 150 92
tineke.mertens@nl.ibm.com
Onderstaand treft u het originele Engelstalige persbericht aan.
The Streamlined Airport of the Future - with IBM & Amadeus
A sophisticated and dynamic system predicting passenger volumes at
airports aims to transform the travel experience.
Paris: October 27, 2004
IBM, helping the weary traveller make that long journey between curb
and plane, today announced a solution enabling airport operators to
predict passenger volumes with more than 90 percent accuracy.
IBMs PaxFlow Simulator uses generic flight reservation data from
Amadeus and algorithms from IBMs Zurich Research Laboratory to enable
airports to predict up to a week in advance how many passengers will
be arriving or departing at any specific time.
By providing a detailed analysis of the number of passengers expected
in a certain airport zone at a specific time, it gives airport
management the lead-time needed to provide the optimum number of staff
when needed and cut down on passenger waiting times. It also provides
valuable insight for services such as retail and catering to tailor
their offerings and marketing for passengers expected from specific
destinations at certain times.
The system works by processing such information as flight
reservations, the layout of individual airports and the schedules of
airport staff and combines this with the number of steps or processes
each passenger has to pass through. Profiles are created illustrating
the expected passenger pressure and matching the staffing requirements
at various points in the airport.
This system is a breakthrough for airports faced with increasing
pressure on limited space, and no detailed picture of anticipated
passenger numbers, says Gerhard Buettcher, Global Leader, IBM Business
Consulting Services, Travel and Transportation Industry. PaxFlow is a
new business concept for the air transport industry, helping to reduce
costs and enabling airports to streamline their processes based on
real demand, while significantly improving the experience for
passengers.
The dynamic and flexible simulation model draws on IBMs extensive
experience in this field during the past decade.
Combining flight reservation data from Amadeus with IBMs technological
and air industry consulting expertise provides a parameter-driven
system tailored to individual airports to deliver the most accurate
forecasts, says Hans Jorgensen, Vice President Strategic Airline and
Partner Programmes, Amadeus. Now airports can proactively identify
overcrowded areas and act in advance, instead of when it is too late.
The information is delivered to airport management via a secure
Internet connection. Simulation results are processed and delivered as
standard reports consisting of graphs indicating the anticipated
passenger numbers and their distribution through the airport. Personal
information or data on individual passengers as well as the ticket
point of sale remains confidential.
Various profiles can be created depending on the needs of the
requesters, ranging from catering to passport control. Historical
weather forecast information can also be added to help predict
possible delays.
PaxFlow is a new joint offering under the recently announced strategic
relationship between IBM and Amadeus which aims to address the needs
of airlines, airports and transportation companies looking to upgrade
their IT infrastructure and adapt their business processes.
About IBM
IBM, the worlds largest technology company, with more than 300 000
employees globally, is one of the biggest suppliers of Information
Technology to the air transport industry. IBM is an IT supplier to
most major airlines worldwide, and has been working with the airline
industry for more than 40 years.
With consultants and professional staff in more than 160 countries,
IBM Business Consulting Services is the world's largest consulting
services organization, providing clients with business process and
industry expertise, and the ability to translate that expertise into
integrated, adaptive, on demand business solutions and services that
deliver bottom-line business value.
For more information, visit www.ibm.com/industries/travel
About Amadeus Global Travel Distribution (MAD: AMS)
Amadeus is the leading global distribution system (GDS) and technology
provider, serving the marketing, sales and distribution needs of the
world's travel and tourism industries.
Amadeus is a leading IT solutions provider to the airline industry,
providing a Customer Management Systems portfolio, including: Altéa
Sell (distribution), Altéa Plan (inventory management system) and
Altéa Fly (departure control system). British Airways, Qantas and
Finnair are the first customers to implement this full suite of
Customer Management Systems.
e-Travel, Amadeus e-commerce business unit, is the global leader in
online travel technology and corporate travel management solutions.
More information about Amadeus is available at: www.amadeus.com