Motorola Inc., a global leader in providing integrated communications solutions and embedded electronic solutions, announced the launch of its Travel Connector, an enhancement to its Mobile Office Solutions that includes travel and ticketing capabilities.

This enhancement allows business users to manage their travel needs using a WAP/HTML enabled wireless device, thereby extending key benefits of a corporate enterprise, such as company-negotiated rates for travel, to those who are on the go. The product represents the wireless industry's first solution to integrate corporate travel information, corporate e-mail, calendar, address book and an enterprise portal in a single
package.
 
The Mobile Office Solution is now available in the US through select wireless network operators and value added resellers. The solution presently provides mobile professionals the communication and management tools to be productive outside of the office, by enabling access to corporate email, calendars, and address books, directly from a mobile phone.
 
In addition to the facilities already being offered on the Mobile Office Solution, the newly introduced Travel Connector will allow the mobile professionals to:

• Receive alerts for delays, cancellations, and gate changes

• Create, rebook or cancel reservations for airline, hotel, or car rentals

• Access general flight information (time schedules, flight numbers, gate numbers, weather conditions)

For this purpose, Motorola has tied up with leading travel information companies, Galileo International and Sabre. The expertise of these two companies in providing travel information and wireless travel services, together with Motorola's expertise in the wireless industry will, according to officials of the all the three companies, create the next phase of productive and cost-effective solutions for enterprises.

Officials believe that the Travel Connector, will help today's business traveller stay competitive when out on the move. This need will be addressed through the Connector which will enable travellers quickly view and manage air, car, and hotel reservations.

According to John Hach, vice president for corporate and consumer sales of Galileo International, in the near future travel will continue to drive advances in wireless voice and data communications.

The Travel Connector also grants users access to more than 500,000 restaurants in 44 countries through a relationship with GlobalDining. Individuals will be able to access the restaurants closest to their vicinity and connect via one click, obtain driving directions, or make a reservation using GlobalDining's proprietary Wireless Reservation Service at top restaurants in the U.S. and Europe.
 
According to James Nardulli, chief executive of GlobalDining, with mobile phones being the main source of communications for busy executives, the Travel Connector, with its link up with GlobalDining will help such persons make real-time online reservations across a range of global restaurants.

According to Tim Krauskopf, vice president and general manager of software solutions for the Motorola Internet Software and Content Group, the launch of the Travel Connector has expanded the Mobile Office Solution to give mobile professionals additional critical services that allow them to work more efficiently when out of the office.

The Mobile Office Solution is comprised of a number of interchangeable components, including:

• Mobile portal: which provides access to multiple applications behind
  the firewall and interfaces with the enterprise authentication system to create a user-friendly interface via single UserID/Password instead of having to input separate userIDs and passwords for each application.

• Email connector: which provides access to accounts on existing enterprise e-mail servers from WAP or HTML enabled mobile devices, allowing users to read and reply to their mail while away from their office.

• Personal Information Management (PIM) Connector: which allows the mobile professional to access their calendar, contacts, Global Address Book (Corporate Directory), and tasks/to do list.

Travel Connector: which allows corporate travellers to manage their travel needs using a WAP/HTML enabled wireless device by allowing access to general flight information, create or cancel reservations for airline, hotel or car rentals, and receive alerts for flight delays, cancellations, and gate
changes. The Travel Connector also provides an interface to the Global Dining Directory for access to over 500,000 restaurants worldwide.