ReisPlanner Xtra is the first mobile widget able to display context-aware travel information.
Service2Media, Appear and Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), the National Dutch Rail Authority, today announced the launch of Reisplanner Xtra, the first implementation of wireless context-aware services for Dutch train travelers.
“The growing market penetration of smartphones opens up new possibilities for bringing a better service to our travelers” says Corine van Drunen, Innovation Manager, NS. “We believe Reisplanner Xtra will be the mobile channel of the future for Nederlandse Spoorwegen.”
Today, as mobile technology becomes pervasive, public transport operators are no longer focusing exclusively on the physical transfer of passengers from point A to point B. They are striving to provide a complete transportation experience, including real-time access to travel-related information. The mobile device becomes an extension of the travel experience, where travel information is at the heart of mobile service. A detailed understanding of the user situation – also known as context – allows Reisplanner Xtra to offer the right information to the right user, at the right time and at the right place.
Reisplanner Xtra is a unique mobile travel application.It uses current location information (from GPS or cell ID) to automatically determine the nearest station. It offers customised services based on user context, records favorite journeys, preferred or recently visited stations, displays information regarding the station and local points of interest, and can even let you share your travel plans with friends and family. Reisplanner Xtra also monitors possible changes to your planned journey and alerts you to these changes by SMS.
“A personal travel planner that advises you during the trip is one of the most relevant services on mobile. New context-aware functionalities will be further extended based on the Appear IQ and Service2Media M2Active platform components” says Geert Kolthof, CEO, Service2Media. “More important than the network itself, be it 3G, Wi-Fi or others, are the value-added services available on the network”, adds Xavier Aubry, CEO, Appear. “In the future, what will you do when your train is 15 minute late? Use your mobile device to check the services available in that station, perhaps download the latest news report or your favorite magazine, courtesy of the train operator, while your calendar automatically sends an update to the person you are supposed to meet, based on real-time traffic information. Upon arrival at your destination, your device will automatically request a map of the area to quickly find the location of your next meeting.”
With Reisplanner Xtra, NS’ vision of “travel time becomes your own time” becomes a reality, where urban digital travelers can use their travel to access a large range of mobile services in order to save time or spend time.
About Nederlandse Spoorwegen: NS is one of the world’s busiest rail systems with 25,000 employees operating over one million passenger journeys every day. NS has the ambition to be one of Europe’s most reliable and customer friendly suppliers of passenger rail transportation, and is currently operating over 385 full service rail stations throughout the Netherlands and running approximately 5000 train journeys every day.