Business Mobile

As Travel Costs Rise, More Meetings Go Virtual

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:34:24 GMT

Jill Smart, an Accenture executive, was skeptical the first time she stepped into her firm’s new videoconferencing room in Chicago for a meeting with a group of colleagues in London. But the videoconferencing technology, known as telepresence, delivered an experience so lifelike, Ms. Smart recalled, that “10 minutes into it, you forget you are not in the room with them...” More (New York Times)

Fees, fewer flights ground business travel

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:28:36 GMT

Business travelers are beginning to reminisce about the days when red-eye flights and early-morning meetings were their primary sources of distress. In recent months, they have been overwhelmed by a cascade of increased costs, canceled flights and fees tacked on by airlines that are struggling to offset soaring fuel costs... More (Washington Times)

Fighting Back Against Hotel Internet Access Fees

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:05:17 GMT

I'm a cranky traveler at the best of times, and when I get charged outrageous fees for Internet access by supposedly fine hotels I get really aggravated. A few months ago on a business trip I stayed at the Westin La Paloma, outside Tucson, and was amazed to find that they charged me nearly 30 bucks for Internet access. This is a posh, $300/night resort hotel -- and they're charging business travelers for a Web connection, in 2008. I thought it was ridiculous and told the manager so... More (InformationWeek)

Melbourne tops as business travel city

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:37:53 GMT

Melbourne has beaten out Sydney as the most popular city for business travel for the third year in a row in a new survey. Accommodation website Wotif.com asked 732 businessmen and women their favourite destinations in their latest business traveller's survey. One in three chose the Victorian capital above Sydney (27 per cent), Brisbane (10 per cent) and Perth (nine per cent), making Melbourne the winner for three years straight in the annual survey, ahead of Sydney... More (SMH)

Salesforce.Com Mobile Applications Available on New 3G iPhone

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:37:54 GMT

Buyers of Apple’s widely anticipated third-generation iPhone – the iPhone 2.0, which hits the market tomorrow – will have access to free mobile applications from a brand-name San Francisco-based CRM and SaaS technology company. Officials from Salesforce.com say their platform-as-a-service can be accessed using a mobile application on the new iPhone... More (TMCnet)

Are you ready to have your laptop searched or seized at a U.S. border?

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:08:59 GMT

Many business travelers have been surprised to learn from recent newspaper articles that their laptops and other electronic files may be searched or even seized by U.S. Customs officials when returning to the U.S. from an international journey. Why is this so? How much risk does a legitimate business traveler face? What should international business travelers do to prepare for a potential search or seizure? More (WTN News)

Social networks target business travelers

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:49:23 GMT

Researching a business trip once involved guidebooks and the advice of a handful of friends. But if corporate travel companies have their way, executives will soon be consulting social networking sites and an endless stream of strangers for the secrets of the road. Word of mouse is the latest trend in online travel planning, and a variety of corporate travel companies are setting up networking sites in hopes of becoming the dominant player - the Facebook of corporate travel... More (IHT)

International research reveals the extent of work pressure on business traveller

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:39:06 GMT

London - (July 1, 2008) – iBAHN, the leading provider of digital converged services for hoteliers, today announces the findings of a survey of international business travellers. It confirms that businesses are increasingly putting pressure on their employees to work as normal when travelling, which adversely affects older workers more than most. The research reveals that three quarters (76%) of business traveller respondents felt under pressure to work normally even when travelling...

The Business Traveler: Air travel is bad and getting worse

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:38:35 GMT

I am not in the business of dispensing advice, but here is some nevertheless: It's summer. Air travel is bad. It's getting even worse and won't improve any time soon. And there is absolutely nothing you or I can do about it. So chill. Last week, I was on a flight to Newark, N.J., from Houston that landed around 9 p.m., about 45 minutes late, and then sat for nearly a half-hour while the crew tried to round up somebody to operate the jetway so that the door could be opened and people could get off. In the aisle, some passengers were crying because they had now missed connections, including international flights... More (Sun-Sentinel.com)

Airline cuts mean business travelers are spending more time on the road

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:17:51 GMT

Jim Sachs, president of Puroast Coffee, the seller of low-acid coffee to grocery chains, is tacking on an extra 90 miles to every business trip he takes to and from his home in Sacramento. "I am now driving to San Jose or San Francisco because Continental has reduced flights and there are no other decent alternatives out of Sacramento," Sachs said. "I have seen a 150 percent increase in ticket prices over the past 60 days and because of decreased capacity, if you miss a flight, you might not be able to make it home for two days..." More (IHT)