BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Partners SapientNitro, part of Sapient (NASDAQ: SAPE), and aviation consulting firm ICF SH&E, (NASDAQ: ICFI), today announced the expansion of goHow™ onto the Android™ platform. goHow Airport has been serving passengers on iPhone and Blackberry since April 2010. Currently more than 250,000 users rely on goHow to help them navigate airports worldwide.
Free to travelers, goHow Airport helps travelers gain control of their air travel experience by allowing them to track flights, receive reliable, real-time flight status alerts, and search and rate airport amenities.
“The go-How Airport app is unique in that it allows partnering airports to manage content and provide real-time data to travelers,” said Patrick Hogan, Director of Public Affairs and Marketing at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). “As an early partner on goHow, we are thrilled to be able to extend its capabilities to travelers using Android phones. goHow’s automatic flight updates, up-to-the-minute data and push notifications for an entire trip make it a great companion to travelers around the world.”
goHow provides travelers immediate access to:
- Up-to-date information about flight and gate check-in times directly from the airport and from FlightStats™, providing full domestic and international flight coverage
- Real-time flight updates and airport operational alerts via push notifications
- Real-time parking and security line wait times, where available
- Weather information for both departure and arrival cities
- Highly targeted promotions customized to the traveler’s gate location, time of day and departure/arrival cities
- Real-time ratings of airport concessionaires and facilities – and the ability for travelers to add their own.
In addition to goHow native applications for BlackBerry, iPhone, and now, Android, goHow is also available as a mobile-friendly web site at http://www.goHowWeb.com.
goHow is powered by IONOS™, a multi-channel communications and marketing platform that blends an airport’s real-time travel information with precisely targeted marketing messages for travelers. IONOS was launched in partnership with Denver International Airport (DEN) in April 2010, powering FlyDenver.com as well as goHow Airport. In November 2010, Minneapolis St-Paul International Airport (MSP) signed on as a mobile partner, and in February 2011, Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) also joined the goHow Airport network.
In addition to DEN, MSP and BOS, 79 other airports worldwide - including Atlanta, JFK, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Beijing, Seoul, London, Amsterdam, Mexico City and Johannesburg - are represented on goHow with information available on wayfinding, airport concessions and services and flights.
“The Android capability reinforces our customer service outreach to travelers. With goHow as our mobile application, we provide the same information to a mobile user as our website – passengers are assured that they are getting Denver’s official airport information whenever and wherever they need it,” said Jeff Green, Communications and Marketing Director at Denver International Airport.
“We are proud to support our partner airports and travelers around the world with our goHow applications,” said Ryan Scott, Director at SapientNitro. “Our new Android app mixes the best of a true native application, such as real-time push notifications, with a full HTML5 implementation, providing flexibility and seamless roll-outs of new features and data.”
Through its web, mobile, and digital signage channels, IONOS reinforces airport branding, drives traveler satisfaction, and increases revenue per passenger. IONOS easily integrates into the airport’s existing technical architecture, and has a unique advertising model that features the ability for airports to offer all their marketers—both large and small—a free baseline advertising program, in addition to targeted paid advertising, both using a patent-pending targeting algorithm.
Targeted advertisers include in-airport concessionaires, local travel services such as hotels and transportation companies, local metro businesses, and even national advertisers. Airports receive a share of advertising revenue through impressions, click-throughs, and promotion redemptions.
IONOS operates either on a SaaS platform hosted by SapientNitro or installed at the airport. It leverages content management technology from SDL Tridion and real-time data from industry leader FlightStats.
Mobile users can download goHow Airport from the iTunes App Store, BlackBerry App World, or the Android Market.
Note to media: For a press kit on IONOS, including screen shots, email David LaBar (dlabar@sapient.com) or check the IONOS website at www.ionosplatform.com.
Airports: For partnership inquiries, email Christina Cassotis (CCassotis@icfi.com).
About SapientNitro
SapientNitro™, part of Sapient®, is the world's first customer experience company. We create and engineer highly relevant experiences that accelerate business growth and fuel brand advocacy for our clients. By combining multi-channel marketing, multi-channel commerce, and the technology that binds them, we influence customer behavior across the spectrum of content, communication, and commerce channels, resulting in deeper, more meaningful relationships between customers and brands. SapientNitro services global leaders such as Citi, The Coca-Cola Company, Mars, Singapore Airlines, Target, and Vodafone through our operations in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. For more information, visit www.sapientnitro.com or follow us on Twitter @sapientnitro.
About ICF SH&E
For 45 years SH&E has been dedicated to serving the air transportation industry, providing its aviation expertise to airlines, airports, governments, international agencies, manufacturers, and financial institutions. The company’s core capabilities include airline strategy, planning, and operations; airport demand management, planning, and air service marketing; cost-benefit analysis of environmental regulations; cargo studies; revenue management; appraisals, maintenance management, and asset management; safety and security audits; financial due diligence, and privatization, mergers, and alliances. In December 2007, SH&E’s one hundred-plus staff joined ICF International, further expanding its breadth of services, offerings, and expertise. ICF SH&E’s Web site is www.icfi.com.