Expedia Inks Deal with Nokia
Expedia Affiliate Network (EAN) and mobile phone giant Nokia recently announced a new collaboration in which Expedia’s hotels will be integrated into Nokia’s Ovi Maps technology, reported HotelMarketing.com.
All Expedia properties, including property details, availability, pricing and review scores will be viewable on Nokia’s Ovi Maps. Phase One includes a call-to-book functionality directly from Ovi Maps to Expedia call centers around the world.
As the program grows, a click-to-book functionality is planned making all properties available to book directly online from their handsets.
Henrik Kjellberg, president, EAN Worldwide, comments: “This is a landmark partnership for EAN, representing a move into the mobile space. Our technology makes it easy for partners to offer travel across different consumer interfaces whether it be desktop or mobile and we are pleased to be an enabler for Nokia’s innovative Ovi Maps mobile service.”
Robert Rogers, senior product manager for Social Location, Nokia, comments: “Travel and mobile services go hand in hand. The hotel booking service we have developed with Expedia Affiliate Network complements the growing ecosystem of services Nokia already offers its users. The fact that the service will be available on both the mobile device and the desktop computer means interaction can be had with the user at various points of the travel lifecycle, not just at the time of booking.”
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