| Google Space debuts at Heathrow; free Web access for passengers |
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LONDON: Google’s new service Google Space debuts today at Heathrow’s Terminal One. The service is the first offline effort by the Internet services firm.
Google Space is essentially a passenger-assistance service allowing passengers free access to the Internet and tools to find information about their destination and check their email while they wait for their flight. It comprises Google ‘pods’ and has the potential to become common features at airports and high streets in the future.
The service will also be used to test-launch all Google’s future products for which the firm has assigned a team of trained staff at the booth.
People using the service at the airport will be “a huge focus group” for the company’s new launches, Lorraine Twohill, the firm’s marketing director said.
With Google Space, the firm now expands the range of its search offerings to include physical presence. This year, the firm has launched several new products such as G-Mail, Google Local, Google Toolbar, Desktop search, Google Mobile, Google Earth and picture management store Picasa.
The latest offering took shape on the findings of a study by market research firm Tickbox.net. The research firm interviewed 1,826 passengers at the airport. According to Tickbox.net, the average passenger wastes almost 10 hours a year waiting for flights. It meant losing more than a day of annual holiday allowance and nearly 21 days of the average working life. When asked how they would like to spend this ‘dead time’:
Five out of every ten passengers said they had little choice except to eat, drink and shop.
71 percent said they would use the time to get more information about their destination.
Of these, 73 percent said they would like a map of their destination; 68 percent would like to know the weather conditions; 64 percent wanted a list of tourist traps; 61 percent would like a list of the touristy highlights; and 54 percent would find out how best to get to the city centre.
About 25 percent of all passengers said it would be nice if they are able to dash off some last minute emails and another 20 percent thought the time could be best used to pay household bills online, if they could.
If the findings of Tickbox.net hold true for all times, then Google Space is certain to be a common feature at airports in the near future; more importantly, it could even be a pay-&-use service.
Posted
on : Fri, 25 Nov 2005 20:20 GMT | General News
By : Paula Jenkins
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