[ad#ad-1]Nokia is really making strides in the US maket, today Delta Air Lines announced today that more than 19,000 flight attendants worldwide have started using Nokia Lumia 820 handheld devices powered by Windows Phone 8 to interact with customers. These in-flight, Wi-Fi connected devices will leverage an Avanade point of sale (POS) experience on the Microsoft Dynamics for Retail mobile POS platform, operating on AT&T’s 4G LTE network. Together, these partners are delivering a unique Delta experience that enables flight attendants to better handle onboard purchases, provide passenger manifestos and frequent flier information, update connecting gate information, see scheduling updates and more, all in real-time. The next time you purchase a meal while 30,000 feet in the air, take a closer look at the device being used by the flight attendant. If you’re flying with Delta Air Lines, chances are you’ll notice your transaction has been completed on a Windows Phone.
As the service develops, Delta will add the ability to read coupons displayed on a customer’s mobile device, as well as providing attendants with relevant, customer-specific information through their Nokia Lumia devices to enable them to offer more personalized services to passengers. Delta already offers its popular Fly Delta app for Nokia Lumia and other Windows Phone users
Chris Weber, global head of sales & marketing at Nokia, said: “We’re excited that Delta Air Lines has chosen Nokia Lumia to provide new services that will benefit their customers. This is a great example of how Nokia, Microsoft and our other partners are enabling many of the world’s leading companies to build innovative mobile solutions for their businesses. I look forward to seeing the Nokia Lumia in action on my next flight with Delta Air Lines.”
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Delta Press Release “Delta’s 19,000 in-flight professionals are there for the safety and comfort of our customers, and equipping them with innovative solutions means they can better meet our customers’ needs on board every flight,” said Joanne Smith, senior vice president – In-Flight Service. “This is yet another way we’re investing in technology to improve the customer experience.” The Windows Phone 8 device, a Nokia Lumia 820, enables Delta flight attendants to offer:
- Near real-time credit card processing for on-board purchases, including upgrades to Delta’s popular Economy Comfort seating. On-board Economy Comfort upgrades will begin on transcontinental and international flights before being offered on flights across Delta’s system.
- Convenient eReceipts that can be emailed to customers.
- Customers’ use of pre-paid credit cards for on-board purchases.
- Quicker transaction processing times.
- In the near future, the ability to read coupons displayed on a customer’s mobile device.
- More efficient service recovery.
On Aug. 26, flight attendants on Delta Connection flights also will begin using the device. In the future, Delta expects to provide flight attendants with certain customer-specific information to enable more personalized service. This solution was developed by Microsoft, Avanade and AT&T after months of development and feedback from flight attendants. The Windows Phone 8 devices will include a Delta-specific customer experience developed by Avanade on the Microsoft Dynamics for Retail mobile point-of sale platform and will operate over Wi-Fi and AT&T’s 4G LTE Network. The agreement includes plans to expand the solution over the next three years to the newest Nokia devices. The new handheld device is Delta’s latest investment in technology for customers and employees, which in the past year has included the Fly Delta app for iPad, the launch of the new delta.com in December 2012 and revamped self-service kiosks in September 2012. Delta also offers its popular Fly Delta app for iPhone, Windows Phone, Android and Blackberry smartphones, and today offers in-flight Wi-Fi on more than 800 aircraft. Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year. Delta was named by Fortune magazine as the most admired airline worldwide in its 2013 World’s Most Admired Companies airline industry list, topping the list for the second time in three years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and theDelta Connection carriers offer service to 327 destinations in 63 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry’s leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati,Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-LaGuardia, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle,Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. Delta is investing more than $3 billion in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on delta.com, Twitter @Delta, Google.com/+Delta and Facebook.com/delta. AT&T Press Release Delta Air Lines has signed a multi-year extensive agreement with AT&T* for custom mobility services,devices and support for Delta’s new, in-flight, mobile point-of-sale application designed to simplify and enhance the in-flight experience for Delta customers. Under the agreement, AT&T will equip more than 19,000 Delta flight attendants with Nokia Lumia devices powered by Microsoft Dynamics mobile point-of-sale platform on Windows Phone 8, with a Delta-specific customer experience developed by Avanade to operate over Wi-Fi and AT&T’s 4G LTE Network. Avanade will provide Delta with ongoing support, maintenance, and application enhancements for the next three years. This in-flight solution to sell food, goods, and upgraded seats to passengers aligns with Delta’s commitment to continually improve the customer experience. “As the industry leader in providing mobile solutions, we help move businesses forward,” said Chris Hill, Senior Vice President, Advanced Solutions, AT&T Business Solutions. “Our support of this in-flight mobile solution will help Delta deliver an enhanced and more customized flying experience to their customers.” Features and benefits of the solution include:
- Near real-time credit card validation, which enables passengers to purchase food, drinks, and upgrade to available Economy Comfort seating in-flight. On-board Economy Comfort upgrades will begin on transcontinental and international flights before being offered on flights across Delta’s system.
- Faster workflow and ease-of-use by unifying all flight attendants on Nokia Lumia 820 devices. In addition, this agreement will see Delta Air Lines crew expanding to the newest Nokia devices over the next three years.
- Faster transaction times, expected to be improved by 10%, allow flight attendants to conduct more transactions and better tend to passengers’ needs.
AT&T’s 4G LTE Network AT&T 4G LTE covers more than 225 million people nationwide and 370 markets, and by the end of 2013, coverage is expected to expand to nearly 270 million people and more than 400 markets. The great performance of AT&T’s fastest and most reliable 4G LTE network continues to be validated by independent third-party testing:
- AT&T now has the most reliable 4G LTE network. According to independent third-party data, AT&T has the highest success rate for delivering mobile content across nationwide 4G LTE networks.**
- Meanwhile, our 4G LTE service was recognized as having faster average download and upload speeds than any of our competitors in PCWorld/TechHive’s most recent 20-market speed tests – the second consecutive year that AT&T has ranked 1st overall. PCWorld/TechHive also ranked AT&T’s as the fastest combination of 3G and 4G services in the 20 cities it tested. ***
- And AT&T was named America’s fastest 4G LTE network in PC Magazine’s 2013 Fastest Mobile Networks 30-market study – and also swept the top rankings in all six U.S. regions from coast to coast: Northeast, Southeast, North-Central, South-Central, Northwest and Southwest. ****
In addition, RootMetrics® has awarded AT&T for strongest overall call, text, and data performance in multiple markets from January through June of this year.*****
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc. ** Speed claim based on comparison of national carriers’ average 4G LTE download speeds for AndroidTM and Windows smartphones and iPhone 5. Reliability claim compares data transfer completion rates on nationwide 4G LTE networks. Limited 4G LTE availability in select markets. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. 4G speeds not available everywhere. *** PCWorld/TechHive, May 23, 2013, “AT&T clocks best overall speeds with 3G/4G combo” **** PC Magazine, June 17, 2013; http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2420333,00.asp ***** Visit rootmetrics.com for more details. Performance rankings of four national wireless carriers rely on scores calculated from random samples. AT&T ranked highest or shared the highest ranking for overall performance in 66 of 125 markets tested, January-June 2013. Your experiences may vary. The RootMetrics award is not an endorsement of AT&T.AvanadeAvanade, a global business technology solutions and managed services provider, is helping Delta Air Lines, one of the world’s leading airlines serving more than 160 million customers each year, to improve its customer experience through an advanced mobile in-flight sales and service solution based on the Avanade Mobile Airline Platform. This end-to-end retail platform for airlines, jointly developed with Avanade’s parent company, Accenture, combines Microsoft Dynamics for Retail software with Avanade’s Connected Stores solution to help airlines improve how they serve customers while creating opportunities for new revenue. Avanade has integrated the solution into Delta’s operations and will provide ongoing support, maintenance and solution enhancements for the next three years.
With this mobile solution, more than 19,000 of Delta’s flight attendants across the globe will each receive a Nokia Lumiadevice powered by Windows Phone 8 – operating over Wi-Fi and AT&T’s 4G LTE network – equipped with Avanade’s Mobile Airline Platform application utilizing Microsoft Dynamics for retail mobile point of sale.
The solution enables near real-time credit card processing for on-board purchases, convenient eReceipts that can be emailed to customers as well as the ability to read coupons displayed on a customer’s mobile device.“Today, companies in all industries need to enable an end-to-end customer experience across multiple channels. Businesses are looking to redesign the way they work as mobile and social technologies become more ubiquitous,” noted Dan O’Hara, Mobility vice president, Avanade. “Delta aims to enable its employees with new ways of working that can drive greater productivity and better engagement with customers. This solution delivers those results by creating an in-flight mobile retail experience that marries human interactions with technology-enabled processes and insights.”Flight attendants began testing the Nokia Lumia 820 during flights in June. By the end of August 2013, more than 19,000 devices will have been distributed to flight attendants.About AvanadeAvanade provides business technology solutions and managed services that connect insight, innovation and expertise in Microsoft® technologies to help customers realize results. Our people have helped thousands of organizations in all industries improve business agility, employee productivity, and customer loyalty. Avanade combines the collective business, technical and industry expertise of its worldwide network of experts with the rigor of an industrialized delivery model to provide high quality solutions using proven and emerging technologies with flexible deployment models–on premises, cloud-based or outsourced. Avanade, which is majority owned by Accenture, was founded in 2000 by Accenture LLP and Microsoft Corporation and has 18,000 professionals in more than 20 countries. Additional info[/showhide]
