Lastminute.com: Forget Google - we're the innovators
Published: 02 Mar 2004 10:55 GMT
Has the rise in broadband use had much impact on the amount of multimedia you can integrate into the site?
I would say we don't have to worry about more advanced multimedia technologies for a while. That really isn't on the horizon. I am really focused on this year and next year -- how do we make a really great Web site for that period of time? If we could make the site twice as fast and twice as reliable, that alone would be such a great experience that we wouldn't need to anything else for a while. It doesn't mean that we're not making investment on advanced technologies in other areas: we're doing work with making hotel reservations using voice recognition.
How about 3G? T-Mobile and Vodafone launched their services recently with Orange in beta and due to follow suit in the next few months. Are you going to expand your deal with 3 to include other networks?
Yes, absolutely. It would be things like not just the Web site on phones but imagine things like maps. It would be cool to have a good map to know how to get to places. Location-based services would be very interesting. Being able to tie where you are with where you want to go automatically would be great. We are going to be in a position to do that in the next month or so.
So location-based services in the next month?
Well, we're going to be in development in the next month but we should be in a position to launch something in the spring maybe.
Would that be with 3 as the service provider?
Well, I'm not sure what I can say but I don't think that it necessarily means using 3G technologies.
Would you be interested in going down the same road as Amazon and eBay in offering various components of the site as separate Web services that affiliates can incorporate into their sites?
Yeah. It's pretty interesting and I think it would be pretty easy for us to do the same thing and offer things like searches for travel. I could imagine doing that.
You installed a wireless LAN internally recently. Do you have any plans around hot spots in the same vein as the kiosks you have in airports?
I think it could be very appealing and a great customer experience. I would use it when I travelled; I think a lot of people would.
Any timeframe on that or is it just a good thing for the future?
I think it's something good for the future...
Click here for Part 1 of this interview.
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