UAE. Intel Corporation has unveiled a week-long pilot scheme with Dubai Duty Free to wirelessly enable the main public area of the duty free shopping facility.
Intel will be situated in Circle One of the operation’s shopping facility in Sheikh Rashid Terminal, where the company will be showcasing Intel Centrino mobile technology on several Travelmate notebook 800s provided by Acer Computer (M.E.), and the new usage models made available with Hyper-Threading technology incorporated in the Intel Pentium4-based desktops.
The pilot scheme began on 25 June. During the trial, Intel Corporation is sponsoring the first public hotspot at the airport, excluding the exclusive wireless points in the executive business lounges.
The hotspot gives free internet access to any visitors to the stand wishing to explore the benefits of Intel Centrino mobile technology on Acer notebooks, such as surfing the net to find relevant information on anything from hotel bookings or places to visit while on holiday or business trip, to sending emails – to reading The Moodie Report.
“Using Intel Centrino mobile technology-enabled laptops means that consumers are no longer restricted to specific times or places. It allows them to communicate, be productive or be entertained wherever and whenever they want”, said Intel general manager Middle East and Africa, Gilbert Lacroix.
“Many Dubai International Airport travellers are business passengers who are highly paid people for whom time is money. If they can download important reports prior to meetings to read on the plane or while waiting in an airport lounge, the cost-savings can amount to hundreds of dollars in just one day”.
Intel Corporation has worked with several airports around the world implementing wireless technology to enhance passenger satisfaction through easy wireless access to high-speed broadband internet. At Brussels airport the implementation of a wireless network has provided business travellers with increased productivity by on the spot unethered login to corporate emails, less disruption due to late flyers and calmer check-ins.
Colm McLoughlin, managing director, Dubai Duty Free, commented: “Dubai International Airport handles some 16 million customers a year and Dubai Duty Free is the fifth-largest duty free operation in the world in terms of turnover. Many of our customers are busy business travellers and the week long pilot scheme, which will provide free Internet access from the promotional area, is very much part of the airport’s drive to provide travellers with the latest technology.”
