Author: Jason Van Sice

Investing in Aviation’s Identity-First Future

Posted by Jason Van Sice on Posted in Biometrics, Customer Experience, Government, Retail, Security Tagged , , , , ,

In today’s digital age, identity has become an integral part of our daily lives. From banking to healthcare, we rely on secure and trusted digital identities to access services and conduct transactions. The aviation industry is no exception, and as flight volumes return to pre-pandemic levels, airports and airlines are being put to the test in ensuring passenger identities remain trusted and secure throughout the journey.

In our latest e-book, “Investing in Aviation’s Identity-first Future,” we explore the complex and rapidly evolving ecosystem of identity in the aviation industry, as envisioned in the Biometric Digital Identity Prism. We examine how NEC technology like artificial intelligence and analytics are being leveraged to improve passenger experiences and operational efficiencies. Join us as we delve into the importance of investing in aviation’s identity-first future, and why NEC is considered one of the best suited to support the complexity of the passenger identity lifecycle.

Contact us today to get started on your digital transformation journey or meet us in booth 2140 at this year’s Passenger Terminal Expo (PTE) March 14-16, 2023! NEC experts will be on hand to give you an exclusive demonstration of our cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) and biometric technology including face recognition, digital identity verification and authentication, biometric boarding, object detection, perimeter detection and advanced analytics. Plus, don’t miss your chance to win Tumi luggage by taking a short survey! See you there.

To read the full paper, download it here.

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Your Face. One ID. One Platform.

Posted by Jason Van Sice on Posted in Biometrics, Conference, Customer Experience, Government, Security Tagged , , , , , , ,

Known as the “CES for aviation,” Future Travel Experience Global (FTE) brought together leaders from airlines, airports and their partners to experience the latest innovations and solutions advancing tomorrow’s customer journey.

Building on the theme of Identity Reimagined, NEC sponsored the Biometric & Digital Identity Summit, featuring a panel discussion that looked at the dynamic approaches to digital identity innovations for the travel industry.

A key focus point was on the integration of SITA Smart Path at Miami International Airport (MIA), powered by NEC I: Delight, along with insights and key learnings about the adoption of biometrics and digital ID from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (U.S. CBP) and Lufthansa:

  • Nael Samha, Acting Executive Director, Targeting and Analysis Systems Program Directorate, U.S. CBP
  • Maurice Jenkins, Chief Innovation Officer, Miami International Airport (MIA)
  • Sherry Stein, Head of Technology Strategy, Americas, SITA
  • Patrick Sgueglia, Product Manager, Regulatory Services & Biometrics, Lufthansa

Onsite interactive demonstrations of NEC I:Delight, encouraged attendees to create their digital ID and try to ‘Fool the System’ by using fun props to change their appearance to further show how a single digital ID can empower a seamless journey using various methods of authentication and verification.

Additionally, the global aviation partnership and integration of NEC I:Delight with SITA Smart Path was recognized. With an emphasis on personalizing the customer experience, to provide faster identification, shorter lines, and touchless services—all while allowing users to manage their digital identity to ensure privacy and security.

Our experience at FTE reinforced our commitment to continuously innovate our touchless technology, elevate the customer experience and create safe, secure journeys.

Discover more and schedule a demo or contact us directly.

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Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Fill out the form, and we will get back with you.

NEC and SITA bring Mobile-Driven Airport Journeys using Biometrics and Digital ID

Posted by Jason Van Sice on Posted in Biometrics, Conference, Customer Experience, Government, Hospitality, Retail, Security Tagged , , , , , , ,

With restrictions easing across the globe, airports and airlines must meet soaring demand for travel with fewer resources. According to SITA’s 2022 Passenger IT Insights research, travelers are willing to embrace mobile, biometric and touchless technologies to make their journeys easier.

As the aviation industry begins accelerating the transition to a digital travel experience, it’s important to choose the right partner. There are many factors to consider when creating a biometric and mobile-driven passenger journey including accuracy, scalability and cost-effectiveness.

See how the SITA-NEC partnership is opening a whole new world of digital travel possibilities that are safe, secure and easy to use. SITA Smart Path, powered by NEC I:Delight, is creating the future of travel…today.

Learn how SITA-NEC technology is paving the way to expand touchless journeys at airports across the world in SITA’s blog post, “How do we prepare aviation for the next generation of travel?”

For more information about the NEC I:Delight platform and our other aviation solutions, visit www.necam.com/I:Delight/Aviation or complete the form below to speak with an NEC expert to learn how our partnership with SITA is helping to refining the travel experience.

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Next-Generation Airport Tech Showcased at Passenger Terminal Expo 2022

Posted by Jason Van Sice on Posted in Biometrics, Conference, Customer Experience, Government, Hospitality, Retail Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

As travel demand is unleashed, passengers expect smooth, safe and secure journeys.

During Passenger Terminal Expo (PTE) 2022, NEC partnered with SITA to showcase seamless, touchless airport experiences through the integration of SITA Smart Path and SITA Flex powered by the NEC I:Delight identity management platform. We were pleased to join more than 6,500 colleagues, in Paris, France. With “Bonjour” greetings, we shared innovations and insights for the future development of the world’s airports.

Making Touchpoints Touchless™
NEC’s partnership with SITA launched just as airports and airlines increasingly look to low-touch and automated passenger processing to comply with health requirements following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The majority of passengers (73%) are willing to share their biometric data to improve airport processes, according to the 2021 International Air Transport Association (IATA) Global Passenger Survey. That is up from 46% in 2019.

NEC I:Delight’s interoperable digital identity management together with SITA Smart Path and SITA Flex allows passengers to use their digital identity on their mobile phones whenever they travel.

See how NEC and SITA are taking travel to new heights.

PTE 2022 “We’re unlocking the potential of seamless next-generation passenger processing solutions with SITA to make mobile-enabled and touchless airport processes a reality,” said Jason Van Sice, NEC Vice President of Aviation. “NEC I:Delight allows travelers to ‘register once, use often,’ providing a consent-driven, personalized customer experience.”

On the expo floor, NEC and SITA spotlighted recent success stories featuring Star Alliance and Miami International Airport. The exhibit included demos of passengers using their biometric identity to check-in, make payments, drop their bags, as well as pass-through security, immigration and boarding by simply scanning their face at each step.

“We know from SITA’s Passenger IT Insights research that passengers are enthusiastic about self-service mobile and touchless technologies. Our global partnership with NEC offers this. Together we’re able to deliver secure walk-through travel at airports globally, integrating SITA Smart Path to validate a passenger’s identity from check-in to boarding, and offer a seamless passenger journey to the connected travelers” said Manuel Deloche, Vice President Passenger Processing at SITA.

The Future of Digital ID
With innovative identification technologies and AI solutions—including the most accurate face recognition algorithm according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) —NEC I:Delight allows passengers who have opted to use the service to be identified quickly. Even when passengers are on the move and wearing masks, the platform offers a high degree of accuracy.

SITA Smart Path and SITA Flex solutions can integrate NEC’s biometric technologies with existing, common-use infrastructure and airline applications while delivering a frictionless airport journey.

We are energized by the connections made at PTE and look forward to the future of travel in the months ahead. Discover more and schedule a demo or contact us directly.

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Put Your Airport Data to Work: See Patterns, Forecast Needs

Posted by Jason Van Sice on Posted in Analytics, Biometrics, Cloud, Customer Experience, Hospitality, Security

Each airline passenger follows a logical process through an airport, but it is unique. Travelers on the same flight will have a different path: some will check bags, some will grab a quick bite to eat, some will fly through security lines. Add the complexity of passengers dealing with canceled, rescheduled and connecting flights, and you will quickly see that consuming and processing the data collected at each point gets complicated.

However, it’s important to understand the data to see patterns and make decisions that can enable smoother operations and a more enjoyable experience. Data can be collected at each interaction throughout the airport, but the data is often seen in silos – not as a complete, comprehensive picture.

Relying only on seasoned employees to interpret and master the data alone is risky in today’s environment. Any turnover or absence in staff would affect the flow of vital information that can help decision makers adjust to everchanging needs and requirements in the airport environment.

Today, it’s important to be able to adjust staffing and services in real time because the customer experience at an airport is largely predicated on crowding and wait times. Especially in the age of social distancing, people have concerns around long lines and inefficient service. Trust in baggage handling is also a critical factor, as well as providing adequate amenities near gates.

KMD, an NEC Company has designed business intelligence software specifically for the needs of the air travel industry. For example, data analytics can be used to understand current processing times at a given security point, forecasting passenger traffic and determining the number of lanes that need to be open to keep wait times at an acceptable level. This is just one example of how data can be optimized to streamline airport operations.

In this whitepaper, KMD has outlined several airport-specific use cases to demonstrate how business intelligence and planning software can help ensure actionable data and its ability to improve operational performance.

To learn more about this software solution, checkout this three-page preview of this whitepaper to better understand the potential of KMD airport data analysis.

Be sure to visit www.necam.com/aviation to learn more about our aviation solutions.

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Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Fill out the form, and we will get back with you.