Your Face. One ID. One Platform.

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

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

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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Bold New Ideas Take Flight at FTE Global 2021

For the last several years, the air travel industry has been focused on creating a seamless “curb-to-gate” passenger experience at the airport. To that end, many stakeholders in aviation have had visions of touchless biometric technology that allows a customer to drop a bag at the curb, check-in, pass security and board the plane without ever having to use a paper document.

This year, at the Future Travel Experience | Redefining the air passenger experience conference and exhibition, we celebrated the future everyone has been talking about because it has arrived. Held at the Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, December 7 – 9, we were energized to meet our colleagues from around the world face-to-face at the show. During our time with experts in aviation, we discussed strategies to transform the passenger experience and underscored our collaborative efforts to face industry disruptions with advanced identity management solutions.

AIRPORT OF THE FUTURE IS NOW

Following the show theme, “New Approaches for a New World,” we introduced the NEC Biometrics & Digital Identity Summit that featured a joint keynote, case studies and a panel discussion.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) participated in a joint keynote session that talked extensively about the collaborative work that TSA and CBP did to cut through bureaucratic “red tape” and get technology into the field as quickly, safely and efficiently as possible.

Our case study spotlighted the partnership with Star Alliance, Lufthansa and SITA to uncover how Star Alliance and NEC’s biometric identification platform improved the customer experience for frequent flyers at airports around the world. Click here to see the entire panel discussion.

The panel discussion included key representatives from Delta, TSA, Mastercard, Port of Seattle and ID2020. It revealed how to successfully collaborate, facilitate and scale new digital identity and biometric efforts on a global level.

Finally, the summit concluded with a virtual presentation from Japan Airlines. They shared insight into how facial recognition technology is powering experiences at airports and in stadiums in Asia.

See how NEC I:Delight Enables Travelers to Use a Digital ID to Personalize Their Travel Experience.

NEW APPROACHES FOR A NEW WORLD

On the show floor, the NEC I:Delight platform was highlighted with the help of our partners at SITA, Tascent and Smith Detection. To create a seamless journey throughout our booth, we showcased the NEC I:Delight platform running on SITA Smart Path. By demonstrating this technology, we were able to take attendees through a seamless journey on the show floor, highlighting the simplicity and security of managing their Digital ID. Using this application, travelers can expect shorter lines, faster identification, touchless services and a personalized customer experience during their journey.

Check out our photo gallery and learn more about the ways NEC and our partners take customer experience to new heights with aviation innovation on one platform.

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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, Star Alliance and SITA Team Up to Accelerate Seamless, Touchless Travel

NEC Corporation of America, Star Alliance and SITA are accelerating the future of touchless travel through a recent partnership agreement. Coming soon, loyalty customers of Star Alliance member airlines will be able to use their unique Digital ID across participating airlines and airports.

Star Alliance Biometrics, powered by NEC I:Delight, is an opt-in service that allows loyalty customers to create a unique Digital ID to unlock a personalized, touchless travel experience from reservation to destination. By connecting Star Alliance Biometrics to SITA’s Smart Path solution, the platform will be able to use SITA’s shared airport infrastructure already available in more than 460 airports.

NEC I:Delight platform, which is currently in use by Star Alliance member airlines at several airports in Europe, can be easily integrated with SITA Smart Path. The opt-in solution can quickly identify passengers with a high degree of accuracy, even when face masks or PPE are present.

Interested in learning more about this teaming agreement? You can read the full press release here.

You can also get a first-hand look into how Star Alliance Biometrics, powered by NEC I:Delight, is transforming the customer experience by watching this short video.

For more information about NEC’s aviation solutions, visit necam.com/aviation or complete the form below to schedule a virtual tour to see how we are refining the travel experience.

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