tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008008496292679544.post3432725182908370852..comments2012-02-08T22:12:33.737-05:00Aaron Zwasnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008008496292679544.post-50481944927610505582010-04-26T11:55:03.032-04:002010-04-26T11:55:03.032-04:00Not by a long shot...the key question for Apple will be around supply...can Apple offer equal or better terms to hotels for access to inventory?dave colerhttp://deathofthemouse.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008008496292679544.post-53902733148082959752010-04-26T10:10:44.491-04:002010-04-26T10:10:44.491-04:00dcoler - that was fast! Looks like you were right. Travel disintermediation is happening. Apple files iTravel patent http://bit.ly/d2RJIa and Google+ITA = Troogle or Google Travel - http://bit.ly/9oTjzW. Are travel suppliers, OTAs and GDS players up to the task?Jack Feuerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040618814661083486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008008496292679544.post-18322326141632399872010-04-19T21:10:19.081-04:002010-04-19T21:10:19.081-04:00Ready or not, it is coming...I think the Hotel industry is woefully unprepared for the iStore...just like they were unprepared for e-commerce is the late nineties, with I predict, similar results...consumers will move away from traditional booking channels (in the nineties this meant travel agents and 1-800 #'s, in 2010 this means branded web sites) to the new, more empowering channel. The web used to be the place to be. Now, consumer empowerment is happening in the social/mobile space and most intensively on Apple platform. [And as I have pointed out in the my last posting: The Next Big Thing (http://wp.me/pR96b-2C), Apples vision when fully realized takes on the entire information/entertainment domain]. Those brands and TPIs that ride the innovation curve will have a significant tactical advantage over their peers who continue to bet on the web as the future of e-commerce.dcolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17528394108488610223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008008496292679544.post-79193679907797320072010-04-19T20:43:33.132-04:002010-04-19T20:43:33.132-04:00Here's the statement i referred to above: "This lies with Apple's growing option value. I predict Apple will launch iStore which connects to merchant and travel back-ends via APIs and allow the user to transact via iTunes, just as they do currently with songs, movies, books and apps. Jobs mentioned a "shopping list" for Target - what does he mean? Is this a new form of shopping cart that Apple is working on?"Jack Feuerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040618814661083486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008008496292679544.post-23308665881096302582010-04-19T20:42:47.218-04:002010-04-19T20:42:47.218-04:00Thanks. Do you agree with this prediction? Is the hotel industry ready for this?Jack Feuerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040618814661083486noreply@blogger.com