ICEbreaker, July 2019

Hello and welcome to our monthly newsletter, ICEbreaker from ICE, the travel technology IT consultants.

This month’s highlights include the small things helping to save our oceans, how to avoid digital transformation exhaustion, fake business on Google Maps, Bitcoin update and why you can watch Netflix from the driver’s seat in Florida. We’ve also got advice on shadow IT solutions.

We’re excited to be working with Havila, who won a portion of the ferry contract for the Norwegian coastline and are now busy building four new ships for launch in 2012. With a short timeline, we’re helping them with on-board and shore side system selection to make sure the project happens on time. We’re looking forward to working them for many years to come.

Also this month we’ve been busy at the CLIA Executive Partner round table event in Hamburg and you can read all about it here. In Oslo, Patrick Carolan, Technical Director of CRIBB Cyber Security attended the SAS Cyber Round Table event where security experts discussed learnings from the Maersk attack.

Meanwhile, this week Richie will be attending the naming ceremony of Saga’s Spirit of Discovery at the port of Dover before her maiden voyage. Say hello if you’re there too.

Until then,

Ian Richardson (Richie) and Conor Byrne 
(ICE's founders)

Quote Of The Month

  “I have salt water in my veins and nothing brings me more joy than being at sea.”

Wendy Williams, the first female Canadian captain of a major cruise ship ready to take charge of Scarlet Lady, Virgin Voyages’ newest ship in Spring 2020.

Source: CNN Travel

Number Of The Month

100 million

By 2020, 100 million consumers will shop in AR online and in-store, according to Gartner.

Source: TechTarget

Articles Of The Month

Cruise’s quiet eco-friendly tweaks

A comprehensive review of all the good stuff the cruise industry is doing to save the oceans from banning plastic straws and swapping tiny shampoo bottles for refillable pumps to introducing air bubbles under the hull to reduce drag and reduce fuel use.

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Avoiding exhaustion

These are the technology decisions you need to take to avoid digital transformation exhaustion. Don’t create a field of dreams, thinking that if you build it, they will come. The trick is to figure out which technologies to invest in and know that those are the only ones to invest in.

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Social Media details for US Visas

Donald Trump’s latest immigration crackdown means all US visa applications must submit details from their social media accounts. Previously, only applicants who needed additional vetting were asked to hand over this data. Yikes.

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When employees use unapproved apps

Are your managers downloading and using software on the frontline that might be damaging your business? There are better ways for your IT department to work alongside business units with shadow IT solutions. Here’s how.

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Bitcoin slow burns as travel payment

How is Bitcoin faring since its fanfare entrance into the travel market in 2014? Pioneers - airBaltic, CheapAir and Ypsilon say the payment option is on a steady increase.

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Mobile air bookings on rise

With 61% of travellers saying they “nearly always” or “sometimes” use a smartphone app to book flights, airline apps are still lagging behind other travel apps in terms of US customer satisfaction.

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Look, no humans!

Florida is allowing autonomous cars to drive on its roads without human supervision. Motorists travelling inside these vehicles will also be exempt from Florida’s ban on using wireless devices or watching TV. Time to fire up Netflix and have a nap.