The streamlined car rental process, the shortest queue for road warriors at airports these days, just got even shorter, thanks to Symbol Technologies.
The latest in car rental and return technology, which is allowing Avis Rent A Car, a member of Avis Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AVI) agents to complete the rental transaction with a signed agreement from anywhere within the airport, is built around wireless mobile computing appliances from Symbol Technologies (NYSE:SBL). It's being rolled out nationwide to 700 Avis car rental locations throughout the U.S.
Avis, the world's second largest car rental company, is using Symbol's 11 Mbps high-rate wireless LAN and PDT 7540 mobile computing appliances to speed customer check-in and car returns at rental locations. The Symbol wireless solution is being piloted at four major airports, including Chicago's O'Hare, New York's LaGuardia, San Francisco and Pittsburgh. Symbol announced in March a similar agreement with Avis Europe to equip agents with handheld computers based on the new Microsoft PocketPC operating system to enhance customer service in Europe and Africa rental locations.
The Symbol computers, designed for extreme environments and rugged usage, can be used outdoors in the cold, heat or rain to complete the rental transaction and capture digital signatures. The signed billing information is then transmitted in sub-second time via Symbol's 11 Mbps high-rate WLAN to the company's enterprise information system for processing.
"We believe that the quick check-in and car return process offered by Symbol will prove to be an invaluable element of our operation, and help to generate stronger brand loyalty," said Avis Group's F. Robert Salerno, President and Chief Operating Officer, Rental Car Group.
"We see an even greater role for our investment in Symbol's wireless infrastructure beyond check-in and checkout," said Larry Kinder, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Avis Group Holdings. "We expect to use it for maintenance, repairs and training.
"The same network could be used in the airport public space by road warriors who could log on to the Internet, check e-mail, flight schedules or send important messages, from anywhere in the airport."
"Symbol's wireless mobile computing solutions are rapidly expanding in non-traditional vertical markets, along with even greater growth in vertical and enterprise markets," said Tomo Razmilovic, president and CEO, Symbol Technologies. "Avis, a pioneer in using technology to maximize customer service, is investing in the next stage of technology for competitive advantage. Other customers in other industries will follow suit."
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