Serko and Orbit World Travel partner to offer chatbot technology

Online travel booking and expense management company Serko and Orbit World Travel have signed a deal to offer a new artificial intelligence travel system to corporate travellers.

The agreement is multi-year and will see Orbit World Travel offer the Zeno chatbot platform to its customers in New Zealand.

Zeno has been developed by Serko and uses intelligent technology, predictive workflows and a global travel marketplace and the company says it will transform business travel across the entire journey.

Serko chief executive Darrin Grafton said Zeno would deliver Orbit's customers more efficient corporate travel programmes through online adoption, travel saving optimisation and an amazing traveller experience."

"This agreement means that Serko has now established agreements as a preferred online booking tool across all major corporate travel management companies in Australia and New Zealand."

The voice-controlled Zeno app has officially relaunched to investors in Auckland today and will soon in Britain and the United States.

Developed with support from Microsoft, the Zeno booking platform uses artificial intelligence to allow customers to book travel through voice recognition.

Through AI, Zeno can now learn customers' preferred hotels, predict whether they'll be travelling from home or work depending on the time of day and generate customised itineraries in the same way a trusted agent might have done in the past.

Serko says Zeno's intuitive interface eliminates the need for user training, to maximise adoption and decentralise travel management.

Orbit World Travel's strategy and corporate director Niall White said that Orbit was committed to providing customers with the best travel management tools and resources.

Orbit will begin implementation of the Zeno platform, which will be known as Orbit Online, later this year.

Serko's head of marketing Nick Whitehead said the technology was not expected to replace people but help Orbit to grow its business.

''It is not designed to replace the function that travel management companies provide and in fact still requires the travel agents to fulfill the purchase,'' he said.

Serko has been listed in New Zealand since 2014 and was the fastest growing stock on the NZX in 2017.

Last month it became dual-listed on the ASX. About 10 per cent of its shareholders are across the Tasman.