Dutch IT-student Dennis Stevense has developed an iPhone application for the NS (Dutch national railway services) called Trein (Train; Dutch). You can see up-to-date times for your preferred stations, look at disturbances and track work and save the data of planned train journeys. You can download it in the Apple Store for €2,39. By now there are 95 reviews, all very positive. Furthermore the NS was also working on an iPhone application, but has still threatened judicial steps.
Future Vision by Erwin Van Lun on this article
The evolution of brands isn’t always easy; sometimes it’s difficult when the consumer takes control, but it’s a very normal part of the process. In a next step, the NS will be encouraging people to write applications for the iPhone, cell phones, laptops, navigational systems, e-paper and all other media we can use in the train. The NS will open special forums where developers can share their thoughts with other developers and potential users on its sites. The NS will be able to think along about what other information could be used. For example, it’s be pretty useful if someone who uses the OV-chipknip – a card used to combine all fares for public transport – gets delays based on their expected behavior. Or that a geographical location is attached to data so that you know exactly how to walk when you need to take detour with a bus. This is how brands and consumers start to work together more and more. Brands are experiencing a brand coming out, and that’s not always easy.