Emirates unveils e-zone at Business Class Lounge, Dubai airport

Airline major Emirates has unveiled its dedicated and unique technology and entertainment corner called e-zone. Located in the Business Class Lounge at Terminal 3 in Dubai, the e-zone features technologies developed in association with Microsoft Gulf at the ‘Dubai Innovation Lab’; including gaming from Xbox 360 and the latest Microsoft Surface computers which will begin selling in some European and Middle Eastern countries. Surface will now be available in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Qatar, Spain, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates and the UK.

“The e-zone is an extremely innovative concept,” according to Neetan Chopra, Vice President – IT Strategy and Architecture Emirates. “Emirates has invested heavily to ensure that passengers have access to the latest technologies for entertainment and for keeping in touch with their offices or loved ones while travelling. Onboard, this is evident in our multiple award winning ICE in-flight entertainment system and Aeromobile service. On the ground, the implementation of e-zone adds a unique layer to our service offering,” Chopra said.

The Emirates IT division has worked alongside Microsoft Gulf and one of its key partners, Infusion Development, on the Dubai Innovation Lab to conceptualise this. e-zone will be suitable for all ages and features several different technologies including the latest Microsoft Surface computers. Microsoft Surface takes away the devices that stand in the way of intuitive computing, things such as mice and keyboards, and gives people the chance to use a computer that’s as natural as touch itself.  They are capable of recognizing objects placed on it – digital cameras, wireless phones, even “tagged” glasses – are recognized and treated as objects of communication with the user.

It has been said that the adoption of these next-generation technologies by Emirates marks the beginning of a new era of human-computer interaction.