ONBOARD ENTERTAINMENT
Above: Lufthansa Systems' Board Connect, top right: GoGo puts the burden of providing inflight software on passengers. bottom right: Thales' tablet
However, as with any technology, there are always challenges and varying approaches. Bringing expertise from industries such as buses and airports, content provider AirCloud is making a move in the airline space. Chief technology officer Peter Lemme offered his thoughts on some of the issues surrounding the inflight experience for passengers: “The greatest challenge is premium content that the owner insists be subjected to Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection. With no ability to decode the media, AirCloud must store each video title representation as its own file; the media cannot be processed. This reduces the number of titles offered due to inflated storage demands. Furthermore, the viewer must utilise an application which must be developed, released, downloaded, used and maintained.” With a different approach, IFE provider Lumexis uses an in-browser solution for its WiPax offering that does not require passengers to download and maintain a separate application. Chief technical officer Rich Salter explained: “It is very similar to logging on to a wireless network in your hotel room: the user first connects to the WiPAX network, sees the airline’s portal webpage, and then selects the
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www.onboardhospitality.com
“Having an enjoyable inflight experience is becoming more and more a collaborative effort where passengers are bringing part of the solution to the table."
GUI page that they want to view – movies, TV series, eReader content, food and beverage menu, duty free shopping, moving map, etc.”
New developments
Having begun preparations in early 2012, IFE provider Thales and LAN airlines announced a trial of Thales’ new TopSeries AVA™ system. AVA™ uses an adaptive streaming capability to ensure performance across an array of operating systems and browsers. Thales ceo Allan Pellegrini commented: “The launch of AVA™ is a natural progression in our TopSeries product line that gives airlines another option in terms of how they interact with passengers.” AVA™ includes standard content options and can be used in conjunction with TopSeries AVANT™ systems or as a stand- alone service.
Shifting a longstanding position on consumer-off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions,
handheld IFE pioneer digEcor introduced the digEtab at the recent APEX event in Long Beach. The digEtab takes advantage of digEcor’s content and encrypting services but use a COTS device. Director of sales and marketing Ben Fuller commented: “Providing a COTS solution to our product mix was a no-brainer in this case as the airlines, our customers, have demanded it recently. The brand recognition and sleek designs as well as customers' growing familiarity with COTS devices have pushed airlines to ask us for a COTS solution.” digEcor also announced a new streaming service that is in the final stages of development.
Conclusion
From lower fuel consumption to lower installation and maintenance costs, wireless IFE systems provide operational efficiencies to airlines and the opportunity to passengers to mix their own content with content provided by the airline, and usually for a fee. Having an enjoyable in-flight experience is becoming more and more a collaborative effort where passengers are bringing part of the solution to the table. So expect customers to call, or possibly Tweet, looking for the airline’s part of the equation.
Send your comments to:
aj@speakwithadam.com
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