The Big Show, Plus Some Other Stuff!
This is your unofficial reminder about the upcoming WAEA (soon to be APEX) Conference & Exhibition, Sept. 13 – 16, Long Beach, CA. If you are only budgeting one conference for IFE this year, this is the one. We asked an expert for a one liner about the forthcoming show and here is what he sent – most excellent!
“There will be a full day of Educational Sessions on Monday, September 13. These include a panel discussion about repurposing COTS technologies in IFE. Moderated by Michael Childers (LightStream Communications), the panel includes Joseph Renton of The IMS Company, Brad Heckel of digEcor, Michael Reilly of Stellar Inflight and Mark Smith of American Airlines. The panel will consider the use of COTS portables versus purpose-built portables, and the issues associated with repurposing COTS devices in IFE, including the difficulties involved in securing Early Window content. An update on Jetstar’s rollout of their iPads is on the schedule, and Jetstar has been invited.
Â
Social media in the airline industry will be discussed in a session headed by Bowen Payson of Virgin America, while inflight broadband will be discussed with Aircell, Row44, and Panasonic. The association’s new logo and winning designer will be announced, along with the Avion Awards.
Â
APEX Technology Committee will advise on “What’s your Technology Committee done for you lately?” Moderated by TC chair Rich Salter (Lumexis), the topics will include updates on content security watermarking by Leigh Mantle (Inflight Productions), digital advertising by Ian Walberg (Airborne Interactive), and new MPEG-4 settings by Michael Childers (LightStream Communications)—all members of the TC leadership who will be joined by David Coiley of Inmarsat, Erik Miller of American Airlines, Jonathan Norris of Airbus, and Bryan Rusenko of Crest Digital in a broad discussion of the technology issues facing the industry today. In separate sessions, Robert Smith of IMDC will also discuss technology in a panel considering “Managing the Passenger Experience in the New Generation of Aircraft,” and a Case Study on the arrival of new airline flydubai – the launch customer for Lumexis – will be presented by representatives of that airline.” Here is your link to more WAEA Conference info.
Futurewatch: We hear from our high finance guru that airplane loan money is hard to come by this year. Apparently, ‘big capital’ is not interested in 100% financing on new lift. What to do? Simple, buy a bunch of retired or used birds for $10M to $20M each, add another $3M to $5M for interiors and IFE, and keep on flying. You know the rest – watch retrofit IFE sales take-off this year and next!
Can’t sort out who-has-what in terms of inflight Internet? Check out Jaunted
If you saw this coming, give yourself an A+ in Social Networking 101. Delta is now selling airplane tickets via Facebook
Power, Power, Power... it used to be location, location, location, but with the recent airline announcements to expand off-aircraft data services (internet, mobile phone, SMS, etc), Astronics is excited about the complementary nature of these systems with our world leading EmPower® in-seat PED power systems. Most airlines installing new data services on their aircraft are also expanding EmPower® into all seats on their fleet because they realize depleted passenger batteries do not make money.”