After successful proof-of-concept achieved in 2019, initial roll-out phase scheduled for spring 2020 on 100+ Boeing aircraft

APEX Expo and Los Angeles | September 9, 2019– Kontron, a leading global provider of IoT/Embedded Computing Technology (ECT), today announced that it has signed a contract to supply integrated In-flight Entertainment & Connectivity (IFE&C) equipment to a major Europe airline specializing in leisure and charter travel. The initial phase of this fleet-wide deployment calls for systems to be installed on the airlines’ 100+ Boeing aircraft in time for the company’s busy 2020 spring and summer schedule.

Specifically, Kontron is providing flight hardware for open-architecture IFE and IFE&C systems, including the company’s ACE Flight™ 4608 high-performance avionics server, Cab-n-Connect™ A100 Cabin Wireless Access Point (CWAP) and ACE Flight™ Removable Storage Drives (RSSDs) following a successful proof-of-concept that took place in 2019. Kontron systems give the airline the platforms necessary to deliver wireless IFE and streaming video-on-demand, TV, games and additional entertainment choices with the ability to add additional services and applications to enhance the customer experience.

“Based on our history of successful deployments, Kontron has earned its position as the number one supplier of open-architecture systems and LRUs for the global IFE&C market,” said Andy Mason, General Manager of Global Avionics at Kontron America. “We anticipate fast growth for this leisure market segment across EMEA, which includes large aircraft fleets that are not yet WiFi or connectivity-enabled.”

“This new program could not have been accomplished without the close working relationship we’ve established with the airline. I commend the project teams’ success in ensuring the proof-of-concept installation, deployment and operation was trouble-free,” said Jon Moseley, Head of Avionics Business Development for EMEA at Kontron Europe. “As airline customers increasingly demand additional services such as wireless IFE and inflight connectivity, we are seeing more commercial carriers accelerate their roll-out plans.”

Kontron has built a strong reputation for providing groundbreaking IFE&C platforms that help accelerate development for quick time-to-market at the lowest cost of deployment. There are currently more than 4,500 commercial aircraft and business jets operating worldwide with Kontron equipment on board. Kontron and parent company, S&T, are both global companies. This corporate reach allows the Kontron Avionics team, mainly based in San Diego, California, to support airline and aviation customers throughout the world.

Kontron will showcase its entire line of rugged, open-architecture hardware platforms, software and services for IFE and IFE&C systems at the APEX Expo, September 9-12, 2019 in Los Angeles, booth #1647.

Powerful and flexible, Kontron Cab-n-Connect™ P100 delivers high-quality streaming for up to 100 users from a single unit

Augsburg, Germany & Boston, USA | September 24, 2018– Kontron, a leading global provider of IoT/Embedded Computing Technology (ECT), today introduced its portable Cab-n-Connect P100 wireless streaming platform for the commercial avionics industry. Providing a flexible and robust solution, this small form factor IFE&C system utilizes dual 802.11ac/abgn radios that innovatively deliver high-quality streaming for up to 100 client devices enabling airlines to support an individual aircraft’s in-flight entertainment needs. Realizing its value in delivering a powerful and mobile IFE&C solution, the Cab-n-Connect P100 is already being evaluated by several customers.

Measuring just 9.8-inches (25cm) x 3.5-inches (9cm) x 12.6-inches (32cm), the portable Cab-n-Connect P100 system features dual hot-swappable batteries that enable more than 12 hours of streaming video. The P100 platform offers up to 8 terabytes (TB) of onboard storage giving almost unlimited capacity to add engaging content. In addition, the system’s removable storage device (RSSD) allows for quick content updates. The Cab-n-Connect P100’s operating system supports Docker Applications and Virtual Machines to further simplify IFE content management system integration. The unit provides an intuitive interface for the cabin crew to manage the system and it also provides status information via an OLED display.

Based on Kontron’s highly reliable, open-architecture COMe-bDV7R Computer-on-Module, the Cab-n-Connect P100 provides Intel Atom processor C3000 series server-grade processor performance with 8 gigabytes (GB) of RAM. Different C3000 series and Broadwell-DE series processors along with memory options are possible. Futher options include an integrated 4G LTE cellular modem.

Kontron’s ongoing strategy is to support partners and airline customers with critical system components that meet the connected aircraft wireless and network backbone requirements. With this commitment, Kontron has built a strong reputation for providing breakthrough IFE&C platforms that help accelerate development for quick time-to-market at the lowest cost of deployment. There are currently more than 4,000 commercial aircraft and business jets operating worldwide with Kontron equipment on board.

For detailed information on the Cab-n-Connect P100 specifications, please see:https://www.kontron.com/downloads/datasheets/c/cab-n-connect-p100_preliminary-ds-09.19.18-.pdf

To learn more about Kontron’s avionics product portfolio, please visit: https://www.kontron.com/industries/avionics

Kontron’s latest Airborne Server used to support Connectivity and Wireless IFE applications

Hamburg, Germany | April 11, 2018–Kontron, a leading global provider of embedded computing inflight entertainment and connectivity (IFE&C) equipment, today announced the selection of the company’s ACE Flight™ 4608 server by Global Eagle Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENT).  Starting in 2018, Global Eagle will deploy the ACE Flight 4608 as a key component of its next-generation Airconnect™ system, which provides high-speed KU Band connectivity services to airline customers throughout the world. Airconnect supports delivery of Internet connectivity, IPTV and wireless IFE services to passengers and crew, while the ACE Flight 4608 acts as the Server Management Unit (SMU) in the Global Eagle system.

The ACE Flight 4608 Server is the latest airborne server product offering from Kontron. Its 8-core Intel® Xeon® processor D-1539 with 32GB RAM delivers data center-grade performance. Other server features include L3 managed Gigabit Ethernet switching, dual 4G modems with worldwide coverage, and an advanced cooling design that maximizes reliability. The ACE Flight 4608 was launched in 2017 and has already been installed on more than 100 aircraft.”

“Kontron has been a key supplier of Global Eagle for many years, and we recently achieved Line Fit approval with them for several Kontron products onboard the Boeing 737 MAX,” said Andy Mason, Vice President Technology at Kontron America. “Our line airborne servers form the backbone of Global Eagle’s existing deployed connectivity solutions currently flying on over 700 narrow body aircraft.”

“Our collaboration with Kontron adds best-in-class inflight connectivity and helps to remove the worry of aircraft downtime and revenue loss for retrofit installations,” said Per Norén, Global Eagle Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer.

Kontron will showcase the ACE Flight 1600 and company’s complete line of ultra-rugged computing platforms designed for the commercial aviation market at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany, April 10-12, in Kontron’s booth #E245, Hall 2.

Now offering a “One Stop Shop” for cabin WiFi systems, installation kits and STCs

Hamburg, Germany | April 11, 2018–Kontron, a leading global provider of embedded computing inflight entertainment and connectivity (IFE&C) equipment, today announced a strategic partnership with Carlisle Interconnect Technologies (CarlisleIT) to provide turnkey Cabin WiFi system hardware solutions, aircraft installation kits and Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs)  to the rapidly growing IFE&C market.

Kontron and CarlisleIT have been collaborating for some time, and the partnership agreement that has now been signed enables the two companies to work together more closely to offer a unified solution to global customers. This “One Stop Shop” approach makes it easy for a variety of customer profiles to launch and deploy inflight systems for wireless IFE, connectivity, retail, aircraft operations and other applications. Target customers include not only airlines, but also system integrators, connectivity service providers and software media companies.

Kontron and CarlisleIT already have an approved STC for cabin WiFi system installation on the Airbus A320 family of aircraft, and STC approval for Boeing 737 is anticipated by mid-2018. The Kontron/CarlisleIT business model is to offer use of the cabin WiFi installation design and STC to customers at no charge, minimizing both time to deployment and up-front investment costs.

The integrated WiFi system solution consists of industry-leading Kontron ACE Flight™ server and several Cab-n-Connect™ wireless access points. Kontron provides an application-ready solution with an integrated software package, including the Linux OS, drivers, libraries and APIs needed to control and operate the system. Test software is provided with the system to validate all functions once installed on the aircraft. Kontron also optionally offers its AirDefense® WiFi security software and extended service contracts.

CarlisleIT provides the aircraft installation design, engineering/certification services and is the manufacturer of aircraft installation kits for the A320 and B737. CarlisleIT is also experienced in SATCOM connectivity installation designs.

“The Kontron/CarlisleIT partnership is already well established and is gaining significant traction in the IFE&C market, especially in Europe and Asia,” said Andy Mason, Vice President Technology at Kontron America. “CarlisleIT is an excellent partner for Kontron and brings an ideal set of complementary capabilities to the table.”

“Our partnership with Kontron is very important as it strengthens our ability in providing turn-key solutions to a market that is demanding quality and reliability in a compressed timeframe,” said Gordon Smart, Director of Sales, IFE & Connectivity for CarlisleIT.  “Kontron is an established industry leader for cabin WiFi systems that we are proud to be aligned with.” Visit CarlisleIT at the Aircraft Interiors Expo, in booth #C40, Hall 2.

Kontron will showcase the new ACE Flight 1600 Gateway Router and company’s complete product line for the commercial aviation market at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany, April 10-12, in Kontron’s booth #E24, Hall 2.

New computing platforms offer increased graphics and processing performance

Augsburg, Germany | April 4, 2018–Kontron, a leading global provider of IoT/Embedded Computing Technology (ECT), announces new boards, modules and embedded systems featuring the 8th Gen Intel Core/Xeon processors (former codename Coffee Lake). Through the update to the COM Express Computer-on-Modules (COMs), embedded motherboards, CompactPCI platforms, Kontron KBox family of box PCs, as well as the company’s rackmount systems, customers benefit from a marked increase in graphics- and processing performance. First products featuring the new processor generation will be available on the COM Express basic form factor starting June 2018.

With the new boards and modules, customers will benefit from the enhanced functionality and significant performance increase of the latest 8th Gen Intel Core(TM) / Xeon processors at the same power consumption as the previous generation. Available with dual-, quad-, or hexacore CPUs, they double the DDR4 storage as before, with up to 64 GB. They support the fast Intel Optane memory, as well as the fastest available storage technology NVMe SSD for system acceleration in a very compact design. USB 3.1. support with up to 10 Gbps and USB Type C support offer twice the bandwidth as compared to USB 3.0 for fast data transfer. Four 4K displays can be controlled, three of them separately. UHD streaming supports high quality video applications.

With these innovations, the new platforms are an ideal basis for applications in communication, digital signage, professional gaming and entertainment, medical imaging, surveillance, and security. They are also well suited for the control of industrial systems, machines and robots on the shop floor level as well as from the control room.

Peter Müller, Director Product Line Boards & Modules at Kontron: “To enable our customers to fully leverage the new performance benefits of the latest Intel processor generation, we are promptly upgrading our product families with the latest technology. At the same time, we guarantee to our customers product life cycles of no less than ten years to make sure their investments pay off in the long run as well.”

The new platforms are more secure through SGX 1.0 hardware-enhanced multifactor authentication. In addition, all Kontron products support the TPM 2.0 security chip as well as the Kontron APPROTECT Security Solution. Based on an integrated Wibu-Systems security chip and in tandem with a specifically developed software framework, it provides IP and copy/reverse engineering protection. Kontron APPROTECT Licensing also enables new business models such as “pay per use”, demo versions for limited time periods, or activation/deactivation functions.

Kontron SMARC-sAMX7 provides extremely energy-efficient SMARC 2.0 module for compact, fanless designs

Augsburg | July 12, 2017– Kontron, a leading global provider of Embedded Computing Technology (ECT), has introduced a new, extremely energy-efficient SMARC 2.0 module. Thanks to the use of low power NXP i.MX7 CPUs in both dual-core and single-core configurations the SMARC-sAMX7 is especially suitable for the development of smart devices in a very compact and fanless design. This approach, which balances processor and graphics performance while retaining a very low energy footprint, is especially useful in Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 applications. The presence of two Ethernet ports directly on the board facilitates networking considerably.

The SMARC-sAMX7 features a 2x1GHz ARM Cortex A7 processor with an additional 200 MHz M4 processor in dual-core configuration, the single-core version runs at 800 MHz. It comes with up to 2GB DDR3 memory, a dual channel LVDS interface, up to two Gigabit Ethernet (GbE), three PCI-Express (PCIe) and four USB 4.0 ports. 64GB eMMC 5.0 is used as onboard storage. The SMARC-sAMX7 utilizes the Uboot bootloader and supports Yocto Linux as the operating system. It is fully operational in an extended temperature range from ‑20°C up to +85°C.

The new SMARC-sAMX7 module offers optional support for Kontron’s Security Solution APPROTECT. It is based on an integrated security chip, which in tandem with a specifically developed software framework protects applications, as well as all data processed and stored on the device. Additionally, Kontron’s APPROTECT licensing enables new business models such as ‘pay per use’ or time-based trial versions, as it can be used to easily enable or disable features via a predetermined set of variables.

The new Kontron SMARC-sAMX7 module is available now. For additional information please visit: https://www.kontron.com/products/boards-and-standard-form-factors/smarc/smarc-samx7.html

Augsburg, Germany | June 28, 2017– Kontron, a leading global provider of Embedded Computing Technology (ECT), announces that it will merge with S&T Deutschland Holding AG. The merger had been resolved at both the Kontron Annual General Shareholder Meeting (AGM) as well as the AGM of S&T Deutschland Holding AG on June 19 and June 20 respectively.

After the merger, the brand “Kontron” continues to provide its customers with integrated solutions for embedded modules, boards and systems, Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 applications. With more than 2,300 experienced engineers from both OT and IT backgrounds, Kontron together with S&T will offer additional innovative solutions for the seamless and secure connection of embedded systems into the Embedded Cloud.

Through S&T Group’s software know-how, Kontron will be able to extend its portfolio of software applications and services and, thus, consolidate its technological leadership position. Leveraging the Original Design Manufacturing Services (ODM) by Foxconn subsidiary Ennoconn Kontron will be able to fulfill even large delivery options moving forward. The extended product and services portfolio will help Kontron customers reduce time-to-market for products of their own significantly. The merger creates additional cost-saving opportunities and further simplifies the group’s organization. The new lean management structure will nurture more effective decision-making to shorten development times and evolutionary cycles.

In the beginning of 2017, Kontron restructured its regional areas of responsibility creating clear fields of competences and accountability of success. As the S&T Group is also organized on a regional level, Kontron customers only faced new reference contacts in very few exceptional cases after the merger. In association with S&T Group, Kontron regains a solid financial foundation facilitating future investment and innovation.

Together Kontron and S&T are committed to being technology and industry leaders in the ECT, IoT and Industry 4.0 markets. Both companies aim to achieve combined sales between EUR 860 and 890 million in fiscal year 2017, and plan to break the one billion Euro mark in revenues in 2018.

Kontron’s IFE&C solutions allow passengers to simultaneously connect to live video presentations and other unique content using their own smartphone, tablet or laptop
Augsburg, Germany | April 5, 2017– Kontron, a global market leader for embedded computing technology (ECT), and a leading supplier of avionics systems for the Inflight Entertainment & Connectivity (IFE&C) market, announced today that aviation IT specialist, Lufthansa Systems, is utilizing the company’s Cab-n-Connect™ A100 cabin wireless access point (CWAP) as the wireless connectivity platform for its innovative testbed on Lufthansa´s FlyingLab flights. Cab-n-Connect delivers the superior performance required for simultaneous access of next-generation HD video streaming in dense multiple client applications on the aircraft.

Lufthansa initiated its FlyingLab flights to give passengers the ability to test and familiarize themselves first-hand with the latest technologies and services being developed for use on airlines as well as to showcase new stimulating types of live content and digital trends. FlyingLab allows Lufthansa to introduce new technology and collect feedback in a real-world aircraft environment. In this context, the IT subsidiary Lufthansa Systems is responsible for the technical infrastructure enabling the WiFi connection on board. The WiFi network is based on the technology of Lufthansa Systems´ innovative digital platform BoardConnect.

Kontron’s Cab-n-Connect A100 wireless access point with 802.11ac WiFi substantially increases bandwidth efficiency for next-generation HD video on the aircraft. The A100 allows both the client device and access point work together to provide an optimized communication path for stronger and faster data transmission.

Kontron technologies were chosen based on Lufthansa Systems’ history of proven success with previous Kontron platform deployments where these certified open platform solutions gave them the most cost-effective and shortest route to deployment. Kontron’s wireless connectivity platforms will be highlighted during the next FlyingLab event scheduled for May 15.

Kontron will demonstrate its complete line of avionics products at the Aircraft Interiors Expo 2017 held in Hamburg, Germany April 4 – 6, 2017 in the Kontron Booth #D50, Hall B2. Kontron is a leading supplier of avionics products to the rapidly growing IFE&C market. In addition to the Cab-n-Connect A100, Kontron offers the ACE Flight 4600 server, which is widely used by Lufthansa and other customers.

>Kontron’s ARINC 791-compliant modem manager to support simultaneous Internet connectivity in Gogo’s retrofit and line-fit programs

Augsburg, Germany | April 3, 2017 – Kontron, a global market leader for embedded computing technology (ECT), and a leading supplier of avionics systems for the Inflight Entertainment & Connectivity (IFE&C) market, announced today that Gogo will deploy Kontron’s next-generation MODMAN (Modem Manager) unit in its 2Ku IFC system in both retrofit and OEM line fit programs.
The Kontron MODMAN is based on the Taurus Ku-band modem from Gilat Satellite Networks and utilizes the advanced technologies from the Kontron ACE Flight server family of products, which include processor and Ethernet Switch building blocks. The MODMAN will support simultaneous inflight Internet connectivity and IPTV to users of the Gogo 2Ku system.
“The selection of the Kontron MODMAN for the Gogo 2Ku IFC system is a significant milestone for us,” said Andy Mason, vice president technology at Kontron America. “The Kontron team has a long history of collaboration with Gogo, going back to the first air-to-ground deployments in the US. Kontron’s global footprint allows us to fully support the Gogo 2Ku system and its worldwide customers.”

“Gogo is constantly looking to innovate throughout the entire ecosystem of our network solutions including the hardware,” said Anand Chari, chief technology officer at Gogo. “Kontron has been a great partner in helping us continue to improve on our already industry-leading technologies.”

The Kontron MODMAN leverages the standard product features of the company’s ACE Flight 4780 server and is compliant to the ARINC 791 standard, which covers airborne Ku-band & Ka-band SATCOM systems. Conformance to ARINC 791 combined with the ACE Flight open architecture platform, means that Kontron can easily adapt the MODMAN product to other installations and a diverse range of modem solutions.

Kontron will demonstrate its complete line of avionics products at the Aircraft Interiors Expo 2017 held in Hamburg, Germany April 4 – 6, 2017 in the Kontron Booth #D50, Hall B2. Kontron has extensive background in the supply of airborne servers, wireless access points and communication units to the rapidly growing In-flight Entertainment & Connectivity (IFE&C) market. There are currently more than 4,000 commercial aircraft and business jets operating worldwide with Kontron equipment on board.

Zii: 

This week’s Zodiac Inflight Innovations (Zii) rectangle should give you an idea of the relative growth of RAVE AVOD customers over the past year or so. RAVE’s sales and marketing Guru, Harry Gray told IFExpress at APEX: “It has been a good year. In the last ninety days, we have acquired six new RAVE customers.” It should be noted, that RAVE has over 250 aircraft flying with inseat systems and almost 300 with RAVE wireless systems. Some of the new customers are prominent and market leading airlines. A recent press release from Singapore noted: “ – four new A350 customers, 150 committed B737Max aircraft, their first A380 customer as well as over 200 Global Express Connectivity equipped aircraft committed with the first installation scheduled early in 2017. Zodiac Inflight Innovations is quietly becoming a force in the world of IFEC. Zii first hit the IFE scene with their revolutionary new Seat Centric IFE system in 2011 and just five years later they are growing with over 45 airline customers, over 550 aircraft in service, and over 650 aircraft in committed backlog.” Noted Harry, “RAVE is: Reliable, Affordable, and Very Easy (to install, operate and maintain) – that is why it has been a success.” He also noted that the retrofit market has been very stable, and as of late, line fit is definitely growing. “Our RAVE systems are much easier to maintain than traditional IFE systems which allows airlines to maintain their own aircraft without the added expense of paying a traditional IFE provider for support” says Matt Smith, CEO for Zodiac Inflight Innovations. “Zii is a company that is different by design; our focus is always on putting our customers first. We want to be a company that Airlines want to work with; customer focused and innovation driven, we relentlessly pursue our core value of RAVE – Reliable, Affordable and Very Easy. It’s more than a name, it’s who we are.”

This year Zii has added an aftermarket support package to round out their portfolio of products. With RAVE Care, an airline can tailor a support package to its specific needs for a fixed price per month per aircraft. RAVE Care can include everything that an airline needs to maintain and operate their IFE systems, including spares, repairs, customer abuse and even content integration. Included in RAVE Care is a software guarantee that means airlines never have to worry about the cost of updating their Passenger User Interface and features over the lifetime of the system.

Kontron:

Kontron’s latest equipment developments include their ACE Flight 4608 8 core onboard server, which has the capability to do a lot more than inflight entertainment. For example, Kontron’s early systems featured solid state drives which were in the 100 GB but today their servers will feature 7 TB drives that are all solid state. The important point to note is that communication/connectivity enhancements are a real future capability. The Kontron team told us that Kontron specializes in cabin systems as well as security and safety certifications. Furthermore, the 4608 server excels at data processing onboard, the benefit to the airline is that they don’t have to wait to get the information off the aircraft when it is on the ground – once again proving that the big data technology is becoming an expectation and a reality. They also received FAA PMA for their Cab-n-Connect A100 wireless access point (PIX).  It should be noted that it delivers next-generation HD video and is certified on Boeing, Airbus, and Embrear aircraft. (Editor’s Note: Since 2005 Kontron has added new IFE and connectivity equipment every year. This year seven new products and iterations were unveiled: the ACE Flight 4780 MODMAN, ACE Flight Server 4608, the ACE Flight Server 4600, the ACE Flight Server 2600, and the ACE Flight Server 1600, the ACE Flight Server 904 and the Cab-n-Connect A100.)

PXCom:

This year APEX introduced a ‘Cool Award’ that was selected by industry peers. PXCom was the recipient of this award, probably because of the recognition of many of the companies’ innovations such as seat back wireless IFE compatible destination guides and destination information. IFExpress has had the pleasure of knowing Cyril Jean of PXCom for several years now and we have reported on their many innovative IFE communication developments and we were thrilled that their IFE peers acknowledged their creativity. Congratulations PXCom!

GEE:
We had the opportunity to meet GEE’s new Director of Marketing, Nancy Harvey during APEX. She was happy to discuss their recent content agreement with Qatar Airways, which was announced during the expo. The deal is a new one for GEE that expands on their longstanding relationship with the airline and covers several years where they will provide movies, music, audio, and TV for on 164 aircraft, as well as, 8 charter jets and 12 business jets. (Editor’s Note: In our November 15th issue of IFExpress we discussed GEE’s recent JV with Shareco of HNA Group. Joint venture would exclusively provide inflight connectivity hardware and entertainment services on HNA airlines, comprising over 320 aircraft today with the potential to grow to over 500 planes. Shareco plans to invest up to $416 million in GEE stock at $11 per share through a combination of primary and secondary share purchases. Under terms of the contemplated transactions, GEE and Shareco would form a JV to provide IFEC and passenger monetization services to HNA airlines.)

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AIRBUS

The first of three A350-1000 development aircraft to fly – MSN059 – landed at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport France at 15.00hrs local time after successfully completing its first flight which lasted four hours and 18 minutes. Powered by Rolls-Royce’s new Trent XWB-97 engines, the aircraft traversed south-western France, during which the crew explored the aircraft’s handling and flight envelope. (See the full press release in “News Releases” below.)

On another front, Airbus plans to increase delivery rate of their A350 next to some 80 aircraft next year.

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BOEING

New Hire
Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Dennis Muilenburg on Monday named Kevin G. McAllister president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, succeeding company Vice Chairman Ray Conner in that role. Muilenburg also appointed Stanley A. Deal president and CEO of Boeing Global Services, a new business unit to be formed from the customer services groups within the company’s existing commercial airplanes and defense, space and security business units. McAllister joins Boeing from GE Aviation. Deal is a veteran Boeing executive. Conner, 61, will continue to serve as Boeing vice chairman through 2017. He will work closely with McAllister in the months ahead on a purposeful hand-off of customer, supplier, and community and government relationships, and to ensure continuity of operations and customer support. Conner also will provide strategic oversight and guidance for the company’s transition to a single integrated services business and remain involved in ongoing product development strategy at Commercial Airplanes. Deal will begin immediately finalizing and executing detailed and deliberate plans to structure and organize the new business while ensuring all near-term customer commitments are met and value is maximized over the long term. Deal and McAllister join Caret as business unit leaders reporting directly to Muilenburg. They also become members of the company’s Executive Council. The appointments are effective Nov. 21, 2016.

World Trade Organization Ruling
The World Trade Organization (WTO) today rejected virtually all of the European Union’s challenges to the Washington state tax incentives. The EU challenged seven different state tax incentives.  The WTO rejected entirely the EU’s challenge to six of the seven incentives and rejected most of the challenge to the seventh.  The WTO held only and narrowly that a reduction in Washington state’s Business and Occupancy (B&O) tax rate for future 777X revenues is inconsistent with the WTO agreements.  The WTO threw out all of the EU’s other challenges to various incentive programs and left untouched even the B&O tax rate as it applies to revenue from the other Boeing models produced in Washington state–the 737, 747, 767, 777 (current model) and 787. In total, the EU claimed that Boeing had received $8.7 billion in subsidies.  This claim was rejected by the WTO, which found future incentives totaling no more than $50 million a year to be impermissible.  The WTO found that to date Boeing has received no benefit from the 777X rate incentive, and will not until 2020, because the first airplane will not be delivered until then. In light of today’s decision and the massive liability that the WTO has found against the EU and Airbus, we expect the EU and Airbus to appeal the decision.

• Kontron’s five new passively-cooled boards and modules with powerful, energy-efficient Intel® technology will be available 4th quarter 2016

Augsburg, Germany | October 26, 2016– Kontron, one of the world’s leading providers of Embedded Computer Technology (ECT), will introduce five new embedded platforms including motherboards and Computer-on-modules (COMs) based on the next-generation Intel® AtomTM processor E3900 series, Intel® Celeron® processor N3350, and Intel® Pentium® processor N4200 platform. Kontron’s new passively cooled embedded platforms will help developers achieve powerful and more energy-efficient solutions especially for low-noise systems that can benefit from CPUs that do not need any active cooling. POI/POS and other applications demanding high graphics quality are also well-supported with the latest Kontron boards and modules that offer the ability to support up to three independent displays at Ultra 4K resolution, and can handle up to 15 simultaneous 1080p decode streams.

Targeted at cost-sensitive all-in-one computer architectures, Intel’s new system-on-a-chip (SoC) Atom™ processors E3900 series feature multicore performance based on a new microarchitecture, and are manufactured on Intel’s latest and industry-leading 14nm tri-gate manufacturing process. These processors offer intense image processing/graphics and powerful real-time computing capabilities in a power-efficient and compact form factor. Intel has also added improved security and reliability capabilities. The new security engine offers the enhanced ability to protect data and operations in the most challenging environments. Intel’s time coordinated computing allows processors to be synchronized in an IoT network to within a millisecond, making processes more reliable and new, more demanding applications possible.

The new Kontron product family enables systems to be developed with extended levels of compute performance and greatly optimized energy efficiency. Passively cooled systems are easily supported by Atom™ processors’ low-power CPU dissipation. This feature ensures that the overall system is particularly quiet and much more reliable. In addition, Kontron’s new boards and modules deliver greatly enhanced 3D graphics performance, improved memory throughput with optional ECC support, and eMMC flash storage. Kontron also offers customers extended temperature platform options that are ideal for applications that must operate in demanding environmental conditions.

An added advantage for developers is that the new embedded platforms will be equipped with Kontron’s standard hardware-based embedded Security Solution Approtect. Kontron is the first embedded computing supplier to offer full security protection embedded in its COMs and motherboard offerings.

Augsburg, Germany | September 29, 2015– Kontron, a global market leader for embedded computing technology (ECT), has appointed Jim VandeSteeg to lead and direct the Avionics Business Line effective September 30th, 2015. VandeSteeg brings more than 27 years of aviation experience to Kontron where he has held increasingly responsible management positions most recently at Panasonic Avionics. In this strategic role, VandeSteeg will leverage his proven success in identifying new business opportunities, provide strategy and policy development and customer relationship management in both domestic and global markets.

“Jim is a big win for Kontron. His years of relevant industry experience at Panasonic Avionics Corporation, Honeywell Aerospace and Rockwell Collins will boost our prospects for significant sustainable growth,” explained Kevin Rhoads Executive Vice President, Avionics, Transportation and Defense business unit at Kontron.
“I am thrilled to join Kontron at this time of growth in its avionics portfolio. I am confident my expertise will be instrumental in strengthening Kontron’s position with customers, and increasing its influence for the advanced development of commercial avionics in-flight entertainment and ground communications systems,” remarked VandeSteeg.

Kontron is a known global market leader of advanced embedded computing solutions that are backed by the company’s more than 30 years of design expertise engineering avionics technologies. The avionics products Kontron develops have resulted in the industry’s most cost-effective certified In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity (IFE&C) open platform solutions in the market.

This week, entertainment and connectivity news looked like a shotgun blast of scattered stories, and we had a hard time picking a lead story! So instead of picking one to feature as our Hot Topic we thought it might be better, or at least different, to grasp the whole mess laid out by subject area. You choose what to read!

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Meetings

APEX
The future of technology is up in the air, literally. APEX EXPO is 35,000 feet above all other industry trade shows when it comes to bringing you the latest in inflight technology and connectivity! Join the industry Sept. 28-Oct. 1 in Portland Oregon for the passenger experience industry’s most comprehensive trade show, including a day of world-class speakers and sessions devoted to technological issues and the future of the passenger experience, among other exciting topics!

• Leo Mondale, President, Aviation for Inmarsat, will delve into business models built around “future-proof” technologies that won’t be obsolete in a few years
• Craig Proud, SVP Platform for GuestLogix, will discuss onboard payment technologies – Apple Pay, MasterCard Paypass, Visa PayWave and more – that are seamless and satisfying for passengers
• Jim Costello, Chief Technology Officer for Telefonix, Inc. will cover the challenges and potential solutions for developing IFEC that stays relevant in a rapidly evolving market

IATA
The 138th Slot Conference of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global trade association for the airline industry, will be held in Hamburg from 21 to 23 June 2016. Following the World Passenger Symposium in 2015, this will be the second event of this renowned umbrella organisation to be hosted in Hamburg – thereby confirming Hamburg’s important role in the international aviation industry. Around 600 experts from the aviation industry are expected to attend the biggest of the IATA events, which will take place at the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg.

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Aviation

• If you missed the live interview with Alan Pellegrini (USA President and CEO) you can check out his view of IFE trends and solutions from the Thales POV.
• Think there is a link between online price competition and longer flight times?
• A recent explosion in a Zodiac Aerospace factory in Spokane, WA put a number of workers in the hospital.  And for photos check here
• Airplane Orders and Deliveries

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Airline

• How does $38 Billion sound for 2014 airline extra baggage fee’s?
• United hires hackers
• And, here is how much free travel is in the above deal
• Seating improvements?

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IFE Specific

Connectivity:

• If you don’t think there is a revolution going on in the inflight connectivity world, think again… here is an Inmarsat view paper overview
• Waiting for inflight information on your headphones inflight?

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Wi-Fi Specific

Beacons:

• Coming soon to an airport near you: Google joins Apple  and second article on the subject

Wi-Fi Aware:

• Also coming soon to an airport near you

 Satcom:

• Virgin America will debut faster W-Fi soon  and 2 more links (The Verge and Engadget) on the subject!

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FlightDeck

• BOSE develops new features for A20 Aviation Headsets Among other them; the A20’s can now stream warnings and advisories thru apps via Bluetooth connectivity.

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Cabin

• Astronics plans “massive” expansion! –
• Inflight air quality anyone?

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Airframe Manufacturers

Airbus:

• Starting small may be the way to enter this one
• Tom Enders talks about emissions, innovation, and more

Boeing:

• Boeing warns airlines against flying battery shipments. Check this one out if you need more info on the future of shipping rechargeable batteries, at least until ‘adequate safety procedures are developed.’
• Tax Deals anyone?
• More planes?

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Security

• Looks like Kontron is focusing on secure connectivity inflight
• You are going to hear a lot more about the Hacking Team (company) in the future, but for now, Wi-Fi Hacking Drones are the subject here. Coming your way soon.
• It’s about time!
• And finally, in case you wondering if this last link has anything to do with IFEC —  it does not. Would you like to guess how many recorded Internet security attacks there were yesterday? Eleven? One hundred and eleven? Eleven thousand… how about 11,059,744! Numbers like this really put the scale of potential aviation hack worries into perspective. You can see a threat intelligence map in realtime here.

Editor’s Note: This week’s rectangle has very little to do with IFE – we just wanted you to see the terrific Boeing Paint job!

This year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo, which played host to the world’s largest display of aircraft interiors products and services, welcomed 8906 (pre-audit) visitors through its doors between April 9-11.  This was a 12% increase on the previous year. The exhibition featured over 500 exhibiting companies from 26 countries, covering a record floor space on 18,000 sq m – the largest footprint to date. Organized by Reed Exhibitions and taking place in Hamburg, Germany, the exhibition attracted over 750 airline representatives that were ideally placed to witness the launch of many new innovations in the cabin interior sector. Inflight Entertainment and Connectivity hosted numerous product launches and upgrades, including, TriaGnoSys’ AeroConnex+ which offers greater data streaming capabilities, integrated gatelink to 3G and 4G mobile phone networks and WLAN access point.  Another key feature is its weight at only 4kg, making it 20% lighter than its predecessor.  Panasonic Avionics used the exhibition to launch its new conceptual 14-inch monitor developed specifically with economy class in mind, while Lufthansa Systems unveiled its e-reader functionality for its BoardConnect Wireless IFE system.

As noted last week, over 300 delegates attended the Passenger Experience Conference that took place on 8th April at the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg. The audience, which included senior representatives of major airlines, air framers and cabin interiors suppliers, heard Tom Costley, Director, Head of Travel & Tourism, TNS UK give some encouraging news for the industry, saying that despite what looked like being a prolonged period of depressed global economic conditions, the travel and tourism sector was proving more resilient than most. The older generation, having both the desire and money to see the world, was a major driver.  Don’t miss this one next year, and be sure to sneak over to the Food & Catering show – it rocks!

To continue to fill in the product mix, this week we have a few more for you to check out while planning your new flying product. First, lets note the Cellular Terminal Wireless LAN Unit (cTWLU) from VT Miltope. The specs look impressive – Wireless gateway from an aircraft LAN to a ground based LAN: GSM/GPRS/EDGE, GSM HPSA+UMTS, LTE, IEEE 802.11 a/b/g and IEEE 802.11n (two points if you get the alphabet soup). This unit is a powerhouse! Contact Bob Guidetti for more information.

Kontron displayed their ACE Flight 600 (4MCU) General Purpose Airborne Server. Intel core i7 processor (Sandy Bridge) and 16 GB RAM – front removable SSD’s (nice touch) and an internal managed Ethernet switch. Input power is 115 VAC, 360 – 800 Hz, with 200 msec holdup. Contact Alan Manns, Business Development Manager.

Yukio Sugimoto was there and quite proud of his new 12″ widescreen retractable overhead display. This is a great product from the master himself – you can get more information from ACS by contacting Yuko Sugimoto, President ACS. Check it out, Boeing and Airbus!

In case you are interested in the state of colored LED lighting, the folks at Bruce Aerospace kindly showed us a couple examples of LED colored wash lights that they have developed. In case you hadn’t noticed, this new lighting has taken the airline industry by storm. Shown here is a good example of colored wash lighting and Bruce tells us that LED’s have a power savings advantage of at least 20% with a payback of 2 to 3 years – reliability and power saving make LED’s a real winner. You can reach Bruce Aerospace at +1 775 246 0101 and ask for Steve Jaffe, General Manager.>

From the new product files, we really liked the SKYPower Combined from the KID Systeme folks. When airlines want to give it all to their upper class passengers, this is how you power them. The combined system delivers 110 AC and 5 volt USB power from one MCU. If your passengers need 110 AC power for their GSM phones and 5 volts DC USB for their iPads, they will not suffer “connectivity withdrawal”! For more info contact Peter Schetschine.

And Now For Something Completely Different

Coming to an airport near you soon – “Femtocells”. IFExpress talked to a retired IFE Genius recently about the use of Femtocells, and while they don’t have an airplane application, he told us: “As you may read HERE people are looking for “what if” the cell phone capacity of the world starts to ‘fill-up’? I already have a related issue in that where I live, I cannot get a reliable signal. I purchased a “Femtocell” device from ATT so that when I am at home, I can use my cellphone very reliably and not have dropped calls, etc. This device interfaces my cellphone to the Internet over my ISP, Comcast and somewhere along the line ATT picks up on it and puts the call back on its cellular network. HERE is another link to this subject.”

– At APEX Expo, Kontron to demonstrate proven IFE equipment solutions

Long Beach, CA | September 18, 2012– Kontron offers developers of In-flight Entertainment & Communication (IFE&C) applications standardized and proven ultra-rugged computing platforms based on its 25 years of support for both military and commercial aerospace applications. The company continually leverages processor, storage and wireless technology advancements in its system-level hardware solutions to maximize performance while meeting significant cost and weight reduction requirements as well as developers’ time-to-market and total cost goals.

Kontron invites you to learn about and experience the new enabling technologies the company offers that are making “Wireless in the Sky” a reality.

Where: APEX Expo, Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, CA
When: September 17 – 20, 2012
Location: Kontron Booth #1066

Demonstrations

Kontron and planBmedia, Inc. – illustrates full audio and video on-demand for passengers that integrate Kontron’s latest ACE Flight™ Server and CWAP solutions with planBmedia’s Skyfi Wireless streaming software. The demonstration shows how this solution provides the utmost performance and interactive user experience, and allows passengers to use their own personal device based either on iOS, Android, QNX, Windows or Linux operating system for limitless interactive capability and Internet connectivity.

Kontron ACE Flight™ 600 airborne video server and a Cab-n-Connect™ cabin wireless access point (CWAP) – As airlines are eliminating unnecessary weight from their aircraft, it is critical that wireless-in-the-sky deployments deliver the highest possible weight-to-revenue return. Kontron’s modular CWAP and airborne server uses advanced technologies to deliver a high performance fully certified wireless access point that is only two-thirds of the weight, size and cost of available alternatives.

Kontron COBALT – Showcasing an ideal computer airborne solution for applications requiring performance and reduced SWaP (Size, Weight & Power), this conduction cooled, environmentally-sealed embedded computer system offers a wide selection of processor, storage, power and interface options. It delivers high performance from 3rd generation Intel® Core™ i7 processors in a low power, small footprint rugged system. Kontron COBALT’s modular approach allows system architects the flexibility to extend its feature sets for specific applications.

Kontron Rugged Airborne Ethernet Switch – Displays Kontron’s 24-Port Layer2/Layer3 GbE switching with IPv4/IPv6 routing and management capabilities. This sealed switch is conduction cooled and optimized for reduced SWaP and designed to be compliant with RTCA/DO-160F environmental and EMI requirements.