Seattle, WA | July 18, 2016– Boeing [NYSE:BA] and Microsoft [NASDQ: MSFT] today announced an agreement to build a cloud-based platform for Boeing’s industry-leading portfolio of commercial aviation analytics tools.

The two companies intend to work together to transition many of Boeing’s commercial aviation applications into the Microsoft Azure cloud.

Boeing – and its subsidiaries AerData and Jeppesen – offer a wide portfolio of advanced analytics tools currently used by more than 300 airlines to optimize operating efficiency.

“Boeing’s expertise and extensive aviation data resources coupled with Microsoft’s cloud technology will accelerate innovation in areas such as predictive maintenance and flight optimization, allowing airlines to drive down costs and improve operational efficiency,” said Kevin Crowley, Boeing vice president of Digital Aviation. “Together, two companies that changed their industries are teaming up to accelerate the digital transformation of aviation through the use of analytics-based applications, cloud technologies and large-scale integration.”

Boeing’s applications provide airlines, airplane leasing companies and maintenance suppliers with real-time information to enhance every phase of their operations – including purchasing and leasing airplanes and engines, training and scheduling crews, route planning, managing inventory and maintaining fleets.

“At Microsoft, we are focused on empowering organizations across industries to advance their digital transformation,” said Judson Althoff, executive vice president, Worldwide Commercial Business, Microsoft. “Working with Boeing, we can help businesses across aviation to become more adaptive, innovative and intelligence-driven, including airlines, operators, suppliers, support, and service providers.”

Every day, customers use Boeing applications to reduce crew scheduling costs as much as 7 percent, and save hundreds of pounds of fuel on every flight. Boeing applications deliver digital navigational information to nearly 13,000 aircraft daily. Advanced airplane health solutions – currently used on more than 3,800 airplanes operating around the globe – allow customers to use real-time data to optimize operational performance, fuel use, maintenance, and supply chain performance.

Seattle, WA | April 7, 2014– Skycast Solutions today announced plans to develop a Windows-based portable inflight entertainment (IFE) solution to meet the increasing demand for sophisticated tablet-based IFE solutions. Skycast and Microsoft are currently engaged in development work.

The solution will feature the powerful Dell Venue 8 Pro tablet with a quad-core Intel® Atom™ processor and a lightweight security shell/stand and together weigh less than one pound while delivering high resolution video on an 8″ screen. In addition to a wide array of entertainment offerings such as early-window movies, new releases, TV, music, digital magazines and an “XBOX Game Center,” the device will include robust capabilities including:

• Seamless Wi-Fi access (where applicable)

• ‘One touch’ integration with onboard server streaming content

• Simultaneous multiple screen operation

• Intra-cabin gaming/networking

• Usage analytics reporting

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) capabilities

“We are thrilled to team with Microsoft on our next portable IFE offering,” said Bill Boyer, CEO of Skycast Solutions. “The Windows tablet with the Skycast IFE solution will meet the increasing demand from airlines to get more capability out of their supplied portables.”
The portable IFE offering will provide passengers an engaging and cutting-edge tablet-based experience with a wide array of entertainment options, travel resources, and productivity tools. For airlines, the offering will provide a highly branded platform and new avenue to enhance the customer experience and drive ancillary revenue.
“This new IFE solution continues Microsoft’s passion for innovation in the airline space and we are pleased to team with Skycast on this program,” said Greg Jones, director of Hospitality and Travel solutions at Microsoft. “Airlines are seeing the many advantages of Windows devices, whether supporting flight crews with productivity tools or offering a cutting edge entertainment experience for their passengers.”

Seattle-based Ratio, a leading multi-screen agency with deep Windows 8 expertise, has been engaged to create an industry-leading and user-friendly tablet experience.