Each year we offer readers the opportunity to get their show booth information out there for show goers to print out and take with them for easy reference. This year is no different. Not only did we get a plethora of responses, a couple of the vendors called us with news about their show offerings; we suspect in part, due to the the booming economic conditions. However, we hope to reward the callers’ enthusiasm with footnotes to their exhibit information.

Aircraft Cabin Systems
Booth#: 1528
Contact: Ben Ludlow e: ben@aircraftcabinsystems.com Cell: +1.206.612.1979
Product/Services: In 15 years Aircraft Cabin Systems (ACS) has grown to be the most respected manufacturer of IFE LCD monitors. We are committed to delivering the highest level of customer service, product support, and certification efforts. ACS offers LCD monitors ranging in size from 5.7” to 65” for any aircraft type.

Astronics
Booth#: 1413
Contact: Dennis Markert e: dennis.markert@astronics.com Cell: +1.425.442.8195
Product/Services: The aviation and IFE industry recognize that USB charging, specifically high-power USB charging, is necessary in order to keep passenger devices charged and available in the air. Astronics’ latest USB power supply provides enough power to charge 4 iPads simultaneously … while in use! The system delivers up to 2.1 Amps (configuration dependent) at +5 volts using aircraft 115AC power (360 Hz to 800 Hz AC) and is designed to the meet the latest aircraft OEM and regulatory requirements. Come see the latest product innovations from Astronics as you charge your devices at our latest charging station demonstration.

digEcor Inc.
Booth#: 1626
Contact: Ben Fuller e: bfuller@digecor.com Cell: +1 801.691.7225
Product/Services: digEcor provides the aerospace industry a low cost, turnkey in-flight entertainment solution by specializing in content sourcing and management, personal media platforms (PMPs), embedded systems, and end-to-end digital programs for the entire cabin. With years of experience, digEcor focuses on increasing traveler satisfaction, creating easily executed solutions, and generating revenue opportunities for clients.

Gogo
Booth#: 1034
Contact: Channing Fleetwood e: cfleetwood@gogoair.com Cell: +1.404.519.1322
Product/Services: Gogo is the global leader of in-flight connectivity and a pioneer in wireless in-flight entertainment solutions. Using Gogo’s exclusive products and services, passengers with WiFi-enabled devices can get online on more than 1,900 Gogo equipped commercial aircraft. In-flight connectivity partners include American Airlines, Air Canada, AirTran Airways, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways and Virgin America. In-flight entertainment partners include American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Scoot and US Airways.

IFPL
Booth#: 415
Contact: Neil Thomas e: neil.thomas@ifpl.com Cell: +(44).778.698.7454
Product/Services: Generate ancillary revenue with IFPL’s Contactless Retail System (CRS).

IFPL has developed an in-seat payment system that takes advantage of the new NFC contactless Credit Cards for low value purchases. These let your passenger pay quickly and simply with their credit card for on-board transactions at their seat, eliminating the requirement for cash on-board. Contactless payment is enabled by Near Field Communication (NFC).

CRS is easy to install with no in-seat wiring required. It will run for up to 24 months on the optional built- in battery, is easily configurable and can be used as part of an IFE or as a stand-alone system.

Our CRS is great for your installation engineers, cabin crew and passengers. Simple installation allows easy upgrade of you EPoS system, quick order fulfilment and pleased passengers. The service level is customisable for the grade of seat and enables easy catalogue updates over Wi-Fi for special offers or to simply update food menu options.

We look forward to working with you directly or with your EPoS retail partners. So whether you are a low cost or full service carrier, this CRS system will generate revenue for you.

Call, click or come to Booth 415 at the APEX Expo to find out more …

Inmarsat
Booth#: 1800
Contact: Paula Ferrai; e:paula.ferrai@inmarsat.com Cell: +41.79.874.0608
Product/Services: Inmarsat will be discussing GX Aviation, the only global Ka-band satellite network. Combined with SwiftBroadband, Inmarsat provides the most comprehensive inflight connectivity available. It is suitable for every type of aircraft, and is able to suit the needs of every airline.

KID Systeme
Booth#: 1433
Contact: Maren Münte e: maren.muente@kid-systeme.com Cell: +49.171.566.0630
Product/Services: At this years APEX in Anaheim, KID will display their innovative cabin systems. The company’s product portfolio encompasses seat power, onboard connectivity and wireless content services, enabling passengers to use their own personal electronic devices while in the air as if on the ground. KID-Systeme supplies the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers, including Airbus, Boeing and Embraer. We are looking forward to welcoming you on our booth.

Note: KID hinted to IFExpress that their booth may contain a new product -SKYfi… not to mention a new website coming soon as well. Sounds like a whole new plan game at KID.

Lumexis Corporation
Booth#: 1417
Contact: Jon Norris e:jnorris@lumexis.com Cell: +1.949.436.1434
Product/Services: Lumexis®, supplier of the highly successful Fiber-To-The-Screen®(FTTS®) IFE system, introduces its FTTS Second Screen™ capability to APEX EXPO 2013. FTTS Second Screen combines the best of all passenger experiences by providing uninterrupted HD video entertainment on a passenger’s seatback, in-arm or bulkhead-mounted main screen FTTS monitor, while allowing them to use their own PEDs to wirelessly access moving maps, order food, buy duty-free goods, play games or use every application available on the platform.

OnAir
Booth#: 1041
Contact: Aurélie Branchereau-Giles; e: aurelie.branchereau@onair.aero Cell: +41.78.676.1546
Product/Services: At APEX, OnAir will launch OnAirPlay, which is set to revolutionize the way airline passengers spend their time onboard by combining inflight connectivity with films, TV, live news, music, games, magazines and newspapers. Passengers will now have access to a full range of content including live news and sport, updated throughout the flight and can buy destination-based goods and services to ease their arrival.

Panasonic Avionics
Booth#: 1205
Contact: Rebecca Atchison e: Rebecca.Atchison@panasonic.aero
Product/Services: At the 2013 APEX Expo, Panasonic Avionics will demonstrate how IFE systems combined with broadband connectivity and technical services can positively impact key issues like competition, profitability, consolidation, managing costs and fuel prices, that airlines face every day.

Rockwell Collins
Booth#: 1000
Contact: Jerry Thomas e: jwthoma1@rockwellcollins.com Cell: +1.949.293.5295
Product/Services: Rockwell Collins will be showcasing its latest innovations for cabin management and entertainment, including its PAVES On-demand and PAVES Broadcast IFE systems. The two solutions bring unprecedented reliability and versatility to single-aisle aircraft for keeping downtime to a minimum and allowing flexibility for the different mission needs of airlines. Also, Rockwell Collins’ industry-leading Airshow 3D Moving Map will be on exhibit, as well as its Venue HD cabin management and entertainment system for VIP aircraft.

StoreBox InFlight
Booth#: 316
Contact: Web Barth e: info@StoreBoxInFlight.com Cell: +1.425.746.4335
Product/Services: StoreBox InFlight provides the E+ System; a complete in flight, video on demand WiFi streaming program that is turnkey for airlines (hardware, installation, content, advertising sponsors, content refreshment) that provides passengers with 60+ hours of free entertainment; movies, TV shows, music, games, books, popular magazines, daily newspapers, daily news show, shopping from popular catalogs and destination based information and coupons.

Note: New kin on the block, StoreBox InFlight, will be at APEX with news about their new E+SYSTEM Wi-Fi solution that promises no ongoing content charges for the airline adopting their low cost, light weight system. And yes, there are some high names involved.

Thales
Booth#: 1022
Contact: Lori Krans e: lori.krans@us.thalesgroup.com Cell: +1.949.923.0976
Product/Services: Delivering Innovation and Performance is the Thales theme for Apex 2013. With focus on Applications, Systems Flexibility, Connectivity and Future Innovations, Thales brings to APEX over 25 demonstrations for today and tomorrow. Come visit us!

Thompson Aerospace
Booth#: 1644
Contact: Lisa Nielesky e: LisaNielesky@ThompsonAerospace.com Cell: +1.714.501.3302
Product/Services: 1Net system demonstration showing ecommerce, advertising campaigns, usage statistics, and system integration for both wired and wireless systems. Stop by our booth, create your own advertising campaign, and your advertising artistry may win you a Samsung Galaxy Tablet!

Note: Mark Thompson called us with the exuberance of Christmas kid… and I don’t blame him. 1Net is now connected to a cloud server and talks to the Flight Operations Cloud. A couple little secrets – you have to see their real-time, airborne, advertising, QR code generator and be sure to enter the make-your-own-advert-and-win-a-Galaxy contest. Such creative solutions… go there!

TriaGnoSys
Booth#: 935
Contact: Axel Jahn e: axel.jahn@triagnosys.com Cell: +49.172.292.8125
Product/Services: TriaGnoSys will discuss the development of its ‘one-box-wonder’, the small, lightweight GSMConneX. It is used to provide mobile phone and Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as for the wireless streaming on IFE content. Importantly, TriaGnoSys will be discussing the airline customers that already use GSMConneX, and the prospects for the coming year.

VT Miltope
Booth#: 1822
Contact: Jeff Drader e: jdrader@miltope.com Cell: +1.949.278.5856
Product/Services: Miltope’s family of network products offer the required functionality necessary to create custom airborne networks similar to how office networks are created. Our products optimize the combination of interfaces and computing resources to meet operational, spatial, and functional requirements of simple to complex airborne systems at minimum cost. Products include servers, Ethernet switches, wireless access points, TWLU aircraft to ground wireless bridging, ARINC 744 network printers and ARINC740 printer, control panels, and data storage devices.

Zodiac Inflight Innovations
Booth#: 1400
Contact: Harry Gray e: hgray@imsco-us.com Cell: +1.714.683.3793
Product/Services: We are showcasing our latest developments of RAVE, the only IP-safe passenger-centric IFE system. System demonstration capabilities include business class and economy class integrated seats from Zodiac Aerospace. In addition, we have some new connectivity options that we are excited to discuss.

This Hot Topic began as a review of a game that our crew just can’t get enough of, and it ends with the latest in wireless IFE. While it is not a stream of conciseness Hot Topic, it just morphed as we wrote. First, the game Bookworm.

Bookworm is one of those “find the words” casual games that we stumbled upon at a computer games show 5+ years ago. The problem is, it is an addictive solution for boredom in crowded, nervous environments (like flying) that requires no manual dexterity or game controllers. It is a modern day variation of a crossword puzzle. And you know crossword puzzles they have been around since 1873 – they have 140 years of staying power. While Bookworm will probably not garner that much time on the word game list, you probably should try it if you enjoy word games in English. We contacted the company and they said; ” Readers can go to PopCap.com and download the game for free, trial it for an hour at no cost, then decide if they want to purchase it. They can also play the free online edition, found here, for as long as they like; however, that online version won’t save their scores or be full screen or be playable offline or have lots of other bells and whistles that the deluxe, downloadable edition includes. Also, we don’t believe Bookworm is available for any languages beyond English.” We might also note that you can get a copy for $3 at Big Fish Games if you are a new customer.

We got curious about the inflight issues with games and OS differences so we contacted DTI’s Patrick Larocque, Sales VP and he told IFExpress: “We are in the process of bringing all our existing games, brands included, in Android format. This includes branded titles such as Bookworm, Bejeweled and Battleship and many others. We are able to do this because our tools used to build / adapt games allow an easy port to Android with minimal work – we only need to refresh the design and the game interface. Since we have the source code on most of our current games, we can do it easily and quickly. In addition to our current catalogue moving to Android, we have also acquired a number of studio native Android titles coming from the consumer market, and are ready to deploy them on Android based IFE systems. For example, we have a great collection of Sega Classic and new Android s games as well as games from other studios such as Big Fish.”

Patrick went on to say, “It is also important to point out that we have already sold games packages for Android systems to a few airlines, and that list is growing. Some packages sold by DTI contain over 70 of our most popular titles and new brands. These packages have already been delivered to the hardware vendors for these specific airlines, but at this time we can’t divulge which airline picked what until they announce the entry in service of their new Android systems themselves. The only thing I can say is that announcements should be made pretty soon. In addition, we are also finalizing package deals with other airlines that are still in the midst of selecting their hardware vendors for new Android IFE systems. These airlines are looking at entry in service mid to late 2014.”

“Although Android opens up new possibilities for airlines, all is not perfect. At this stage and for a foreseeable future, Android running IFE systems will still carry some of the limitations found on the “traditional” Linux or Windows IFE platforms:

1. Most Android native games and applications found in the consumer market are only available with a touch-only interface, and are not handset ready. This is an issue for aircraft with multiple seating classes: if an economy class IFE screen is within the reach of passengers, this is not the case for business or first class seats, where the screen could be as far as 1 meter from the passenger. This means the latest and greatest games could fly in economy, but are a no go in business or first class. An airline going straight to a studio to get games will have to find a fix to that hurdle, and the economics for any of the majors to do a fix for one airline are not enticing. Airlines would have to pay a huge sum of money for the fix and maintenance. This explains why aggregators such as DTI are an essential part of the process: we can spread that cost on many customers and on many years.

2. The current technology being deployed is already a few years old when compared to the current class of hardware shown in the consumer market: this means that whatever is popular today may not run on the current hardware – only older, discontinued versions would work, and would need to be supported. Things such as frame rates, graphic acceleration etc. limit what can run well.

3. The IFE market economics, game wise, are such that it does not make business sense for major studios to invest in that market. This is the reason why companies, such as ours, are needed to acquire IFE rights, adapt the product and support it for the duration of the system’s life (something the studio do not even do: nobody support old games that are only working on the iPhone 3. The market forces the consumer to upgrade its devices in order to play with the new stuff).”

The concept of game playing on aircraft naturally led to a discussion and the question of additional fee’s for doing so. To date, we have not heard of a tacked-on IFE fee, although some airlines charge for movies that help return some revenue to offset costs for entertainment offerings. Internationally, those fee’s don’t seem to exist except on a few low cost carriers.

Finally, we wondered if there were any new paradigms in the content world. More specifically, we wondered if there was a lower cost IFE system (probably wireless) that had figured out how to leverage all the free content available and offer it as part of the system. We did a story on Thompson last year but it was time to check out the market. We wanted to get an idea of what was going down in the Wi-Fi IFE world so we contacted Web Barth, CEO of StoreBox Inflight, an inflight start-up that has a novel approach to wireless IFE – free, or almost free, content. If the name sounds familiar, Web was one of the principals of digEplayer, the first onboard, airlines owned IFE (The product is still being manufactured today, we might add), He told IFExpress, “We think we have the lightest, least expensive, wireless IFE solution today,” he told IFExpress. After a complete rundown of the system’s capability, we asked him for one chart extolling the feature and benefits of their wireless solution so our readers can get a better idea of their offering. You be the judge:

You can contact Web at StoreBox Inflight or call the company at 425 462-4054 in Bellevue Washington, USA. And yes, they will be at APEX!

So, as you can see, this industry is changing fast. Please take you portable devices on your next flight, who knows, you might be in a wireless IFE environment after all.

Don’t forget THE US event for IFEC, APEX/IFSA in Anaheim CA, September 9 – 12, 2013.

Bellevue, Washington | September 17, 2012 -– StoreBox Inflight and AirCloud, Inc. today announced that they will be collaborating as a team to offer a turnkey hardware and content entertainment system for commercial airlines. The Companies intend to introduce the new system at the upcoming annual, worldwide APEX Expo (Airline Passenger Experience Association) on September 17-20.

The total system utilizes the AirCloud™ Wi-Fi Entertainment System. According to Brad David, Co-founder and President, ”It can provide a very broad menu of items for free or purchase; movies, music, games, books as well as a wide variety of shopping items for passengers to purchase all providing incremental income to the airline.

The companion, FAA approved IFE server and WAPs weigh less than 20 pounds, uses a server the size of approximately 2 MCU and the appropriate number of WAPs for the size of the cabin.

The Companies are developing a financing program to minimize an airline’s initial capital outlay with a small fee on equipment installation, monthly payments and per flight fee for the frequently changing content and merchandising program. According to Web Barth, CEO, StoreBox InFlight, “We focused on developing a turnkey IFE system for a fraction of the cost of a conventional VOD seat back system.”

The entertainment system recognizes the fact that more and more passengers (70%) are already carrying wi-fi enabled personal entertainment devices; laptops, smart/cell phones and rapidly growing numbers of tablets. The Companies are introducing the program at APEX as a turnkey solution for airlines, especially those who have never had inflight entertainment due to initial and ongoing costs, installation down time, fuel, weight penalty, space, or for small regional jets where IFE has never been practical, or for supplementing or replacing older, obsolete systems on all aircraft including wide bodies.