Panasonic: The Panasonic team showed up and caught our eye in three areas – Wireless, eX3 product line, and the ‘Cool Room’. Enhancements to the basic line of eX3 IFE products include a new seat electronics box we called “the turtle” because it looks like one. Incredibly, the carbon fiber or metallic impregnated plastic box fits in the palm of you hand and between the struts of an aircraft seats – it uses up zero leg room and foot space! We saw a pre-production model and this box will change SEB’s forever. We got a look at their eX Lite Server and there is a real technology story here. While we don’t have space to talk about it in this installment, the box uses 128 GB of SDXC memory! There also was an 802.11N wireless system entry that looked to be the next logical growth for the “eX” Series, and of course, the ‘Cool Room’. While there seemed to be a waning of interest to include the room in future conventions from Panasonic executives, IFExpress still finds this the heart of new development product potential at any IFEC show. Yep, we love it. the 3D flat screen display with touch controls blew us away. There is not enough space to laud Steve Sizelove and his team’s efforts to go where no other vendor has gone before. BTW, weren’t those iPads on a trolly. Hmm?

ITAN: Leave it up to Michael Rogerson to provide a real upgrade to his IFEC offerings. We were knocked out by the new technology in his latest building block modular IFEC system. Called the “A-Series ARM” and based on the Android operating system, Michael and his team have jumped into the latest vendor offerings as an equal. Using 5 (or so) modules, customers use them and ITAN’s app offerings to build a system that covers audio, video, data, Wi-Fi, and whatever else is needed for entertainment. Michael claims that now, users can plug into the ARM seat unit and get data, power and media – all with no server. While an admitted bizjet natural, the ITAN hardware is definitely suited for single aisle operation in the commercial space. Watch this one.

LiveTV: We will say it again: “Mike Moeller is one of the best Sales and Marketing dudes in the IFE industry.” The LiveTV cost per bit analysis is a story we will cover in an upcoming Hot Topic but suffice it to say, Moeller coined the phrase “Not all Ka Band Service is the same” and his analysis is one that needs to be understood by the IFE world. As Moeller put it, “Data costs are exceeding the price charged per passenger.” His message: delivering data to airline customers depends on the system, the data rate, the antenna capability and the aircraft location. His approach grows and adapts the jetBlue system and keeps costs in line. Without a doubt, clever xponder buying is also a must, but we will save that for later.

Lumexis: One lesson we learned from Lumexis – there are some 21 different platforms for PED’s and that really drives the need for a monitor at each seat. They plan on true 1080p HD for their next generation of systems. They claim that they can deliver true HD to all customers on any size plane at the same time. With fiber optics, bandwidth never seems to be an issue. We were told that Lumexis is concentrating on their first customers; however, there is another in the wings and we anticipate an announcement AIX 2012.

VT Miltope: As the OEM to many Wi-Fi and network-based systems, the military and commercial box and system manufacturer rolled out their new, small (in size only) 10/100/1000 Based Server Unit (NSUI). The 2 MCU box has a minimum 160 GB SSD, 1.8 GHz Athalon dual core processor. All this and a new president too!

Trends
OK, you say, what does all this new IFE stuff add up to? The trends we spotted seem to echo the past but because of newer technology, there are new directions and evolutions noted below.

The “seat focused” IFE concept is in full throttle. At least 5 vendors used the term “seat-centric” in their presentations and as many more exhibited that concept in their product design. In a sentence, putting the electronics and content at the seat improves the reliability and passenger experience. Accordingly, the centralized control of content and programming is on the decline. Boeing and Airbus, we understand, are not fans of this approach as they loose some control of the IFE platform and is less flexible in their eyes. As a result, it may be a while before line-fit approval is secured.

We hear there is no end to the need for connectivity with the Smartphone as one of the favorite and upcoming targets for content and data – but you knew that. Wi-Fi is the medium of choice and the folks at Gogo have proven that connectivity or no-connectivity is just a matter of cost/price. They are also proving that streaming wireless is here today and more of this trend is in the works with almost all system suppliers. Additionally, while not cheap, Wi-Fi reduces weight and wires. Watch the Virgin America/Lufthansa deal as a precursor of things to come.

Understandably, Early Window content is pretty much ruled out for PED’s in the above mentioned Wi-Fi systems but with Early Window content being squeezed down to 30 days or less, what is the big deal? And by the way, when will Google or Microsoft front, or reduce, Wi-Fi user costs?

SSDs are here with most opting for 128 MB. But by next year, 256 MB will be the norm and the year after, one terabyte will be common. Don’t know what an SSD is? Try Wikipedia.

While not a trend yet, card swiping (PIN and chip) is on it’s way. Just as the Smartphone resonated with travelers, easy payments are a demand driver. While prevalent in Europe, the use in the US and elsewhere will come slowly. Watch the innovators like IFPL, AIRVOD, ITAN, and PlaneBill.

There are a lot of small vendors with incredibly good product and product ideas. This can only mean that next year as budgets tighten, there is a good chance for industry consolidation. We smell mergers and acquisitions (M&A)!

In the content world, there seems to be a shift away from the tennis shoe network toward more automated and wireless content update. Mind you, it is not here yet but lots of folks are working the problem vigorously.

Finally, Ka Band connectivity was on everybody’s lips. As LiveTV put it – “Not all Ka is the same!”

Based on the above, the APEX TC in November (8 & 9) looks to be a ‘Do Not Miss’ event. Here are the topics – Airline & Studio Perspectives on Future Technologies,  Connectivity, Wireless IFE, HD Standardization,HD/File-Based Workflow, Interoperable Master Format, Cabin Trends, Chip & PIN for PCI Compliance, ARNIC 791 Satcom Update, Ka-band Radome Status. 

Typically, we do not like to write a story about how an IFE vendor made their system more reliable. Why? Inevitably, readers think the system was not reliable in the first place. Not so with Lumexis… read on reader.

Lumexis Corporation has been building a strong reputation for robust performance and reliability of its FIBER TO THE SCREEN® (FTTS) network, with a dozen flydubai B737-800 already in service (increasing at about one new aircraft per month, headed toward a total fleet of 44). Despite being knee-deep in work preparing for FTTS installation into the first of four B777-300 aircraft for Transaero Airlines, Russia’s second largest carrier, Lumexis CEO Doug Cline took time to talk with IFExpress and offer some exclusive news of an innovative new development.

“Obviously, we are immensely pleased with the success of the FTTS launch with flydubai and the intense interest that such in-service “proof-of-performance” has generated among OEMs and airlines,’ reports Cline. “Its verifiable 99%+ fleet availability delivered by the unique Lumexis fiber optic network has gained a huge amount of industry attention. But we aren’t stopping there.”

Now, the company is extending its lead in demonstrated reliability beyond even Gen2 FTTS’s existing double-redundancy with PSB (Passenger Specific, in-seat Backup), an innovative technology assuring each passenger’s preferred choice of entertainment under all circumstances. “What this means,” explains Cline, “is that our new Gen3 monitors include local storage into which we can quickly download for ultimate backup, a small subset of the movies available from our headend servers’ massive, multi-terabyte libraries (as much as 400 two-hour HD movies). Since in-monitor storage is limited to the same 64-128 gigabytes as seat-centric IFE systems (16-32 two-hour HD movies), we want to pick only those movies that each individual passenger would choose – and, of course, popular choices vary from route to route, language and so forth.”

Cleverly using their visibility of multiple passenger preference factors, FTTS computers are directed to look at such things as the current flight’s city pair and each passenger’s language selection in order to store at their seat only those movies and other entertainment that have proved most popular under similar circumstances. They can even reassess and update those locally stored movies during a current flight as new entertainment is loaded and evolving preferences become available. “The result is that even in the extremely rare situation where both a headend media server and a network leg fail, the passenger not only continues to be entertained, but has the highest possibility of having their first choice still be available to them,” Cline points out.

Lumexis is clearly investing heavily to continue its already enviable record for reliability, even as it expands into widebody and worldwide support. In the midst of a number of new entrants to the markets, Cline likes to point out that, as of this interview, his company is alone in its full fleet deployment and verifiable record. “Every new entrant today seems to be claiming to be lighter than air and cheaper than dirt,” he says. “But the available facts are that FTTS has established – in daily revenue service with flydubai – an unprecedented and unmatched low cost of ownership, and at 2.3kgs per seat – fully installed (1.3kgs per seat – system only), the absolutely lowest cost of carriage.”

Strong words, indeed. But, it seems, words based on actual deeds.

Editor’s Note: For all you APEX & AIX-US Show-goers, the Seattle weather forecast predicts high 70′s to low 80′s temperature for Monday thru Thursday. Nice!

Also, don’t forget the National Business Aircraft Association Annual Conference (NBAA) in Vegas baby! October 10 – 12, Las Vegas NV, USA.

It’s prediction time again and so we asked some of our readers to call upon their predictive powers and share their views (unanimously) with our IFExpress readers.

Boy, did our readers do a good job. Here goes:

1. Panasonic will hit a home run with their worldwide Ku Band connectivity solution because it is just that, a worldwide, inflight connectivity solution. – IFExpress
2. There will be two other areas of IFE growth as a result of the burgeoning  Wi-Fi market and installed base: a. First, there will be a resurgent market in in-seat power as carriers react to passengers vocal demand to be “connected” for trans-continental and trans-oceanic flight segments. b. Second, new content aggregators will be formed who specialize in Internet content delivery, advertising, usage tracking and onboard Internet sales geared to the airline passenger.  Of course, the airline will receive a generous cut in this revenue stream.  These content aggregators will introduce big name players like Google, Amazon, Facebook and, maybe, MSN to passengers inflight. – Anon
3. We also believe, that at least one or more airlines with inflight connectivity will tie up with a Facebook, Google, or another network solution to deliver cheap or free connection to ground-based Internet. Hey, what’s cooler than tweeting that you are a member of the Mile High Club!…in real time! – IFExpress
4. Inflight connectivity will ramp up dramatically in 2011. I see Row44 and Panasonic making tremendous gains in the number of aircraft installed. A large part of the growth will be in Western Europe as LCCs see Wi-Fi as a way to add ancillary revenue and compete with the traditional carriers. – Anon
5. As fuel prices drive the cost of a barrel of oil above $100 USD, airlines will re-double their efforts to optimize their Max Take-Off Weight (MTOW). This will translate in lighter and lighter seats and more weight efficient IFE.  Some carriers will opt to not install traditional IFE and push for IFE delivered over the Wi-Fi system.  This form of BYO-IFE (Bring Your Own IFE) not only reduces weight and maintenance costs but also permits the carrier to have much more flexibility in managing its content on a flight market basis. – Anon
6. The B787 Flight Testing will reveal yet another anomaly and the delivery of the aircraft will be extended by a min. of 6 months. – Anon (Ed. Note: We received this input before Boeing announced their latest B787 Delay)
 7. The Chinese, via COMAC, will announce the launch of their competing (mainland, vs. Hong Kong or Taiwan) IFE company (beyond the start-ups that we already have seen) and that IFE company, like COMAC, will have Government backing. What the Chinese don’t understand is content sourcing and the use of Hollywood and the Record Labels and they will look to local (Asian) content, probably through Hong Kong, to launch their programming efforts.  An unusual partnership will evolve with Australian content providers. – Anon
8. This year will be the year for the new IFE players to establish credibility or become history. Promising IFE systems like Lumexis’ FTTS, IMS’ Rave, and Sicma’s SiT are already, or will be, in service soon. Is there room in the market for all? Probably not. – Anon
9. Koito, the seat company, will file for bankruptcy this coming year because of all their past regulatory issues and on-going production / re-certification problems and be re-born as a new venture. (Ed. Note: Think M&A!) Existing airline deliveries will be affected and you will see further delays in current aircraft fleets (beyond the recent A380 announcements, which impact both Airbus and Boeing).
– Anon
10. Wider gaps will appear as IFE evolves away from centralized, distributed HW/network based networks toward Wi-Fi and wireless distribution systems.  More announcements for simpler, seat centralized IFE systems, which shift focus from expensive aircraft mods towards simpler, less expensive “highly integrated” seat mod programs.  IFE Vendors will try to minimize aircraft mods to merely supplying power and aircraft interfaces and leave IFE distribution to be wireless to seat installed ‘boxes’. The demise of a major IFE supplier will be the results of failing to realize this changing environment and remaining focused on ‘traditional’ head-end distributed IFE type systems. – Anon
11. More announcements for single aisle, wireless, IFE systems as a untapped major source of business for start-up IFE companies. – Anon
12. Emergence of a new IFE company based out of India? Where a lot of both HW and SW ‘outsourcing’ of current IFE systems has been placed.  Someone will realize that with rising technological competence of their native engineers; there will be an opportunity to create a cheaper, more efficient IFE company in India. Again, Content Sourcing will be an issue, but the Indian based IFE company will partner with a major ‘content’ provider to supplement that side of the business. – Anon
13. Uncertainty is certainly a prediction. – Anon
14. Connectivity is here, various systems are already flying and being deployed at a fast pace. Let’s not forget the onboard telephony systems back in the 90′s. Back then, they were also deemed as a must-have, with huge potential of generating ancillary revenues for the airlines. Three companies deployed systems on multiple carriers, but where were the profits? Is history repeating itself?  – Anon
15. High Definition video will become a differentiator in the IFE market-space, as airlines recognize its use on airlines like flydubai. WAEA/APEX will take note too and begin to write the spec for HD in IFE.
16. The Content Service Provider space will continue to fragment – with more new-comers morphing out of labs, legacy CSPs, and IFE equipment suppliers (especially portables). - Anon
17. Jetstar/Early Window Content/Ipad – NOT! – IFExpress
18. Portable devices offered by airlines will dramatically decrease, as they give way to passengers’ own portables carried onboard (i.e., everyone who wants one will already have their own). Airlines will opt instead for more lightweight, lower cost, embedded solutions, such as Lumexis’ FTTS™ and IMS’ Rave™. – Anon
 19. Seat-centric IFE will be the next big thing as many airlines will be heading in that direction. – IFExpress
 20. Connectivity: the Ka-band systems will continue to be talked up by all the key players, but their scheduled roll-out date will continue to be elusive, as suppliers continue to sell Ku-band and air-to-ground systems. – Anon
21. Watch IFE Post Production – IFExpress!

Lastly, one reader eloquently described the IFE content space; “2011 will see significant changes in the IFE content delivery supply chain including increased automation and integration. Movement toward file-based workflow will gain traction. SMPTE will make significant progress toward standardizing the Interoperable Master Format (IMF). There will movement toward mezzanine files and transcoding. There will be a significant new entry on the Digital Asset Management front. There also will be consolidation in the CSP sector, contraction in the PMP sector, and the iPad will not find a serious place in IFE outside LCCs. Seat-centric IFE systems will get traction in 2011 with significant orders.”

Nuff Sed.

This year we are going to do something different. The Hot Topic will summarize all we saw at Long Beach and then as the weeks roll on, we will dig deeper into the ones you need to hear about. Firstly, the thousand pound gorilla in the room was the Android operating system, the background chatter was Ka Band inflight connectivity, and the word on almost everybody’s lips was ‘iPad’ – not to mention that silly stand-up seat with the 23 inch pitch. Having said that, we will probably look into each topic separately, but for now, let’s press on. On the last day of the show, and after he left, John White announced his retirement from the Avion magazine. He exited without fanfare, we hear, to avoid all the “good bye’s”, so, here is a public one – Thanx John, for it was you who got us int this mess!

Next, our overall impression was, from a technical perspective, great. Some vendors were mumbling about the lack of visitors, but you can decide for yourself by looking at the show photo’s on Flickr. At almost every booth we visited, and we visited over 20, there was something we had not seen or heard about. We do this because there is a lot of innovation that gets overlooked or doesn’t warrant the benefit of a press release. Not to mention the newbies, characters, friends, and the just plain weirdos. After all, isn’t that why you read IFExpress? Lastly, we are sorry for those vendors we missed. Mostly, you were busy with customers and we understand that. If you feel that your product or service was slighted, send a note to ifenews@airfax.com and we will follow up with a telephone or email interview!

Astronics: Big with the power folks is a new set of USB seat power outlet concepts. They are also introducing a 225 VA ISPS with a USB power outlet at each of 3 seats as well as 110 AC.

ACS: Aircraft Cabin Systems rolled out their new thin line of LCD aircraft displays. Looks to be 33% slimmer than the standard size and ACS offers 4 sizes up to 42″.

AirCell: We got a good AirCell update from John Wade. Over 1,015 aircraft jets installed with paid sessions going up each month and no peak in sight. The bizjet market is smoking and the order from NetJets (approx 800 in fleet) is certainly a big deal!

Carlisle: Cable maker, Carlisle, displayed their usual offering of aircraft cable assemblies and we were interestingly challenged to pick out the ones made in their offshore factories. Their latest Ethernet product looked no different than their other products and we were a bit surprised to find out they were made in their Dong Guan (Shenzen) factory. The company controls the process, quality and sourced materials – their AS9100 certification is proof.

digEcor: Brent Wood and Adam Williams laid out their new inflight shopping portal “Mill Creek Shoppe” and demo-ed the L-7 player (Lafeel) with a great built-in mouse. Watch for new advertising co-op features that support independent advertising suppliers. Oh, and we thought their flying monkey was great fun!

Goodrich: Recent acquirer of TEAC, their show entry featured their V01HDD player that has a Blu-ray drive for more storage via DVD disk. We noted a terrific Electronic Flight Bag device on the table but it was a bit early to tag an IFE application with it. Alas, sad news for IFE as Al McGowen is now Mr. Military.

IMS: The RAVE system is now ready for prime time and the final product (powered hot-swap and all) has quite a few features that looked VERY airline friendly. Rumor has it that a few customers have stepped-up to the plate already. Joe Renton pulled us aside for a sneak peek that their new COTS re-purposed player, and yes, it is built by IMS. Check out Flickr.

Inflight Peripherals: The Geoff and Claire show was a hit again this year, and yes, they had a contest to assemble one of their inset headphone jacks. The ‘wall of shame’ told the whole story with one entrant blowing away the competition with a speed around 10 seconds.

Interact: Seldom do we cover content providers, however, this year, we hope to do a Hot Topic devoted to these folks. We like their focus on customer support and regional content in providing audio and video programming, creative content/content management, and encoding services.

Airbus KID-Systeme: Perhaps the biggest effort we saw at KID was their integrated seat power program with Recaro. We saw the production prototype and here is a picture of the inseat-power-supply-that-mounts-in-the-seat-beam.

Live TV: After looking at the Iridium satcom hardware for 2 days, we finally got the story on the LiveTV Aero OpenPort system. Using the 66 satellite constellation, they have found a way to deliver 128K continuously to the aircraft. Don’t scoff, this a PERFECT blackberry data solution, served in the airplane via Wi-Fi. Here’s the clincher, they can demonstrate offering it as a freebie! BTW, Mike Moeller gets our nod as the best pitchman at the show!

Lumexis: The F.O. IFE company out did last show record by bringing a COMPLETE wide-body IFE system, up and running to the show. Some 243 seats worth of IFE (fiber-to-the-seat), and 2 small servers (4 MCU each). This is the low calorie IFE winner, and frankly, we do not expect the hardware to return to Irvine!

Mezzo : Dave Sampson, CEO, shared his new COTS Personal Media Player with IFExpress.

SmartJog: Wow, did Christiane Ducasse and Jodynne Wood knock our socks off! Smartjog is THE purveyor of digital content between IFE entities. By placing a Smartjog server/hub at each end of a communication line, security and daft integrity is guaranteed. These folks are suck a household name that they have become a verb – “Just Smartjog it to the customer”. Hot Topic territory for sure.

Panasonic: The Cool Room is back! What more can we say? A lot, in fact. Too much to cover it here. Suffice it to say, we saw all the bells and whistles in the CR, got the lowdown on Ku and Ka Bands, sat in the integrated seats, played with the Android IFE system, watched a 3-D interactive product, and visited the Panasonic App store. We promise a Hot Topic on each of these topics as there is NO WAY we can do it here. As an afterthought, there is no one that can throw a party like Panasonic – thanx!

Thales: Winner of the Best Innovation Technology with their TouchPMU, the folks we met with were justifiably proud of their tethered handset-entertainment player-controller. A perfect product for single aisle player and on twin aisle planes, it is a great controller that can be used to control entertainment or games on a bigger screen. Oh yes, there was an app on that – the OS is Android. Thales demonstrated a very flexible integrated seat that is in an very mature state (orders on the way) and a novel LCD/mirror display. What a bizjet product!

Rockwell: New kids on the block, Joel Otto and John Darvell talked up the Digital Paves (D Paves) but would not talk to much about the Android OS that others were exploring. We think the next IFE show will bring some Rockwell surprises and they may first show up on the Bizjet side.

VT Miltope: What’s not to like with the ‘OEM supplier to the aviation industry’? As a platform agnostic, peripherals and system supplier, Bob Guidetti told IFExpress that they have been spec-ing and supplying connectivity products for B787, A350 and B777 aircraft and now have a MIMO Wi-Fi WAP.

Honorable Mention: We cannot let this opportunity to go by without mentioning 2 of the “little guys”. Sitting off in one corner was Plane Bill and in the other G.U.E. Tech. We loved both these companies for different reasons. Plane Bill, the Italian software innovator showed us a fistful of Android apps, specifically designed for airlines. After getting infused with Android platforms by all the big players, here sits Plane Bill, with some of the most innovative software we have seen. They even developed an app that an Android Smartphone equipped Muslim can use to find Mecca directions for prayer. On the other hand we really do not have a clue what G.U.E. Tech does. Having said that, we know that it has something to do with 3D rendering engines, game software, and generally computer graphics. Hey, any company that authors a video game called “Lurking Horror” cannot be all bad! What was so doggone impressive was the enthusiasm of it’s CEO, Max Lingua, and his complete love for what he does. Please visit their websites and send some business their way – they are gems!

Sometimes we love our work… and this is one of those stories. Covering companies like Lumexis is one for the story books because they are the “IFE Mouse that Roared.” For at least 5 years now, we have been writing about Rich Salter Jr. and Doug Cline and their dream to develop a lighter weight, higher bandwidth IFE system based on fiber optic connectivity and we could not be happier for them. IFExpress covered their escapades from development boxes to show floor rumors and at this year’s AIX in Hamburg, it looks like they won all the marbles: first customer and Crystal Cabin Award. Ah, life is good.

Their first customer, flydubai, is a low cost Arab Emirates airline offering low cost fares to-and-from Dubai with only one-way tickets that are tax inclusive. All extra services are separate and passengers know exactly what they get for their money… nice touch! Pictured in the story is the CEO of flydubai and Doug Cline, President Lumexis. We talked with Mr. Ghaith Al Ghaith, airline CEO and he told us that their 44 B737-800′s will be post delivery modified in the US and that each seat will have a Lumexis display that acts as an entertainment portal with credit card swipe capability. Obviously, their revenue generation model is part of the airline operating network and plays into the airline financial modeling. With routes as long as 4.5 hours, the airline has a perfect product to interface with their customers. Snacks, food, duty free all will be ordered through the Lumexis system, easing crew work load and further automating the aircraft as part of the airline network. Think of it as an onboard accountant. The airline CEO told us that they chose Lumexis because the system was simple and powerful, yet light-weight. We were surprised to find out that the system weight boiled down to 4.4 pounds per seat and is a very impressive number that we heard from the airline and Lumexis alike. Installation ease and maintenance were also mentioned as features, probably because the airline sees value in quick turn-arounds and overnight maintenance. First delivery is in October of 2010 – Stay Tuned.

Also, we note that the Aircraft Interiors Crystal Cabin IFEC Award went to Lumexis and their fiber optic entertainment system and they are quite proud, as you can imagine. The award is for innovative aircraft cabin products, and the prize in the Entertainment and Communication category was won by Lumexis Corporation for its Fiber-To-The-Screen™ system, as the first fully fiber-optics based In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) system. It was cited that the system eliminates the seat electronics box and half the other boxes required by legacy systems, and thereby reduces the weight and cost of ownership. Huge bandwidth is provided by the fiber network to each seat, so that future functionality can be added over the life of the aircraft.

iPad Hoopla Update: Re last week’s IFExpress article – Here is what we have discovered to further round out the Jetstar/iPad story – Jetstar is purchasing the iPads directly from Apple. Their Content Services Provider, Stellar Inflight, commissioned Bluebox to repurpose the devices for IFE. The rental price is purported to be A$10, US$8.40.

The Aircraft Interiors mash-up in Hamburg ended this past week with some very interesting and unpredicted trends in the IFE space. For sure, the move toward smaller, thinner, lighter and more capable electronics was present. Second, third, and fourth generation electronics were claimed in the thin seat/thin and smart IFE world. Without a doubt, this is the trend of the next round of seatback/seat hardware. We really liked the Thales product!

There were a number of R&D projects almost ready for prime time: A wireless seat power development project that claimed 97% efficiency from KID (isn’t that better than wire?); a really great in-seat power supply design concept (Recaro and KID), which removed the seat power box and placed it in a central seat tube; a rapid prototyping capability for seat peripheral products (IFPC); a new, simple, content aggregation software from an Italian supplier; a new satcom/radio software data reduction algorithm that lops 40% of the overhead budget (TriaGnoSys); a new line of inflight hardware from a predominantly portable IFE supplier; a big sale for one fiber-optic IFE provider; two new seat power boxes; a 65” LCD Display; and so much more.

There is a big deal underway in IFE gatelink data that promises to expand ground-based IFE/airplane data that may finally automate that last node on the airline networks – the aircraft. It may do so by the build-up of ground-based networking…not in-flight connectivity. This offering looks like another SITA or ARINC and may incorporate their efforts as well. We will report on this project in the upcoming weeks.

iPad, iPad, iPad is all we heard about. No less that 8 vendors at the Hamburg Show had them in their booth. One even professed that it will be used as an inflight IFE offering. We do not know how it will ever pass DO-160 specifications so that rules out an imbedded application, but hope springs eternal. Additionally, the unit still stumbles with the lack of file handling capabilities and multitasking…not to mention security issues around file encryption. One rumor on the floor placed a major movie distributer in the booth of one vendor claiming they must print a retraction to an earlier news release claiming iPad first run movies? You can believe what you may but you heard it here first.

On the road, we wanted to give a tip-of-the-hat to Seattle Tacoma International Airport for their much appreciated, free Wi-Fi offered to all travelers. In an interview, the airport claimed that it costs them easily over $100,000 each year given the fees and royalties paid by service providers. Airports are not friendly places any more, but the folks at SeaTac deserve mention.

We hear Alaska Airlines will be offering introductory free Go-go Wi-Fi service till July 31, this year.

While air travel to and from the Hamburg show was nothing short of madness, thanks to the Icelandic volcano, we worry about the long-term impact on European air travel and airlines. Having experienced the absolute breakdown of one airline’s ability to manage the emergency we wonder if there are any management solutions to random weather emergencies? One thing for sure, it is going to cost us all more to fly!

Greetings from Hamburg, Germany! Thanks to AYA-FIOLA-YOKUL – a few out-of-the-way airports, delayed flights, unexpected bus tours, missed connections, and schedule slides we managed to make it to Hamburg… better late than never! Next week’s issue of IFExpress will include the latest and greatest from AIX… assuming the volcano doesn’t get too obstreperous at the end of the week when we are to fly home via ICELAND again!

Now for the Hot Topic: Never satisfied with the status quo of inflight LCD displays, Yukio Sugimoto founder of Aircraft Cabin Systems (ACS) recently rolled out the biggest cabin display yet. The HDMI certified 65” LCD video monitor knocked us out when we saw it at their new Redmond, Washington facility. Sporting a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 (3x pixels), the mondo-monitor just breaks the 100-pound mark and is bound to be the “must have” for the biz jet set and the Head of State crowd. The unit will be on display in the ACS booth # 6C15 at the AIX in Hamburg. We understand one customer has already signed-up for the first unit off the production line and ACS anticipates a robust demand for this product. Here is more information on the 65” LCD Video Monitor.

Lastly, you know how show rumors persist and this year is no exception! Lumexis is purportedly going to release the name of their “new” customer at AIX on Tuesday in Germany. We hear that the airline is Fly Dubai. Don’t jump to conclusions readers!

Costa Mesa, CA (November 30, 2009) – Lumexis Corporation, a manufacturer of advanced In-flight Entertainment and Connectivity Systems, has secured a $15 million investment led by the private equity fund management company, Perseus, L.L.C. The investment agreement includes the option for an additional investment of up to $7.5 million. Existing investors PAR Capital Management and Zone Ventures participated in the financing round. Lumexis also announced that it has been awarded a large order for its FTTS™ (Fiber To The Screen™) Audio-Video-On-Demand, In-Flight Entertainment Systems for installation on the new customer’s fleet of 737-family aircraft. The airline will use the system not only to provide passenger entertainment including movies on demand, games, and music, but also to support in-seat purchases by travelers of an array of products and services. The significant cost, weight, and reliability advantages of the Lumexis system were key determinants in securing both the order and the new investment capital.

The Lumexis FTTS™ system is based on new generation open software and hardware architectures. Data is transmitted from standard central servers via fiber optic cables that run directly to and from passenger screens, providing for super-high bandwidth, less weight and high reliability – all at significantly lower cost. Competing systems that dominate the market today are based on obsolete hardware and software architectures and rely on copper wiring to transmit data to the user. Unlike the Lumexis system, the competing systems require electronics boxes at every seat and intermediate switches to direct and decode the signals. As a result, these systems are very heavy, difficult to install, expensive to maintain, and prone to failure. The Lumexis system is approximately half the weight of older, legacy systems from other suppliers, providing airlines dramatic fuel savings.

“With many investment options to choose from, this new funding from Perseus and the renewed support from our existing shareholders demonstrates the confidence that they have in the Lumexis technology and management team. The clear advantages of the FTTS™ system have also led to securing a major contract with a highly innovative airline,” stated J. Douglas Cline, Lumexis Chief Executive Officer.

Perseus Senior Managing Director Dave Davis continued, “We made this investment because of the clear benefits of the Lumexis FTTS™ system relative to the competition. Airline customers are looking for an in-flight entertainment system that is affordable, reduces fuel burn through lower weight, and is easy to maintain, operate, and upgrade. The Lumexis system delivers on all of these attributes. In addition, Doug and his team are industry veterans fully committed to excellent customer service and satisfaction.”

Ed Shapiro, PAR Capital Management Vice President, added, “We are pleased to have Perseus join us in this investment. I have known Dave Davis for several years and kept him apprised of the progress Lumexis has been making since we made our original investment in 2007. This investment, together with Lumexis’ new 737 customer, are important validations of the opportunity we see in Lumexis.”

About Lumexis Corporation

Lumexis Corporation is a developer, manufacturer and marketer of advanced in-flight entertainment and communication systems built on a core competency in fiber optics technology. With headquarters adjacent to Orange County, California’s John Wayne Airport, the company can reached at +1.714.641.4900 or on the web at www.lumexis.com.

About Perseus, L.L.C.

Perseus, L.L.C. is a private equity fund management company headquartered in Washington D.C., with an office in New York and an associated office in Munich.  Perseus has invested in numerous growth equity, distressed, and buyout transactions in the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. Perseus manages seven private equity funds.  Since its inception in 1995, Perseus has made investments in 62 portfolio companies and has $1.5 billion in funds under management. www.perseusllc.com

Lumexis Corporation, manufacturer of the unique, Fiber Optic network IFEC system that flew so successfully this year in a US Airways flight trial, is introducing at the WAEA 2009 Show a Second Generation FTTS™ (Fiber-To-The-Screen™) AVOD system that further reduces Video Display Unit (VDU) weight by half and the number of servers by 75%.

“Although the First Generation FTTS™ system flew almost flawlessly and never required even a single system reboot in nearly 300 revenue airline flights,” said Lumexis CEO Douglas Cline, “our veteran team gained significant confidence to ‘push the envelope’ further in a 2nd Generation product being introduced here at the Palm Springs WAEA Show. As a result,” he continued, “the High Definition, Widescreen 8.9 inch VDUs weigh less than a kilogram (about 2 lbs) and are priced well under conventional, Standard Definition monitors from competitors weighing nearly twice as much.”

Lumexis CTO Richard Salter added, “As you know, we had already eliminated all zone and seat boxes, but in our Gen2 architecture, we were also able to substantially increase processing power and move to high density Solid State Drives (SSDs) storage in our Server Switch Unit (SSU). Thus, only two SSUs (reduced from eight!) will be needed to serve a single or twin aisle aircraft of up to 270 seats, or three SSUs for up to 425 seats, with fully redundant AVOD service (server, content and network). ”

Lumexis Corporation is a developer, manufacturer and marketer of advanced in-flight entertainment and communication systems built on a core competency in fiber optics technology. With headquarters adjacent to Orange County, California’s John Wayne Airport, the company can reached at +1.714.641.4900 or on the Web at www.lumexis.com

Palm Springs, Calif. – Oct. 6, 2009 – EMS Technologies, Inc. announced today at the World Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA) Conference and Exhibition that Lumexis Corporation has selected the company’s EMS Formation business unit to design and manufacture the optical video/application server
for the LumexisT FTTST (Fiber-To-The-ScreenT) in-flight entertainment (IFE) system. FTTST is planned to be the lightest weight, most reliable, lowest cost VOD In-Fight Entertainment system on the market.

“We selected Formation to design and manufacture the Server Switch Unit (SSU) optical video server,” said Rich Salter, Lumexis’ chief technical officer, “because their server technology will maximize reliability and performance while minimizing product life-cycle costs.”

The Lumexis and EMS Formation engineering collaboration has resulted in the SSU, a four-MCU multi-processor server integrated with terabytes of ToughDiskR solid state disks. Each SSU delivers personalized audio, video-on-demand, and other data to more than 150 passengers.

“I’m very pleased that Formation has been selected to provide the SSU for this high-profile IFE program,” says Nim Evatt, EMS Formation’s vice president and general manager.

About Lumexis

Lumexis Corporation is a manufacturer and marketer of In-flight Entertainment and eCommerce Systems located in Costa Mesa, California, adjacent to Orange County Airport. The company can be contacted through its website, www.lumexis.com, by email at sales@lumexis.com or by telephone at +1.714.641.4900.

About EMS Formation

EMS Formation, a division of EMS Technologies, Inc., is a leading supplier of hardware and software for the aerospace, defense and transportation industries. By optimizing commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology and applying its AS 9100B-certified processes, EMS Formation develops proven and qualified solutions that enable in-flight communications and entertainment, rugged data storage, airborne connectivity, and data recording and replay. Visit www.formation.com or www.ems-t.com for more information.

Costa Mesa CA, July 17, 2009 The FAA has issued Parts Manufacturer Approval number PQ4004NM to Lumexis Corporation for the company’s FTTS™ In-Flight Entertainment System. This approval authorizes Lumexis to manufacture parts and equipment for installation on Airbus A320-232 type aircraft under its already approved Supplemental Type Certificate number STO2205LA.

Lumexis Corporation is a developer, manufacturer and marketer of advanced in-flight entertainment and communication systems built on a core competency in fiber optics technology. With headquarters adjacent to Orange County, California’s John Wayne Airport, the company can reached at +1.714.641.4900 or on the Web at www.lumexis.com

Lumexis Corporation, manufacturer of the Fiber-To-The-Screen™ AVOD IFE system, today named IFE industry veteran Don Sathern to the position of Director of Global Sales, reporting to its Chief Executive Officer, J. Douglas Cline.

Sathern brings more than twenty-five years experience in the aviation market place to Lumexis. Most recently Sathern was president of his own consulting firm where he represented several airline industry suppliers in the Asia/Pacific region. Prior to his time in Asia, Don was Director of IFE Sales for Aircraft Leasing Companies at Rockwell Collins and he was Regional Director of Sales and Marketing Asia/Pacific Rim for Sony Trans Com.

“The Lumexis Team is delighted to welcome another distinguished colleague from our days together at Sony Trans Com,” said Doug Cline.“ He continued “While at Sony and then Rockwell Collins, , Don was responsible for the successful sales product launch of four new IFE products. His wide industry experience, strong relationships with key airlines, leasing companies and OEMs, together with his exceptionally collaborative style make him the perfect new team member at a pivotal point in the growth of this burgeoning enterprise.”

Sathern’s office will be located at the Lumexis headquarters office in Costa Mesa, California. He can be contacted via email at dsathern@lumexis.com, by telephone at his direct line +1.714.824.6540 or by mobile at 1.949.861.0733.

Lumexis Corporation is a developer, manufacturer and marketer of advanced In-Flight Entertainment and Communication Systems built on a core competency in fiber optic technology. With headquarters adjacent to Orange County, California’s John Wayne Airport. Visit us at www.lumexis.com

Lumexis Corporation reports that US Airways trial of its Fiber-To-The-Screen™ (FTTS™), now in its tenth week is proving both extremely popular with users and exceptionally reliable during its highly anticipated airline operational evaluation. The system was installed on an Airbus A320 aircraft in January and approved for Part 121 operation under FAA STC. It has been flying since early March and has now accumulated some 275 flights and over 1,000 hours of operation during regular revenue service.

Lumexis ™ CEO Doug Cline reports that the aircraft has been flying between Orange County, Phoenix, Atlanta and back daily with no system failures. “I have been manufacturing major avionics systems for over thirty years and this is without a doubt the most impressive record for a sophisticated new system entering service. We have never delayed a single flight and have never even required a system reboot” he marvels. “That is truly unprecedented for any high performance, multi-user AVOD system. As a result of this achievement, a number of airlines have had key managers on the aircraft and we are currently in negotiations with several of them for future installations.”

Cline continued that “The Lumexis ™ system is built around an advanced Fiber Optic Technology which is far simpler than legacy AVOD systems offered by other IFE manufacturers. This extensive flight demonstration evidences that the architecture’s fewer boxes and much lower parts count yield an inherently more reliable system.”

Lumexis ™ is a manufacturer and marketer of Inflight Entertainment and eCommerce Systems located in Costa Mesa, California, adjacent to Orange County Airport. The company can be contacted through its website, www.lumexis.com , by email at sales@lumexis.com or by telephone at +1.714.641.4900.

FAA Long Beach Flight Standards District Office issues AA certificate to the Lumexis repair station 

Costa Mesa CA, March 19, 2009 The FAA FSDO has issued Air Agency certificate X7OR085B to the Lumexis Corporation Repair Station located at 3184-D Airway Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA. The company has been working to ensure readiness for the AA certification pending issuance of the first Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). The initial STC was issued on March 4, 2009 for the Lumexis Corporation FTTS™ system’s installation on Airbus A320-232 aircraft. 

Lumexis Corporation is a developer, manufacturer and marketer of advanced in-flight entertainment and communication systems built on a core competency in fiber optics technology. With headquarters adjacent to Orange County, California’s John Wayne Airport, the company can reached at +1.714.641.4900 or on the Web at www.lumexis.com

TEMPE, Ariz. and COSTA MESA, Calif., March 9, 2009– US Airways (NYSE: LCC) and Lumexis Corporation have partnered to test an innovative, next generation in-flight entertainment (IFE) system. On certain flights, US Airways customers will have access to hundreds of on-demand IFE options including movies, music, games and shopping.

What makes Lumexis Fiber-To-The-Screen™(FTTS™) the next generation system when compared to current IFE solutions is its advanced fiber optic technology, which requires less hardware and reduces the system’s weight by as much 50 percent. The Lumexis technology replaces traditional copper wire-based systems that were heavy, offered limited bandwidth and required under-seat boxes that reduced passenger leg room. The FTTS™ system substantially reduces the overall cost of ownership by lowering acquisition cost, minimizing spares provisioning, reducing fuel burn (from lower weight) and decreasing repair/maintenance costs (from simpler architecture). It also has the ability to provide HD quality content.

Customers can find themselves in the middle of a rock concert at 35,000 feet when they tune into Bon Jovi: Live from London (US Airways asks that passengers refrain from body surfing while the seat belt sign is illuminated) or young travelers (and those that are young at heart) can immerse themselves in an aquatic adventure with Finding Nemo.

Recently installed on a US Airways Airbus A320 and certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for operation during regular revenue flights, the system will be available for passenger use on a flight trial that begins today. The installation was designed and overseen by Inflight Canada, and FAA certification was accomplished through Aero Certification & Engineering.

Lumexis’ robust IFE system will offer US Airways’ customers more than 250 hours of content with 227 entertainment options including: 30 movies ranging from family fun to action-packed, 86 entertaining and educational television programs, four audio books, 100 music CDs with musical programming available for even the most discerning fan and seven games. Customers can choose their on-demand entertainment through an intuitive seat-back touch screen and pay using a debit or credit card in the seat-back unit.

The aircraft will primarily fly between Santa Ana, Calif., Phoenix and Atlanta. Tray table liners with instructions on how to use the system, specially trained flight attendant product experts and a Lumexis representative will be available on all flights to assist customers and US Airways flight attendants working the flight. A survey is included in the system to allow customers to provide input on the types of entertainment they prefer and how the system can be enhanced.

US Airways’ Senior Vice President, Marketing and Planning, Andrew Nocella said, “US Airways is proud to have contributed to the development of the Lumexis system. During the flight trial we plan to learn more about the types of programming our customers want and how they want to pay for them. We’ll be testing bundled pay-per-use and a la carte pay-per-view options at different price points. Testing this system provides yet another option as we continue to expand our “pay for what you choose to use” business model. The data we’ll gather will also help us determine our long-term domestic in-flight entertainment plans.”

Douglas Cline, CEO of Lumexis added, “The IFE Industry was introduced to superior performance and ease of using FTTS™ at the World Airline Entertainment Association Convention in Long Beach, Calif. last year. As a result, airlines and aircraft manufacturers around the world will be closely following this first-ever deployment of a fully fiber optic-based network. The Lumexis team is delighted to be getting airborne with US Airways and to working with its cabin crews and passengers during the trial.”
About Lumexis

Lumexis Corporation is a developer, manufacturer and marketer of advanced In-Flight Entertainment and Communication Systems built on a core competency in fiber optic technology. With headquarters adjacent to Orange County, California’s John Wayne Airport, the company may be reached at +1.714.641.4900 or on the Web at www.lumexis.com.

About US Airways

US Airways was America’s number one on-time airline in 2008 among the “Big Six” hub-and-spoke airlines according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) monthly Air Travel Consumer Report. US Airways, along with US Airways Shuttle and US Airways Express, operates more than 3,100 flights per day and serves 200 communities in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. The airline employs nearly 34,000 aviation professionals worldwide and is a member of the Star Alliance network, which offers our customers more than 16,500 daily flights to 912 destinations in 159 countries worldwide. And for the tenth consecutive year, the airline received a Diamond Award for maintenance training excellence from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its Charlotte, North Carolina hub line maintenance facility. For more company information, visit usairways.com. (LCCG)

Wow, the Internet has been buzzing about the Lumexis install on US Airways A320 demo plane. We have been getting unsolicited input from our spy network and we thought our readers would like to get up to speed. 

Firstly, the Lumexis fiber optic system has been installed on airplane T/N 680 in Rome, New York. With work beginning on Jan. 5, 2009 it took some 23 days to complete it. All seats have been equipped for a total of 150 stations. A FAA flight test was performed last week. Insiders state that installation supplier, Inflight Canada, exclaimed that Lumexis is the easiest retrofit of this level of system they have ever performed!  One source noted that one of the installers said that with a bit of pre-installation effort on “A” checks, planes like A330’s and A340’s could be retrofitted in 7 days! Think about it, cable placement has been made a lot easier because of the complete disregard for EMI/RFI issues – cable placement and noise are a thing of the past because of the under floor seat boxes and dedicated cable “tubes”.  

We also understand that Inflight Canada designed the iCache system, which uses a patented beam (stringer) grabber that greatly did away with the drilling, rivets and sealing used in normal mechanical installs, and yes, we asked our spies about the fiber optic cable installation in the seats. It seems Smallhorn went to the Canadian Military to get smart on these processes and we hear they got a real education. The military uses a lot of fiber and has developed a skill set with this technology. This probably contributed to the easy seat modification that ensued. The system needed no special ATE or test equipment… they plugged in cables and it worked! About the only note we feel should be made is with respect to weight. While the Lumexis system itself is probably the lightest installed, full capability in-flight entertainment system, the added boxes and tubes of the full installation package no doubt raised the final number. 

The Inflight Canada and Lumexis folks aren’t talking but we think there is another North American customer in the works. As soon as the final DCN’s are submitted and approved, the system will be certified to fly un-placarded and powered up with passengers. We hear the plane is in service today, flying out of Phoenix. Additionally, we understand a full offering is planned for each seat when in service. Specially trained flight attendants will explain and promote the system to passengers. Pax usage data is to be downloaded to the airline’s operations center after landing. The EV-DO, cellular-based Secure Data Bridge facility (cell phone network) that supports the data gathering was tested during the FAA-mandated verification flight. We understand it worked extremely well and may be the new standard of data IFE download (Yes, we know it is not new). 

Here is a great blog for more insider stuff:�
http://www.usaviation.com/forums/index.php?s=05b9be18f7bb021586142309f44e477a&showtopic=44898