Messages will include real-time flight data showing the aircraft’s altitude, type, air-speed and other flight-specific information.
LAKE FOREST, CALIFORNIA – Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic) and Flight Level Media (FLM) have announced the signing of an exclusive multi-year partnership to offer a suite of complimentary in-flight social media applications.
Building on a trusted two-year partnership, Panasonic and FLM are launching a Facebook infight posting app that will enable passengers to post unlimited one-directional free messages throughout a flight.
Messages will include real-time flight data showing the aircraft's altitude, type, air-speed and other flight-specific information. Each message – both on and off aircraft – will also contain promotional and advertising opportunities with click-through capabilities including "opt in" data capture fields.
The initial launch will be followed by applications for Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Scott Scheer, Director, eXTV & Ancillary Services at Panasonic Avionics Corporation said: "We're thrilled to continue our partnership with Flight Level Media. They have a great record of delivering new and engaging experiences that take advantage of connectivity.
"This extended partnership acknowledges the continued strong demand for specific and unique social media experiences in flight."
Dan Callahan, CEO, Flight Level Media adds: "We are delighted to grow our relationship with Panasonic, a world-class inflight entertainment and connectivity provider. This joint product offering connects the inflight audience, their social media networks and media buyers in a new, easy to use and fun way.
"With our significant experience in airline operations, media sales and application development, FLM understands the importance of data-driven solutions that address many of the challenges associated with in-flight media while simultaneously enhancing the customer experience."
Panasonic and FLM's relationship began in 2014 with the joint launch of the Postcards from the Plane product on Lufthansa's FlyNet equipped aircraft.
Panasonic Avionics lauches ground-breaking ZeroTouch service
Also, Panasonic has announced the launch of ZeroTouch service- its unique and innovative service that simultaneously gives airlines real-time visibility into performance, improves the efficiency of its maintenance operations and also enables data transfer of passenger-facing content to an aircraft to improve the passenger experience.
Paul Margis, CEO of Panasonic Avionics, said: "As an industry leader and trusted partner for over 35 years, Panasonic understands the infrastructure and support airlines require. Our data-driven, real-time ZeroTouch service combines all areas of our in-house expertise to help airlines maximize the efficiencies of their business and reduce their operational expenses."
"Using the ZeroTouch service, our customers gain a seamless and efficient method to operate and manage their aircraft – from any location, at any time. They'll have real-time visibility into fleet performance. They'll use a robust infrastructure that lets them continuously and seamlessly improve their operations and the passenger experience. In essence, they'll be able to solve real business challenges."
The ZeroTouch Service Vision: Panasonic's ZeroTouch service will reduce an airline's need to physically touch the aircraft because all interactions are managed through a virtual dashboard. By providing access to real-time passenger data, software, media and content updates can be data-driven, helping to deliver a relevant and personalized passenger experience. Updates will be sent to an aircraft via three high-speed pipes – Wi-Fi at the gate, aircraft cell modem, or even in flight using Panasonic's global broadband eXConnect service.
When combined with dynamic content updates, the ZeroTouch service will offer an improvement from an airline's traditional 30-day media update cycle by enabling live updates to data and files stored on a Panasonic inflight entertainment and communications system. Applications such as movies, games, advertising, live news, and more will be automatically loaded at any time, over any available communications pipe to an entire fleet.
Strategic planning also will be made easier through the actionable insight solution provides. Airlines are presented with both a detailed picture of their aircraft and a broader overview of their fleet. This allows more informed decisions to be made in media consumption, system health monitoring, aircraft maintenance, and much more. The service automatically downloads critical operational data during flight meaning maintenance teams are notified of upcoming tasks and are able to prepare solutions prior to landing.
ZeroTouch Service Deployment Timeline: Today Panasonic is in Phase One of its ZeroTouch service initiative, and is already delivering payloads of up to 700 Megabytes to aircraft over cell modem and its eXConnect service multiple times per day.
By the third quarter of 2017, Panasonic will enter a Phase Two trial, which will leverage a new, more robust and more efficient core infrastructure and an enhanced management console. During this time frame, the company will also introduce the Enhanced Cell Modem with advanced Wi-Fi capabilities that will open up a third communications pipe to the aircraft.
Full commercial availability including content, media and software loading as well as operational data offloading is expected to immediately follow the Q3 2017 trial.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
