AI America Review 2008 10/7/08 10:21 Page 14
14
AN INNOVATIVE
SOLUTION FOR A
21
ST
CENTURY AIRLINE
Situation: onboard TDL. The TDL downloads the content In 2007, American completed installation of
A global airline with a shrinking IFE budget is to an IFE fileserver, regardless of fileserver TDLs and digital fileservers on its fleet of 47
currently managing multiple PED products plus manufacturer or IFE type: in-seat or overhead. B777 aircraft, began installations of TDLs and
content for different IFE suppliers’ digital media digital fileservers on its 767-200 and 757 fleets in
servers for various fleet types. They need help 2008, and its B737 fleets will install in 2009.
creating a streamlined content delivery and “Upon completion,” says American, “the IFE for
loading infrastructure. almost 400 aircraft will be supported by this
single common content delivery infrastructure.”
Background: American is so pleased with its collaboration
Southern California IFE solutions provider, The with IMS that it submitted the results for
IMS Company, has been helping airlines automate consideration in the 20th Annual WAEA and
and integrate their content delivery supply chains Skytrax Avion Awards competition for “Best
through the use of solutions like the Next Achievement in Technology”.
Generation Terminal Data Loader (TDL-NG) that Virgin America uses the TDL as a wireless
interfaces with a Content Delivery Network, router on 27 aircraft with 9 more scheduled.
permitting content loading across multiple fleets The bidirectional capability of the TDL allows When the aircraft lands at the airport, the TDL
via the same ground-based infrastructure. airlines to verify the status of their content loads establishes a wireless connection that
Featuring “insert and go” data loading, IMS’ by looking at the GUI. Load status, BIT configures the TDL to allow the secure Virgin
Terminal Data Loader (TDL) is installed in the information and usage statistics are wirelessly America network to tunnel into the eFX IFE
aircraft where it provides both embedded and offloaded using either 802.11 or cellular networks system. Once this tunnel is established, the
wireless load/offload technologies for direct and distributed to various sites. ground software offloads credit card
loading of content to cabin media servers. transactions and usage statistics. The tunnel
Real-world Testimonials: also allows the ground software to update and
Solution: Very similar to the above situation, IMS and install the menu and content changes at any
The TDL is the centrepiece of an integrated American Airlines have created multiple unique time throughout the month.
solution that uses a common ground-based portable IFE solutions for distinctly different British Airways uses the technology, which
infrastructure. Under this infrastructure, all market requirements, and built a common supports the delivery of daily news from BBC
content, regardless of platform, is aggregated, ground-based digital content delivery World, on 95 aircraft, while American uses this
integrated and pushed to Content Load Stations infrastructure to support all of these solutions plus network to update their “CBS Eye on American”
(CLSs) at multiple airport locations. The CLS is support Panasonic and Rockwell Collins’ onboard program. American also receives multiple-times
used to load content onto the hard drives of all media servers for five different fleet types. daily news updates from Reuters by way of IMS’
the different PEDs and removable hard drives American Airlines says, “One of the greatest Web Services-based Blast!
(RHDDs). The RHDDs and PEDs are docked in keys to American’s success in managing two PED
cabinets, called GPODs, designed with the products plus manage content for two different
flexibility to accommodate varying quantities and IFE suppliers’ fileservers for five different fleet types
mixes of PEDs and RHDDs. has been the development of a common ground- For information contact Harry Gray,
Once uploaded with new content, RHDDs are based digital content delivery infrastructure... in Vice President Sales and Marketing -
then taken to the aircraft and placed into an collaboration with IFE solutions provider, IMS.” hgray@imsco-us.com
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