Tenzing Communications has joined aviation electronics maker
Rockwell Collins and Airbus in an agreement to offer communications
and data management systems and services to airlines and airline
passengers.
Tenzing will join the partnership between Rockwell Collins and
Airbus that was originally launched in July 2000. Financial terms
of the deal were not disclosed, nor was a timeline for the roll-out
of services, planned over three phases.
Tenzing will contribute its in-flight messaging communications to
the partnership, including its proprietary software for running
computer servers aboard aircraft.
The partnership already includes aviation electronics systems
expertise from Rockwell Collins and the Airbus in-Flight
Information System (AFIS) platform.
Boeing represents the most direct competition for Tenzing, Rockwell
Collins and Airbus, with its Connexion by Boeing service, a
broadband data communications service that relies on satellites to
deliver Internet connectivity to aircraft.
Japan Airlines (JAL) yesterday announced its intention to work with
Connexion by Boeing to offer Internet access on some of its
aircraft flying between Japan and Europe.
Boeing was forced to rein in plans for Connexion by Boeing, when
its three primary partners, AMR's American Airlines, Delta Air
Lines and UAL's United Air Lines, withdrew financial support and
pulled out of the Connexion project last year.
German airline Lufthansa AG is still involved with the project and
is expected to become the first airline to make the Connexion by
Boeing service available to its customers sometime this year.
Tenzing, Rockwell Collins and Airbus are taking a measured approach
to its onboard airline Internet services, which will include
e-mail, Internet, corporate intranet, live television and other
entertainment services.
Tenzing already has the capability to allow passengers to send and
receive e-mails in-flight over either a laptop or an in-seat video
screen using a wireless LAN connection in the aircraft.
Tenzing's customers include Cathay Pacific Airways and the company
has also teamed with Baker Electronics to offer CabinLINK, an
in-flight, e-mail and Internet browsing service for corporate and
private airline passengers.
In the first phase of three companies' services roll-out, users
will be able to send and receive e-mails as well as short text
messages (SMS) from their aircraft seats to and from cell phones on
the ground, the companies said.
Phase two will include high-speed data communication links using
the Swift64 system from Inmarsat and high-speed transceivers from
Rockwell Collins, while phase three will involve adding broadband
satellite connectivity to deliver live entertainment and television
content.