April 4, 2007 – E.DIGITAL says it has supplied 120 examples of its eVU handheld IFE player for use by Alitalia premium-class passengers. The Californian company is also providing support equipment and services.

e.Digital describes the order from the Italian carrier as part of a package of new contracts worth more than $2.5 million.

eVU is available in two versions – with a 7in or an 8in LCD screen - with 40-200Gb of storage. e.Digital claims 14 hours of continuous video playback on a single battery charge, and says that the removable pack incorporates the latest in battery safety features.

The Alitalia deal is the first to have been announced by e.Digital outside the terms of its agreement with UK-based Mezzo, which includes eVU in the turnkey IFE service that it supplies to British low-cost carriers Jet2 and Flyglobespan and transatlantic premium-only operator Silverjet. Mezzo executive director Martin Cunnison says that another three undisclosed airlines are also offering the service, in pre-rollout form.

This announcement from e.Digital reflects a continuing turn for the better in the company’s fortunes. Having played a role in launching the original APS digEplayer, which effectively created the handheld IFE sector, e.Digital subsequently found itself embroiled in messy rows with former customer digEcor over intellectual property and non-delivery of digEplayers by third-party manufacturers. Its toehold in Alitalia, along with Mezzo’s early successes, suggests that e.Digital may finally be emerging as a credible player in the handheld market.