Note JetStar is now in their fold....they were originally with digecor.

February 26, 2008 – DUBLIN-based handheld IFE provider AIRVOD has emerged from a self-imposed news blackout to claim a flying - if belated - start to its commercial operations.

The company originally planned on first deliveries in 2006 (Inflight Online, May 22, 2006). “It took longer than planned to get our offering where we wanted it to be,” admits chief executive Terence Bonar. “But we started delivering players in the third quarter of last year, we have already shipped 3,000 units, and the order book is growing.”

Bonar says AIRVOD launched its first programme, with Singaporean low-fare operator Tiger Airways, last May. Tiger currently operates about eight Airbus A320-200s, with a further 58 on order for its own use and that of its Australian and Korean sister companies. Passengers pay Sing$15 ($11) for the use of a player throughout the flight.

Then came a fleetwide deployment with Qantas-owned low-fare carrier Jetstar Airways, which operates 26 A320-200s, with a further 58 on order, and six A330-200s. It also has 17 A321-200s and 15 Boeing 787s on order.

“We replaced the first-generation digEcor system previously used,” says Bonar. “Jetstar now offers our player on domestic and long-haul flights, and we manage an end-to-end service comprising content packages in multiple languages and complete ground support.”

AIRVOD’s third announced customer to date is Geneva-based VIP charter operator PrivatAir, with a fleet comprising four Airbus A319s, a Boeing BBJ, a 737-800, a 757-200 and a 767-300ER. It also has a pair of 787s on order. “We introduced our system with PrivatAir last November,” says Bonar. “It has since been used by members of the British royal family and by Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s entourage.”

Bonar expects to see further deals in the next 12 months. “We have a number of trials under way and the year is already looking very good,” he declares. “We’re confident that we will continue to gain market share.”

AIRVOD originally unveiled its hardware, then branded “mach5,” in September 2005. Now known simply as “the AIRVOD player,” the 1.7kg unit features an 8.4in, 800x600-resolution LCD screen; 60, 80 or 100Gb of storage; a reader to support pre-payment cards and credit-card transactions; 802.11a/b/g WiFi for email, Internet access and VoIP in the future; and a choice of 10 or 20-hour batteries alongside the ability to plug into in-seat power.

The device also supports two capabilities that AIRVOD claims as unique: Power-Over-Ethernet and Device Intelligence System.

The company believes its Power-Over-Ethernet provision will support much speedier content loading and impose less pressure on the carrier’s turnround schedules. With a capacity of 2Gb/sec from the content server to an array of switches, and 100Mb/sec from the switches to the individual devices, the system will load content as fast as the built-in hard drives can receive it. “If needed, we will be able to load over a thousand devices simultaneously,” says Bonar.

The company says its Device Intelligence System offers airlines and their content providers an unprecedented ability to track and record how passengers use the units, yielding intelligence that can be downloaded quickly over the Ethernet link to support new content choices and provide suppliers with verifiable information on how their content is being used.