Chinese IFE company eyes international market

A new Chinese company will be making its debut at the Aircraft Interiors Expo this year. Lefeel Media Technology was founded in August 2007 as a portable IFE products and services provider.

Speaking exclusively to Gethins Inflight News, international marketing and sales manager Junrou Xia says, Lefeel was and still is the only portable IFE products and service provider in China, and this was the primary reason for us to enter into this market, domestic market in particular. Luckily enough, we are on the right track in the domestic market.

The company has become the leading IFE system manufacturer in China with customers China Southern Airlines (CSA), Spring Airlines, Deer Air, and ChongQing Airlines.

CSA is its largest customer having purchased over 1000 units. Says Xia, We have received very positive feedback from China Southern and their passengers.

The portable player branded Aircraft Portable Entertainment System (APES) includes embedded software, hardware and supporting hardware. Each unit consists of a portable personal computer, independently developed by Lefeel, with battery recharge cabinet, content upgrade system operational support systems and background statistical analysis system. The company has developed more than 170,000 lines of software codes for the system.

The unit is designed to be stylish, light with a seven inch high resolution touchscreen LCD monitor. It weighs 500grams, can store up to 70 movies as well as thousands of audio tracks, can play up to nine hours of video continuously, and supports multiple languages. It also supports interactive games like puzzles, chess, and cards and handwriting. The software also includes Internet explorer. The company has applied for patents and copyright.

Lefeel provides turnkey solutions of content, programming and logistics. The company consists of 70 qualified staff with degrees and masters in IT and physics.

Lefeel is looking forward to exhibiting at the Expo, with an eye to the international market. Xia explains, This Aircraft Interiors Expo will be our first Expo show. For us it is not only a ordinary show, it will be our opportunity to get to know the international market, get to know both air carriers around the world and our competitors.

'In 2008, we started to look into the international portable IFE market. It obviously was not the best time to enter, however we did not have much option as the domestic market was not a huge market.

Xia adds, So far, the difficulties we face in the international market are lack of understanding of the market, choosing the right business model and a "made in China" perception from airlines. We therefore decided to offer "Hire Purchase" application and long term onsite technician support services to our international clients in 2009.