ARINC Direct… A Triple Tell (SATCOM)

[SatNews] Two of the Company’s latest announcement involve SwiftBroadband, while the third deals with a new teaming agreement…

ARINC Direct(sm) has announced a new high-speed Voice over IP (VoIP) service for business and corporate aircraft using Inmarsat SwiftBroadband™ connectivity. Unlike standard VoIP offerings, the new ARINC SwiftBroadband VoIP service is designed to take maximum advantage of SwiftBroadband architecture by carrying both accelerated data and VoIP traffic together without a conflict. This capability is unique. ARINC installed a complete hardware infrastructure earlier this year to host the new VoIP service at its Annapolis, Maryland, headquarters. The company became an Inmarsat Distribution Partner in 2010. The new VoIP service is available immediately to ARINC Direct customers with proper equipage. More information is available this week October 10-12 at ARINC Direct Booth N4421 of the NBAA 2011 Convention in Las Vegas, NV.



ARINC Direct has added new Hot Spot Tracking capability to its popular SwiftBroadband(sm) Internet service for corporate and charter jets. The new feature enables real-time tracking of in-flight Internet usage, as well as real-time purchase of Internet connectivity in flight. The new ARINC solution promises to simplify cost allocation among corporate departments or among multiple individuals using today’s popular “hot spot” connectivity in the cabins of business aircraft. No onboard technology is required to activate ARINC Direct Hot Spot Tracking, which is implemented in software on the ground. The feature is available immediately to customers of ARINC Direct SwiftBroadband Internet service. The in-flight Internet purchase capability allows onboard users to buy megabyte “blocks” of Internet connectivity using a credit card. ARINC technology on the ground provides real-time credit card verification, and the user sees an on-screen display that keeps track of account usage during the flight.

The third announcement by the Company finds them with a teaming agreement with the FlightRisk® service of Polaris Aero LLC, which will enable thousands of business aviation pilots to share their airfield experiences in real time through the ARINC Direct flight planning service. Web-based FlightRisk consolidates and analyzes current airfield data from multiple publications, weather sources, and pilot members. When a pilot requests information, FlightRisk responds with the data most applicable to a specific flight. The initial integration of FlightRisk into ARINC Direct’s SMS Toolset has been completed. Customers now have the ability to complete pre-flight risk assessments using ARINC Direct Smart SMS forms and the FlightRisk Airfield Assessment tool. Airfield Assessment helps pilots identify potential risk areas encountered by others during ground taxi, departure, or arrival portions of a flight. This helps pilots put mitigation plans in place to help reduce their overall risk. After a flight, pilots are encouraged to share their experiences with other ARINC Direct customers by using the FlightRisk Post Flight Assessment tool. FlightRisk analysis and post flight assessments are currently limited to Domestic U.S. airports, but the companies expect to add International locations in the near future. ARINC Direct and FlightRisk also plan to enhance integration between the two systems.