Honeywell Joins Forces with Inmarsat to Modernize Global In-Flight Connectivity
Honeywell and Inmarsat have signed an exclusive agreement to provide global in-flight connectivity services to business, commercial, and government aviation customers around the world.
Under the terms of the agreement, Honeywell will develop, produce, and distribute the onboard hardware that will enable users to connect to Inmarsat's Global Xpress network. This exclusive agreement is estimated to represent $2.8 billion for Honeywell in sales of hardware, customer service, and maintenance to airlines, government entities and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) over the next two decades. Global Xpress is scheduled for launch in 2013, with global service for commercial, business aviation, and government customers available in 2014.
According to a release, by combining Honeywell's satellite communication capabilities with Inmarsat's Global Xpress connectivity, travelers will be able to do everything from real-time social media, to video conferencing and multi-media presentation development while in-flight virtually anywhere in the world, with an experience similar to being at home or in the office.
"With this new service, the flow of information will no longer stop when the door to the aircraft closes," said Tim Mahoney, President and CEO, Honeywell Aerospace. "Honeywell identified global aircraft connectivity as a future growth trend, and through the combination of the recently acquired EMS Technologies, Inc.'s broad technology offerings and Honeywell's global aerospace franchise, the company is the perfect partner to launch the Inmarsat Global Xpress aerospace network. We believe this new network will significantly expand the connectivity options of consumer, business, and government customers around the world."
By the year 2016, it is estimated there will be 10 billion mobile devices in the world, and a global population of approximately 7.3 billion people. Demand for data traffic is expected to grow by a factor of 50 for smartphones and a factor of 62 for tablets. By 2016, it is estimated that 71 percent of all mobile traffic will be used for watching videos.
"Global Xpress will be the world's first global Ka-band service for aviation customers and will raise the bar for in-flight connectivity," said Leo Mondale, Managing Director, Global Xpress, Inmarsat. "Honeywell is the most qualified and credible technology partner in their field, and has put forward a superb technical solution for the Global Xpress aviation user terminal. Building on its truly global presence, which today supports a broad portfolio of aviation products and services, Honeywell will offer world class customer service, support, and maintenance for the Global Xpress connectivity products worldwide."
"Passengers worldwide are hungering for better connectivity and more expanded services during flights, driven in part by the explosion of tablet devices," said Carl Esposito, Vice President, Marketing and Product Management, Honeywell Aerospace. "Airlines are taking notice of this development and placing a higher value on passenger connectivity as a way to add value and differentiate their services."
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