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Honeywell, Inmarsat in in-flight connectivity deal

London, April 22, 2012

Honeywell and Inmarsat have signed an exclusive agreement to provide global in-flight connectivity services to 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, a statement said. 

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, it said.

By combining Honeywell’s satellite communication capabilities with Inmarsat’s Global Xpress connectivity, travellers 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.  Passengers will have fast, reliable in-flight connectivity for their iPads, smartphones, tablet devices, and laptops while crossing oceans, it said.

“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’ 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.  With the roll-out of the Global Xpress network, Honeywell is in a leading position to deliver airborne connectivity solution to this rapidly expanding market, the statement said. – TradeArabia News Service




Tags: Inmarsat | Connectivity | Honeywell | In-flight |

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