Honeywell Aerospace (Stand 549) has rolled out new support tools aimed at giving operators better control over their business aircraft satellite communications systems. The new GoDirect cabin connectivity suite of services gives operators direct access to their aircraft’s connectivity network via mobile devices or an online portal.
GoDirect allows operators to put in place limitations on available data rates, so that, for example, passengers and crew might not be permitted to activate data-heavy software upgrades for their electronic devices. Operators can also isolate the costs associated with connectivity, which might be especially helpful for those who are flying different groups of passengers under different terms and conditions (for example, a charter flight versus a mission for the aircraft owner). Another way operators can use GoDirect is to gain visibility into their connectivity services for troubleshooting, networking and onboard data management.
“Expectations of fast and consistent connections are second nature in the minds of passengers, said John Peterson, Honeywell Aerospace director of customer and product support. “Troubleshooting support issues for in-flight systems has grown so complex, so it is important that operators can access all the services and support they need from a single provider.”
He also noted that GoDirect makes it easy to switch between restricted-use connectivity for, say, charter passengers, and the aircraft owner or principal, who likely wants and is willing to pay for unrestricted access.
“This means that our customers can get control of data bills that we’ve seen increasing over the past three to five years by around 30 to 50 percent in some cases,” explained Peterson. “They want tools to allow them to get control of this so that they can make decisions on connectivity usage that both meet their needs and allow them to stay on budget, or at least be able to make conscious decisions about going over budget.”
The GoDirect cabin connectivity suite includes the satellite communications network and satellite communications toolkit, used to help operators monitor the network, troubleshoot problems and make configuration changes. GoDirect routing software automatically manages connections between available connectivity channels, according to Honeywell, to help provide uninterrupted service to passengers. The GoDirect portal and access tools allow operators to manage passenger access and see information on data consumption for each aircraft. The GoDirect filter further enables streamlining and prioritization of in-flight data use “to improve speeds and manage a better experience for passengers.”
Honeywell also announced the new CNX-900 cabin network router, which in addition to running GoDirect software, adds new Wi-Fi technology allowing downloading of large files, video streaming, linking to a VPN and the ability to connect more devices to the internet.
The older CNX-200 router will soon be upgradeable with new software, which removes end-of-life status for that unit. The upgrade includes the ability to run GoDirect software and will be available at the end of 2016.
