40 Success Stories: When Burrana Built Upon a Rich History in IFE
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To celebrate the 40th anniversary of APEX EXPO this year, we’re looking back at APEX members’ most significant achievements. Today, we revisit Burrana’s rich in-flight entertainment heritage.
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Burrana, the new company identity for digEcor revealed in January 2019 to mark its acquisition of Collins Aerospace’s in-flight entertainment (IFE) business, incorporates a rich history of legacy brands that have contributed to the improvement of the airline passenger experience.
In 1964, Sundstrand, the future parent company of Trans Com (which was later acquired by Sony before being absorbed by Rockwell Collins, now Collins Aerospace), introduced an audio entertainment solution based on the CAM200 tape system that offered 12 channels of audio for passengers to choose from as well as four channels of boarding music. The innovation helped set in motion the development of the IFE industry as it’s known today.
In 1996, Hughes Avicom, acquired the following year by Rockwell Collins, developed the Total Entertainment System (TES) IFE system, which provided passengers with an audio and video on demand experience.
In 1998, an Alaska Airlines employee created a portable hard-disk-based audio video on-demand media player, which became known as the digEplayer. It was launched on Alaska Airlines in 2003, with content provided by Twentieth Century Fox and Digital Music Express.
“We at Burrana are delighted to commemorate so many milestones and congratulate APEX and its members on its 40 year anniversary” – David Withers, Burrana
The digEplayer solution improved upon the existing Sony Hi8 player technology, which made use of 8mm video cassettes. As the first portable AVOD device created exclusively for the aviation industry, digEplayer created a new product category, representing the opportunity for single-aisle aircraft to offer IFE and generate ancillary revenue.
Burrana continues to scale up its presence in the IFE market. “In 2019, this industry – thanks to our heritage of innovation and commitment – delivers technology our predecessors once only dreamed of and a passenger experience that equals the momentum of rapidly changing technology on the ground,” said David Withers, CEO of Burrana. “We at Burrana are delighted to commemorate so many milestones and congratulate APEX and its members on its 40 year anniversary.”
See more posts from the 40 Success Stories campaign.