TopConnect
TopConnect
— Suite of Connectivity Solutions
Today, we are the only IFEC company with more than 100 SATCOM installations that support worldwide Swift Broadband communications. Our solution takes full advantage of Inmarsat's I4 Series satellites and aero-services for flight deck voice and data connectivity, and enables throughput to the cabin for passenger mobile phone and Internet connection.
Air To Ground Connectivity
From Swift Broadband to Ka-Band.
SATCOM connectivity is a perfect complement to the many entertainment choices available to passengers, and is why the combination of TopConnect with our TopSeries systems make our solution very powerful. We provide comprehensive services from system installation, integration with third party systems and air-to-ground service networks.
Highly valued, time sensitive information, such as live credit card authorization, connecting gate information and news, empower passengers to buy what they want, get to their destination and stay on top of world events. Through the TopSeries system or coupled with their laptops and smart phones, passengers can access their personal and business communications through Email, SMS and Internet connection.
Always evolving, we are making successful strides forward keeping pace with the future of Ka-Band satellite coverage. Following our leading position with Swift broadband, Ka-Band is consistent with our philosophy of delivering on global coverage through a single satellite operator that provides commercially viable aircraft communications.
The dynamic performance between smart phones and TopSeries will allow passengers to plan their entertainment playlist before flight.
Earlier this year, we announced our excellent progress with the Airbus A350 team to get the TopConnect Ka-Band solution offerable on the A350 XWB aircraft. As part of the Thales TopConnect suite, this Ka-Band initiative is a priority with high demand expectations from 2014 and beyond. Thales will be listed in the Airbus A350 catalogue for Ka-Band connectivity.
We know that Ka-Band offers the airline community answers to the fundamental challenges of coverage, bandwidth and cost that have long prevented the deployment of successful and sustainable in-flight connectivity services. Ka-Band will be a game-changer and is part of the Thales growth strategy in cloud based applications and technology development. It will bring us to a new day with highly secure, affordable services which includes the potential for IP based media broadcast.
Wireless Ground Connectivity
Transforming ground operations.
For several years now, Thales and its partners have been designing and testing a wireless ground connectivity service which we coined the name, GateSync™. The mission of GateSync is to lower airline operating cost by consolidating content and data loading requirements into a single, seamless wireless connection to the aircraft.
With GateSync™, airlines will have fast, secure wireless transmission capability that optimizes ground operations and personalizes the passenger experience. Any time, any airport, GateSync™ moves time sensitive data, such as the passenger manifest, daily news, meal inventories, surveys, crew logs and system performance data, giving airlines new efficiencies and capabilities. It will also provide real-time access for remote diagnostics of the IFEC system and potentially other aircraft systems.
Unique to our solution, GateSync™ fuses together GSM, WiMax and Wi-Fi network technologies and determines which one is optimal for a given situation.
Examples of what can be done with GateSync:
- Multi-cast Content and Data from a ground station to one or more aircraft simultaneously.
- Cross-Load Content and Data from one aircraft to another.
- System diagnosis from the tarmac
- Eliminate paper, electronically approve work orders, order spares
- Monitor equipment and tool locations
Onboard the aircraft, GateSync™ components are integrated with the TopSeries System or an on-board network. At the core of the solution is Proximetry's patented AirSync/GS wireless management software which adds network intelligence that places content and data where and when it is needed. The ground-based infrastructure relies on CSC's existing private backbone network for the deployment and management of data at airports around the world. In essence, the aircraft is a active node in an airline's enterprise network which transforms the passenger experience and ground operations.
The Future Outlook
To date, much work has been done with airport authorities, airlines and OEMs to ensure the final GateSync™ solution will redefine the future of ground support. We continue to progress in our testing and validation efforts and plan for GateSync™ to be a reality by 2012.
The GateSync landscape is comprised of hardware systems, applications and services and ground IT networks.
Realizing the Dream of an e-Enabled Aircraft
