American Airlines, a long-time customer of The IMS Company, has turned to the in-flight entertainment and connectivity firm for assistance as it deploys 6,000 new Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets in premium cabins on transatlantic and some international flights.
The US major has named southern California-based IMS as the systems integrator responsible for the repurposing and integration of the tablet into the in-flight environment.
American is the first North American airline to offer a branded tablet on board its aircraft for in-flight entertainment purposes, said IMS.
The Galaxy Tab 10.1, which combines the Android platform; ultra-slim, lightweight design; a 10-inch touchscreen; and an array of applications, replaces five-year-old personal electronic devices that the airline and IMS pioneered as in-flight entertainment's first 'semi-embedded' portable media player. The clamshell design of the Fujitsu-based device opened to slide into a seatback shell where the device connected to in-seat power, or could be removed and held on the passenger's lap or tray table.
"We are very pleased that when the time came to replace these remarkably sturdy five-year old players that American did not hesitate to continue that partnership," said IMS CEO and founder Joseph Renton.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
