Panasonic and AeroMobile Delivering Airline Passenger Voice and Mobile Data Solutions

01 April 2008 – Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic) and AeroMobile are working together to offer airlines the state-of-the-art eXPhone aircraft cellular communications solution allowing passengers to safely use their own cell phones in-flight.  For the first time Panasonic and AeroMobile make this capability available to airlines and their passengers in the most efficient and cost-effective manner, taking advantage of Panasonic’s market leading position in the supply of in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems.
 
This effort opens the door for a new wave of in-flight entertainment and communication that can be quickly integrated onboard commercial aircraft. Panasonic eXPhone integrates AeroMobile’s mobile phone technology into Panasonic’s in-flight entertainment system to support voice telephone, text messaging and GPRS mobile data services such as BlackBerrys®, push email and Internet access services.
 
Panasonic eXPhone offers benefits to airlines in terms of reduced weight and complexity over two separate cellular and IFE systems.
 
V Australia has just announced that it will be the launch customer for the Panasonic eXPhone-AeroMobile solution when it launches operations later in 2008. Utilizing the Panasonic eXPhone system incorporating AeroMobile’s technology, V Australia passengers will have state of the art connectivity services and be able to send and receive SMS text messages via their mobile phones, and use GPRS devices such as BlackBerrys, Palm Treos® and mobile data-enabled PDAs.
 
Earlier this month, Dubai-based Emirates Airline launched an inflight mobile phone system, utilizing AeroMobile technology to enable its passengers to use their mobile phones to make voice calls, send, and receive SMS text messages.
 
Under the relationship, AeroMobile will supply its aircraft ‘pico cell’ technology to Panasonic, which will also use existing Panasonic units to complete the Panasonic eXPhone system.
 
"AeroMobile view our relationship with Panasonic as absolutely central to the rapid and efficient roll-out of the AeroMobile service,” said Bjorn-Taale Sandberg, Chief Executive Officer of AeroMobile Limited. “Our two companies are the optimum mix of how passenger connectivity can be delivered to the airline industry and its passengers and offers exciting opportunities for new, converged communications and entertainment products,” he added.
 
"At Panasonic, we believe that people need to be connected in the air,” said Paul Margis, Chief Executive Officer at Panasonic Avionics Corporation. “We have teamed with an exceptional in-flight GSM operator, AeroMobile to deliver our solution, eXPhone.”
 
About AeroMobile
AeroMobile Limited is a UK-based company owned by ARINC Inc and Telenor ASA. It has been pursuing the objective of allowing the safe use of passengers own mobile phones and PDAs since 2003 in response to market demands. AeroMobile is the first in-flight mobile technology to be commercially available and first flew in June 2005 on Boeing’s 777-200LR ‘Worldliner’ demonstrator aircraft.
 
Its innovative systems are already in use with Emirates Airline, and will be launched by V Australia and Turkish Airlines later this year.
 
AeroMobile is teamed with Panasonic Avionics Corporation, the Panasonic’s market-leading in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems provider, to offer the AeroMobile aircraft technology under the eXPhone brand as an integral part of Panasonic’s IFE systems.
 
More information may be found at www.aeromobile.net.
 
About Panasonic Avionics Corporation
Panasonic Avionics Corporation is the world's leading supplier of in-flight entertainment (IFE) and communication systems. The company’s best-in-class solutions, supported by professional maintenance services, fully integrate with the cabin enabling airlines to deliver the ultimate travel experiences with a rich variety of entertainment choices, resulting in improved quality communication systems and solutions, reduced time-to-market and lower overall costs.
 
Established in 1979, Panasonic Avionics serves over 200 customers worldwide and provides systems on over 3,700 aircraft.  Headquartered in Lake Forest, California, the company employs over 2,600 employees with operations in 80 locations worldwide. For additional information, please visit www.panasonic.aero.
 
Panasonic Avionics Corporation is a subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE: MC). Additional information on Matsushita Electric and Panasonic is available at www.panasonic.com.
 
###
 
For more information contact:
 
For Aeromobile
Steve Double or Charlie Hampton
at Bell Pottinger Business & Brand
Telephone: 020 7861 2449/2431
champton@bell-pottinger.co.uk
 
For Panasonic
Theresa Yeoh
Tel: 1-949-462-1730
theresa.yeoh@panasonic.aero