Panasonic Promises IFEC App Store at WAEA 2010

Interesting idea to bring the Apple App Store concept to IFE. Wonder if it is for Applications (such as Moving Maps) or for content (such as TV shows).

The Panasonic Avionics App Store is intended to bring the energy and excitement of the rapidly expanding open platform application developer community to airlines and passengers worldwide. Panasonic has chosen CoKinetic Systems to help with the implementation of the application store.

“There is a huge community of developers creating really rich and exciting content for smart phones and computers that can be brought to the IFEC industry under the right conditions,” says Panasonic CEO Paul Margis. “The Panasonic Avionics App Store will support this community of developers using widely available tools and processes to create many different types of application, from traditional maps, games and user interfaces to revenue generating transaction applications for merchants and airlines.”

 CoKinetic CEO Kris Stevens says the store should dramatically reduce the time to market for new content, establishing a new pace of innovation in IFEC. "Developers would then see their ideas flying in a matter of weeks, and passengers will enjoy the same type of diverse, quirky, cutting-edge content they’ve come to expect in other market segments," he adds.

Panasonic says the app store will be the storefront and aggregation point for existing and future applications for Panasonic IFEC systems.  Airlines, through a secure log in, will be able to see apps available and under development and access the community of developers should they want their own apps developed.  Content owners and merchants who want their own applications developed and made available to the airlines will be able to access the app store to reach out to the developer community and have their apps created.

News source - Inflight-Online.com and Computer Aircraft Server

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