Safran Passenger Innovations has introduced a set of new cloud-based services to drive its next generation In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity (IFEC) platform, called the ‘RAVE Cloud Services’.
RAVE Cloud Services will have two main elements, Distribution Services and Edge Cloud Computing Services. The cloud infrastructure deployed both on the ground and on the aircraft, creating a scalable, reliable, and flexible service-based infrastructure, is designed to move large volumes of data to and from aircraft, as well as process and store large volumes of data onboard the aircraft.
What is RAVE Cloud Sync?
RAVE Cloud Sync is a content distribution service that uses multiple concurrent pathways to update IFE or airline content to aircraft fleets quickly and remotely. Content is transferred using satellite connectivity, cellular modem, aircraft Wi-Fi networks and even physical media if needed. This mix of different concurrent pathways allows large volumes of content to be delivered in a short timeframe. This service will ultimately allow airlines to be constantly integrating new content onto their fleet, breaking the current monthly content cycle paradigm and providing a much more dynamic experience for passengers.
RAVE Cloud Deploy is a distribution service with a focus on software installation and activation. This service also utilizes multiple distribution pathways, with the key difference being how software deployments are managed. RAVE Cloud Deploy uses a centralized tool to easily manage this process across large fleets, with a reporting mechanism providing Realtime status.
Edge Cloud Computing Services
Edge Cloud Computing technologies will be the foundation of the next generation RAVE Platform. Safran Passenger Innovations is combining two technologies that are commonly used on the ground, “Edge Computing” and “Cloud Computing”. Deploying them onboard aircraft is a novel and innovative way that provides significantly more capability and capacity.
Edge computing is running workloads at the “edge”, closer to devices and end users, whereas “cloud” computing is a broad term that includes running all types of workloads in a cloud service provider’s data center. In context of this product, the aircraft would be considered the “edge” and Safran Passenger Innovations is creating a “cloud” data center on each aircraft by leveraging the computing and storage resources already installed onboard. Based on existing capability, Safran Passenger Innovations is designing its next generation platform without the need for a physical head end server at all, adding significant capability to every aircraft without additional cost or weight.
Safran Passenger Innovations’ Vice President of Products and Strategy, Ben Asmar says “We see RAVE Cloud Services as one of the next disruptors of the IFEC industry. It will completely change the way we look at possibilities on board the aircraft, opening new opportunities that are not possible today, and doing this by leveraging existing installed equipment. This means we will be able activate RAVE Cloud Services for our customers with a software update. No expensive and heavy new hardware required or complicated retrofits. We are leveraging the value of our customers previous investments and unlocking the power of the latest RAVE Platform.”
