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Global Eagle Entertainment

Global Eagle Entertainment

Global Eagle Entertainment, Inc.
Public
Traded asNASDAQ:ENT
IndustryTechnology, Aviation, Entertainment, Advertising, Communications, Analytics
Founded2013
HeadquartersMarina del Rey, CA,United States
Number of locations
Irvine, CA Lakeforest, CA Lombard, IL New York, NY Reston, VA Dallas, TX Montreal, QC Barranquilla, Colombia London, UK Manchester, UK Sundsvall, Sweden Madrid, Spain Johannesburg, South Africa Dubai, UAE Mumbai, India Singapore Beijing, China Auckland, NZ
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Dave Davis (CEO) Wale Adepoju (CCO) Mike Zemetra (CFO) Aditya Chatterjee (CTO) Ajay Malhotra (CIO) Ed Shapiro (Chairman)
ProductsIn-flight entertainment In-flight connectivity Entertainment distribution Media processing Electronic flight bags Operational data solutions
Revenue[[INLINE_IMAGE|https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Increase2.svg/11px-Increase2.svg.png|//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Increase2.svg/17px-Increase2.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Increase2.svg/22px-Increase2.svg.png 2x|Increase|h11|w11]]US$ 426.0 million (FY 2015)
Number of employees
1,000
Websitewww.geemedia.com
Footnotes / references[1]

Introduction

Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE) is a worldwide provider of in-flight entertainment and connectivity solutions that improve the airline passenger experience.

GEE provides a full-service platform of aircraft communications systems, operations solutions and media content to more than 200 airlines worldwide.

[2] GEE’s product portfolio is organised into four business lines:

  • Content Services for the creation, acquisition, processing and delivery of video, audio and interactive programming for inflight entertainment systems

  • Connectivity Systems that include the design, operation and support of platforms and networks that provide Internet connectivity to aircraft

  • Digital Media Solutions for the curation, delivery and monetization of content, connectivity and transaction services on passenger mobile devices

  • Operations Solutions for the capture, processing, delivery and analysis of operational, administrative and crew-related aircraft data

Product Lines

GEE’s Connectivity solutions provide communications hardware and services that provide high-speed satellite-based Internet to major airlines worldwide.

GEE has been awarded the “Best In-flight Connectivity and Communications” award for 2013, 2014 and 2015 by APEX.

[3] Specific product and service lines include:

  • Satellite network operations

  • Aircraft antenna systems

  • Aircraft cabin network infrastructure

GEE’s Content solutions power in-flight entertainment on the majority of the world’s commercial airline fleet.

GEE delivers content in 47 languages across 150 countries, and has a sixty percent share of the IFE content market.

[4] The company distributes Hollywood, Asian, Bollywood, European and Middle Eastern content to airline, maritime and additional non-theatrical markets, and is the exclusive airline distributor of multiple movie products and content.

GEE is the exclusive technical laboratory for aviation content for major studios and is MPAA-certified throughout its technical operations.

GEE’s full-service, end-to-end content, media and entertainment services include:

  • On-board content programme development

  • Movie licencing for aerospace and maritime applications

  • Content processing including movie editing, subtitling and custom content

  • Live television broadcasting over satellite IP networks

  • Video-on-demand hardware and content management services

  • Portable in-flight entertainment solutions

GEE’s Digital Media solutions include applications, games and customer portals installed on more than 200 aircraft worldwide.

GEE offers advertising, branded content, interactive moving in-flight maps, destination and travel-related services, games, and video-on-demand programming.

GEE additionally powers airline transactions with customers in-flight and provides full-service advertising services for airport, lounge, in-flight and mobile application environments.

Specific Digital Media solutions include:

  • Live television

  • Wireless content (including video-on-demand content servers)

  • Music and audio programming

  • Destination information and offers

  • In-flight shopping

  • Flight tracking

  • Games and IFE interfaces

GEE’s Operations Solutions include Connected Aircraft services that source real-time operational and cabin data from fleets, link aircraft systems with ground networks, and analyse operational data to improve customer service and profitability.

GEE’s Operations Solutions products are designed to function with both IFC-enabled aircraft and with non-connected aircraft, depending on the airlines’ needs.

GEE is additionally a major provider of Electronic Flight Bag power and mounting systems, with cockpit hardware and power systems installed on more than 3,500 commercial aircraft.

[5]

Connectivity Products

GEE’s Connectivity products provides airlines with high-speed Internet communications services.

More than 35 million passengers utilise GEE-provided Internet infrastructure each year.

The GEE Airconnect Global connectivity system can utilise both Ku-band and Ka-band satellite transmissions depending on airline requirements and geographic coverage requirements.

GEE offers specialised network equipment, media applications and premium content services that enable airline passengers to access in-flight Internet, live television, on-demand content, texting services, shopping and travel-related information.

GEE’s Connectivity system is installed on over 700 aircraft including Southwest Airlines and Norwegian Air Shuttle, two of the largest fleets of Internet-connected aircraft.

GEE is a white-label provider of connectivity services: airlines determine branding and price point for Internet service on board.

GEE provides aircraft technical and network support including 24/7 monitoring of the connectivity performance and bandwidth of satellite-based services from its Network Operations Center (NOC) outside Chicago, IL.

Airconnect Global major customers include Southwest Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Mango Airlines, Icelandair, Air China (trial), NOK Air, Air France (trial), flydubai, Hainan Airlines and Beijing Capital Airlines.

Content Business

GEE’s Content business selects, procures, manages, encodes and distributes wholly owned and licenced media content, video and music programming, applications, digital advertising solutions and games to more than 150 airlines worldwide, as well as to maritime and additional away-from-home non-theatrical markets.

GEE sources a broad range of theatrical and television programmes from over 100 worldwide distributors including Warner Bros., NBC Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, CBS, Paramount, the BBC, Discovery, STX, Starz and The Walt Disney Company, as well as smaller international content providers.

GEE additionally provides e-readers and games to the in-flight entertainment market.

GEE operates an aviation-focused licencing and media distribution business.

GEE and its predecessors have been providing movies, television programming, games and audio programming for over 30 years.

Technical capabilities include encoding, editing and meta-data services performed at GEE technical facilities in California, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Auckland and India.

GEE additionally produces corporate videos, safety videos, animated video content, podcasts and radio shows.

GEE offers media programming services to identify relevant and appropriate content and tailors movie selections based on airline specifications.

The GEE content business focuses on acquiring aviation-specific licences for major Hollywood, independent and international film and television productions, and marketing such distribution rights to the airline, maritime and additional non-theatrical markets.

GEE processes, edits and technically adjusts the content, including addition of subtitles and custom programming, and makes the content available for IFE systems and all associated services.

GEE Airconnect Global Antenna

GEE’s Airconnect Global system utilises an antenna platform capable of operations on either Ku-band and Ka-band.

The Airconnect Global antenna system utilises a unique three-axis precision pointing mechanism and steerable pointing system that optimises coverage, including throughout flights near or at the equator, at high latitudes, and throughout banking manoeuvres where alternative antenna designs lose reception.

In late 2015, GEE and Hughes Network Systems agreed to deploy Hughes' JUPITER™ System HT Aero Modem as part of the GEE Airconnect Global solution.

Hughes' HT Aero Modem features the JUPITER System second-generation SoC (System on a chip) that supports over 200 Mbit/s of throughput, a 10x increase in throughput performance to an individual aircraft compared to current-generation technology.

The modem is DO160 compliant and is compatible with GEE's current antenna system.

GEE has obtained Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) from the FAA, EASA and similar international agencies for the installation of network communications equipment.

GEE equipment is Boeing linefit on the new Boeing 737MAX and GEE holds STCs for the Boeing 737, 757, 777 and Airbus A320 aircraft types.

Digital Media

GEE Digital Media develops graphical user interfaces and gaming applications for a variety of IFE applications, including interactive electronic menus and magazines.

GEE additionally offers a catalogue of 150 game titles customised for the in-flight environment, with multi-year licences from partners like Disney, EA, Popcap, Rovio, Tetris, Namco Bandai, DK and Berlitz.

GEE’s Entice™ system is an in-cabin Wi-Fi solution that enables passenger IFE and connectivity solutions through passengers’ personal devices.

Entice is an easy-to-install system that delivers content directly to all personal devices, including passenger laptops, tablets and smartphones utilising Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology to offer secured viewing of Hollywood content with a customizable user interface.

Entice hardware consists of a storage management unit (“SMU”) and wireless router and can be installed on a plane overnight.

Airlines update content on Entice through a dedicated wireless network.

Entice combines content, distribution and technology to provide the most complete offering of on-board IFE content tailored to geographical and passenger demographics.

News content and sports programming can be refreshed daily.

GEE offers live television programming delivered over satellite networks on board aircraft for passenger viewing on multiple devices.

GEE IPTV solutions transmit live television channels to passengers across the globe.

The standard GEE television package includes up to 20 live channels, including a variety of programming options like news channels, major broadcast networks, sports and specialty cable network channels.

GEE additionally offers a large selection of video-on-demand content.

Operational Solutions

GEE’s solutions for airline operations include Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) and cloud-based operational data analytics systems.

In August 2015, GEE acquired masFlight, an analytics company focused on global airlines, airports and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

The Masflight platform combines near-real time global aircraft position data, flight information, airport operations, weather information and additional airline, commercial and government data feeds.

masFlight is delivered to subscribers through a cloud-based data warehouse, analytics applications, and interfaces that feed on-premises business intelligence platforms.

GEE’s EFB solutions were acquired in the August 2015 acquisition of Navaero Avionics AB.

Navaero EFB systems include tablet- and PC-based electronic flight bags, mounts, power systems and aircraft interface devices.

As of January 2016, Navaero equipment is installed on more than 3,500 aircraft worldwide.

Company History

GEE formed in January 2013 through the combination of three businesses:

  • Row44, a satellite communications and in-flight Internet service

  • Advanced Inflight Alliance (AIA), an in-flight entertainment company, including its subsidiary Entertainment in Motion

  • Global Eagle Acquisition Corp., a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC)

Since 2013, GEE has completed the following acquisitions:

  • Post-Modern Edit LLC in July 2013, which extended the GEE portfolio in media and content processing capabilities

  • IFES in October 2013, further expanding media content capabilities

  • Purple Inflight Entertainment in August 2014, expanding Indian media content

  • Western Outdoor Interactive (WOI) in July 2015, for gaming licencing and custom application development services for global IFE systems

  • Assets from RMG Networks in July 2015, for airline advertising solutions and services

  • Marks Systems, Inc. d/b/a Masflight in August 2015, for operational data analytics, weather and flight information services

  • Navaero Avionics AB in August 2015, for Electronic Flight Bag, cockpit power and mount systems, and on-board aircraft data servers

References

[1]
Citation Linken.wikipedia.orgThe original version of this page is from Wikipedia, you can edit the page right here on Everipedia.Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Additional terms may apply.See everipedia.org/everipedia-termsfor further details.Images/media credited individually (click the icon for details).
Jul 4, 2016, 6:49 PM
[2]
Citation Linkedgar.sec.gov"GEE 2015 Annual Report"
Jul 4, 2016, 6:49 PM
[3]
Citation Linkfiles.shareholder.comMarina Del Rey, Q1 2016. Retrieved on 3 April 2016.
Jul 4, 2016, 6:49 PM
[4]
Citation Linkapex.aero"And the 2015 Passenger Choice Award Winners Are…| Airline Passenger Experience"
Jul 4, 2016, 6:49 PM
[5]
Citation Linkedgar.sec.gov"10-K"
Jul 4, 2016, 6:49 PM
[6]
Citation Linkfuturetravelexperience.com"New GEE acquisitions to enable ‘connected aircraft vision’"
Jul 4, 2016, 6:49 PM