AERQ and ABOVE to automate the media content supply chain

AERQ and ABOVE, a joint-venture between castLabs and Touch Inflight Solutions, are entering into a collaboration to automate the media content supply chain for commercial aviation in the cloud.

The service is currently being developed and is foreseen to be available Q4 2023/Q1 2024. Once released, AERQ customers access to the industry’s fastest and most cost-efficient end-to-end service for video asset encoding, integration, and deployment to aircraft.

Under the collaboration, ABOVE will focus on media file encoding, metadata generation, digital rights management (DRM) protection and watermarking. AERQ will develop automated, cloud-based, fast system integration workflows that allow customers to quality check proper CMS integration in the cloud.

Both parties are convinced that the current highly manual, slow, and overly expensive media content supply chain can only be step-changed when it is newly designed in a collaboration of partners across different areas of responsibility.

According to a press statement, the integration of both parties’ workflows creates a true on-demand service that will allow service level agreements of as low as 24 hours for end-to-end content delivery to aircraft. The pair claim the collaboration also realises cost savings of up to 10x compared to incumbent media processing and integration cost. In addition to optimised workflows, the parties aim to provide transparency and control to airlines unlocking the whole potential of the end-to-end media journey. Though designed as a one-stop-shop service, airlines will be able to integrate their existing media and ancillary revenue partners e.g. content service providers.

André Valera, Managing Director at ABOVE commented: “Collaboration is key to unlock the adoption of paradigm-shifting technologies. What AERQ is proposing to the market is totally aligned with what we envision from a media distribution perspective, where standards are adopted, and friction points are removed. We look forward to contribute with our ABOVE value proposition and, together, to disrupt the in-flight entertainment and connectivity ecosystem.”

Jonas von Kruechten, Head of Strategy and Business Development at AERQ added: “This cooperation showcases how innovation can be achieved when partnering within the industry and looking at the bigger picture. With ABOVE we are happy to have found a true front-runner in media content post-production services. Our innovative workflows will unlock both top- and bottom-line improvement potential for airlines through cost efficiencies and the ability to structure new digital products for passengers.”