The solution, representing the new generation of inflight connectivity technology, has been developed for the A380 and has the flexibility to provide both passengers and crew with access to live internet, using their own laptops or via the aircraft's seat-back inflight entertainment (IFE) system.

This announcement will be made formally on Tuesday at the World Airline Entertainment Association's 27th Annual Conference and Exhibition in Miami, at which TriaGnoSys is both speaking and exhibiting.

TriaComMa will control all passenger, cabin crew and inflight entertainment (IFE) data communications to and from the aircraft, during flight. TriaComMa supports Commercial Off The Shelf applications, providing maximum integration flexibility for airlines, as well as having the added advantage of being able to support a range of satellite services, including Inmarsat Swift64 and SwiftBroadband, Ku-band and Gatelink.

Dr Axel Jahn, Managing Director of TriaGnoSys, said, "TriaComMa has been designed to be commercially viable for both passengers and airlines; one of the key elements to the success of this next generation inflight communications software is that it allows the use of Commercial Off The Shelf applications. This means that airlines can use either standard software, or their own customised software, without going through the expensive process of adapting it for cabin and satellite use. Furthermore, new applications can be added very simply, by software configuration."

The TriaComMa software will control passenger applications including:

+ Webmail - email access through the IFE system
+ Webchat - access to instant messaging accounts, through the IFE system
+ Live Internet - broadband internet access, either through passengers' laptops or the IFE system

TriaComMa will also power non-flight-critical crew applications including:

+ IFE operational data
+ Emergency applications, for example telemedicine
+ Embedded Internet access from the IFE system
+ Electronic flight bag
+ Crew email
+ Baggage tracing
+ Gate information
+ Inventory control
+ Cabin surveillance

As well as these applications, TriaComMa also provides automatic bandwidth control of the satellite links; Quality of Service data; prioritisation, for example in an emergency; firewall and security; and accounting support for the passenger applications.

Although initially developed for the A380 cabin communications programme, TriaComMa software will be available on other Airbus models in the future.

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