As the migration of iPad tablet computers into cockpits has accelerated, operators have had to grapple with the logistics of deploying these devices. Companies such as Atlanta-based AirWatch have stepped in to help manage configuration, security and tracking for operators that have anywhere from a few to thousands of these mobile devices in employees’ hands. Jeppesen, which offers the Mobile FliteDeck Pro app for the iPad, has teamed with AirWatch to resell AirWatch’s services. Mobile FlightDeck buyers with a Jeppesen service agreement can receive AirWatch mobile device management (MDM) services under the teaming arrangement.
AirWatch has been serving the aviation industry for more than a year and works with a variety of app developers, including Jeppesen, Lufthansa Systems (Lido) and ForeFlight. The first carrier to sign up for MDM services was Alaska Airlines, which has about 4,000 iPads. Other large airlines that use AirWatch are United Airlines (10,000 iPads) and Delta Air Lines (4,000). Operators of large business jet fleets, including NetJets, Flight Options and Flexjet, are also customers, as are charter operators such as FlightWorks. “We work with everybody,” said Alan Dabbiere, chairman of AirWatch, including flight departments with a handful of pilots. Aviation represents just 5 percent of the company’s business, which has already grown to more than 5,000 customers. About 500 new customers sign up with AirWatch every month, he said. “It’s not just aviation; it’s the global corporate environment. There’s a tsunami of devices in every industry that has been breathtaking.”
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