June 8 2022  |  Inflight Entertainment

Keeping oh-so-social with IdeaNova

By Jane Hobson

This is a special feature from PAX Tech's AIX Hamburg June 2022 issue, on page 14.

Juraj Siska, CEO, IdeaNova

For most people, the last two-or-so years have been spent connecting with friends, family and colleagues largely in an online space. For those ready and able to travel again, socializing is more important than ever – and IFE suppliers are watching closely.

IdeaNova Technologies has added a raft of features to its Inplay IFE platform throughout the pandemic to help satisfy passengers’ craving for connection.

“Travel is largely back to normal, especially for domestic travel in the USA, where passengers are eager to get back to discovering new destinations and reconnecting with friends and family,” Juraj Siska, CEO at IdeaNova, tells PAX Tech. “Technology is ready to make travel even more enjoyable, taking it to a level travelers expect based on their on-the-ground experience.”

Inplay from IdeaNova is a single platform for playback of all DRM (Digital Rights Management) and non-DRM content on PC, MAC, and mobile devices. It has advertising capabilities so airlines can monetize video content through dynamic pre-roll and mid-roll ad insertion.

Inplay has many features, including the recent introduction of Inplay Payment. The product allows passengers to make offline credit card transactions and pay directly for IFE that is not included in the standard package or what is more likely, for onboard products or services sold by airline. It allows for secure and constant instant payment.

"People are used to online shopping and this is no different – you’ll just be thousands of feet in the air while doing so," says Siska.

Inplay is designed in a modular format, Siska explains, so airlines can add it to their existing IFE platform as a component. The airline can customize the language, and for customers already using Inplay components, Inplay Payment is a small module inserted into the overall infrastructure.

In February IdeaNova introduced the Inplay Captive Portal (ICP). Passengers can launch IFE with the click of a button. Also modularly built, airlines or IFE vendors may introduce it as a component to their existing IFE platform. The product can also be displayed in preferred language and supports a wide array of devices for click-through-connection and manual access of IFE portals for legacy systems.

With the goal of making flying feel more interactive, Inplay Bash bundles all the social features of the platform together. Using various features, passengers can transition between chat, video chat, WeWatch and web conference.

The WeWatch feature lets passengers enjoy content simultaneously from respective seats. Along with synchronized group viewing, they can use the chat feature to decide on the movie or show, share favorite moments and stay connected while viewing.

IdeaNova's Video Chat feature

Any passenger can initiate the Video Chat feature with the click of a button, helping to limit face-to-face interaction while staying connected. Passengers can also interact with crew via Video Chat.

“Passengers can enjoy favorite movies and TV shows together via the video chat, allowing for better engagement between friends and family while taking advantage of IFE content, maintaining the social aspect of flying,” Siska explains, adding that, “it also helps create safe communication between passengers and crew.”

“The purpose of these new products is to make their experience more enjoyable, while respecting social distances and overall convenience that many of us are accustomed to on the ground,” says Siska.

Copyright 2024 PAX International. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy Sitemap