New ‘Viper’ software platform is the first and only service endorsed to track the performance of inflight connectivity networks using Seamless Air Alliance service level metrics

Alaska Airlines is the first airline to deploy the ‘Viper’ platform across its fleet to ensure inflight Wi-Fi is meeting passenger expectations

Seamless Air Alliance (SAA), the leading developer of global standards for inflight connectivity, today announced a new venture to track and report the performance of satellite networks. The SAA connectivity metrics were developed through an industry-wide collaboration between airlines, satellite operators and service providers, however, until now, tracking performance to these metrics was left to the airline and service provider.

With a mission to be the arms-length supplier of Vital Performance Data to the industry, this new software service is called Viper, a name that aptly combines “Vital” and “Performance” to describe the data being delivered. The Viper service platform will collect satellite network performance data and deliver actionable insights to airlines and their service providers, leveraging the same SAA defined metrics that are familiar and in-use today.

The Viper service is available at an affordable, flat-rate subscription fee that includes monitoring of every plane in an airline’s fleet. Alaska Airlines, a member of SAA and contributor to developing the connectivity metrics, is the first airline to contract Viper services. David Scotland, Director, Inflight Product & Experiences at Alaska Airlines (ALK) shared, “By leveraging this data, Viper enables airlines and operators to work together to fine tune satellite networks and deliver the best connectivity experience for our guests.”

Seamless Air Alliance contracted GlobalReach Technology to translate the Seamless Air Alliance defined measures into a turnkey commercial service offering. “As a Chief Technology Officer, I’m always looking to find ways to help our business grow. From a technical perspective, this was a perfect match for our capabilities and an opportunity to make a huge impact in improving connectivity for billions of annual travelers,” said Thomas Locke, CTO of GlobalReach Technology.

Investment capital to accelerate commercialization of the Viper service was provided by a large European carrier, details of which will be revealed in the future. This investment is aimed at allowing Viper to scale quickly so that every airline has access to the data they need to run the business.

“Our airline members were the driving force behind Viper, simply stating that ‘We have spent years building consensus on these measures, why can’t we get this data direct from the source?’” said Jack Mandala, CEO of the Seamless Air Alliance. “Naturally, airlines are more comfortable knowing they participated first-hand with the industry to build these specifications and deserve access to the data that supports their connectivity goals.”

To learn more about Viper visit https://www.seamlessalliance.com/viper/ or request a meeting with us during APEX EXPO by sending an email to info@seamlessalliance.com.

Source: BUSINESS WIRE