Is Aviation Poised for an Internet Takeoff?

PricewaterhouseCoopers and Hewlett-Packard Co. today unveiled an
ambitious plan to develop and market new Internet solutions for the aviation
industry through a jointly established Aviation Solution Center.

The new center will include people, products and services from
PricewaterhouseCoopers’ aviation consulting practice and HP’s infrastructure
and consulting services team. Both customer-facing business processes and
behind-the-scenes operations will be explored, the companies said.

The solutions will be focused on enabling aviation customers to boost
productivity and service quality, drive down operational costs and enhance
revenues. The companies said that they see a global market for appliances,
software and consulting services aimed at the aviation industry as valued at
an estimated $15 billion per year.

“HP has a long history of working with the world’s leading airlines,
airports, air traffic management organizations and logistics companies to
develop industry-specific solutions and services in the aviation and
transportation marketplace,” said Ann Livermore, president of HP Services.

“We strongly believe that the time is ripe for collaboration geared toward
the aviation industry,” said Scott Hartz, global managing partner of the
Management Consulting Services practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers. “…We share
a common vision with HP of addressing the current challenges of the aviation
industry through a significant new value proposition.”

The new center would focus on projects that include:

• A hurdle-free airport, deploying wireless and personal digital assistant
  (PDA) technology to remove the obstacles to a smooth passenger experience.