Bill Boyer Jr.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bill Boyer Jr. was an entrepreneurial-minded baggage handler at Seattle based Alaska Airlines when, in response to information posted about in-flight entertainment challenges on the Alaska Airlines employee website, he conceived of a portable hard-disk based video on demand media player that he later named the "digEplayer."[1][2] Boyer is a native of Tacoma, Washington who dropped out of college.

On behalf of Aircraft Protective Systems (APS), a Washington corporation he founded earlier to commercialize other products he developed for the aircraft industry, he obtained $2.5 million initial financing from family and an Angel investor to fully develop and market his conceived product, which became the first self-contained portable video on demand (VOD) in-flight Entertainment (IFE) device.[3][4] He contracted with San Diego-based e.Digital Corporation to develop and manufacture the device.[5]

Boyer was able to convince 20th Century Fox to provide first-run movies and other studio content for the player.[6][7] Boyer's employer, Alaska Airlines, became the first customer for the APS digEplayer.[8] Based upon the apparent success of the Alaska Airlines digEplayer implementation, APS was able to sell the digEplayer to additional airlines.[9][10]

In August 2003, Boyer signed an exclusive marketing and distribution agreement with Springville, Utah-based aircraft parts distributor Wencor and two months later sold the company to Wencor, which renamed APS "digEcor."[11][12]

In 2005, Boyer purchased Hawaii's Mokulele Airlines through newly formed Boyer Industries LLC, a Washington company. [13][14][15][16]

[edit] Recognition

Boyer's digEplayer received the "IFE Product of the Year" award at the March 2004 IPEC/LARA Inflight Online Awards Dinner. Alaska Airlines received the "Airline IFE Service of the Year" based upon the implementation of the digEplayer.[17]

[edit] References

  1. ^ ‘Sky's the limit for a baggage handler's in-flight entertainment system” Seattle PI, September 10, 2003
  2. ^ “DigEplayer Portable VOD Big Hit With Alaska Air Passengers” – AIRFAX.com, February 2004
  3. ^ “In the Money – APS” - Seattle PI, Venture Capital Notebook, 9/8/2000
  4. ^ “Flight of fancy? Launching a high-tech product can be a technical and financial challenge. Try these tips to get yours off the ground"Entrepreneur, August 2004
  5. ^ e.Digital, APS Partner To Develop and Market Portable, Customizable Entertainment System For Major Airline, 10/24/2002
  6. ^ “Video on demand takes off—literally” - Telecommunications Americas, Oct, 2003
  7. ^ APS and DivXNetworks Partner to to Bring Portable Video-on-Demand to Airline Industry
  8. ^ “Alaska To Become First Carrier to Offer APS DigEPlayer Portable Video On Demand Entertainment System”- Alaska Airlines Press Release, 9/9/2003
  9. ^ "HAWAIIAN AIRLINES GETS PERSONAL WITH DIGEPLAYER IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT" - Hawaiian Airlines press release, July 13, 2004
  10. ^ North American Airlines to Offer digEplayer On New Routes; New Oakland, CA routes to Hawaii - APS Press Release, Oct. 26, 2004
  11. ^ APS SIGNS EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION AND MARKETING ALLIANCE WITH WENCOR - Wencor Press Release, August 20, 2004
  12. ^ "Five entrepreneurs with solid records back in ring" - Seattle PI, December 31, 2004
  13. ^ Laid-off worker strikes isle airline deal - Star Bulletin, 9/27/2006
  14. ^ "Mokulele's chief exec invented his way to the top" - Pacific Business News, June 1 2007
  15. ^ "The Biz Buzz - Update on Tacoma's airline mogul" - The News Tribune, April 30, 2007
  16. ^ Television interview with Mokulele Air Owner Bill Boyer, 12/24/2008
  17. ^ IPEC: Inflight Online Awards Dinner
This article about an American businessperson is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.