July 8, 2005 – IN what’s beginning to look like a bid for domination of the rapidly developing handheld IFE sector, Wencor yesterday announced that it is to acquire California-based IMS.

Originally an aviation parts distribution specialist, Utah-based Wencor last year bought out Seattle company APS, originator of the best-selling digEplayer. Yesterday’s news means that the company now controls two out of the three handheld product lines. The exception is the YES! range, developed by General Dynamics and now in the possession of Astronics following the latter’s acquisition of GD’s IFE and in-seat power interests.

According to Wencor, its purchase of IMS is the subject of a letter of intent and should be finalised in September. APS and IMS will then be merged into a single entity.

The Wencor announcement raises many more questions than it answers, starting with how one product range will accommodate both digEplayer and the more capable but physically similar PEA. Informed sources suggest that there will probably be three product lines differentiated by screen size – 7in, 8.9in and 10.4in – and functionality. If that proves to be the case, today’s digEplayer and PEA identities could soon be a thing of the past.

Other questions relate to the application of PEA technology to the semi-embedded digEsystem, currently in development, and the continuing involvement, if any, of eDigital, the Californian company originally responsible for the industrial design of digEplayer.

Also to be clarified are the future roles of present IMS CEO Alan Pellegrini and APS founder Bill Boyer. Under the new structure, current IMS chairman Joe Renton will be CEO, with Wencor CEO Brent Wood acting as chairman of the combined operation.

The new company will retain its original locations in Utah and California. Reflecting the present APS and IMS product lines, it will offer a range of wireless and portable media systems, digEsystem, content and data management services, and a new set of content applications. “We will exploit our ability to touch the aircraft daily to refresh content,” says Renton, “and we will complement our current content applications by combining video, audio, text and Web-based services in a way never before seen in an IFE system.”

The new content applications are to be announced at September’s WAEA show in Hamburg.