The Boeing
Company has announced that it has acquired AeroInfo Systems Inc., a
Canadian provider of advanced maintenance software applications for the
airline industry. The move adds AeroInfo Systems' industry-leading
aviation maintenance planning technology to Boeing's growing portfolio
of aviation services. Financial terms of the transaction, which Boeing
completed on Sept. 1, were not disclosed.
AeroInfo Systems' flagship product is its MaintStreamTM suite of
state-of-the-art software applications for aviation maintenance
planning, scheduling and tracking. It is designed specifically to
support both Boeing and non-Boeing fleets. MaintStreamTM allows airlines
to reduce maintenance costs by increasing operational efficiency and
reducing out-of-service time while maintaining the highest levels of
safety. The MaintStreamTM product suite is Internet-capable and enables
the sharing of data between airplane operators, leasing companies,
regulatory authorities and maintenance, repair and overhaul firms.
"Airline customers have asked us to provide them with a total
maintenance planning solution that covers their entire fleets, no matter
what type of airplane they operate," said Brad Cvetovich, vice president
and general manager of Boeing Customer Support. "Acquiring AeroInfo's
intellectual capital and technology will allow Boeing to enter this
market two years faster than if we were to develop a similar maintenance
planning product on our own."
Cvetovich added, "We can also take advantage of the synergies between
AeroInfo's maintenance planning applications and our Boeing Digital
family of digital data products to develop new maintenance solutions for
airlines. This is a smart investment in our services business and one
that will let us offer even more value to our customers."
Earlier this month Boeing also announced its intention to acquire
maintenance information services provider Continental Graphics Inc., and
flight information services provider Jeppesen Sanderson Inc.
"Boeing is focused on building an integrated services portfolio that
will allow us to provide our customers with a complete range of air
transport solutions, and all these acquisitions fit into that strategy,"
Cvetovich said.
AeroInfo Systems, which was privately held, is based in Richmond,
British Columbia. Its staff of 14 employees has developed significant
expertise in Web-based airline maintenance and related software
applications.
"We are looking forward to joining Boeing and together offering airlines
the most advanced maintenance planning solutions in the industry," said
Richard Macdonald, president of AeroInfo Systems. "As a part of the
world's largest aerospace company, we can extend our reach into the
aviation marketplace and help more airlines increase the efficiency of
their maintenance planning functions."
AeroInfo's MaintStreamTM product suite can be deployed as an
off-the-shelf system or accessed over the Internet via application
service providers. The MaintStreamTM components include the following:
* Maintenance Requirements Component - manages the regulatory,
manufacturer and airline requirements that must be fulfilled to meet the
continuing airworthiness of the airframe and its components.
* Maintenance Procedures Component - groups procedural and planning
information into multi-position job cards for use on the hangar floor.
* Maintenance Event Planning Component - provides tools for packaging
maintenance events while maintaining full compliance traceability.
* Maintenance Event Forecasting Component - provides the ability to
create and manage a multi-year maintenance event schedule for all
fleets.
* Maintenance Line Planning Component - manages maintenance planning and
accomplishment while the airplane is in service.
* Maintenance Event Production Component - manages the execution of the
maintenance event package on the hangar floor.
* Maintenance Event Archive Component - provides large-capacity on-line
storage of historical data collected during execution of airplane
maintenance.
* Reliability Assessment Component - provides the basis for on-going
improvement of the airplane maintenance process through statistical
process control.
For more information on AeroInfo, see the company's web site at
www.aeroinfo.com.
Boeing is operating AeroInfo Systems as a subsidiary of Boeing Canada
Inc., and is keeping the current management team in place.
AeroInfo Systems reports to the Customer Support organization of Boeing
Commercial Aviation Services, which offers the industry's broadest
selection of aviation support products and services. Boeing Commercial
Aviation Services is a unit of Boeing Commercial Airplanes Group.
Contact: Dick Schleh, (206) 544-9528
The news release can be obtained at: https://www.boeing.com
Forward-Looking Information Is Subject to Risk and Uncertainty
Certain statements in this release contain "forward-looking"
information. That information involves risk and uncertainty, including
projections for revenues, earnings, market growth, government and
regulatory reviews, receipt of necessary government approvals, business
goals, achievement of synergies and other trend projections. This
forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions,
including assumptions regarding demand, internal performance, internal
coordination, competitors, and government policies and actions. Actual
future results and trends may differ materially depending on a variety
of factors. These factors include the company's and its subsidiaries'
successful execution of internal performance plans, research and
development, suppliers' performances, the cyclical nature of the
company's business, volatility of the market for certain products,
issues with key customers, product performance risks, regulatory
agencies' actions and other regulatory!
u!
ncertainties, labor issues and possible disputes, governmental export
and import policies, global trade policies, worldwide political
stability and economic conditions, competitors' resources and
performance, changing priorities or reductions in U.S. Government and
foreign government budgets, termination of government contracts due to
unilateral government action or failure to perform, and legal
proceedings. Additional information regarding these factors is contained
in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended 1999 and
Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2000. |