The Great Aviation Tablet War
Part One of Three: The Battle of the Operating Systems/Platforms
The market for apps (an abbreviation for applications) for tablet computers and smartphones continues to grow and new aviation-focused apps come onto the market constantly. The more interesting war is not amongst the app developers but among the operating system (OS) platform providers, namely Microsoft, Google and Apple (primarily — sorry Blackberry, Linux, WebOS). The winners of this battle will reap rewards as aircraft-related products evolve and are influenced more and more by consumer electronics devices. The ultimate prizes in this three-way battle are still to be determined, since aircraft are becoming further connected to the Internet wherever they may go, and any Internet-enabled devices on such aircraft will demand access, which will drive revenues for the software service providers. We have yet to see how the next generation of devices and services will impact the industry.
This will be a three-part article which will cover the main tablet and portable electronics operating systems in part one. Part two will cover the most popular apps related to aviation and the final installment will discuss security issues with tablets.
It is important to note that we are not considering embedded software contained in various avionics, on-board systems, engines and aircraft parts which contain software. Many of these components typically have embedded real-time operating systems (many of which are based upon open-source Linux or some other UNIX-derivative) or small custom-developed software kernels. (A kernel is a computer program that manages requests from application software and translates them into data processing instructions for the central processing unit.) These are from real hardcore software engineers who work with system designers to develop a product which goes through a rigorous certification process.
This article pertains to not just tablets being used as Class 1 electronic flight bags (EFBs), but to the use of tablet and portable computers being used in the cockpit, cabin management, passenger entertainment, maintenance tasks and related uses.
Brief History of Portable Computing Devices Being Used on Aircraft
Back in early 2011, the FAA authorized charter company Executive Jet Management to use iPad records without the backup paper charts, which paved the way for this new tablet device in aviation. Executive Jet used Jeppesen’s Mobile TC app (which was one of the early iPad-based aviation apps to become available, coming out in mid-2010) in its testing. The main driver for this was to eliminate pilots having to lug around cases of paper documents, as well as having greater usability via a well-designed user interface to the data contained in manuals, charts and reference documents.
Commercial and military aviation soon caught on, and Apple’s consumer electronic device has become a nearly de facto standard in many cockpits as of early 2014. Not even Steve Jobs could have predicted such a takeover in little more than three short years. Alaska Airlines was the first commercial airline to use iPads by moving from paper-based flight operations content to delivery of flight operations information in April 2011. Today, many large airlines, business aviation operations and private pilots make use of some type of tablet device in a cockpit, as well as such devices being used in cabin, passenger, airport or maintenance functions.
Apple iPad tablets using the Apple iOS platform (which is a mobile operating system initially created from the iPhone but was extended for tablets and iPods as well) competed with the emerging EFB market that primarily used Microsoft Windows-based laptops. EFBs started out as individual pilots carried aboard their personal computers in the early 1990s, and used commercial off-the-shelf software (Microsoft Excel and Word) to implement such tasks as filling out forms, and weight and balance calculations. These unofficial laptop PCs were more powerful than many of the flight management system computers in aircraft back then, and a new industry segment was born from these early adopters. EFB suppliers soon began using more-stable versions of MS Windows in their products, as well as other operating systems.
Cabin management systems had also begun to adopt the use of portable PCs, tablets and smartphones in recent years. Once again, Apple iPads and iPods had initially dominated in this niche. The reason for the incursion by iOS-based devices was simple: the elegant and intuitive user interface. For a small price per device, you could install these where needed and have wireless connectivity for paying customers, as well as manage cabin operations. These devices were much cheaper than the customized computing devices from aviation vendors and were easier to support, manage and use.
The key motivation behind the iPad succeeding in aviation was using a navigation tool in general aviation (primarily), and taking on some of the tasks of EFBs (replacing paper manuals and charts, etc.). However, the main reason that tablets have become so popular in aviation is the same reason that they have done so in the consumer market: simplicity, ease of use and low cost. While few of the higher-end tablets approach the throughput of a low-end laptop, most people do not need this much capability to browse the Internet, transmit e-mails/texts/social media updates, and play a few games. Flight crews also need a simplified device that performs a few basic tasks and does not require the user to be an IT expert to solve software problems. This makes tablets an ideal basic computing device for many people and many business functions.
This is why the Apple iPad was such a hit from the start. Is it overpriced for what you get? Yes. Is it compatible with the myriad consumer and business software already out there? No — but you do not need much technical support most of the time, and you do not need access to most of the existing software on every computing device at your disposal. Quite simply, it is ‘good enough’ and has nice pretty packaging at a rather low price.
According to John Zimmerman, vice president at Sporty’s Pilot Shop and publisher of the iPad Pilot News(ipadpilotnews.com), “General aviation pilots have adopted the iPad faster than any other industry.” Zimmerman also states that iPads do exactly what pilots need, namely have a large screen, long battery life, an intuitive user interface and good form factor. Aviation is also used to paying much more for other devices, so the cost of an iPad and its accessories is essentially a bargain.
Is Microsoft Windows Still Being Used on Tablets?
Yes. Microsoft is far from being defeated in the battle of the smart devices (phones and tablets) but is clearly far behind. Microsoft earned a big victory in late 2013 by having Delta Airlines issue its Surface 2 RT tablets running Windows 8.1 to 11,000 pilots for use as EFBs, and its Lumia Windows smartphones (a.k.a. Nokia) to all flight attendants for use as a point-of-sales (POS) solution for seat upgrades and cabin purchases.
The Microsoft Surface 2 tablets have recently been qualified for FAA authorization for Class 1 EFB needs for all phases of flight. With this action, Microsoft has been clearly pushing its tablets and Windows 8 platform into emerging market niches such as aircraft. You can imagine that the boys and girls in Redmond will grind out more victories in aviation — especially since most large companies are married to the MS Windows platform in their offices and IT centers. This fact alone should draw in more aviation customers once Windows 8 (or a follow-on version) begins to dislodge earlier versions of Windows in their corporate environments.
What About Google’s Android OS?
Google has the overall lead in overall operating system installs on all devices, as shown in the chart to the right (courtesy of Statista and Gartner). What does this mean to the aviation market, and specifically the aviation market for tablets dedicated for use with aircraft operations and support? Not very much.
Google has a fractured business approach to the Android OS, and allows its hardware OEM licenses (Samsung, Lenovo, HTC, etc.) to basically lock in on specific versions of Android due to design reasons, so that owners of such devices cannot upgrade to newer OS versions that have greater capabilities — a major problem. Software vendors need to support multiple versions of an application and this raises costs and makes upgrades very difficult. You can expect Google to solve this strategic blunder eventually and to provide a stronger product approach to compete with Apple and Microsoft in the corporate/industrial marketplace.
If you read through some of the general aviation discussion forums on this topic, you will find many supporters of Android OS-based tablets for various reasons. One is price and another is the ability to upgrade or expand the memory of most Android devices. Another major plus is that many such devices support USB and other data ports, as well as having more options than an Apple-controlled environment can provide in the iTunes store. There were no specific figures on the penetration of such tablets in aviation, and they are certainly used far less than iPads.
Can Anyone Stop Apple from Dominating the EFB and Cabin Tablet Markets?
Aerospace and aviation are considered a small niche market in the universe of tablets and smart devices. According to Gartner, there were 195 million tablets sold globally in 2013, with Google Android-based tablets having ≈62 percent of the overall market, Apple taking a 36 percent cut, and Microsoft taking a 2.1 percent share, leaving the remaining 0.01 percent to others. In 2013, Microsoft’s tablet sales improved its market share from nearly zero percent, but obviously it still remains rather small. Windows 8 has failed to grab significant interest beyond the PC platform in the tablet market, and its new ecosystem still failed to capture consumer interest on tablets as well as in the smartphone markets.
If the overall aviation market (airlines, airports, MROs, etc.) accounts for 150,000 to 250,000 tablets procured per year, and private pilots and industry personnel (those who purchase them outside of a company buying them one) might account for another 25,000 to 50,000 tablets per year, the very rough (completely unsubstantiated) estimate of 300,000 tablets is 0.015 percent (yes, roughly 1/10th of one percent). This is a very small percentage of overall tablet sales.
For non-Apple tablets, it will be a struggle to chip away at the lead that the iPad has built. The chart below shows some of the recent large installations of tablets and attests to this. (This was for EFBs, maintenance, and various IFE or cabin uses.)
The Google Android camp (which includes Samsung and Lenovo/Motorola) is making inroads into the cabin with devices meant for passenger entertainment, while the Microsoft camp (which includes all PC vendors) has won victories in EFBs and cabin POS uses. Android has also gained a following amongst the general aviation pilots to some degree.
The next battle, especially once each of these camps launches new products this year, should become more interesting and drive further innovation. There is no reason that future IFE systems cannot support passengers ordering meals, drinks and other amenities. As airlines look to better serve customers, as well as drive more revenues, they can make use of tablet-based apps fulfilling this.
Tablet OEMs and software providers are aware of this, which is why niche markets such as aviation will continue to grow in importance. Microsoft can be counted on to use its dominance in corporate IT departments to leverage how such devices can be managed in large enterprises, and Apple will undoubtedly keep adding functionality to how enterprises can match some this (since it is behind Microsoft in this aspect). Google needs to change its strategy of allowing tablet hardware OEMs lock on to old versions of Android, causing headaches to IT support personnel and app developers over time.
Everyone is chasing Apple, so expect some novel developments as the tablet wars heat up as this market niche matures. Each of the tablet operating system providers will need to upgrade IT-related software support capabilities to have corporate customers better manage these devices remotely, as well as handling cyber security threats. In fact, the perceived cyber security threat landscape might impact where each of these tablets is utilized more than the apps do. Microsoft suffered from being the market leader in desktop/laptops as hackers nitpicked the Windows software for security gaps. With tablet operating systems having reduced functionality as compared to ‘full-service’ operating systems (we are considering Windows 8 RT as compared to the full-blown Windows 8, or Apple’s iOS as compare to its OS X which is used on desktops and laptops), there is seemingly less to attack, but this might not be completely true. Apple iOS, Google Android and Microsoft Windows 8 RT have been vetted by many organizations (including the USAF), but as the expansion of capabilities progresses with more features, connectivity and app-driven functions, cyber security issues will continue to be a concern.
The next issue will continue this discussion and focus on the app market and most downloaded aviation-focused apps.
John Pawlicki is CEO and principal of OPM Research. He also works with Information Tool Designers (ITD), where he consults to the DOT’s Volpe Center, handling various technology and cyber security projects for the FAA and DHS. He managed and deployed various products over the years, including the launch of CertiPath (with world’s first commercial PKI bridge). John has also been part of industry efforts at the ATA/A4A, AIA and other industry groups, and was involved in the effort to define and allow the use of electronic FAA 8130-3 forms, as well as in defining digital identities with PKI. His recent publication, ‘Aerospace Marketplaces Report’ which analyzed third-party sites that support the trading of aircraft parts is available on OPMResearch.com as a PDF download, or a printed book version is available on Amazon.com.