Xerox recently announced that it has merged its cloud capabilities with the data expertise of the flight data expert AvFinity, to help airlines take advantage of cloud by simplifying communications.

The current rapid technological advancements seem to both aid and challenge communication within the American airline industry. A number of vital and continual transmissions, such as relaying weather updates, airport information, and key modifications, in flight plans seem to be challenged by this fast pace of change because new technologies may often involve the use of incompatible communication formats that minimize the efficiency with which airlines exchange information with aviation agencies worldwide.

In a release, Ken Stephens, senior vice president of cloud services at Xerox, stated that, "There is no room for error in ensuring safety in the skies. Airlines can now leapfrog to the cloud to expedite their communications and do so at costs much lower than maintaining existing mainframe systems. Airlines have long relied on legacy communications systems to transmit information; however, with the skies expected to become busier and the growth of the industry among traditional mainstream carriers to discount and regional airlines, there is a desire to upgrade the way key information is shared."

The business cloud services of Xerox provide a solution to this problem by assisting airlines share important information in a seamless way. Xerox has integrated its cloud capabilities with the data expertise of AvFinity to help efficient sharing of information such as passenger details and flight plans between the airlines and aviation agencies located in destination countries.

Doug Perkins, chief executive officer of AvFinity, said "Now airlines can draw on the expertise of Xerox and AvFinity to provide seamless transmission of flight-critical communication. Airlines can now leapfrog to the cloud to expedite their communications and do so at costs much lower than maintaining existing mainframe systems."

The patent-pending software (SaaS (News - Alert)), AIRS software from AvFinity is built on Xerox's on-demand cloud infrastructure (IaaS), allowing key transmissions and important data to be seamlessly shared between airlines, carriers, and flight authorities including the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Federal Aviation Administration. This indicates that vital information will arrive at the destination without any disparity while meeting the format and protocol criteria.