Bill Boyer Jr.

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." [ [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/138884_airdvd10.html ‘Sky's the limit for a baggage handler's in-flight entertainment system”] Seattle PI, September 10, 2003] [ [http://www.airfax.com/airfax/features/viewstory.asp?filepath=feb2004%5Calaskadigeplayer.htm “DigEplayer Portable VOD Big Hit With Alaska Air Passengers”] – AIRFAX.com, February 2004] 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. [ [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/venture/funding.asp?company=APS “In the Money – APS”] - Seattle PI, Venture Capital Notebook, 9/8/2000] [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DTI/is_8_32/ai_n6121821 “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] He contracted with San Diego-based e.Digital Corporation to develop and manufacture the device. [ [http://www.embeddedstar.com/press/content/2002/10/embedded5799.html e.Digital, APS Partner To Develop and Market Portable, Customizable Entertainment System For Major Airline, 10/24/2002] ]

Boyer was able to convince 20th Century Fox to provide first-run movies and other studio content for the player. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NUH/is_11_37/ai_110461912 “Video on demand takes off—literally”] - Telecommunications Americas, Oct, 2003] [ [http://www.divx.com/company/press/press_detail.php?pr_id=75 APS and DivXNetworks Partner to Bring Portable Video-on-Demand to Airline Industry] ] Boyer's employer, Alaska Airlines, became the first customer for the APS digEplayer. [ [http://www.alaskasworld.com/newsroom/asnews/ASstories/AS_20030909_084339.asp “Alaska To Become First Carrier to Offer APS DigEPlayer Portable Video On Demand Entertainment System”] - Alaska Airlines Press Release, 9/9/2003] Based upon the apparent success of the Alaska Airlines digEplayer implementation, APS was able to sell the digEplayer to additional airlines. [ [http://www.mcneilwilson.com/text/page.jsp?docid=64&page=news_detail&ref=3&section=news "HAWAIIAN AIRLINES GETS PERSONAL WITH DIGEPLAYER IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT"] - Hawaiian Airlines press release, July 13, 2004] [ [http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2004/oct/1087627.htm North American Airlines to Offer digEplayer On New Routes; New Oakland, CA routes to Hawaii] - APS Press Release, Oct. 26, 2004]

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." [ [http://www.wencor.com/info/pr_082004.html APS SIGNS EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION AND MARKETING ALLIANCE WITH WENCOR] - Wencor Press Release, August 20, 2004 ] [ [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/205999_entrepreneurs31.html "Five entrepreneurs with solid records back in ring"] - Seattle PI, December 31, 2004]

In 2005, Boyer purchased Hawaii's Mokulele Airlines through newly formed Boyer Industries LLC, a Washington company. [ [http://starbulletin.com/2006/09/27/business/story04.html Laid-off worker strikes isle airline deal] - Star Bulletin, 9/27/2006] [ [http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2007/06/04/editorial4.html "Mokulele's chief exec invented his way to the top"] - Pacific Business News, June 1 2007] [ [http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/business/2007/04/30/"The Biz Buzz - Update on Tacoma's airline mogul"] - The News Tribune, April 30, 2007] [ [http://kgmb9.com/main/content/view/3568/108/ Television interview with Mokulele Air Owner Bill Boyer, 1/24/2008] ]

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. [ [http://www.shephard.co.uk/Inflight/default.aspx?Action=-1000945703&ID=cd458d98-c56c-4ef7-841f-c0770a12f7f4 IPEC: Inflight Online Awards Dinner] ]

References