Windows 8 might not be getting off to the start Microsoft had hoped for, but one major airline seems to be a big fan.
At the Windows 8 launch event in Dubai, Emirates announced that it has developed a Windows 8 app called Knowledge Driven Inflight Service (KIS) to help crews provide better service and will use it with 1,000 HP ElitePad 900 devices across its fleet.
The app will help record passenger data and preferences, upgrade Emirates Skywards members to better seats, note passenger feedback and see information about the crew itself.
Emirates will roll out 100 devices by the end of January 2013 and 1,000 devices total in 2013. Every Emirates flight will have a purser using KIS on an HP ElitePad 900 with Windows 8 by the end of 2013.
“At Emirates, we strive to deliver the world’s best in-flight experience,” Kevin Griffiths, senior vice president, Cabin Crew at Emirates, said in a statement. “We constantly invest in the best aircraft, products and service. To support our crew, we have created an application on Windows 8 that delivers a unique, personalized experience with the necessary information for our cabin crew to better serve the needs of customers. The Windows 8 platform running on HP ElitePad 900 devices gave us this option, allowing us to create the KIS app that enables our crew to offer an experience not available on other airlines.”
Here’s why they chose the HP ElitePad 900, as noted in the Microsoft blog post:
It was important to Emirates that the cabin crew be able to carry around a light and attractive device that could last without needing to be recharged on long-haul flights. They found HP’s new ElitePad 900 business tablet running Windows 8 Enterprise to fit their needs perfectly – it’s thin and light, optimized for Windows 8, and built specifically for business users. Windows 8’s engaging touch user interface seamlessly surfaces the most important information, allowing the crew to spend more time interacting with customers than digging for details.
Emirates is one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, operating over 2,500 flights per week to 126 cities in 74 countries across six continents.
