ITGumbo: spicing IT up

Whether through modular cell phones or making cellphone calls from 30,000 feet up in the air on a plane, Israeli companies sure are busy finding new and improved ways for people to connect with each other on the go. Aerophone Ltd, an Israeli company best known for making military communication products, announced today that it has developed a "communication system, now ready for series production, with which mobile telephone calls can be made from aircraft – independent of GSM/CDMA ground stations."

Mobile phone calls in flight will cost about $1.60 a minute and will be payable to existing mobile carriers. While it isn't clear why the company has shifted its primary focus from being a military communication product manufacturer to being an aviation communication provider, the company's website emphasizes that its mission is

"to develop, manufacture, and market revolutionary, state of the art aviation cellular network systems operating on the fleet of aircraft."

The company's aim is

"to establish, for the first time, full cellular communication services (GSM and CDMA) in commercial airliners in the air."

As this could come to replace the current in-flight telephone systems, IT professionals should become familiar with what Aerophone's technology is and how it will impact co-workers making calls on business flights.


Company Facts:

Founded in mid- to late-1990s.

Henry Shabat, CEO and Founder.

Menachem Peery, President and CTO.

Website: www.aerophone.biz