Bill Boyer Jr. Explained

Bill Boyer Jr. is a 50% owner and former CEO of Hawaii's Mokulele Airlines. In March 2009, he was replaced as the airline's CEO and was put in charge of expanding sales and marketing efforts after Republic Airways became a 50% shareholder.^[1] Boyer is a native of Tacoma, Washington.

Background

Boyer, who dropped out of college, was an entrepreneurial-minded baggage handler at Seattle-based Alaska Airlines who, in response to information posted about in-flight entertainment challenges on the Alaska Airlines employee website, conceived of a portable hard-disk based video on demand media player that he later named the "digEplayer."^{[2] [3]} 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.^{[4] [5]} He contracted with San Diego–based to develop and manufacture the device.^[6]

Boyer was able to convince 20th Century Fox to provide first-run movies and other studio content for the player.^{[7] [8]} Boyer's then employer, Alaska Airlines, became the first customer for the APS digEplayer.^[9] Based upon the apparent success of the Alaska Airlines digEplayer implementation, APS was able to sell the digEplayer to additional airlines.^{[10] [11]}

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."^{[12] [13]}

In 2005, Boyer purchased Mokulele Airlines through newly formed Boyer Industries LLC, a Washington company.^{[14] [15] [16] [17]}

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.^[18]

References

1. http://www.starbulletin.com/business/20090320_Mokulele_gets_cash_new_CEO.html Mokulele gets cash, new CEO
2. http://www.seattlepi.com/business/138884_airdvd10.html ‘Sky's the limit for a baggage handler's in-flight entertainment system”
3. http://www.airfax.com/airfax/features/viewstory.asp?filepath=feb2004%5Calaskadigeplayer.htm “DigEplayer Portable VOD Big Hit With Alaska Air Passengers”
4. http://www.seattlepi.com/venture/funding.asp?company=APS “In the Money – APS”
5. 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"
6. Web site: e.Digital, APS Partner To Develop and Market Portable, Customizable Entertainment System For Major Airline, 10/24/2002 . 2007-12-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080704195352/http://www.embeddedstar.com/press/content/2002/10/embedded5799.html . 2008-07-04 . dead .
7. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NUH/is_11_37/ai_110461912 “Video on demand takes off—literally”
8. 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
9. 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”
10. 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"
11. http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2004/oct/1087627.htm North American Airlines to Offer digEplayer On New Routes; New Oakland, CA routes to Hawaii
12. http://www.wencor.com/info/pr_082004.html APS SIGNS EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION AND MARKETING ALLIANCE WITH WENCOR
13. http://www.seattlepi.com/business/205999_entrepreneurs31.html "Five entrepreneurs with solid records back in ring"
14. http://starbulletin.com/2006/09/27/business/story04.html Laid-off worker strikes isle airline deal
15. http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2007/06/04/editorial4.html "Mokulele's chief exec invented his way to the top"
16. http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/business/2007/04/30/ "The Biz Buzz - Update on Tacoma's airline mogul"
17. http://kgmb9.com/main/content/view/3568/108/ Television interview with Mokulele Air Owner Bill Boyer, 1/24/2008
18. http://www.shephard.co.uk/Inflight/default.aspx?Action=-1000945703&ID=cd458d98-c56c-4ef7-841f-c0770a12f7f4 IPEC: Inflight Online Awards Dinner