Fujitsu and Boeing Form Strategic Alliance in Aircraft Maintenance Services

Fujitsu (TSE: 6702) and Boeing [NYSE: BA] have established a strategic alliance in which the companies will develop a service to enable greater efficiency in aircraft maintenance operations. The partnership will employ unique tools such as Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID) and Contact Memory Buttons (CMB) to allow customers to use these technologies without needing to retrofit their own fleets. Airlines can reduce costs by reducing inventory and manual data entry errors without having to create new processes.

Under the new alliance, Fujitsu will provide Boeing with a globally-shared platform that includes automated identification technology devices, device readers, software applications and a system integration and deployment service. Boeing will tailor solutions for each customer's needs, integrate those solutions into the customer's operational environment and establish a long-range plan that will expand automated identification technology solutions across the customer's enterprise. Boeing plans to launch this service for airlines in the first quarter of 2012. The service will be available for Boeing and non-Boeing fleets and will be rapidly adaptable to any customer.

"We have been working with Boeing for more than five years to promote RFID implementation in the aviation industry and we are very excited to start this project jointly," said Mitsutoshi Hirono, corporate vice president, Fujitsu Limited.

The Boeing Transformation Service will enable customers to better manage aircraft components, equipment, and materials by retrofitting them with automated identification technology devices, allowing automated data management and highly visible supply chain related maintenance processes. Prior to the launch of the new service in early 2012, the service will undergo three phases of beta testing through deployment with a launch customer.

"We see an opportunity for the aviation industry that surpasses past expectations," said Per Norén, vice president, Boeing CAS Information Services. "Airline customers will greatly improve their operation efficiency from this service as a result of Boeing and Fujitsu entering the market together."