You know SD for its connectivity technology, but did you know we also make connectivity hardware, not just for us but for the business aviation and military/government sector as a whole? SD Avionics is the Kanata, Ottawa-based arm of SD responsible for developing, manufacturing and maintaining all SD hardware. The 80-person operation features world-class engineering laboratories, thermal and electromagnetic chambers, and production workshops. SD’s investment in the infrastructure and people ensures we continue delivering robust solutions to enhance aviation operations globally.
Under the leadership of General Manager Joanne Walker, SD Avionics moved to Kanata, Canada’s Silicon Valley, in December 2019. Since then, our team has played a significant part in advancing our hardware production know-how and has been integral in the successful evolution of the Plane Simple® terminals despite facing significant hurdles. Just a week after we introduced the antenna series, the pandemic was announced; this had the knock-on effect of causing supply chain challenges and restricting the availability of employees due to isolation strategies.
Yet the team was so dedicated and committed to the project and working with our Germany-based development partner QEST that we matched the timelines and began our customer in-service evaluation on time just under a year ago. That’s quite a feat for any new product development, let alone a dedicated, groundbreaking, business aviation technology being developed collaboratively with the parties separated by an ocean. We were incredibly proud to confirm commercial service introduction this February as scheduled, two years after we first announced our plans.
Demand for the Plane Simple Ku Band terminals has been strong with 70 confirmed orders and more being received each week. This new hardware is adding to our presence in the sky which is already represented by more than 2 500 cabin routers. In fact, we currently provide business and government aircraft with more cabin routers, datalink services, and handsets than any other aviation supplier around the globe. This hardware means that you benefit from greater flexibility, affordability, and connectivity options that align with anticipated operational costs and integrate with third-party solutions to enhance, improve and raise the standards of aircraft ownership.
SD Avionics provides the essential links that support the SD connectivity experience. With the SD Avionics hardware, data transmission integrates seamlessly with SD software, ground infrastructure and cybersecurity solutions. This is supported by the expertise of our 24/7/365, award-winning customer support team, which proactively manages streamlined connectivity and troubleshoots on the fly. By managing the entire connectivity chain, we can deliver future-proofed, unmatched reliability, flexibility, and security, through customized solutions. The convenience of a single call to SD supports connectivity acquisition, management and upgrades; as we say it is plane simple.
Contact us today to discover how your organization can benefit from experts passionate about keeping you connected beyond all expectations.
