United Airlines
Making The Friendly Skies More Efficient

History books report that "the shot heard 'round the world" was fired in Massachusetts in 1775, signaling the beginning of the American Revolution. People close to the aviation industry, however, may tend to believe that the shot was actually backfire from a homemade 12 horsepower engine at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

On December 17, 1903, Orville Wright lay prone between the wings of a biplane which he and his brother Wilbur had built, opened the throttle, and flew 120 feet in 12 seconds. It was an event that eventually spawned thousands of industries, created millions of employment opportunities, opened communication and transportation channels and became a dominant part of the American economy. In fact, by 1992, 16 of the world's 25 busiest airports were located within the United States. Together, they accounted for almost 8 million annual aircraft landings and turnarounds. Keeping these aircraft on time and in sound physical condition are major challenges for any airline. Flight problems, such as canceled flights and late departures, continue to be the leading passenger concern, accounting for over 30 percent of the complaints registered with the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Most airlines are acutely aware of the importance of passenger satisfaction, as evidenced by their constant efforts to improve "on time" records. With the help of AGE Logic, Inc., United Airlines has embarked on a multi-billion dollar plan to update aircraft maintenance procedures, improve turnaround time and reduce out-of-service aircraft throughout the airline's global system.

Although there are several complex phases to the project, one important area involves a computerized program, already installed in the maintenance department at two of United's United States hubs. The program is based on a customized version of AGE's XoftWare(/32 for Windows, which was introduced in December 1992 as the industry's first 32-bit X Window server software for 386/486 Microsoft Windows-based PCs. Working with United's development team, AGE engineers enabled the software to control multiple printers, allowing the airline to easily issue reports on dot printers and work orders on multiform printers.

"Finding" Each Other

The AGE/United marriage has been described by some as "serendipitous," and by others as a case of "love at first insight." Prior to the two companies meeting, a competitive product had been installed for evaluation at the airline's development center in San Francisco, and was ready for demonstration to airline officials. Computer program development executives from the airline visited the AGE booth at the 1993 InterOp trade show in San Francisco, and began to discuss their progress -- and frustrations. The head of the project admitted to AGE's Peter Shaw that one of the maintenance department's greatest needs could not be satisfied by the product under evaluation. As Peter Shaw later related, "... this turned out to be something that we could deliver in a matter of weeks." As a result, AGE outseated the competition and expects the customized XoftWare/32 for Windows to be installed at airline maintenance locations worldwide during 1994.

The Importance of Accommodation

Jerry Williams, the AGE sales executive in charge of the account, believes that AGE's willingness to accommodate its customers is part of the formula for the Company's continuing success. "The ability to easily print a file to a local printer via an X terminal application is a first. While people had previously transferred a document to the file manager for printout in a two or three step program, nothing nearly as elegant or as easy as the XoftWare capability has been available." Williams also emphasized the 'ease-of-use' inherent in XoftWare/32 for Windows. "This version of our product will be used by aircraft maintenance people, not computer experts. That was an important consideration during the customization process."

Williams expects the relationship -- and the product -- to progress even further. "We feel that XoftWare/32 for Windows will increase in importance at United and will be extended into all aspects of the maintenance cycle. We also see exciting potential for the product in the hotel industry, where an easy-to-use multiprint capability can expedite a variety of procedures. In fact, since multiprint represents a common application for many different business environments, we will include it as a standard feature in a future version of XoftWare/32 for Windows."

For Peter Shaw, this latest and significant competitive win personifies the AGE philosophy. "We solve problems, not just sell products. This airline needed features other than those available in the standard box. We determined what features were missing and developed them. That is what distinguishes us from the rest of the players in this industry."

This philosophy of accommodation, and a demonstrated ability to introduce innovative products satisfying marketplace needs, have made AGE the leader in supplying software that enables the remote display of graphical information via the X protocol.

While much of its competition remains grounded at the gate, AGE Logic, Inc., continues to soar higher and higher, breaking new barriers and setting new performance records. Even the Wright brothers would be impressed.


XoftWare is a registered trademark and AGE, XoftStart, CascadeX, AFS and RAPID are trademarks of AGE Logic, Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective organizations. ©Copyright 1995 AGE Logic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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