Virgin Atlantic to take Sony SmartWear to the skies in pilot partnership
Virgin Atlantic engineers are set to trial Sony SmartWear to see if the tech will help boost the communication capabilities of workers.
Staff at Heathrow Airport will, from next week, use Sony’s SmartWear in conjunction with a smartphone or tablet to provide real time communication and support in a bid to cut down on maintenance times by ensuring engineers can remain on the aircraft during turnarounds.
During the eight week trial, staff will receive updates on their Sony SmartWatch 3 devices from management as well as being able to use the SmartEyeglass to record images or video of their tasks.
Phil Maher, director of operations at Virgin Atlantic, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Sony to trial wearable technology within our engineering team.
“We are proud of our recent innovation work to provide the best possible experience for our customer facing roles and we’re pleased to now be exploring how new technology can contribute towards our essential operations procedures.
“It’s a great way to empower our people by providing instant access to the information they need to be more effective in their roles.”
Dennis van Schie, senior vice-president of sales and marketing at Sony Mobile Communications, added: “We’re excited about… exploring how Sony’s SmartWear can enhance daily tasks and operations.
“This innovative thinking in pushing the boundaries of how these products are used is a great example of what can be done with our SmartWear and we look forward to continuing to work with Virgin Atlantic on this trial and future initiatives.”
The firms also claimed the scheme could help cut out paper waste.