HP ElitePad and Windows 8 fly with Emirate Airlines

REDMOND, Wash. — Nov. 19, 2012 — Emirates, one of the fastest-growing airlines in the world, announced today at the Windows 8 launch event in Dubai the development of a line-of-business application for Windows 8 called Knowledge Driven Inflight Service (KIS). An in-flight communication and customer relationship management device first introduced by Emirates for its pursers in 2004, the KIS application will now run on the soon-to-be-launched HP ElitePad 900 business tablets and will enable Emirates to continue to deliver extraordinary customer service and experiences.

“At Emirates, we strive to deliver the world’s best in-flight experience,” said Kevin Griffiths, senior vice president, Cabin Crew at Emirates. “We constantly invest in the best aircraft, products and service. To support our crew, we have created an application on Windows 8 that delivers a unique, personalized experience with the necessary information for our cabin crew to better serve the needs of customers. The Windows 8 platform running on HP ElitePad 900 devices gave us this option, allowing us to create the KIS app that enables our crew to offer an experience not available on other airlines.”

Pursers on the flight use the KIS application to brief the cabin crew before every flight and understand how to best meet the personal preferences and needs of passengers. The crew can also use the application to easily conduct in-flight upgrades to business class or first class for Emirates Skywards members, as well as customer feedback that is immediately routed to headquarters upon landing.

As the first global customer of the HP ElitePad 900, Emirates is creating a new KIS tablet that is light, attractive and has a long battery life, ideal for nonstop flights. The device, announced by HP in October and available to customers in January 2013, is built specifically for business users, offering Windows 8 optimization and a beautiful lightweight design. Combined with Windows 8’s touch-optimized user interface, which quickly shows the most important information via Live Tiles, the crew can spend more time interacting with customers in a unique and efficient way.

When deployment across its fleet is complete, Emirates will have 1,000 HP ElitePad 900 devices running the KIS application on Windows 8. More information on the KIS application running on Windows 8 is available at the Microsoft Showcase.

Emirates operates more than 2,500 flights per week to 126 destinations in 74 countries across six continents. The award-winning airline operates the largest fleet of A380s with 27, and the world’s largest fleet of Boeing 777s.

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PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 19, 2019

HP and Emirates Airlines today announced the HP ElitePad 900 tablet as the primary interface for the airline’s new Knowledge-driven Inflight Service (KIS), making the airline the first global customer of the tablet.

An innovative in-flight communication and customer relationship management (CRM) system, KIS on the HP ElitePad 900 enables Emirates’ pursers to work more efficiently with cabin crew to deliver the personalized service and attention to detail that the airline is known for.

“Emirates constantly seeks ways to enhance our customers’ experience,” said Kevin Griffiths, senior vice president, Cabin Crew, Emirates Airlines. “We selected the HP ElitePad 900 to power KIS because of its sleek design and light weight, which allows our staff to provide the highest levels of service to our customers, whilst maintaining the ruggedness and security measures needed from an Enterprise class device.”

Announced in October 2012, the HP ElitePad 900 is a true tablet for the enterprise that is tailor-made for Emirates’ KIS application. It balances a beautiful design with enterprise-grade features, serviceability and support. The ultrathin and lightweight Windows® 8-based tablet⁽¹⁾ will allow Emirates’ pursers and their crew to provide premium in-flight service to customers while protecting personal information with robust security protocols. 

The HP ElitePad 900 is expected to be widely available to customers in the United States in January.

“For its advanced KIS concierge service, Emirates Airlines needed an enterprise-grade tablet,” said James Mouton, senior vice president and general manager, Personal Computer Global Business Unit, HP. “In the HP ElitePad, it found a compact, powerful and stylish business tool ideally suited to meet the needs of its staff and customers, both on the ground and at 40,000 feet.”

Main features of the HP ElitePad 900:

• An ergonomic design featuring a 10.1-inch diagonal display, while weighing just 1.5 pounds and measuring 9.2 millimeters (mm) thin. This will allow Emirates’ pursers and their crew the agility to efficiently address customer needs throughout flights.
• Stylish, premium materials such as CNC-machined aluminum and Corning® Gorilla® Glass 2 that look right at home in Emirates’ luxurious cabins.
• Engineering that meets military standard 810G testing for drop, vibration, dust, temperature and altitude,⁽²⁾ allowing it to stand up any travel conditions.
• Enterprise-caliber data, device and identity protection for Emirates customers with HP Client Security.

About Emirates

Since its launch in 1985, Emirates Airline has received more than 500 international awards in recognition of its efforts to provide unsurpassed levels of customer service.

Emirates is the world’s largest international airline in scheduled passenger kilometers flown.  Its all wide-bodied fleet of 189 aircraft includes eight freighters and is among the youngest in the skies. The airline plans to more than double its size by 2020.

Emirates operates services to 126 destinations in 74 countries in Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian subcontinent and Asia-Pacific.

Visit Emirates online at: www.emirates.com