Bill Boyer Jr.

Bill Boyer Jr. is a 50% owner and former CEO of Hawaii's Mokulele Airlines. In March 2009, he was replaced as the airline's CEO and was put in charge of expanding sales and marketing efforts after Republic Airways became a 50% shareholder.[1] Boyer is a native of Tacoma, Washington.

Background

Boyer, who dropped out of college, was an entrepreneurial-minded baggage handler at Seattle based Alaska Airlines when, in response to information posted about in-flight entertainment challenges on the Alaska Airlines employee website, he conceived of a portable hard-disk based video on demand media player that he later named the "digEplayer."[2][3] On behalf of Aircraft Protective Systems (APS), a Washington corporation he founded earlier to commercialize other products he developed for the aircraft industry, he obtained $2.5 million initial financing from family and an Angel investor to fully develop and market his conceived product, which became the first self-contained portable video on demand (VOD) in-flight Entertainment (IFE) device.[4][5] He contracted with San Diego-based e.Digital Corporation to develop and manufacture the device.[6]

Boyer was able to convince 20th Century Fox to provide first-run movies and other studio content for the player.[7][8] Boyer's then employer, Alaska Airlines, became the first customer for the APS digEplayer.[9] Based upon the apparent success of the Alaska Airlines digEplayer implementation, APS was able to sell the digEplayer to additional airlines.[10][11]

In August 2003, Boyer signed an exclusive marketing and distribution agreement with Springville, Utah-based aircraft parts distributor Wencor and two months later sold the company to Wencor, which renamed APS "digEcor."[12][13]

In 2005, Boyer purchased Mokulele Airlines through newly formed Boyer Industries LLC, a Washington company.[14][15][16][17]

Recognition

Boyer's digEplayer received the "IFE Product of the Year" award at the March 2004 IPEC/LARA Inflight Online Awards Dinner. Alaska Airlines received the "Airline IFE Service of the Year" based upon the implementation of the digEplayer.[18]

References
  1. Mokulele gets cash, new CEO Archived 2009-07-22 at the Wayback Machine, by David Segal, Honolulu Star Bulletin, March 21, 2009
  2. ‘Sky's the limit for a baggage handler's in-flight entertainment system” Seattle PI, September 10, 2003
  3. “DigEplayer Portable VOD Big Hit With Alaska Air Passengers” Archived June 18, 2006, at the Wayback Machine – AIRFAX.com, February 2004
  4. “In the Money – APS” - Seattle PI, Venture Capital Notebook, 9/8/2000
  5. “Flight of fancy? Launching a high-tech product can be a technical and financial challenge. Try these tips to get yours off the ground"Entrepreneur, August 2004
  6. "e.Digital, APS Partner To Develop and Market Portable, Customizable Entertainment System For Major Airline, 10/24/2002". Archived from the original on 2008-07-04. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  7. “Video on demand takes off—literally” - Telecommunications Americas, Oct, 2003
  8. APS and DivXNetworks Partner to Bring Portable Video-on-Demand to Airline Industry
  9. “Alaska To Become First Carrier to Offer APS DigEPlayer Portable Video On Demand Entertainment System” Archived 2012-07-22 at the Wayback Machine- Alaska Airlines Press Release, 9/9/2003
  10. "HAWAIIAN AIRLINES GETS PERSONAL WITH DIGEPLAYER IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT" - Hawaiian Airlines press release, July 13, 2004
  11. North American Airlines to Offer digEplayer On New Routes; New Oakland, CA routes to Hawaii - APS Press Release, Oct. 26, 2004
  12. APS SIGNS EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION AND MARKETING ALLIANCE WITH WENCOR Archived June 25, 2007, at the Wayback Machine - Wencor Press Release, August 20, 2004
  13. "Five entrepreneurs with solid records back in ring" - Seattle PI, December 31, 2004
  14. Laid-off worker strikes isle airline deal Archived 2008-06-25 at the Wayback Machine - Star Bulletin, 9/27/2006
  15. "Mokulele's chief exec invented his way to the top" - Pacific Business News, June 1, 2007
  16. "The Biz Buzz - Update on Tacoma's airline mogul" - The News Tribune, April 30, 2007
  17. Television interview with Mokulele Air Owner Bill Boyer, 1/24/2008 Archived February 5, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  18. IPEC: Inflight Online Awards Dinner Archived October 3, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
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