Bill Boyer Jr. is a 50% owner and former
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
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
Republic Airways Inc. is a regional airline subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings that operates service as American Eagle, Delta Connection, and United Express using a fleet of Embraer 170 and Embraer 175 regional jets. It is headquartered ...
became a 50% shareholder. 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
In-flight entertainment (IFE) refers to the entertainment available to aircraft passengers during a flight. In 1936, the airship ''LZ 129 Hindenburg, Hindenburg'' offered passengers a piano, lounge, dining room, smoking room, and bar during the ...
challenges on the Alaska Airlines employee website, he conceived of a portable
hard-disk
A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk is an electro-mechanical data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage with one or more rigid rapidly rotating platters coated with magneti ...
based
video on demand media player that he later named the "
digEplayer
The "digEplayer" is a product line of "digEcor." digEplayers are self-contained, portable audio video on demand (AVOD) hard-disk based digital entertainment devices. Similar in size to a portable DVD player, digEplayers are pre-programmed with ...
."
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
An angel investor (also known as a business angel, informal investor, angel funder, private investor, or seed investor) is an individual who provides capital for a business or businesses start-up, usually in exchange for convertible debt or owners ...
to fully develop and market his conceived product, which became the first self-contained portable
video on demand (VOD)
in-flight Entertainment
In-flight entertainment (IFE) refers to the entertainment available to aircraft passengers during a flight. In 1936, the airship ''LZ 129 Hindenburg, Hindenburg'' offered passengers a piano, lounge, dining room, smoking room, and bar during the ...
(IFE) device. He contracted with San Diego-based to develop and manufacture the device.
Boyer was able to convince
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
to provide first-run movies and other studio content for the player. Boyer's then employer,
Alaska Airlines, became the first customer for the APS digEplayer. Based upon the apparent success of the Alaska Airlines digEplayer implementation, APS was able to sell the digEplayer to additional airlines.
In August 2003, Boyer signed an exclusive marketing and distribution agreement with
Springville, Utah
Springville is a city in Utah County, Utah, Utah County, Utah that is part of the Provo–Orem metropolitan area. The population was 35,268 in 2020, according to the United States Census. Springville is a bedroom community for commuters who work ...
-based aircraft parts distributor Wencor and two months later sold the company to Wencor, which renamed APS "
digEcor
The "digEplayer" is a product line of "digEcor." digEplayers are self-contained, portable audio video on demand (AVOD) hard-disk based digital entertainment devices. Similar in size to a portable DVD player, digEplayers are pre-programmed with ...
."
In 2005, Boyer purchased Mokulele Airlines through newly formed Boyer Industries LLC, a Washington company.
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.
IPEC: Inflight Online Awards Dinner
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boyer, Bill
Alaska Air Group people
Businesspeople in aviation
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Businesspeople from Tacoma, Washington