The Maestro
Avinet Newsletter October 2011 |
Welcome to The Maestro, Avinet's regular newsletter that keeps you up to date on the latest features and developments to the Avinet suite of products: Air Maestro®, Rail Maestro™ and Road Maestro™. You will also read about the latest events and happenings from our customers, partners and team.
The Maestro newsletter is sent in html and text-only format and is distributed quarterly to all those on our mailing list. If you received this copy of The Maestro from a friend and would like to join our mailing list, please email bstewart@avinet.com.au. |
 |
| From the Managing Director |
Since our July newsletter, we have experienced significant growth of new customers throughout international markets such as New Zealand, Africa, Hong Kong, and Europe as well as in Australia. We believe this has been attributed to an active attendance at numerous international trade shows throughout New Zealand, South Africa and the UK plus recent international accreditation as a Safety and Operation Management tool. It is very rewarding to see the impact Air Maestro has made on our customers, partners and the safety and audit community as we consistently receive positive feedback and referrals. We plan to continue this rapid progression and achieve an even greater global presence.
We have also been very busy completing and deploying our 2.8 Release of Air, Rail and Road Maestro® to our customers. Exciting changes focus on Safety, Flight Records, Personnel and Recency Modules.
In response to customer feedback and requests from the Air Maestro User Conference 2011, our new Avinet User Forum has been launched which allows our Air Maestro® community to exchange useful information online. Existing customers are encouraged to provide input in forum discussions to ensure that we have the latest feedback on enhancements and developments to continue improvements to our products and services.
Our development team have been busy working on an iPad app which is expected to provide an effortless means of accessing the Air Maestro® system to our customers. An impressive presentation was performed internally by the team last week, however further developments are required before customers are able to experience its capabilities. Watch this space for more information.
We are investing in some major updates to both Infrastructure and systems which service the Air Maestro® environment. These updates will further enhance our system’s capabilities and functionality over the next few months.
Our Avinet team is committed to providing our customers with an excellent product and service and we will continue striving to improve the features, functions and service delivery.
I hope that you find value in the information provided in this newsletter and should you like further information on Air Maestro® please do not hesitate to contact us.
Regards
Paul Lewin |
|
| From the Development Team |
Release 2.8
Since September’s release, customers can now experience many exciting changes to Air Maestro®. Custom fields in the Safety, Flight Records and Personnel modules, now support calculated fields that allow mathematical calculations to be performed on one or more fields. Additionally, Work Practice Notifications via email or SMS allow customers to evaluate flight and duty data as soon as a timesheet is completed. The Recency module has also been enhanced with the introduction of composite recency items which allows a combination of recency items to be completed in order for the recency to be valid.
Upcoming Enhancements
Release 2.9
Release 2.9 is shaping up to be an exciting release for Air Maestro®. Scheduling/Tasking development is underway and our initial offering will allow customers to create their own flights/missions, track crew/passenger/student/patient requirements and custom fields. To minimise data entry, Scheduled Flights will be pre-populated into the flight records module, for post flight confirmation. Flight Records will become more tailored to flight types, ensuring that scheduling caters for recurring as well as ad-hoc flights while allowing different information to be tracked. By popular demand, Aircraft Maintenance Hours will be tracked for each aircraft and will appear in the Aircraft Recency area for customers to track general engineering recency items.
iPad App Prototype
Our fourth year Flinders University students Chad Lundstrom and Suraj Jacob have been settling in well over the last two months. The guys have been working on a user-friendly prototype for the much anticipated Air Maestro® iPad App and have shared with us that they have been thoroughly enjoying their time with the Avinet team. 
Suraj states, “We have been given the opportunity to undertake a project that is fresh and enjoyable but also meaningful and of real value to the company. I am really looking forward to spending the remainder of my time here continuing work on the iPad app”. Chad further continues, “Not only have I enjoyed working on the project, I also hope to achieve success in providing a unique iPad app that will captivate users for years to come”.
Features include a mobile dashboard of Recency, News and Roster Schedules, System Alerts, Document Library, Timesheet Summary, secure login pages and a website link to the full Air Maestro® system.
Avinet Forum Launch
In response to customer feedback at the Air Maestro® User Conference 2011, Avinet is excited to announce the launch of Avinet Forum.
Avinet Forum provides users with an interactive online environment for discussion of Avinet’s core products: Air Maestro®, Rail Maestro™ and Road Maestro™. Users can exchange questions, tips and suggestions with other users and Avinet staff to build system knowledge, aid with troubleshooting and offer development ideas.
Should you be interested in registering for the Forum, please Click Here. |
|
| News, Events & Media |
Avinet Celebrates 70th Customer
The Avinet team enjoyed lunch together at Adelaide’s famous Amalfi Pizzeria on 31st August 2011 to celebrate their 70th customer. Avinet has experienced significant growth this year with almost 30 customers since Christmas. We think we have a pretty special product with Air Maestro® and it seems aviation operators do as well!
So thank you to all of our customers for helping shape Air Maestro® into the application it is today and will continue to be in the future!
Media Spotlight
Following are links to some recent articles on Avinet and Air Maestro®: ‘Growth Sky Rockets for Avinet’s Cloud Based Safety Application’ – Vertical Magazine
‘Experience Life in the Clouds with Avinet and SMSAero at Helitech 2011’ – Helicopter Monthly UK, Vol.3 Issue 8
‘Experience Life in the Clouds with Avinet and SMSAero at Helitech 2011’ - RotorNews
HeliTech – United Kingdom, 27-29 September 2011
 At the end of September, Avinet teamed up with alliance partner SMS Aero at HeliTech. Taking place in Duxford UK, CEO Mike Mulvihill said of the show, “It was a great opportunity to demonstrate our Air Maestro® product to operators in the UK and being a part of such a sign ificant event which draws substantial crowds every two years. We had a lot of genuine interest from operators over the three days which is a good start to our plan to increase our presence in the UK over the next year”.
CAA Safety Seminar – South Africa, 19 October 2011
This month, our South African partner, Rob Daneel, attended the Fifth Annual Aviation CAA Safety Seminar in South Africa. Held at the Birchwood Executive Hotel in Kempton Park, the Seminar was attended by representatives from all sectors of the South African aviation industry with the intention to halve the accident rate by the year 2014. Speakers and discussion groups focused on the primary causes of aircraft accidents and the solutions required to achieve such significant reduction in accident statistics within the following three years. Rob states that, “The [Air Maestro®] System was viewed with considerable interest and enthusiasm by the delegates with whom I spoke”. Thank you to the SACAA for allowing Avinet the opportunity to contribute to this worthy effort, and congratulations for a well-organised and successful event.
Social Media
By clicking on the below links to add/like us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, you will be among the first to hear about our latest news and events such as development progress, the 2012 Air Maestro® Conference, upcoming tradeshows and other useful updates.   
|
|
| Upcoming Events |
Safeskies 2011 – Canberra, 25-27 October 2011
During the 25th-27th this month, Avinet Customer Support and Quality Manager Aleks Banas will be attending the Safeskies Australia 2011 Conference at the Hyatt Hotel in Canberra. The Conference will be concentrating on future growth and future challenges which is a philosophy in which Avinet has a significant interest.
Aleks believes that attending the Safeskies Conference this year will provide an opportunity to understand any changing regulations, stating that, “It is important for Avinet to be in touch with the latest developments to ensure that our products continue to reflect industry requirements”.
2012 Air Maestro User Conference – Adelaide, 28-29 February
The Air Maestro® User Conference tickets are selling fast! Attendees can expect beginner and advanced refresher training, new release demonstrations, industry presentations and some exciting keynote speakers.
In addition to the two day Conference, we will be offering an additional one-on-one workshop on the 1st March which is just in time for the Clipsal 500. If you intend to stay in Adelaide during this time, we recommend that you book with The Sebel Playford as they are offering special Conference rates. To make an accommodation booking, please phone +61 8 8213 8833 and quote “Avinet Conference”.
Early Bird Registration Prize – Air Maestro User Conference 2012
Many of our customers have already taken advantage of the early bird rates for next year’s Conference. To thank those that have registered, we are offering a Kindle e-reader to one lucky early bird registration. Register today to be in the running. Please note, early bird registrations close 2nd December 2011 and the winner will be announced on 5th December 2011.
2012 Heli Expo – Texas, 11-14 February 2012
Avinet will attend next year’s Heli-Expo after much success in this year’s Florida event,held in March. This time around, the Expo will be held in Dallas, Texas in February. Heli-Expo is one of the world’s largest international helicopter tradeshows featuring over six hundred exhibiting companies. The Avinet team are looking forward to the opportunity to be a part of such a huge show again. |
|
| Alliance Partner Snapshot |
Rob Daneel started his flying career in the South African Air Force (SAAF) where, during 16 years of service, he flew light and medium utility helicopters in operational and instructional roles. On leaving the SAAF, he joined the scary world of civil aviation, flying and instructing in Africa and the Middle East. His interest and involvement in aviation management, particularly safety management, began in 2001 when he completed a Flight Safety Officers' course presented by the SAAF. Subsequent safety, quality and business management courses, as well as ten years of experience in various aviation management roles, have provided Rob with substantial expertise to offer clients the superior kind of support expected from a member of the Avinet team. |
|
| Avinet Staff Snapshot |
Farewell to Gabrielle Cowley
As many of you are probably already aware, Gabrielle Cowley has left Avinet on indefinite maternity leave. Gabrielle was the team’s Marketing and Communications Coordinator and a highly valued team member who will be missed. Avinet wish her all the best in her future endeavours. Bianca Stewart has taken over the role.
Stephanie Crase – Administrative Assistant
Settling in well as Administrative Assistant for Avinet, Stephanie Crase has previously worked in a variety of jobs including an Accounting Personal Assistant for a local television show, an Art Gallery Assistant, and Guide at the London Science Museum. She has studied Film at Flinders University and Visual Arts at the Adelaide Central School of Art and now spends her time juggling her new role at Avinet and her passion for painting. With a variety of experience and passion behind her, she will fit in well as a great addition to the Avinet team.
|
| |
