DERBY – 11th July 2023 – Once the stuff of science fiction, passenger-carrying electric urban air taxis could soon be a reality in major cities across the world.
This revolutionary form of transport is one step nearer to reality after Skyports Infrastructure, the leading provider of vertiports for the advanced air mobility (AAM) industry, commissioned Node4 to deliver the underlying IT network components and data analysis capabilities needed for vertiport operations.
Under the terms of the agreement, Node4, the cloud-led digital transformation Managed Services Provider (MSP), will support Skyports Infrastructure by building a global SD-WAN capability. Due to go live at its first UK location later this year, SD-WAN will eventually cover further UK sites and extend to other Skyports Infrastructure facilities in the USA, Dubai and France. Ultimately, SD-WAN will also provide the enabling technology and connectivity for Skyports Infrastructure’s global vertiport operations supporting safe and efficient integration of electrical vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and ground infrastructure.
Adopting SD-WAN will reduce time to deployment at each of Skyports Infrastructure’s vertiport facilities while centralising and streamlining remote operations – allowing the company to monitor and manage a network of vertiports in near real-time while maintaining a cost-effective, lean and agile IT team. Once operational, SD-WAN will deliver consistent availability and performance, as well as centralised management and strong network security.
Skyports Infrastructure’s IT team is also drawing on Node4’s extensive cloud-based knowledge – and Node4 has already helped Skyports Infrastructure build and configure several Azure landing zones to support the development of bespoke vertiport IT systems and software. They will also enable the development of the APIs needed to allow vertiport partners and operators to connect, collaborate and share data easily. Node4 is also supporting Skyports Infrastructure with a large-scale, cloud-based data warehousing project that’s designed to store, capture and facilitate analysis of aircraft telemetry and journey data, including weather and optimal route information.
It’s a partnership that is already proving to be successful – earlier this month, Node4 was nominated for the 2023 Cloud Excellence Awards in the Most Innovative Use of Data in the Cloud category, thanks to this innovative work with Skyports Infrastructure.
COMMENT
“Everyone at Node4 is so easy to work with,” explains Dan Lambeth, Site Reliability Engineer at Skyports Infrastructure. “The team are approachable and flexible — always offering to go above and beyond for us. Node4 also provides invaluable guidance to build Skyports Infrastructure’s in-house expertise.”
Dan continues: “We have a long technology journey ahead of us, but with the support of key technology partners such as Node4 and the insight they provide, the journey will be smooth. Looking to the next 12 to 24 months of technology development, we’re in an excellent position to continue at pace with our vertiport technology product.”
“We’re delighted to be playing a pivotal role in helping Skyports Infrastructure realise its mission of making electric air taxi travel a reality – and supporting the development and operation of its vertiports,” comments Iain Shearman, Chief Commercial Officer, Node4. “Network infrastructure solutions, in combination with our Azure and Database experience, have the potential to bring about such a reimagining of urban travel. I can’t wait to see how this project develops and, who knows, to take one of the first eVTOL flights from a Skyports Infrastructure vertiport in the not-too-distant future!”
ABOUT SKYPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE
Skyports Infrastructure is the leading enabler of advanced air mobility (AAM), providing the critical link between the ground and the sky. The company designs, builds and operates take-off and landing infrastructure for air taxis, and partners with world-class electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) passenger and cargo vehicle manufacturers around the world to enable safe, sustainable and efficient flight operations within urban and suburban environments.
Based in London, United Kingdom, Skyports has projects operating in multiple continents, including in Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, Middle East and North America. Skyports investors include Deutsche Bahn Digital Ventures, Groupe ADP, Irelandia Aviation, Levitate Capital, Solar Ventus, The Goodman Group, Kanematsu Corporation, Ardian, F2i, GreenPoint and ST Engineering.
ABOUT NODE4
Node4 empowers private and public sector organisations across the UK to deliver positive outcomes, through technology and innovation. Thanks to a broad portfolio of fully managed services including Business Applications, Modern Workplace, Cloud, Network, Data and Security, clients are empowered to reach their strategic goals.
Node4 fully owns its own a network of data centres, points of presence and operates best-in-class integrated tooling. Alongside strategic relationships with market-leading vendors such as Microsoft, Cisco and Fortinet, Node4 brings together the best options for infrastructure, platforms and applications, tailored to the needs of their clients.
Key to Node4’s success is its friendly, supportive culture, with Great Place to Work® ranking it as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces™ for three years running (2020, 2021 and 2022). Built on an ethos of exceeding client aspirations, Node4’s Exceptional Service as a Standard ensures a service delivered with knowledge, talent and passion.
Node4 – trusted to deliver technology enabled outcomes.
www.node4.co.uk