Another Step Forward for Commercial Drones

In the developing commercial drone industry, San Francisco start-up, Airware, is vying for a crucial role: the operating system. The advantage of a popularized operating system has been seen before in the tech world. Computers took off after MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows appeared.  Similarly the popularity of smartphones rose after the introduction of Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating systems. Airware anticipates the same type of success for commercial drones with the release of its Aerial Information Platform operating system.

Early Feedback

After the release of its drone operating system earlier this month it appears Airware may indeed become the Microsoft of drone operating systems. One of Airware’s beta testers, Allied Drones’ president, Josh Kornoff, says he plans to put Airware software on all of the drones they build. According to Kornoff other autopilot solutions he’s tested weren’t up to snuff — only good enough for hobbyists — or were clunky old military systems.

GE Ventures managing director, Alex Tepper, shared a similar sentiment, saying that Airware has found a sweet spot in the market between the hobby systems and the military systems. Airware is partnering with GE to provide commercial drone applications for its customers (GE’s venture arm also made an investment in Airware in late 2014). GE says that the variety of demands it gets from customers, ranging from oil and gas companies to power companies and transportation companies, requires a flexible platform such as Airware’s.

The Future of Commercial Drone Manufacturing

With exciting developments in operating software such as Airware’s Arerial Information Platform, commercial drones are closer than ever to gaining widespread commercial use. As a result commercial drone manufacturing is set to become an increasingly competitive marketplace. To stay ahead of the competition manufacturers must continue to engineer innovative solutions and reduce supply chain costs.

The Right Supply Chain Partner is Key

bisco industries frequently partners with engineers to help them find cutting-edge solutions to demanding applications. Our knowledgeable sales reps have extensive experience and access to resources from hundreds of manufacturers. In addition, bisco offers a wide range of value added services to help manufacturers reduce inventory management and purchasing costs. Visit biscoind.com or contact a representative to learn more about partnering with bisco industries.