Adding Gogo MIX to the mix of inflight connectivity solutions

New application makes customizing inflight Wi-Fi networks easier than ever

We wanted to give you a peek behind the scenes on how some of our products and features come to be, based on customer survey data and customer interviews. One of our most recent applications, Gogo MIX, was designed with customer input and feedback on how Wi-Fi network management worked at the time -- with the idea that we’d build a tool that functions the way our customers need it to.

We held several focus groups with our customers to discuss what Wi-Fi management looked like in their operations and how it could be improved. Our customers were more than happy to tell us what they need to manage their connectivity and through these discussions we found that five things were important to our customers.
 

Gogo Business Aviation customers’ wish list for Wi-Fi management:

  • The ability to quickly see the health of the systems
  • The ability to prioritize bandwidth
  • To directly manage Wi-Fi networks and preferences internally
  • Have more control over controlling costs and data usage
  • Testing the connection below 10k

 During our conversations we found that the following job roles are often responsible for inflight Wi-Fi management and troubleshooting:

  • Director of Maintenance (DOM)
  • Maintenance Manager
  • Director of Aviation
  • Chief pilot
  • CEO
  • Aircraft manager (charter organizations)
  • Flight crew, then maintenance (inflight) if the issue can't be resolved
  • Flight crew, then IT (inflight) if the issue can't be resolved

Based on how these customers manage inflight Wi-Fi, we pitched different scenarios and tools we were researching to see how it would impact our customers’ lives in the real world and on real aircraft. And one of those tools is Gogo MIX.

With the release of the Gogo MIX application inside the Gogo DASH self-service toolkit, inflight Wi-Fi is now easier to control and manage – even remotely. Before the flight, operators can use MIX to customize, password-protect, and prioritize networks, tailoring the experience to meet both business and passenger needs.

Then, using the Gogo DASH Connectivity Insights app, a DOM on the ground can watch the flight in DASH and ensure Wi-Fi connections are strong and performing at the optimal level. Finally, the inflight crew can also use the DASH mobile app to stay informed and even communicate status with passengers. 

Another common inflight experience we looked at for MIX was the ability to create networks that can access data or simply connect to Gogo Vision, this is especially useful when flying with families or children who need inflight entertainment without using up all the plan’s data for streaming. For the first time ever, our customers have the ability to assign networks by SSID which gives them complete control over their Wi-Fi experience. 

Direct customer feedback helped shape how we designed MIX and gave us insight into ways customers might use the feature in the future so we can plan to update the application accordingly.

quotes

Gogo is delivering what we're asking for in an intuitive user interface. 

Customer survey

Another added, “The MIX application is easy to use,” when seeing it for the first time.

We’ve had great feedback on the convenience of the MIX app, as well as the ability to manage Wi-Fi remotely. Gogo MIX will continue to evolve as we hear more from our customers on what functionality or features they need from the application and we look forward to hearing that feedback to build a toolkit that meets those needs.

Curious to know more about MIX? View the infographic here.

Configure inflight Wi-Fi and manage Gogo services

MIX is yet another tool inside Gogo DASH that provides AVANCE customers unprecedented control and customization capabilities. DASH is the one-stop shop for configuring inflight Wi-Fi and managing accounts and services.


Other exciting features in DASH include:

  • Connectivity insights: See what’s happening with Gogo’s systems and networks including flight activity, performance, data passed, and connected devices
  • User management: Assign DASH access based on your team members’ roles and permissions
  • Activation services: Speed up the final step of getting your aircraft online by viewing your aircraft, setting up services for testing, and identifying the installed hardware
  • Account and billing: Quickly manage billing information, see what services are on your aircraft, and how much usage is being billed
  • Service agreements: Easily customize your inflight experience by selecting data plans and services, such as texting and inflight entertainment 

We look forward to adding new applications to DASH in the coming years and working with our customers to learn how we can make the toolkit even better.

  

How you can get involved in providing feedback for Gogo products and services

We’ve heard from customers that it’s imperative we continue to listen to our customers to provide a better user experience and keep delivering quality products and services. 

There are several ways you can get involved if you want to provide customer feedback. First up, keep an eye on your inbox for our email surveys or invitations to our periodic voice of the customer conference calls. Or, you can follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook where we’ll link to surveys or tell you about opportunities to share your feedback with us.

If you ever have any questions or need to reach technical support or customer service, please visit our contact us page.

Related content