Targeting synthetic vision system development, ENSCO purchases IData and IGL 178 product lines from Quantum3D

Posted by John McHale
FALLS CHURCH, Va., 28 April 2011. In an effort to strengthen their synthetic vision solutions for military and commercial avionics applications ENSCO, Inc., acquired the IData and IGL 178 product lines along with the supporting assets and staff from Quantum3D in San Jose, Calif., through ENSCO's wholly owned subsidiary, IData Visual Systems, Inc.
The IData product line consists of a software development toolkit and application elements that provide a development environment and high operational performance for digital display devices. ENSCO provides engineering, science and advanced technology solutions for the defense, security, transportation, and aerospace industries.
"We have experienced a great deal of synergy since we began our relationship with Quantum3D," says Neil Fifield, vice president, Innovative Systems Solutions Division at ENSCO and vice president of IData Visual Systems. "Most of the IData customers are our customers as well. Merging the product into our current solution set will provide added value to IData customers and current avionics customers within our business. Our focus is on safety-critical avionics development and this acquisition clearly moves ENSCO forward as a leader in the efficient development of high performance safety-critical human-machine-interface solutions. Now, IData and IGL customers can benefit from ENSCO's expertise to provide complete certification solutions for safety-critical display systems."
Currently ENSCO is developing synthetic vision systems for the U.S. Navy for P-3 maritime and patrol aircraft, Fifield says. ENSCO is service-oriented and needed to get into product development that would support their synthetic vision solutions and other efforts as well, he adds. IData was the product fit ENSCO as looking for, Fifield continues.
IData wanted to get into synthetic vision systems and other products that aid degraded visual environments and ENSCO was already developing these systems for the military, says Ray Niacaris, former director of Embedded Visual Computing Sales at Quantum3D will serve as director of operations and sales of the new subsidiary.
IData will provide the product development necessary for synthetic vision, while ENSCO brings the certification expertise IData was lacking when part of Quantum3D, Niacaris says. IData is also working with ALT Software and Channel 1 to manage the product life cycle of their products, he adds.
ENSCO is very experienced in certifying avionics technology to standards such as DO-178B, DO-254, and MIL-STD development requirements, including design, development, integration, and verification, solutions, Fifield says.
"Building the necessary infrastructure is a tremendous investment," Nicarus says. "What we brought to the party is IData engineers that understand synthetic vision and complex imagery."