STAR Opens in Phoenix

Aviation Maintenance held its first annual Software Technology and Resource (STAR) Symposium November 7-9 in Phoenix, Arizona. The STAR Symposium is a conference aimed at bringing together aviation maintenance service and maintenance operations personnel with providers of maintenance software and technology products.

Nine companies sponsored the inaugural STAR Symposium:

STAR Gold Sponsors:

• Honeywell (Maintenance and OperationsSuite)
• MIRO Technologies (Gold and Aura MRO software)
• Mxi Technologies (Maintenix MRO software)

STAR Silver Sponsors:

• Ramco Systems (VirtualWorks MRO platform)
• Core Hyper-Soft (MRO software)
• Component Control (integrated MRO business software)

STAR Bronze Sponsors:

• Arbortext (enterprise publishing software)
• Continuum Applied Technology (Corridor maintenance software)
• JANA (technical documentation services)

The STAR Symposium featured software and technology industry presentations and breakout sessions on subjects ranging from MRO software installation case studies to examinations of technology issues such as digital signatures and configuration management.

Keynote speaker Brian Udell mesmerized the audience with his tale of a technology breakdown that led to his bailing out of an F-15E Strike Eagle at more than 800 miles per hour and his harrowing and ultimately successful rescue.

On the second day of the conference, Robin Wohnsigl, president and chief operating officer, Airbus North America Customer Services, delivered a fascinating keynote speech on Airbus's perspective of the commercial maintenance market and the use of technology in that arena.

The 2005 STAR Symposium is scheduled for October 2005. More information will be available soon at the STAR website, www.STARSymposium.com.