AIN Staff

There’s always someone who’s just a little ahead of the technology curve, and Erica Da Veiga is one of these entrepreneurial spirits.
A co-founder of Switzerland-based business aviation services provider 28 East Group, Da Veiga introduced Web-based SkyDragon, a software application that allows owners and cabin completion managers and consultants to follow the project in real time from anywhere in the world, at last year’s EBACE.
“It not only allows the owner visual and text access to the process through everything from PDF files to video,” explained Da Veiga. “It also creates a sense of immediacy that regular e-mail updates can’t.”
Da Veiga’s first customer was a UK-based architect creating a new home for a U.S.-based client.
She concedes that with pricing starting in the $300 range for access through as many as five iPads, it may seem pricey, especially compared with the array of free apps available through the Apple Store. But compared with the cost of a major interior refurbishment or green completion (anywhere from $200,000 to the millions of dollars), “It’s well worth it in the potential savings by identifying small problems before they become big problems during the cabin outfitting. It’s not a toy, but a tool.”
According to Da Veiga, the monthly fee ranges from $100 for a single user to $450 for as many as five users for each additional month after six months, and $40 a month for each additional user.
With a 128-bit encrypted server connection, SkyDragon also offers multiple levels of security, especially important when financing and legal matters are involved, emphasizes De Veiga. It is also possible to upload all information on the manufacturer’s or outfitter’s server, allowing everything to remain in house.
Finally, she suggests that, as part of a contract, completion and refurbishment centers might consider providing owners and managers a free iPad along with SkyDragon.

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