Aircell Named "Rising Star" at Illinois Technology Association's 12th Annual CityLIGHTS Awards Gala

CHICAGO, May 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Aircell, the world's leading provider of in-flight connectivity, was presented with the "Rising Star" award at the Illinois Technology Association's 12th annual CityLIGHTS Awards Gala.  The gala was held at Chicago's Union Station on May 12, 2011.

The Illinois Technology Association's CityLIGHTS Awards are an annual celebration of the growth and vitality of the local technology community. The "Rising Star" award is presented to the company which, through innovation in products, services or business approach, has grown to become a serious competitor in the marketplace.

"Obviously, it's an incredible honor to be the recipient of this year's 'Rising Star' award, especially coming from our respected peers in Illinois' burgeoning technology community," said Michael Small, president and CEO of Aircell.  "The award is a true acknowledgement of the innovation of our products, growth of our business and success of our overall business model."

"We received an exceptional group of nominations this year, from individuals and organizations to products and technologies, all of which are accomplishing great things," said Fred Hoch, ITA President. "The Illinois technology community is seeing a resurgence of startups, partnerships, collaboration and investments, and its many achievements are reflected in the caliber of our nominees and award winners."

The ITA received a record number of nominations this year.  Winners in each of the eight award categories were determined by a composite score of 50 percent community voting and 50 percent voting by the ITA's panel of 40 judges.

About the Illinois Technology Association

The Illinois Technology Association (ITA) is a driving force behind the growth of Illinois' vibrant technology industry. We are relentless in championing the development and application of technology, from start-up companies to industry leaders, leveraging the transformative nature of technology to revolutionize industries. ITA uniquely capitalizes peer-to-peer collaboration, networking, and access to experts across the breadth of business to cultivate the Illinois technology industry. The unique and powerful integration of these valuable and experienced resources differentiates the ITA as a source of accelerated growth for the technology industry of Illinois.

About Aircell

Aircell® is the world's leading provider of in-flight connectivity.  As winner of an exclusive FCC frequency license in 2006, Aircell has built a revolutionary mobile broadband network for commercial and business aviation.  In 2008, Aircell revolutionized the commercial airline passenger flight experience by delivering Gogo®, a robust Internet experience at 35,000 feet.  In addition, the Aircell Network provides airlines with connectivity to operations and a path to enhanced cabin services such as video, audio, television and more. A similar feature set is available to business aircraft operators.  Aircell has facilities in Broomfield, Colorado, and Itasca, Illinois.  Aircell's vision is to give everyone the ability to stay in touch, in flight®.  For more information about Aircell, please visit www.aircell.com.

Contact:

Steve Nolan
(630) 647-1064
[email protected]

SOURCE Aircell