This week, Microdrones announced that we are partnering with Delair-Tech to create a complete line-up of aerial mapping solutions. We sat down with Microdrones President, Vivien Hériard Dubreuil, to discuss what this partnership will mean for our customers.
Microdrones: Microdrones announced a new partnership this week with Delair-Tech. What brought the two companies together?
Hériard Dubreuil: Delair-Tech is a global leader in the professional fixed wing market and the company just acquired Gatewing, a pioneer in UAV photogrammetry. Microdrones manufactures the world’s best commercial quadcopters. This partnership makes sense because there is exceptional quality and breadth between the three product offerings.
Microdrones: What exactly are these companies partnering to accomplish?
Hériard Dubreuil: The vision is to create one coherent and complete product line that includes all the aircraft and payloads a commercial user could need. Between Microdrones, Delair-Tech, and Gatewing, we have a strong collection of UAVs. Moving forward we will leverage the strengths of our existing solutions as we seamlessly integrate them into one product family.
Microdrones: What will that integration entail?
Hériard Dubreuil: The first order of business will be to combine the best components of existing ground software from Microdrones, Delair-Tech, and Gatewing vehicles to develop a common platform across the entire line of aircraft.
Microdrones: That will make things much simpler for pilots that will need to use more than one type of aircraft.
Hériard Dubreuil: Correct. Common ground software will simplify pilot training and workflows across aircraft, so this development will have considerable operational value for customers.
Microdrones: What other priorities will the companies be working together on as they create this comprehensive family of UAV solutions?
Hériard Dubreuil: At the same time, we will be focused on completing our product line.
Microdrones: Will that product line include only existing aircraft?
Hériard Dubreuil: Our research and development teams will collaborate to create some new aircraft. The specialized expertise of each of those teams will drive these efforts. Delair-Tech is already known for its products’ advanced BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) capabilities and, of course, Microdrones leads the industry with our quadcopters. A top priority will be to create multirotor BVLOS UAVs that will be ready when market regulations approve their use in the United States.
Microdrones: BVLOS quadcopters? Very exciting. Are there any other joint initiatives that the companies hope to begin working on?
Hériard Dubreuil: The two companies both have very good reputations for providing excellent customer service. We would like to work together on support and training so we can elevate our customer service to an even higher level. We would also like to eventually see some coordination of sales channels and distribution networks to make it simple for industrial users to procure the aircraft they need.
Microdrones: Microdrones’ recent agreement with Trimble will help this?
Hériard Dubreuil: Absolutely.
Microdrones: Are there any other developments that you have in mind for the future that are not officially in the works but that you’d like to see happen?
Hériard Dubreuil: A big one for me is common, swappable payloads that work with all the aircraft in our product line. That would provide great value for our customers and I’m hopeful that will happen eventually.
Microdrones: Microdrones customers have a lot to be excited about. It seems like you have a clear vision for the future and a strong plan in place to get there.
Hériard Dubreuil: It’s a lot to do, but we’re eager to begin right away. Everyone involved is very excited by what we will be able to offer customers. Our plans will simplify UAV purchasing, use, and integration for users in many different industries.
Microdrones: Is there any other player in the commercial UAV industry that can boast this kind of complete offering?
Hériard Dubreuil: There is no equivalent. This partnership is the first of its kind in the industry and our offering will be the highest quality and most complete product line on the market.