Innovative Advantage (IA) – which engineers and manufactures the AVDS Node System, a dynamic audio, video and data distribution backbone system for business aviation – is celebrating its 20-year anniversary in 2025.
IA was founded 20 years ago, in 2005, when entrepreneur-engineer Richard Morris had a new idea for how IFE systems could be put together. Morris, supported in logistics by his wife, Sally Morris, started the company in their home garage.
Three industry friends – engineers Jim Bergley, Steve Spang and Rob Dahlgren – joined the start-up, focusing on the development and implementation of the audio/video digital distribution system, a backbone engineered to integrate all the components of the aircraft’s IFE and CMS. Twenty years later, Bergley, Spang and Dahlgren still work for IA.
In 2006, a major aircraft OEM bought IA’s prototypes, establishing a long-term partnership and in 2007, the company relocated to a new location in Redmond, Washington.
In 2008, IA signed the first supplier agreement with an airframe/aircraft OEM and one year later, in 2009, the first AVDS Nodes were installed on aircraft.
In 2013, the IA team celebrated passing 1,000 AVDS Node installations, and in 2018, IA reached a new milestone – 1,000 aircraft flying with AVDS. In 2020, the company relocated to its current engineering headquarters in Kirkland, Washington, with the first 4K in-flight in 2021.
In 2022, Greg Cornell was named president of IA. In 2023, the company introduced the Cabin Server, Bluetooth adapters, and other cabin backbone technologies, including SCB, a small signal converter box that handles HDMI, USB-C, SDI, and analogue audio to create a standalone entertainment system that’s all integrated but not part of a larger CMS.
In its 20th year, 2025, the company celebrates more than 2,000 aircraft flying with the AVDS backbone in the cabin, and more than 10,000 AVDS Nodes with zero obsoleted parts.
Celebrations and product introductions
To commemorate the company’s 20th anniversary, IA has launched the campaign ‘Your Cabin Backbone’. As part of its stated continued commitment to innovation, IA will unveil a new expansion of the company’s portfolio with new product introductions scheduled for the 2025 AEA International Convention and Trade Show in Phoenix, Arizona, and the 2025 NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The company has announced a series of employee and customer engagements, celebrations, webinars, and a special commemorative social media campaign #20YearsofIA to share and celebrate the company’s milestone with all customers, industry partners, and peers in business aviation.
“I am incredibly excited to be celebrating our 20-year anniversary!” said Greg Cornell, president at IA. “Richard’s vision, leadership and hard work was what started this company; the experience and diligence of the original crew is what got it off the ground; and every one of our passionate, talented team members is what’s going to take IA into the future. And of course, the last 20 years wouldn’t have been possible without our incredible customers – you are the reason for everything that we do.”
“The business jet community is second to none and it’s been an honour being part of it,” he added. “Technology, consumer wants, and the world around us have changed drastically over the years, but the bonds we have with our customers and love for this industry have remained unchanged. IA was founded on the idea of providing the best cabin backbone on the market and we look forward to continuing that legacy into the future!”
