Parrot, Europe’s leading drone manufacturer, has launched a new SDK Partner program with a view to ramping up the enterprise use of its ANAFI and ANAFI Thermal drones.

The program aims to help organizations and startups create new applications to work with Parrot’s hardware platforms.

Parrot’s current SDK program opens the door for developers to create their own iOS and Android applications and service programs with the ANAFI and ANAFI Thermal drones. The program has now been revamped to give industry partners access to hardware and software support and strategic go-to-market support.

The move is part of Parrot’s ambition to create an ecosystem of solutions built on the ANAFI platform, mainly tailored to professional users in first response.

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Parrot and Kittyhawk to combine Air Control with ANAFI platform

Parrot’s first partner in the program is Kittyhawk. The US-based drone ops management company will pair Air Control, its new enterprise platform, with Parrot’s ANAFI hardware.

Kittyhawk Air Control offers thermal camera controls – which we imagine will work well with the ANAFI Thermal – alongside live streaming, compliance controls and fleet management for enterprise flight operations. The integrated platform connects enterprise workflows and safety controls to in-field drone operations.

Kittyhawk’s enterprise applications have long provided seamless authorization for drone operators wanting to fly in controlled US airspace near airports as part of the FAA’s Low Altitude Authorisation and Notification Capability (LAANC) initiative.

Kittyhawk will support ANAFI and ANAFI Thermal drones beginning in early 2020, so it may not be long until the French manufacturer’s models are adopted more widely by US organizations.

“We are excited to see the advanced level of functionality and control our support for Parrot will deliver to our customers,” said Jon Hegranes, CEO and Founder at Kittyhawk. “ANAFI’s impressive form factor, user experience, and camera capabilities made it an obvious enterprise-ready hardware partner for us to integrate with.”

Since launching the SDK program in April 2019, Parrot has added new features to aid its partners. These include MAVLink support, Windows libraries, and a comprehensive tutorial to help anyone produce a working application for ANAFI in minutes.

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“Our clients always expect to work with top-quality hardware and the best solutions and services. Kittyhawk’s platform brings immense capabilities to our professional ANAFI customers,” said Jerome Bouvard, Parrot Director of Strategic Partnership.

“We launched the SDK Partner Program to create a global drone ecosystem of apps and services— capable of serving the unique and ever-evolving needs of our enterprise partners.”

For more information on the Ground SDK, visit the developer portal.