Communications Products News

KVH Industries has  announced  that Brent Bruun, currently executive vice president of mobile broadband for the company, has been promoted to the newly created position of chief operating officer (COO). In this position, Bruun will assume direct responsibility for KVH’s corporate development, as well as operational responsibility for mobile communications products and services for maritime and land markets. His purview as COO covers the customer lifecycle from sales and manufacturing through customer onboarding and on into long-term services, support, and customer retention.

Intellian, a leader in maritime satellite communication antenna technology, and JRC, a world leading marine electronics manufacturer specialising in commercial navigation and communications equipment, recently announced a new partnership agreement. Under the arrangement, JRC will begin selling Intellian satellite communication products within Japan through their established sales channels, with the Intellian 1M GX terminal becoming their hardware solution within this size category. Jun Nakazawa, General Manager of the Marine Electronics Business Department of JRC, commented: “Intellian is one of the leading manufacturers of satellite communication products in the world…

Monico Monitoring, Inc., a company in the industrial monitoring and control solutions market, formed a strategic alliance with CMR Group, a manufacturer of industrial engine controls, wiring harnesses and electrical management systems. The move will see the companies working closer together on both existing and new projects to develop and grow business in core industrial engine, genset and gas compressor markets around the world. Through this partnership, Monico, whose international customer base includes, among others, the end users of Caterpillar, Cummins and MTU equipment, will be providing strategic guidance to CMR on developing its presence in a burgeoning US end-user components market.

The advent of maritime communications is at a crossroads of sorts, with increased demand for connectivity that mirrors land-based performance, but still stuck at a price point which makes this reality too costly. The situation is particularly poignant onboard modern cruise ships, packed with thousands of passengers and crew that want and need to stay connected. Enter MTN Satellite Communications which today announced the launch of its MTN Nexus, the company’s next-generation communications network.

UANI urges Obama Administration to discipline MTN following evidence it conspired to bypass U.S. Sanctions against Iran. (MTN Group Limited is a multi-national telecommunications group offering voice and data communications products and services to individuals and land/maritime businesses). UANI ( United Against Nuclear Iran) Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, issued the following statement regarding new evidence that MTN actively conspired to bypass U.S. sanctions and procure U.S. "MTN’s corruption in Iran clearly has no bounds. MTN is willing to, and has done, whatever is necessary to give the Iranian regime what it seeks. MTN is a direct threat to U.S. national security interests and the human rights of the Iranian people. The Obama administration must sanction MTN.

"We had a great quarter in our satellite business," said Martin Kits van Heyningen, KVH's chief executive officer. "Revenue from the mini-VSAT business grew 61% compared to the first quarter last year, and unit sales increased 120%. Our mini-VSAT Broadband airtime revenue for the quarter was close to $7 million, and the related gross margin increased to approximately 28% from only 4% one year ago. "We were very pleased with our progress in winning a leadership position in the growing maritime broadband market," continued Mr. Kits van Heyningen. "In several customer-run, head-to-head competitions with many other maritime services, KVH mini-VSAT Broadband has been selected for large fleet-wide roll outs.

Abu Dhabi - To further meet the requirements of global vertical markets, Thuraya has recently signed a Service Partner agreement with Telespazio VEGA United Kingdom, a subsidiary of Telespazio SpA, a Finmeccanica-Thales company. Through this partnership, Telespazio VEGA will distribute Thuraya’s integrated portfolio of satellite communications products, which includes Thuraya IP, a compact satellite broadband solution supporting 384 streaming, Thuraya’s handheld phones and maritime solutions. Through its global distribution network, Telespazio VEGA will enable consumers from sectors such as government, enterprise, broadcast media, energy and NGOs to enjoy the cutting-edge service offered by Thuraya that provides seamless coverage in more than 140 countries.

Current headquarters will be relocated to larger commercial space in San Diego, California. Boatracs Inc., a leader in providing integrated satellite communications and software solutions to the maritime industry, announced it has acquired a 12,500 square-foot office building in San Diego, California as a space for their Corporate Headquarters. Boatracs will occupy the building to house general operations, engineering, shipping and its Network Operations Center for 24 hour live customer support.

New Centers provide complete managed-communications services worldwide. Stratos Global, the leading global provider of advanced mobile and fixed-site remote communications solutions, today announced it has expanded its maritime service-delivery capabilities by opening Global Installation & Service Centers (GIS Centers) in four major maritime regions. The Stratos GIS Centers in Rotterdam, Hong Kong, Singapore and Lafayette, Louisiana provide complete managed-communications services for ship owners and ship-management companies worldwide.

VT iDirect, Inc. (iDirect), a subsidiary of VT Systems Inc, announced that NewWave Broadband Ltd. has ordered $2m in satellite communications products to expand its maritime VSAT service and grow its land-based market. The contract includes the acquisition of multiple iDirect 15000 Series Universal Satellite Hubs, line cards and remote routers. NewWave plans to install iDirect hubs in the United States and northern Europe, expanding its network reach and capacity in an effort to meet rising demand as maritime companies turn from pay-per-use narrowband to flat-fee VSAT broadband. The network will utilize Ku-band satellite capacity from three transponders on Telesat's T11N.

L-3 Communications, announced has acquired the six corporations of G.A. International Electronics Group. G. A. International Electronics is a high seas marine electronics business providing sales and service of marine electronics equipment for navigation and communications onboard commercial tankers, freighters and major cruise liners operating within the United Sates and in the . The business will be combined into a single unit and renamed L-3 G.A. International and will be integrated into the L-3 Marine and Power Systems Group. Headquartered in , L-3 G.A. International has been successfully providing sales, installation, and service for a broad range of OEM navigation and communications products to commercial maritime shipping and cruise line companies for nearly 25 years.

Maritime communications is an estimated $1 billion industry, encompassing ship operators, merchant fleets, governments and private yacht owners. There is arguably no more quickly evolving technical sector in the maritime market than the satellite communications niche. Safety, operational efficiency and quality of life onboard vessels of all type and size today more than ever depends on clear, reliable and cost effective satellite communication services and products. The following reports on recent advances from major service, product and system suppliers. The year started with news that Connexion by Boeing, a business unit of The Boeing Company, would roll-out its high speed satellite broadband capability for the maritime industry.

EMS Satcom, a division of EMS Technologies, Inc., announced its sponsorship of Spirit of Canada Ocean Challenges and skipper Derek Hatfield as he sets his sights to win the 2006 5-Oceans global sailboat race. EMS will provide critical hardware and services through its integrated satellite communications systems to connect Derek and his 60-ft. Spirit of Canada to the rest of the world for safety, educational and media relations purposes. “Spirit of Canada is building to win in 2006, and the addition of EMS’s world-class Satcom technology provides us with tremendous advantages in terms of safety and educational outreach,” says Derek Hatfield, managing director, Spirit of Canada Ocean Challenges.

Telenor Satellite Services, a subsidiary of Telenor of Norway has received a General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Technology Service (FTS) contract to provide a wide variety of mobile and fixed satellite communications products and services to the United States government. Under the provisions of the indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract, known as SATCOM-II, government agencies and authorized government contractors can continue to purchase services directly from Telenor Satellite Services. A number Telenor's service partners were also among the companies awarded a GSA FTS SATCOM-II contract.

SeaWave LLC announced the completion of two new communications stations in South Texas and Seattle, Wash. The new stations consist of multiple antenna arrays which bolster SeaWave’s world-wide coverage, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico, South America, the Caribbean, Africa, and the Pacific coast. The new communications stations are just two of SeaWave’s many dedicated directional antennas located throughout North America and Europe and complement existing Satellite and GSM solutions already offered by SeaWave. “These new communication stations were designed and built to support the increased network performance and efficiency made possible by SeaWave’s suite of communications products,” stated Joe Estrada, Director of Operations, SeaWave LLC.