KVH to Acquire Virtek Communications AS
KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq: KVHI) and Virtek Communications AS announced that they have entered into an agreement for KVH to acquire the software company. Virtek specializes in the development and deployment of software known as “middleware” that helps commercial fleets and vessel owners manage the data transmitted to and from their vessels over different satellite communications services, such as KVH’s own mini-VSAT Broadbandsm or Inmarsat FleetBroadband. “Virtek, its talented team of software engineers, and its proven middleware applications are an excellent fit with KVH and our rapidly expanding satellite communication business, most notably in the commercial marine market,” explained Martin Kits van Heyningen, KVH’s chief executive officer.
40 Ships Get Connected
After spending almost a year evaluating the various systems available, Broströms in Sweden with its partners have awarded Virtek Communications a contract to install CommBox on 40 vessels. What Broströms were looking for was not only a cost effective e-mail solution, but also a land based means to remotely control the entire network on-board all 40 vessels. In addition, they needed a solution capable of tackling dial-up, MPDS, leased lines and future developments. And it all had to be packaged as a 19” rack solution to fit the new infrastructure requirements on-board with terminal servers and thin clients. Broströms found everything they were looking for in CommBox from Virtek Communications - the leading producer of ship to shore communication systems in Norway.
