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Xantic News

17 Mar 2009

Spectec Posts 2008 Results

SpecTec Group aggregated results (the sum of all revenues of all companies in the Group) have reached $47.8m, compared to $42.6m in 2007, with a growth of 12.16%. In the same period, consolidated revenues have grown by 12.9%. SpecTec’s growth in revenue has been of 53.7% since the acquisition from Xantic in 2005. The group closed 2006, 2007 and 2008 with profit. In the period 2005 to 2008, the company equity grew 28 %. During 2008, the company has been cash flow positive and has not had to use any corporate bank overdraft facility, even considering the heavy investment due to the creation of the new suite of products, AMOS2. AMOS sales have grown by 26.5%compared to 2007, and by 41% compared to 2006. All companies in the SpecTec Group are audited by Deloitte.

26 Sep 2001

e4marine, Xantic Develop Operational Agreement

Marine e-commerce enabler e4marine and leading marine computer software supplier Xantic have co-operated in the development of a technical interface linking Xantic?s popular AMOS M&P planned maintenance and purchase system with e4marine?s e-commerce services. The new agreement between both parties brings the relationship between e4marine and Xantic even closer, establishing Xantic as a partner to e4marine with regards to installation, implementation and support for customers that use AMOS software towards e4marine?s services. By using Xantic, e4marine?s customers are assured of the best possible implementation and support service. As part of the new agreement between e4marine and Xantic, the partners have jointly developed an ?installation and implementation?

19 Nov 2001

Xantic Releases AMOS Version With MarineProvider

In joint co-operation, MarineProvider and Xantic (former SpecTec) have built an integration module linking the AMOS Maintenance & Purchase software (AMOS M&P) version 5.0 with MarineProvider's e-procurement solution. "Each customer that upgrades to AMOS M&P version 5.0 receives a complete e-Procurement enabled version that contains everything needed to work seamlessly with MarineProvider's e-procurement solution. AMOS users do not need any special additional patches or custom configuration work done", says Collin Lewis, CEO of MarineProvider ASA. "MarineProvider required a much deeper integration than the generic portal driver functionality in our e-commerce module," says Paul Ashton, Director Technology and Innovations of Xantic.

13 Nov 2001

Inmarsat Unveils Fleet F77 at Europort 2001

Inmarsat Ltd, the global mobile satellite communications provider unveiled the first product in its Inmarsat Fleet portfolio, Fleet F77 at Europort 2001. family of three, Fleet F77 offers a unique new Mobile ISDN and Mobile Packet Data service for the maritime community delivering voice, fax and data services at speeds of up to 64 kbit/s. maritime distress and safety system (GMDSS) safety standard. With Fleet F77, maritime users will have the flexibility to choose the most cost-efficient two-way communications service for their varying data requirements. The mobile packet data service is a unique maritime solution, charging users only for the data they send and receive, not the time they are connected.

16 Oct 2003

Xantic and HSE Global Sign Software Cooperation Agreement

Xantic has announced the signing of a Software Cooperation Agreement with HSE Global. This mutually beneficial strategic alliance will provide the shipping industry with an invaluable tool for the efficient control of chemicals and hazardous materials onboard vessels. Maintenance systems for ships have been in existence for several decades, and in electronic format for the past 20 years or so. Chemicals are often used in relation to the maintenance and operation of ships. A typical cargo vessel will use 100 to 150 chemicals, while a passenger ship may carry over a thousand such products. All too often, however, these chemicals are not actively integrated into the vessel’s operational and maintenance planning processes.

30 Oct 2003

Xantic Offers Free Airtime

Xantic, the first global provider of Inmarsat Fleet 33 and Fleet 55 for all four-ocean regions, announced a unique offer on these recently launched services. Together with the Fleet 77 service launched in the beginning of 2002, Xantic now offers the full suite of Inmarsat Fleet services. The Fleet 33 and Fleet 55 offer comprises US$ 500 of free airtime for each new activation using Xantic. It is available for terminals activated up until 1 April 2004 and the free traffic is to be used before 1 July 2004.

23 Oct 2003

AMOS Connect Basic Version Available for Iridium

Xantic has announced that the basic version of AMOS Connect is now capable of working over the Iridium platform. A free of charge CD of this premium quality email service can be ordered from Xantic’s website or the software can be directly downloaded and installed. By optimally handling ship/shore satellite communication, AMOS Connect basic offers substantial cost savings of up to 85%, both Ship-to-Shore and Shore-to-Ship. It provides an ultra-efficient satellite communications protocol, including error correction, which is specifically designed for ship-to-shore communication. Use of the AMOS Connect basic version with Iridium shows data throughput rates on the Iridium network of up to 4.8 kbps.

28 Oct 2003

Xantic to Deliver AMOS Maintenance to Chemikalien Seetransport Vessels

Xantic has announced the signing of a contract agreement with Chemikalien Seetransport, a Ship Owner and Management Company specialised in the transportation of chemicals, products and gas. Xantic will deliver AMOS Maintenance to ten vessels. Headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, Chemikalien Seetransport (CST) offers services in the management and operation of sophisticated specialized carriers. In early 2003, CST acquired two vessels with AMOS Maintenance already installed onboard. Following the survey and transfer of the licences for these ships, negotiations were started to implement AMOS Maintenance on other CST carriers. These have now been successfully concluded, and a contract agreement made to install AMOS Maintenance on eight further vessels.

11 Nov 2003

Xantic Appoints New CEO

Xantic has announced the appointment of its new CEO, Pieter Eelkman Rooda. He takes over the reins from Eric de Jong, who had been acting CEO for a short period as planned. Pieter Eelkman Rooda is 42 years old and married with three children. With degrees in operations research and marketing, Eelkman Rooda worked in various capacities at Fokker Aircraft before joining the Dutch Broadcasting Company NOB in 1994. Here he worked as a CEO of various NOB companies, and was latterly responsible for mergers & acquisitions activities. “It is a great challenge to head a company of Xantic’s stature in such a dynamic market,” commented Eelkman Rooda. “As we embark on a strategy aimed at assuring Xantic’s leading position in satcom, my expectations for the future are high.”

26 Nov 2003

Xantic and GMPCS Sign Agreement

In a mutually beneficial strategic alliance, satcom provider Xantic has announced the signing of an agreement with GMPCS Communications Inc. for the delivery of various enhanced services in the United States and beyond. Under the terms of the new agreement, GMPCS will play a leading role in hosting Xantic’s Regional BGAN service in North America. GMPCS will deliver this service to companies and organisations with an international network, especially those working in the Middle East and North Africa. This move also represents a strategic step towards the future, when the BGAN service will become available. In a further development, this month will see GMPCS start delivery of its own messaging service called GMPCS Speed Mail.

08 Mar 2004

Feature: Losing Contact ... Not an Option

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.

01 Apr 2004

Xantic Extends Discounts

Xantic has announced a extension of its successful Happy Hours promotion. As per April 1, 2004, crew members calling via a mini-M, Fleet or Inmarsat B terminal using Xantic’s ChatCard service will only pay 10 units per minute compared to the previous cost of 11 units. Moreover, the actual period in which the Happy Hours tariffs are available will be significantly extended. Happy Hours will now last 10 hours a day during the week instead of the previous four hours. The time is from 20.00 to 06.00 UTC in all ocean regions. Moreover, the Happy Hour period will also last the entire weekend – from Friday at 20.00 to Monday at 06.00 UTC! “We are delighted to be able to offer our customers this major enhancement of our Happy Hours programme…

02 Jun 2004

Xantic Makes Internet Via Satellite Faster

Xantic announced the launch of Easy Accelerator, an application designed to make browsing the internet via satellite faster and cheaper than ever before. Available free of charge from Xantic’s website, Easy Accelerator optimizes internet and intranet usage by reducing the size of the selected web page content. A proxy computer located at a Land Earth Station ‘downsizes’ pictures, for example, by up to 80 percent, depending on the settings chosen. Audio files and text can also be reduced. As a result, browsing is much faster and the user’s satellite costs can be decreased by as much as 90 percent. Inmarsat has co-financed the development of this new service.

05 Aug 2004

SatCom

As technologically advanced as communications have become, the bottom line, particularly for business applications, remains basically the same: the need for clear, reliable and cost-effective means to communicate. Trends in the transmission of data, voice and e-mail from ship-to-shore are much like that of land-based operations. The need for more speed and increased reliability are never ending, and the companies that excel are the ones that not only continually innovate, but those that consistently stay on the front of the curve to deliver real-world technologies that deliver benefits in the unique maritime operational environment. In parallel, price pressures are ubiquitous, as shipowners are keen to exploit every outlet to cut costs and generate revenue.

28 Feb 2002

Xantic and Turbo SI Offer New Service

Xantic has announced the signing of a contract with Turbo Service International Limited to provide both airtime and a custom-made combination of value added services. This bundled solution is set to pave the way for shipowners to see the benefits of the internet on board ship by offering them single click access to Turbo's "lite" diagnostic webtool via Inmarsat-A, -B, mini-M and Fleet. No additional software is required on board the vessel. Moreover, by offering its customers an even more efficient turbocharger operation, Turbo SI will further improve the safety and reliability of vessels at sea. Turbo SI has offices in Southampton (UK), Antwerp (Belgium), Dubai and Hong Kong, with more expected to be opened in the near future.

07 Mar 2002

Inmarsat: F77 Extends Offerings

Inmarsat, the original mobile satcom provider for the maritime industry, has been riding the crest of a wave recently, with users at an all-time high, overall 99.9 per cent satellite reliability and the launch of its Fleet F77, Mobile ISDN and Mobile Packet Data services for the maritime community. Ruth Ling reports on what's new and what lies on the horizon. Twenty years ago, a revolution hit the maritime industry. Satellite communications became available to ships at sea. Back in 1982, when Inmarsat began offering onboard satellite communications, its first and only system was Inmarsat A, which offered voice, facsimile, telex and data services. After nine years of successful service and expansion into most maritime sectors, Inmarsat began offering Inmarsat C.

05 Mar 2002

Karlstad Named Director of Sales at SIS

Star Information Systems (SIS), a world provider of integrated fleet management software, has appointed Martin Karlstad as the new Director of Sales of SIS Oslo, effective immediately. In this role, Martin will be responsible for the company’s marketing and sales strategy. Martin will also play a leadership role in SIS’s strategic direction and sales practices. Martin brings over a decade of experience in specialized software for shipping and internet technology with companies such as KPNQWEST, ShipNet, and SpecTec (now Xantic). At the beginning of his career, Martin gained solid experience within international sales and market analysis while working as a broker for Sea Service International and market analyst with the US shipowner, Lexmar, Norway.

05 Mar 2002

Xantic BV Sells Xantic MPC

Effective January 1, 2002, Xantic MPC (former SpecTec MPC) was sold to the management backed by a group of investors. The new owners are: Øystein Moan, CEO Visma ASA, former owner of the SpecTec Group, former CEO of the Cinet Group and chairman of the SpecTec Group; Tore Bjerkan, CFO Visma ASA; Thomas Falck; Partner Four Seasons Venture AS, former CEO of the SpecTec Group and former chairman of Xantic MPC; Allen Amos, Sales Director CCT; Tore Kirkedam, Managing Director CCT . Xantic BV decided to sell the hardware division as part of a strategy to focus more on its core business, airtime and software. The new owners will continue operations, focusing on development, production and sale of specialized, class approved computer equipment.

05 Apr 2002

Global Inmarsat Fleet Service Launched

On April 1, Xantic became the world’s first company to offer the new maritime Inmarsat Fleet 77 service globally. It is also the first provider to have its service commercially approved for global operations by Inmarsat. It is the service’s availability via the company’s Burum (Netherlands) and Perth (Australia) Land Earth Stations that allow Xantic to become the first LESO to offer a fully global Inmarsat Fleet service, spanning all four Inmarsat ocean regions. Approval for commercial operation was granted by Inmarsat at the end of March following a successful and extensive test program. Inmarsat Fleet allows several forms of rapid and effective communication…

22 Apr 2002

Xantic Integrates Further Into E-procurement

Xantic has signed major cooperation agreements with ShipServ and iShipExchange for integration of their E-procurement portals into Xantic's AMOS Maintenance & Purchase solution. The required software drivers to seamlessly integrate the AMOS software and the two portals will be distributed among all AMOS M&P E-commerce licences. The driver is also freely available for existing AMOS M&P users. Integration is based on the international standard language for ship supply documents, MTML (Maritime Text Markup Language), developed and maintained by the Maritime Electronic Commerce Association (MECA). As a result of the partnership between Xantic and the portals…

28 May 2002

Xantic, Iridium Become Partners

Xantic and Iridium Satellite LLC have announced the signing of a major agreement by which Xantic will offer Iridium's voice and data services through its worldwide network. The move complements Xantic's mobile satellite offering for customers requiring remote communications solutions. It will also strengthen Iridium's global distribution capabilities. "Iridium's mobile communications services and world-wide coverage complements our fixed satellite offerings," commented Xantic CEO Knut Reed. Xantic serves customers worldwide in multiple markets, including maritime, peacekeeping and aid organisations, oil & gas, government and transportation.

14 Jun 2002

Xantic Launches ChatCard Reload

Xantic has announced a major extension of ChatCard, its all-in-one calling solution for Inmarsat services. development, the new ChatCard Reload service offers a web-enabled reloading function. directly on the internet, offering significant savings in both time and money. First released in 2001, Xantic's ChatCard calling solution proved an instant success. cards and services. The effects of crew being able to contact home in terms of morale were also clear. ChatCard Reload takes the benefits of cost control and reduced administration to a new level. companies need to buy fewer cards and have less in stock. were used, ChatCard Reload allows the cards to be recharged over and over again. The regular ChatCards can also be reloaded.

09 Jul 2002

Iridium Aggressively Pursues New Outlets

Iridium Satellite LLC, the company born from the ashes of what was one of the most spectacular and initial telecom failures, has fortified its market position in the past year, aggressively pursuing relationships with companies that will help expand use of its satellite network across all industires. The Alexandria, Va.-based Iridium — which bought the assets of Iridium LLC out of bankruptcy in December 2000, launched global voice services in March 2001 and added ubiquitous Internet connectivity in June — has announced a number of deals with leading satellite communication companies — Xantic, Telenor and France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications — and has launched a new crew calling service for the marine business.

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