Vizada, a provider of global satellite-based mobility services, and hardware manufacturer Thrane & Thrane have signed a partnership agreement to launch a new broadband offer to the maritime market. Via their shared distribution channels, the partnership will offer shipping companies a maritime mobile broadband package that combines Thrane & Thrane hardware with Vizada VSAT and MSS services and solutions.
The maritime mobile broadband package includes Thrane & Thrane’s SAILOR 900 VSAT and SAILOR FleetBroadband terminals combined with Vizada’s Pharostar VSAT and FleetBroadband service and the recently launched Vizada XChange, a unified platform that provides a secure and controlled communications environment for voice and broadband data. Vizada complements the package with Vizada Solutions for messaging, prepaid communications and traffic control.
Thrane & Thrane’s new Ku-band antenna, SAILOR 900 VSAT, is already being tested over Vizada’s Pharostar global Ku-band VSAT service. SAILOR 900 VSAT is a stabilized Ku-band VSAT antenna that will be available for vessels of all size and type following its forthcoming commercial release in summer 2011. Thrane & Thrane’s global service network will provide worldwide technical support and on board assistance for the VSAT antenna and FleetBroadband systems. Vizada’s Pharostar VSAT service will be supplemented with FleetBroadband in areas where Ku-band coverage is unavailable. The service connectivity switching between VSAT and FleetBroadband will be managed through the new Vizada XChange platform.