KVH Debuts Connectivity as a Service Offering
KVH Industries, Inc. has launched a new all-inclusive Connectivity as a Service (CaaS) offering for the maritime industry, AgilePlans by KVH.
For a single monthly fee, AgilePlans by KVH brings an advanced satellite communications solution onboard without a costly capital expenditure or long-term commitment. The subscription fee is as low as $499/month for a complete package including hardware, connectivity, installation at select ports, entertainment and training content and global support. The AgilePlans by KVH subscription model is designed to deliver everything a fleet needs for better communications and improved operational efficiency at sea.
“Connectivity is the gateway to digital transformation for shipping, but the complexity and comparative expense of satellite communications has acted as a brake for many operators,” said K D Adamson, futurist and founder of Futurenautics Group. “Connectivity as a Service makes real sense, bringing simplicity, accessibility and scalability without the need for upfront CAPEX, so the AgilePlans service from KVH is groundbreaking in that respect. But this isn’t just about cutting costs, it’s about delivering value, which makes the inclusion of crew content and eLearning in the KVH offering really significant.”
AgilePlans by KVH is designed to enable customers to adjust quickly to changing market conditions and support fleet expansion or contraction as needed. For example, subscribers can end a subscription at any time without penalty. The AgilePlans subscriber need only notify KVH, return the onboard hardware, and the subscription will end.
The monthly subscription fee for Agile Plans by KVH includes all of the following:
- All Necessary Hardware: Choice of KVH’s TracPhone V7-IP or TracPhone V11-IP antenna system; the belowdecks Integrated CommBox Modem (ICM); and required cables
- Installation: Free shipping to, and standard installation in select ports around the globe
- Maintenance & Support: Zero maintenance costs for the life of the subscription; KVH OneCare Global Technical Assistance Package; proactive performance monitoring
- Airtime and Voice: Choice of KVH’s usage-based airtime data plans with speeds up to 4 Mbps shore-to-ship, and a KVH-assigned VoIP number
- Management Portal: myKVH
- Vessel Tracking Service: Basic Tracking
- Crew Welfare: NEWSlink Print and NEWSlink TV delivered and updated daily via KVH’s IP-MobileCast content delivery service
- Training Content: TRAININGlink Videotel Basic Training Package of videos covering Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW)-related material for one of three categories: tankers, dry cargo, or offshore
- Operations Data Delivery: CHARTlink and FORECASTlink multicast delivery of third-party chart and weather data
“We are thrilled to bring the benefits of the all-inclusive AgilePlans subscription service to the maritime industry,” said Martin Kits van Heyningen, CEO of KVH. “Ship operators know they can drive efficiency when they bring fast and reliable broadband onboard, and with the AgilePlans service, they will be able to get the benefits from day one. As we approach the 10th anniversary of our mini-VSAT Broadband service, this is one more way we are innovating for our customers, particularly in the crucial areas of connectivity and business flexibility.”
“KVH’s subscription program provides the advanced communications solution we need for our vessels, and includes all the factors we consider critical for our operations – a high-performing satellite communications system, the data consumption we anticipate for crew welfare, and remote access to the ships’ IT systems, among other things,” said Oliver Clauser, Nautic/IT, of Reederei Köpping Gmbh & Co. KG, technical manager on behalf of a ship portfolio managed by the Ernst Russ Group, which has already placed an order. “The program’s low investment cost was a deciding factor as well, given that KVH provides not only the equipment itself, but the installation and maintenance.”
The AgilePlans service complements existing purchase and lease options offered by KVH.