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SATELLITE 2009's Conference Chairman Scott Chase recently sat down with Jerry Creekbaum, Distinguished Engineer – IP Networking and Architecture, Verizon Business, who will be participating in the Satellite/Telco Truce: The End of the Platform Wars? session at 1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25.
SATELLITE 2009: When in your career did you become interested in communications via satellite?
Jerry Creekbaum: I have always loved technology and a challenge so when I joined the U.S. Army, Satellite Communications seemed like a perfect fit for me. Now some 25 years later I still enjoy the unique and challenging career field of satellite communications.
SATELLITE 2009: You’re in a great position to see all the big technology evolutions for satellite as it relates to voice communications. Really, what’s the next big thing for satellite in the telco arena?
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Jerry Creekbaum: I believe Business Continuity will drive tighter integration between traditional land based telecommunications and satellite communications especially now with more companies adopting a converged network architecture supporting both Voice and Data. In a converged network up-time is critical and satellite offers the ability to completely bypass any local / regional service interruption a customer may be experiencing.
SATELLITE 2009: How can the satellite equipment manufactures and services providers enhance attractiveness and applicability to current and future telco needs?
Jerry Creekbaum: Satellite system manufacturers and service providers must understand the needs of telecommunications service providers are different than the typical enterprise customer. Scalability and providing a non-stop service with carrier-class redundancy are critical.
SATELLITE 2009: What can attendees at SATELLITE 2009 expect to learn about future telco/hybrid requirements for satellite networks and architectures?
Jerry Creekbaum: I’m confident we will be seeing more satellite technology with a stronger focus on seamless integration with terrestrial networks supporting dynamic routing protocols and Quality of Service.
SATELLITE 2009: When you’re not thinking about the satellite/telco dynamic, how do you like to spend your free time?
Jerry Creekbaum: Motorcycling, for me it just doesn’t get any better than jumping on my Harley and taking a nice cruise up through the North Georgia mountains.
Hear more from Jerry Creekbaum at the SATELLITE 2009 Conference!
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Featured Session:
Wednesday, March 25, 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm
The long battle of supremacy between cable, DSL, wireless and satellite platforms appears to have reached an inflection point. Rather than promoting any single technology, coverage is the core principle regardless of the technology utilized. A mixture of all technologies, oftentimes in hybrid configurations, is now the driving force behind service rollouts and supports a mix of current and projected applications. However, this trend raises a few questions: who owns the customer, which applications are driving the market, how does the requirement for broadband play into this trend, and where will satellite players “win”? These questions and more will be answered in this session in order to evaluate the state of play in the increasingly fragmented telecom world.
Moderator: Christopher Baugh, President, NSR
Speakers: Jerry Creekbaum, Distinguished Engineer - IP Networking and Architecture, Verizon Business
Christian Pinon, President and CEO, GlobeCast
Ramu Potarazu, CEO, Avail Media
Werner Schuler Schutz, Subdirector General, Telefonica Internacional
Steve Skalski, Vice President of FSS and IPTV, EchoStar
Register today for the Conference to save up to $300!
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The SATELLITE 2009 exhibit hall show floor is the #1 destination for thousands of buyers from the Broadcast, Military/Government, Enterprise, Telecommunications, Emergency Response/First Responder and Integrator market sectors to see and experience first-hand the satellite-enabled communication solutions they need to keep their businesses on the technological cutting edge. Dedicated to linking buyers and sellers in the global satellite-enabled communications marketplace, SATELLITE 2009 provides you with an unparalleled opportunity to showcase your products, services and solutions to more than 9,000 satellite professionals from more than 65 countries!
Only 4 booths remain on the show floor – to view the current exhibit hall floor plan, please click here. To view a list of current exhibitors, please click here.
To reserve your exhibit space and position your company as a market leader at SATELLITE 2009, contact Michael Cassinelli at +1 (301) 354-1691 or mcassinelli@accessintel.com. Remaining booths are selling fast, so call today!
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.jpg) The Innovation Award goes to Globalstar’s SPOT product, which demonstrated an ability to bring lifesaving mobile satellite services to a much wider consumer market, selling tens of thousands of units even in today’s challenging economic times.
The Pioneer Award goes to Olof Lundberg, in recognition of his outstanding leadership in the creation of the Inmarsat organization and the establishment of the world’s first international global mobile satellite service. Olof played a unique role in the MSS industry, leading three different MSS operators (Inmarsat, ICO and Globalstar) over a period of more than 20 years.
The Awards will be presented at the MSUA Luncheon, sponsored by Inmarsat, on Wednesday, March 25 from 11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. One ticket is included with the MSUA-6 Conference and individual lunch tickets are also available for purchase. Don’t miss this great networking opportunity with the leaders of the MSS industry register today to secure your seat!
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For the latest news on exhibiting companies, product lauches and the satellite community, visit the SATELLITE 2009 Press Room. Here's a recent headline:
NBC Digital Health Network Upgrades WEGENER® Compel Network Control System and Adds MediaPlan Content Management System
WEGENER Equipment to Support Live and File-Based Broadcasts of The Patient Channel and The Newborn Channel to Hospitals Worldwide
Montclair, NJ - Thursday, March 5th 2009 - Wegener Corporation (Nasdaq: WGNR), a leading provider of equipment for television, audio, and data distribution networks worldwide, today announced that the NBC Digital Health Network, a New York based division of the iVillage Networks, recently upgraded its WEGENER® Compel® network control system and installed WEGENER MediaPlan® content management software to expand file-based workflows and broadcasts. NBC Digital Health Network has been using United Service Source, Inc (USSI) as their integrator. USSI provides full-scale program management, installation, service, procurement, logistics, and technical support solutions. USSI’s relationship with WEGENER® allowed for a seamless upgrade to the new version and additional functionality of Compel®.
Read more
Read all press releases
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 For the sixth year in a row, SATELLITE 2009 is a proud participant in the Department of Commerce's International Buyer Program. The U.S. Commercial Service located in your local U.S. Embassy or Consulate helps connect international attendees with U.S. companies exporting products and services. As a representative of a qualified company, you can attend SATELLITE 2009 with an official delegation under the support of the U.S. Commercial Service.
To help international attendees obtain a visa, SATELLITE 2009 is currently mailing official letters of invitation. Request your letter of invitation and make your appointment for a visa interview now. Wait times for a visa interview can be several weeks or more in many countries, especially during peak travel periods. To request an official letter of invitation, click here.
For more information on the International Buyer Program and for tips on obtaining a visa, please visit www.SATELLITE2009.com.
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Globecomm Acquires Netherlands-Based Satellite Operator
Globecomm Systems has acquired Mach6, a satellite services provider headquartered in the Netherlands, for $5.9 million, Globecomm announced Mar. 2.
Mach6 employs approximately 30 staff members and has a concentration of recurring service revenues in the government and maritime marketplaces. Mach6’s unaudited revenues for 2008 were approximately $10 million. The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to Globecomm’s diluted earnings per share.
“We decided to move forward with this transaction due to a strong cultural fit between the organizations, led by the desire to provide seamless global satellite services to the maritime industry and to add high quality managerial and technical bench strength,” said David Hershberg, CEO, president and chairman of Globecomm, in a statement. Shareholders of Mach6 can receive up to 300,000 shares of Globecomm common stock, subject to an earn-out based on certain net income milestones, which must be achieved within twelve months, Globecomm said.
Hughes Reaches $1 Billion in Revenue; Reports Record Subscriber Growth
Hughes Communications revenues improved 9 percent for 2008, surpassing the $1 billion mark for the year for the first time in the company’s history, Hughes announced Feb. 26.
The company also hit a subscriber record, with gross additions of 170,000 subscribers, a 14 percent increase over 2007. With 86,000 subscribers on Spaceway 3 at the end of the year, Hughes’ total subscriber count climbs to 433,000.
In the fourth quarter, Hughes’ consumer service revenue increased by 16 percent, as the company recorded 42,000 gross subscriber adds and churn improved to 2.4 percent from 2.6 percent in third quarter of 2008. The fourth quarter also showed strong adjusted EBITDA of $46.4 million for Hughes Network Services and $45.2 million for Hughes Communications.
The company’s VSAT revenue grew 10 percent in 2008 over 2007, driven by the European and Brazilian service subsidiaries, Hughes said. The company also saw new orders totaling $1.2 billion in 2008 and a non-consumer backlog of $841 million at the end of the year, a growth of 12 percent.
“I am pleased that we have been able to deliver this strong financial performance in 2008 despite the adverse macroeconomic head winds that accelerated in the third and fourth quarters,” Pradman Kaul, CEO of Hughes, said in a statement. “The stability and growth in our business model derives largely from the diversity of our products, technologies, markets, and geographies, and the continued shift in our business mix from hardware to services. These factors have helped and will continue to help Hughes weather economic downturns. We come into 2009 with a strong backlog, continued demand for broadband access in our consumer market, adequate satellite capacity, and a strong balance sheet to enable continued growth. I continue to be optimistic about our near- and long-term future.”
Xiplink Releases Palm-Sized Mobile Satellite Wireless Optimizer
Xiplink has released the XipStick, a wireless optimizer for mobile satellite services, the company announced Mar. 2.
XipStick is a self-contained, palm-sized wireless optimizer that runs XipLink Optimization Software (XipOS) version 2.7. The XipStick is installed between a remote PC and any mobile satellite service terminal while transparently optimizing the wireless bandwidth. The unit also delivers access to XipLink’s kernel-coded protocol acceleration, streaming data compression and Internet optimization in a portable device with built-in IPSec.
"This latest addition to our product family can typically double the network capacity available to today’s broadband mobile satellite users. We were able to leverage our own XE embedded software solution to quickly bring this portable optimizer to market and did not compromise on any XipOS features," said Charlie Younghusband, Xiplink's senior vice president of product development, in a statement.
Northrop Grumman Completes GOES-R ITT Delivery, GEO-2 Thermal Testing
Northrop Grumman delivered the final flight module cooler assemblies for the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) sensor to ITT Corp., Northrop Grumman announced Feb. 27.
The delivery, which consists of hardware for two sensors, completes a multi-year contract between the two companies started in 2005.
Built by ITT, ABI is one of the primary sensors for NASA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R). The ITT sensor will provide weather data for meteorologists and climatologists.
Separately, Northrop Grumman announced Feb. 27 that it has completed thermal vacuum testing of the second geosynchronous orbit (GEO-2) payload for the U.S. Air Force’s Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS).
The payload is scheduled to be delivered to prime contractor Lockheed Martin in the spring for installation on the GEO-2 spacecraft.
ND SatCom and CETel Team Up
ND SatCom and Central European Telecom Services (CETel) are joining forces in the area of the managed services, the two companies announced Feb. 26.
The agreement will see ND SatCom, a global supplier of satellite-based broadband solutions, offer system integration capabilities based on its core technologies, and CETel will extend the offering with service elements of a network operator and service provider from its European headquarters and teleport facilities in Germany along with their affiliated company in the United Arab Emirates.
“We are very happy about this cooperation as this strengthens our portfolio, particularly for integrated end-to-end solutions. At the same time, we are extending our core business with additional important services and state-of-the-art technologies,” Martin Terlunen, managing director of CETel, said in a statement.
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