December 12, 2011 - Volume 8, No. 9

GVF Maritime Satcom Forum: Taking Maritime to the Next Level

Scott Chase

Keeping track of changes in the booming maritime satcom market has become a full-time job. Pick up just about any edition of SatelliteTODAY, and you're likely to find announcements about mergers, acquisitions, product launches, contracts and new satcom service offerings for everything from private yachts to commercial shipping fleets.

Right now, billions of dollars are being mobilized by satellite operators for new C-, Ku- and Ka-band maritime satellite capacity. Manufacturers are scrambling to develop lower-cost, higher-throughput stabilized systems. And vertical integration is driving deals up and down the maritime value chain.

What you're less likely to read about are shipping-company perspectives regarding the satellite industry's sea change. Are satcom solutions fully addressing the maritime sector's requirements? If not, why not? And what are the commercial implications? Getting clear answers to these questions will be top of the agenda on March 12, during a full day program being held at SATELLITE 2012 by the GVF Maritime Satcom Forum.

Capt. Kuba Szymanski, Secretary General, International Ship Managers’ Association (Intermanager), will open the all-day forum with a keynote address designed to set the agenda for the following sessions. The ISMA represents ship managers who operate in a sector that counts approximately 77,000 ships, 10,000 ship owners, and 1.5 million seafarers. Care to guess that their top two problems are? Piracy and broadband.

This won't be the first time that Capt. Szymanski has addressed our industry. Through Intermanager's collaboration with the GVF Maritime Satcom Forum, he already has made it clear that there are challenges to be addressed. First, the increasing diversity of maritime satcom offerings requires the satellite marketplace to more effectively communicate its value proposition to ship owners, operators, leasing companies, and an array of other users. In making a case for that value proposition, Capt. Szymanski has called upon key players to address how maritime satcom is being offered in terms of five key criteria: accessibility, usability, reliability, procedures, and cost.

Answering Intermanager's request will be a who's who of maritime satcom players, from Inmarsat and iDirect, to MTN, RigNet, Intelsat, and a host of others. Moderated by the Maritime Satcom Forum Chairman, Simon Bull of COMSYS, this SATELLITE 2012 occasion will enable you to plot a course through one of the most promising markets of the future.

Plan to be there March 12, 2012, and through the week at SATELLITE 2012, to help guide and define the discussion.

Conference Update

The SATELLITE 2012 Conference presents forward-looking content for the satellite community, including maritime satcom professionals. Each session is presented in an open forum format to give attendees the opportunity to join in the dialogue. Take a sneak peek at one of the sessions you'll experience during the Maritime Satcom Forum at SATELLITE 2012:

The Maritime Satcom Value Proposition
Monday, March 12
10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

The increasing diversity of maritime satcom offerings presents a challenge as the satellite industry seeks to effectively communicate its value proposition to ship owners, operators, leasing companies, and an array of other users. As network operators and service providers launch varying levels of services into the market place, the satellite industry has begun to refine the way that it conveys the value proposition of satellite technology to the maritime sector.

 Admission to The Maritime Satcom Value Proposition is included in your conference registration! Early Bird pricing ends December 14 so be sure to register today.

Exhibition Update

Who: Thousands of Satellite Communications Buyers and Suppliers
What: SATELLITE 2012 Welcome Reception
Where: Exhibit Show Floor at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC
When: Monday, March 12, 5:00 pm -7:00 pm

Why? 

The Welcome Reception is the perfect way to garner additional exposure at SATELLITE 2012 and drive additional traffic to your booth while reinforcing your brand as a market leader in the global satellite-enabled communications marketplace.

We’re opening the show floor to attendees a day early on Monday, March 12 and throwing a party in the exhibit hall to officially kick off the 31st annual SATELLITE Conference & Exhibition. Want to ensure your company is the focal point at the Welcome Reception for thousands of attendees? You can now make this a reality by sponsoring the Welcome Reception and positioning your company, brand and booth as the center of activity on the show floor as attendees mix and mingle throughout the reception.

Sponsorship packages including signage, a dedicated bar placed by your booth, branded napkins, giveaways and more are now available – contact Michael Cassinelli today for additional details, pricing and availability at +1 (301) 354-1691 or mcassinelli@accessintel.com!

Networking

Press Room

The SATELLITE Press Room is your one-stop-shop for the latest news and updates on exhibiting companies at SATELLITE 2012.  Here's a recent headline:

Satellite News Feed

Hughes Signs U.S. Government Broadband Contract

Hughes Networks Systems (HNS) has won a task order by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to deliver managed broadband services to 300 offices and inspection sites. HNS announced the deal Dec. 6.

FSIS inspection offices are currently connected using multiple technologies, including DSL, cable, cellular (EVDO), T-1 and satellite. Using its converged broadband architecture, Hughes will provide multiple-access technologies under one nationally managed broadband network for all 300 sites.

“As the public health agency charged with ensuring the safety of the nation’s supply chain for meat, poultry and egg products, much of the mission-critical work of FSIS is conducted in field offices across the country. Hughes is honored to be selected for this award and will leverage our national managed broadband network as a cost-effective solution at all sites replacing FSIS’s existing telecommunications infrastructure.” Tony Bardo, Assistant Vice President for Government Solutions, Hughes, said in a statement.


MDA Wins New Lockheed Martin Deal

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) has signed an agreement worth $1.4 million with Lockheed Martin Space Systems to deliver advanced technology solutions to the NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre (NASA), the company announced Dec. 5.

These solutions are part of NASA’s Small Explorer, or SMEX Program, expected to launch by 2012. The portion of the program that MDA is contributing to is designed to study the solar atmosphere and its far reaching effects on the environment of Earth and the activities of its inhabitants.


Tellular to Acquire SkyBitz

Tellular is acquiring SkyBitz, a provider of mobile resource management (MRM) solutions focusing on tracking and management of truck trailers, intermodal containers, sea-going containers, rail cars, power generators and rental equipment, the company announced Dec. 5.

Tellular has signed a definitive merger agreement, and the deal is subject to regulatory approval. The deal is expected to close in the next two to three months and is valued at approximately $42 million.

SkyBitz's Global Locating System (GLS) satellite-based technology provides real-time visibility of many asset types. SkyBitz addresses a multi-billion dollar market opportunity by reducing operating costs, increasing efficiency and aiding in the compliance with regulatory requirements across an increasingly complex set of supply chains and business ecosystems.


Eutelsat Set to Rename Satellite Fleet

Eutelsat has unveiled a new system for naming its satellites which will see them named around the Eutelsat brand. Starting in March 2012, Eutelsat’s satellites will take the Eutelsat name associated with the relevant figure for their orbital position and a letter indicating their order of arrival at that position.

For example, Eutelsat’s W6 satellite, which is at the 21.5 degrees East orbital location, will become Eutelsat 21A. Its Atlantic Bird 2 satellite will become Eutelsat 8 West A. The same pattern will also apply to Ka-Sat.

“Associating the names of our satellites with our group name and its heritage reflect this vision and mission. As we continue our push for further in-orbit expansion, with six satellites to be launched from 2012 to 2014, this new naming program will enhance the awareness and understanding of our commercial offer,” Eutelsat’s COO, Andrew Wallace said in a statement.


SSTL Boosted By U.K. Government Space Investment

Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) has been boosted by news of an investment of £21 million ($32.67 million) by the U.K. government, which will enable it to bring low cost radar satellites to market.

The government will provide the necessary seed funding alongside industry to develop and build the first NovaSAR demonstration satellite, enabling the United Kingdom to showcase this technology to the global marketplace. The first NovaSAR demonstration satellite could be launched as early as 2013.

“Satellites enable us to monitor and manage some of the most important issues affecting our planet. This exciting project will provide the United Kingdom with a world-leading constellation of its own and is a clear signal of the government’s continued commitment to the U.K. space industry. NovaSAR will keep us at the forefront of space technology, and will drive growth and innovation as governments and businesses across the globe develop scientific and commercial uses for the data,” Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts said in a statement.

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