Via Satellite's Satellite Executive Of The Year 2006: Our Nominees Are...

February 1, 2007 | Via Satellite | Jason Bates

Andy Mullins

President and CEO,

DataPath

Under the leadership of president and CEO Andy Mullins, DataPath has firmly established itself as a formidable competitor in the satellite communications field, and in 2006, Mullins established DataPath as a satellite industry leader by offering broad-based network communications solutions for a variety of government customers.
During the year, the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command awarded DataPath a pair of contracts to continue its work as the prime integrator to provide specialized satellite terminals and support services for the Joint Network Node program. DataPath also received several contracts to support the U.S Marines’ Storage Wide Area Network program.
Mullins expanded DataPath’s opportunities with non-military government customers as well. The company was chosen as a prime integrator for the Worldwide Satellite Systems program and also was named one of eight partners for AT&T’s Government Solutions team to support a $4 billion blanket purchase agreement from the U.S. Agency for International Development. These wins validated Mullins’ efforts to build upon DataPath’s military expertise to support civil government applications.
DataPath’s success stems from Mullins’ vision of differentiating the company and its offerings through innovative and flexible design methodology, including the use of best-of-breed, commercial-off-the-shelf components; self-funding of working prototypes and the integration of key suppliers in the design process. This process had provided business and technological benefits, including faster times to market, lower product costs and faster adaptation of technology to different platforms and environments.
DataPath also has built on its satellite capabilities to include wireless solutions that extend the reach of its networks through the last mile. This hybrid network allows DataPath to better support a variety of wireless networking frequencies, including those reserved for civilian first responders.
Mullins has also strengthened DataPath’s ability to compete in the intelligence and news broadcast markets with partnerships that allow the company to offer an improved means to produce and manage high-quality video.

Andrew Sukawaty,

Chairman and CEO,

Inmarsat

Inmarsat, a leader in the mobile satellite communications sector, took steps in 2006 under Chairman and CEO Andrew Sukawaty to strengthen its position.
With shareholder pressure squarely on Sukawaty following the company’s 2005 initial public offering, he responded with the global launch of the company’s Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) service, the linkup with Asia Cellular Satellite (ACeS) and other strategic business moves that will keep Inmarsat at the top of its field in the face of growing competition.
BGAN, Inmarsat’s next-generation mobile service, went live at the end of 2005, but it was in 2006 that the service really began to make an impact in the market with the expansion of its service into North and South America in April. The service is the cornerstone of Inmarsat’s strategy going forward, and a pair of Inmarsat-4 satellites now cover 85 percent of the world’s total landmass, serving about 98 percent of the global population.
BGAN revenue for the first nine months of the year was $5.3 million and the company had 5,547 subscribers as the end of September. Media agencies have been a big contributor to growth of the service, which has generated business mainly from new customers rather than pull existing customers from other Inmarsat services, the company said.
In September, Inmarsat accelerated its entry into the handheld satellite phone market by unveiling a collaboration with ACeS that will see the company roll out low-cost hand-held and fixed voice services in the Asian market, with extended coverage expected in early 2007 by combining satellite resources. Inmarsat will assume responsibility for satellite and network operations, wholesale service provision and service development. ACeS will focus on distribution of Mobile Satellite Services products in the Asian land and maritime markets as well as distribute BGAN services.
Inmarsat also made moves in the growing market for providing satellite-based communications services to aircraft. In August, Ryanair announced it would outfit its fleet of more than 200 aircraft with a hybrid cellular-satellite communications system based on Inmarsat SwiftBroadband which will enable passengers to make calls using their own mobile phones.

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