29 November 2010

Stratos Global, announced it is deploying the FleetBroadband satellite communications service on up to 16 commercial vessels for Vega-Reederei GmbH & Co. KG (Vega).

Based in Hamburg, Vega is one of the world's fastest-growing global shipping companies. Its fleet includes 22 container vessels, nine bulkers and two tankers. FleetBroadband from Stratos already has been successfully deployed on eight Vega vessels. Deployment on an additional eight vessels is expected in the coming weeks.

FleetBroadband from Stratos provides Vega with broadband connectivity while at sea - for email, Internet access and voice communications - ensuring optimal vessel performance, business operations and crew productivity. Vega uses FleetBroadband 250 terminals, complete with an onboard firewall.

For Vega, Stratos fully integrated FleetBroadband with AmosConnect - Stratos' sophisticated maritime email application - to manage all email, fax, SMS and interoffice communications. Vega officials noted how AmosConnect from Stratos helps them improve monitoring of Whitelist and Blacklist changes. Stratos ChatCards for crew calling also have contributed to higher Vega crew satisfaction by providing easy billing and ordering.

For Vega, the FleetBroadband service also provides an optimal data connection for numerous other onboard applications, including planned maintenance systems, purchase systems and remote management - which allows headquarters personnel to manage the ship's computers without visiting the vessel. With FleetBroadband, Vega engineers now can achieve high-performance, direct remote access to the ship's computer terminals, the FleetBroadband terminal and the onboard firewall via popular remote-support applications.

In the future, Vega has the option to use FleetBroadband for engine-performance analysis and emissions monitoring, to help reduce fuel costs and comply with emissions regulations.

The Stratos Advantage suite of value-added services helps Vega attain the highest possible FleetBroadband performance, security and cost control.

"We already have enjoyed the benefits of FleetBroadband from Stratos on several of our vessels for many months and we have noticed it provides very good voice quality. FleetBroadband enables us to achieve fast, reliable data communications that maximize the integration and performance of many popular, IP-based applications," said Achim Tober, head of Vega's IT department. "The Stratos Dashboard web-based portal provides us with fully transparent cost and traffic control."

Tober added, "We expect to continue benefiting from a significant reduction in airtime costs, compared to the Inmarsat Fleet 77 service we formerly deployed. The robust FleetBroadband hardware will result in the highest possible communications uptime. We also appreciate the convenient FleetBroadband Bundles that eliminate the need for capital investment in hardware."

In the coming weeks, Vega also will deploy Stratos' new AmosConnect Crew CommCenter. The solution enables personnel at sea to stay in contact with home via calling, private email and SMS at affordable, flat global rates - thus helping retain qualified seafarers. It provides an easily manageable, separate account for each crewmember. The Internet functionality of the application is expanded beyond email to include true onboard Internet café features, such as prepaid chatting, prepaid web browsing and access to global and local news services.

Stratos President and CEO Jim Parm said, "Over the years, Vega's adoption of the most sophisticated information-technology systems has helped it contain costs and maintain steady growth. We are grateful for the opportunity to bring Vega the industry's most advance IP-based communications solution, featuring value-added services that help ensure efficient business management."