Speedcast boosts
commitment to
Inmarsat’s Ka-band
services for
high-end vessels
13 June
2017
Speedcast
International has
signalled growing
industry acceptance
for Global
Xpress-powered
services from
Inmarsat by adding
more than 350 ships
to the service
roll-out plans it
announced one year
ago, including a
number of high-end
vessels in the
energy, cruise and
leisure markets.
Adding to the
initial commitment
to deploy Fleet
Xpress onboard
approximately 2,000
vessels over five
years, the
additional provision
has been agreed to
satisfy healthy
demand from
Speedcast’s more
bandwidth-hungry
vessels, which could
also use a
stand-alone Global
Xpress service to
satisfy bandwidth
demand.
Alongside the
addition of the
high-end vessels,
Inmarsat is also
broadening its
commercial
partnership with
Speedcast in the
Greek maritime
market, further to
the strategic
alliance formed last
summer.
“This is a very
important strategic
move for Inmarsat,”
says Ronald
Spithout, President
– Inmarsat Maritime.
“Speedcast is one of
the leading players
in the maritime,
land and energy
industries and,
after the recent
acquisition of
Harris CapRock, has
a huge presence in
the Offshore and
Cruise markets. This
underlines our
increased commitment
to Speedcast’s
markets by providing
high-bandwidth
services either via
Fleet Xpress with
its L-band back-up
or directly through
a stand-alone Global
Xpress service.”
Speedcast
provides complete
managed
communications and
IT solutions in the
Cargo, Offshore,
Cruise and Fishing
vessel sectors. It
recently became the
first Inmarsat
partner to integrate
the digital base
platform (formerly
known as SoftNSD)
into its service
offering. This
allows Speedcast to
offer value added
solutions and
applications over
its own SIGMA
Gateway, encouraging
third party
application
providers to develop
innovative,
content-rich
applications over
Fleet Xpress.
Applications
covering real-time
analysis of data for
engine monitoring,
weather information
and fuel consumption
rates, etc., can
deliver real gains
in operational
efficiency, safety
and compliance, IT
security and crew
welfare.
Athina Vezyri,
EVP, Maritime, of
Speedcast comments:
“Adding over 350
vessels to our
arrangement with
Inmarsat across
Global
Xpress-delivered
services
demonstrates
Speedcast’s
confidence in the
service. There is a
clear willingness
from ship owners and
operators from
multiple segments to
make reliable,
high-speed
connectivity a
priority for safe
and efficient vessel
operation. Inmarsat
services, together
with the SIGMA
Gateway platform
that enables
innovative new
applications, will
be one of the key
components of our
product portfolio.”
