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www.seadiscovery.com Marine Technology Reporter 27 Two years in the making, PetroCom's new Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) satellite communication sys- tem is structured around private communication net- works that guarantee around-the-clock connection speeds. This system offers customers the ability to turn bandwidth on and off, re-allocate bandwidth or schedule increased bandwidth as business needs change. "Our private communication networks separate PetroCom from the competition; we've built a system that will reduce the frustration many current VSAT users feel because of pooling and oversubscription," said PetroCom President Ken Wright. "Instead of introducing an off-the-shelf solution, we carefully specified and select- ed the best equipment and software that allows customers unequalled tune-ability, committed information rates (CIR) and less time division multiplexing over IP. Data transmits at the speed the cus- tomer expects and there is no waiting for dial tone." Recently, PetroCom signed agreements to provide VSAT voice and data services for Onyx Special Services, Superior Offshore International and Tetra Applied Technologies. Last month, Helix Energy Solutions tapped PetroCom to provide VSAT services for its offshore fleet. Multiplex VSAT commu- nication networks with speeds from 64 to 512K are available for fixed and stabilized applications. Built around VIPERSAT Network's capacity management platform and RAD Data Communication's IP-based mul- tiplexers, PetroCom's system guarantees a committed infor- mation rate, prioritizes voice over data to eliminate jitter and delivers superior voice quality. PetroCom also offers fixed pric- ing; most maintenance and tech- nical support expenses are included. PetroCom is also the first to offer "add-on" satellite services or "ASAT" services with- in established private networks. A primary subscriber, at their discretion, can grant third-party clients, vendors and service providers access to their company's private net- work. The subscriber can then choose to bill these authorized users for their bandwidth allocation or have PetroCom bill them directly. Software control of the PetroCom ASAT system still assures a guaranteed CIR. "Many customers using other VSAT systems have been disappointed with their current solution, particularly with the pooling of service, the slow speeds during peak usage times and wildly-changing service expenses," notes PetroCom Product Manager, Jerry Lenaz. "PetroCom was aware of this when we designed our system. We offer a highly flexible platform where allocations are set by the customer and communication rates are guaranteed." PetroCom VSAT has Guaranteed Information Rates MTR#4 (17-32).qxd 5/8/2006 9:56 AM Page 27
