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manufacturer of technology for com- mercial space, defense and wireless communications. It was about this time last year, with the acquisition of EMS acquires Ottercom Ltd., a provider of Inmarsat communication terminals, which becomes EMS Satcom U.K., that the company started training its sites on the maritime business. With the technology in hand, the only missing link was personnel with knowl- edge of the unique maritime environ- ment, a bill that was quickly filled. Nils Helle, Director of Programs, w as tapped to head the Maritime business unit within EMS Satcom. Helle, former VP of Stratos, heads a teams that is well acquainted with the unique requirements of the maritime business, and includes: Ed Bender (former VP Comsat); Gregor Ross (former VP GN Comtext); Phil van Bergen (former VP GN Comtext and maritime marketing man- ager for Inmarsat), and Stewart Allington (formerly of Sperry). r: Cook's "Vessel" Century HM Bark Endeavour under full sail. (Photo courtesy of www.barkendeavour.com.au) sel. This means that a variety of laptops and VoIP (voice over internet protocol) phones can be connected wirelessly to the ship's two servers via a Cisco router and VPN (virtual private network). Using this technology, The Endeavour updates regu- larly its own website (www.barkendeav- our.com.au) from onboard, providing schedule information and images from recent passages. The satellite link is used to ensure the Endeavour's shore-based office in Whitby, U.K., has the same information as the vessel itself, while NetMeeting software enables video con- ferences with head office or for shore- based media events. With all this technol- ogy on board, you might think that it would spoil the overall look of the classic vessel. But there are no worries on this score either. All of the equipment, includ- ing HF and VHF radio, EMS Satcom F- 55 terminal, weather fax, collision radar and GPS are housed in a small room, no larger than 1.6 x 1.3 m. (Courtesy www.inmarsat.com) The Technology The company sees ample opportunity in the maritime realm for its product, and the push now is to find strong geo- graphical distributors to spread the word (and the equipment) faster and further. The company currently has its equip- ment on trial on 15 vessels, ranging from luxurious yachts to offshore ves- sels to bulk carriers to the historic HM Bark Endeavour (see related story). The Fleet 55 terminal provides global voice services, as well as 64kbits/s Mobile ISDN (including G-3 fax at 14.4kbps, or full-blown G-4 fax) and Mobile Packet Data Service (MPDS), Inmarsat's "always connected" service. It supports a comprehensive selection of SatCom interfaces, including ISDN, X.21, RS449, RS232, and two RJ11 ports, as well as optional STUIIB/III service for reliable secure communications. The Fleet 55 is the flagship product for EMS SATCOM's newly formed Maritime Group. Circle 87 on Reader Service Card Capsat® Fleet77 - always online Circle 234 on Reader Service Card The next generation Capsat FleetZ7 is based on the new Inmarsat Fleet F77 service and is the next generation of maritime satellite communication terminals. Great experiences with already installed Capsat Fleet77 systems More than 250 Capsat Fleet77 systems have been installed success- fully. The installations count a wide range of vessels within merchant, fishery, and the navy as well as super yachts. Worldwide network of service Capsat Fleet77 is covered by Thrane & Thrane's Capsat Fleet Service Partner Network. This means that a worldwide network of engineers always will be ready to provide the service you need quickly and efficiently. www.tt.dk/fleet Thrane & Thrane We bring satellite communication down to earth
