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selection of terminals. BGAN will extend offerings to traditional mobile satcom users. Circle 7 on Reader Service Card Scratch & Phone France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications pre-paid phone card service, dubbed "Scratch & Phone." is designed to help control crew communi- cation costs and boost morale. Recently, the system was significantly enhanced with reduced rates and extended "Happy Hour" times. When calling within the new Happy Hour time slot. Opti-time card users pay less than Sl/minute. whatever the ocean region or call desti- nation. On April 1. 2004. the "Happy Hour" time slot was extended to 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. UTC/GMT during the week and all day on the weekends. Telenor Launches Sealink Global Access Telenor launched Sealink Global Access, the company's latest broadband communications package designed to deliver high-speed global access for the maritime industry. This new very small aperture terminal (VSAT) service pro- vides ships with connections of up to 256 kpbs at a fixed monthly fee. The off-the-shelf package includes on- board telephone/fax lines: internet and public switched telephone network access; installation and maintenance of the on-board antenna and equipment: and 24-hour customer support. "Sealink Global Access incorporates all the communications functionality of our well-proven Sealink broadband solution using smaller, commercially available equipment that provides the maritime shipping and transportation markets a very cost-effective and fully managed communications package for global and regional operations." Circle 17 on Reader Service Card Teamtalk Satellite Launches E-mail Software Teamtalk Satellite launched Super- Hub Pro2004, an upgrade to its existing e-mail software portfolio. The new package includes all of the standard ben- efits of satellite communication pack- ages. such as compression, batching, breakpoint restart, duplex transfer, encryption and security. In addition, it uses SMTP/POP3 client software, allowing it to be used w ith popular pro- grams such as MS Outlook. MS Outlook Express. Lotus. Eudora and CCMail. Circle 14 on Reader Service Card Subsea7: Staying Connected with CapRock Subsea7 travels to some of the world's most remote marine locations to provide construction, diving, pipelay and remotely operated vehicle (ROV)/survey serv- ices. Because it operates vessels throughout the world, it is essential for Subsea7 to provide a reliable means for customers and vessel crews to transmit and receive voice and data. But providing communications is outside of Subsea7's core competency and the company had been using the same VSAT systems for several years. In 2002, Subsea7 recognized that its limited VSAT communica- tions systems were due for replacement, and the company saw an opportunity to upgrade to systems. Reliability topped the list of the qualities Subsea7 was look- ing for in a provider. "Working from a ship for any length of time is consider- ably more efficient with reliable broadband communications to the outside world," said Subsea7 Global IT Manager Anders From. "We chose CapRock Communications based on their track record of reliability and their ability to demonstrate significant savings. They gave us a system with unparalleled qual- ity, creating value for our customers and employees who can easily work from any vessel in the Subsea7 fleet with communications tailored to their project needs." CapRock is the single source provider of both dedicated and Bandwidth- on-Demand connectivity to enable flexible ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore com- munications for customers and crew aboard Subsea7 ships around the world. CapRock's flexible network allows voice and high-speed data connections to be provisioned on an as-needed basis from CapRock's network operating center (NOC) in Scotland. "Ensuring that the products and services were of a high standard was extremely important," said Subsea7 Project Manager John Morrison. "But, beyond that, we were interested in contracting with a company with whom we could establish a strong relationship." Circle 1 on Reader Service Card U.&G.G. Wno® STEARNS9 Industrial flotation products for all your security needs. From the hottest weather to the coldest; we've got you covered... Inflatable Vests Flotation Vests Flotation Jackets Stearns ...for ALL seasons. Flotation Coveralls Stearns® Inc. P.O. Box 1498 • St. Cloud, MN 56302 • (800) 697-5801 Fax (320) 252-4425 • E-mail: safety@stearnsnet.com • www.stearnsinc.com 22 Circle 279 on Reader Service Card Maritime Reporter & Engineering News
