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58 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • SEPTEMBER 2014 M ore than ever ships at sea demand “land-like” con- nectivity to the internet. Whether the purpose is maritime business or a content crew, companies such as KVH are growing their business and product portfolios at an equally rapid clip. “The big driver in the business today is the capability of broadband,” said Jim Dodez, SVP Marketing and Strate- gic Planning, KVH Industries, Inc. “So it’s not one thing, it’s not entertainment alone, for example. It’s really all of the benefi ts that broadband can bring to a business. The operations manager, the IT manager, the HR manager are looking at the internet and the new services avail- able on land and they are asking ‘why can’t we do that on the ships?’” KVH has emerged as a leader in a sec- tor that is defi ned by rapid fi re continu- ous growth and consolidation (including KVH’s recent acquisition of Videotel). It brings a diverse offering to the markets it serves, including leisure, government and commercial. In truth the ‘era of broadband on ships’ is still in its infancy, as ship owners en masse are still remiss to invest in the latest communication technology for a number of reasons, starting with cost and including concerns that full-scale entertainment and connectivity for crew could take attention from routine ship operations and safety. But the direction is clear and broad- band at sea is expected to grow rapidly, as technology improves, prices drop and the new generation of merchant seamen MARITIME COMMUNICATION The New Pipelineipeline By Greg Trauthwein Competition in the maritime communications sector is fi erce, and ship owners are the win- ners as service from land-to-sea is becoming faster and cheaper. MR spoke with KVH’s Jim Dodez in Athens at Posidonia for his insights on the present and future of connectivity at sea. MR #9 (58-65).indd 58 9/3/2014 10:56:12 AM
