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Put in perspective the way in which the maritime community uses SatCom serv- ices today versus just 10 years ago? Olsen, MarlinkSatellite communica-tions usage typically mirrors trends onland and today, more than ever, the mar- itime community is relying upon connec-tivity to increase operational efficiency as well as support crew welfare. Clark, Deltawave These days, itseems to have become expected that ves- sels provide broadband services to their clients and crews. VSAT in particular has become much more affordable now than it was 10 years ago. While mobile satel- lite equipment and services such as In-marsat and Iridium are still prevalent, broadband solutions are increasingly indemand due to the nature of clients ex- pectations. Providing data connectivity for vessel crews are increasingly becom- ing more prevalent for crew morale as VSAT rates are becoming more afford- able, along with alternative technologies such as Inmarsat?s new Wimax service which is an ideal alternative for compa- nies operating in the GOM.Broadhurst, Cobham Communica-tion has become a versatile tool that has allowed operating efficiencies for the maritime community. Real time monitor- ing and reporting allows route planning, cargo trading, and shore side operation management, ensuring maximum operat- ing return from the vessel and crew. Where do you see growth opportunities? Rodrigues, BoatracsWe see op- portunities for growth in three primary areas. The first area is in small to medium size fleets. Roughly two thirds of the North American workboat market consists of fleets with less than 20 ves- sels, and there is growing demand for affordable, simple satellite communi- cations solutions that help these com-panies stay competitive and compliant. The second area is around complianceand making it easier to collect, manageand retrieve critical vessel data. Finally, we see demand for affordable and scala- ble fleet management software that inte- grates a variety of data ? fleet positions, messaging, navigational, regulatory, AIS ? into a single visual interface that is hardware agnostic. Scalability is an im- portant factor ? today, Boatracs has fleets that range from 1 vessel to over 200. Dodez, KVHThe commercial ship-ping, fishing, and oil and gas industries are all moving toward more advanced on- board communication and crew welfare solutions at a rapid pace, making satellitecommunications for commercial vessels a key growth opportunity for KVH and the mini-VSAT BroadbandSM network. An estimated 95% of the world?s cargo volume is moved by ship, making effi- cient business operations and retention of crew members essential for this massive industry. As cost-efficient services like mini- VSAT Broadband become more readily available, ship managers are updating their onboard communication solutionsto improve compliance with various reg- ulations, including electronic filing of port entry forms and more convenient Electronic Chart Display & InformationSystem (ECDIS) updates, as well as bet-ter integration with shore-based systems for business efficiency. Network man- agement solutions like KVH?s Comm- Box Ship/Shore Network Manager offer a variety of benefits to support these ef- forts, including roaming crew e-mail, least cost routing capabilities, and robust security features.Broadhurst, Cobham The need forbandwidth and higher throughput serv-ices to support the advancing IT func- tionality and onboard services willcontinue in the future. Always on and fixed pricing will be a key feature to run- ning the applications that are being built to support the maritime community. The maritime industry is generally re- garded as conservative in its adoption of new/emerging technologies. Do you find this to be the case in the SatCom sector, and if so, what do you think will be the driver to increase service(s) adoption? Dodez, KVHMariners are working to maximize efficiency just like any other business, especially in this global econ- omy. We?ve seen that maritime busi- nesses are willing to adopt new technology that offers a combination of affordability, reliability, convenience, and support. Those features are part of the reason the mini-VSAT Broadband net- work is the fastest-growing maritime VSAT solution in the world, with more than 100 terabytes of data delivered an- nually, more than 2 million voice calls handled around the globe, and 99.5% net-work uptime in 2011. 32Maritime Reporter & Engineering News SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS ROUNDTABLE FEATURE More & more marine operators employ modern maritime comms to find Efficiencies through the airwaves It could be argued that the evolution of Satellite Communication services is the most transformational technology in the maritime sec- tor in the past 20 years. It has an indelible impact of everything from advance planning of port calls to emergency runs to the ship repair yard; from enroute planning and equipment diagnostics to crew calling and related quality of life at sea issues. Maritime Re- porter & Engineering News has once again assembled leaders in the business of Satellite Communications around our virtual ?Roun dTable? to discuss the issues, technology and challenges to ensuring a seamless transmission from ship to shore and back. ? by Greg Trauthwein, Editor The Participants: Peter Broadhurst, Cobham Satcom Marine Systems Sea Tel Products Tom Clark, Deltawave Communications Jim Dodez, KVH Jon Harrison, Intellian Technologies Inc. Casper Jensen, Thrane & Thrane Tore Morten Olsen, Marlink Irwin Rodrigues, Boatracstore morten olsen, marlink ?There is now greater competition between hardware manufacturers which constantly drives them to bring technologically advanced and innovative hardware to market. This has led to the introduction of smaller, more compact antennas which offer increased reliability.? MR Feb.12 # 4 (26-33):MR Template 2/7/2012 9:43 AM Page 32
