Latest News from Livewire Connections

Inmarsat Fleet Broadband MFE Project benefits from Access Controller FB-10 installation

Yacht stays connected for work or play

Property developer Tom Collins no longer has to choose between work and play – thanks to FleetBroadband 150 he can now combine running his successful business with pursuing his hobby of fishing from his Florida-based 20-metre (65 ft) yacht, the Xcetra.

Tom’s desire for absolute flexibility about where and when he works, and resulting need for guaranteed voice and data connectivity from any location and at any time, were behind his participation in an Inmarsat maritime field evaluation (MFE) for FB150.

MFEs allow Inmarsat to study, with its partners and solutions providers, how mariners use FleetBroadband in their everyday lives at sea, and to gather feedback which helps in the development of new services and applications.

Smaller vessels
The current series of trials involving the newest FleetBroadband service, designed specifically to provide higher data rates and advanced communications capabilities for smaller vessels, covers all the major maritime sectors, including leisure, merchant, fishing and government.

Inmarsat service provider KVH Industries and distribution partner Stratos arranged the MFE on board the Xcetra, which saw a KVH TracPhone FB150 installed alongside existing Fleet 33 equipment.

Also included was Livewire Connections’ Access Controller FB-10, which acts as a hub for all communications services and allows users to select how they access the internet – through FB150, F33 or Wi-Fi – depending on their data needs and location.

Instant access
Most importantly for Tom, having FB150 also allowed him to switch seamlessly into work mode at any time, with guaranteed, instantly accessible voice and data connectivity for business communications via his laptop or FB150-compatible iPhone.

Speaking from the Xcetra, Tom said: "It means I do not have to stay on shore while the others go fishing. I do not have to hang on the phone and I do not have to worry about checking to see if I am going to have internet access.

"Also, I do not have to go back to my office that often when I want to be here. I closed two deals yesterday and I didn’t have to go anywhere."

New Summer Offerings from Livewire Connections

Livewire Connections Limited has unveiled its summer offerings. Summer is just around the corner, yachts are preparing for the season ahead, and attention now turns to budgets and how to get the most from them. Livewire Connections support customers in the management of their budgets by helping them reduce the cost of their communications through visibility and control with their summer offerings 2010.
"Providing the best possible service to our customers is the primary focus of our organisation," comments David Walker, Sales Director at Livewire Connections Ltd, "We do more than sell our customers airtime, we tailor packages to meet the end users’ requirements, and our summer offerings is simply that. Our customers don’t want to be tied into long contracts and now they don’t have to be."
The following short –term summer packages are now available from Livewire Connections, providing voice connectivity, data connectivity and convenience at the end users finger tips. Depending on the options selected roaming charges can be monitored and controlled helping to keep costs down.

Summer Offerings 2010
6 monthly European GSM Voice Contracts
6 monthly European GSM Data contracts
6 monthly Newspapers Direct
6 monthly "Off Shore SKY Cards"

In addition to these summer offerings shore to ship calling is also available. Vessel companies and managers can now have a fixed call cost via Inmarsat, with no surprise bills. These latest developments from Livewire Connections Ltd come immediately after the announcement of their Spend Control and DNS Blocking software upgrade on their Access Controller range.

Spend Control Software for the Access Controller FB-10 Launched

Customer focused, Livewire Connections is pleased to announce "Spend Control" and "DNS Blocking" as part of their latest software upgrade,

"Users can be unaware that they are roaming or have an open data session and can soon find themselves using high volumes of data. Charges can accumulate rapidly, with no knowledge to the user until the invoice is received. We developed the Spend Control feature to directly tackle this and allow the user to control their off vessel communication costs" - Comments James Ashworth, Commercial Director of Livewire Connections.

Until now, there has been no simple method available to give the user the tools to effectively manage these costs on board. By setting alerts, limits and firewalls, costs can now be managed to meet the vessels onboard requirements. In conjunction with this is "DNS blocking", which also offers additional security and can prevent heavy data use. This restricts the use of "bandwidth hungry" websites such as Facebook, You Tube and windows updates, which will run in the background unless firewalled.

David Walker, Sales Director for Livewire Connections Ltd, talks about the latest development for the Access Controller and why it can save you money

"By enabling the user to set a limit, either financial or per MB, for off vessel connections through our new "Spend Control" feature, we are putting the control firmly in their hands. These limits can be set either per call, per day, per week or per month and you can alert, block or drop the call as required. This feature comes as a free of charge upgrade on existing Access Controllers and as a standard feature on all new units."

The system can manage up to 10 off vessel communications devices including Fleet Broadband, VSAT, Iridium Open port, Off vessel Wi-Fi and 3G via a very simple to use Graphical User Interface (GUI), which can improve efficiency and control. The Access Controller PRO is also now also available as a 1U Rack Mount version. For more information take a look at the Access Controller product page:

http://www.livewire-connections.com/solutions/access_controller/

Livewire Connections Ltd tackles recession

Livewire Connections Ltd satellite service provider and systems integrator tackles recession with continued growth and expansion by taking on larger premises and new employees.
"The new premises in Chessington, Surrey, UK provide the additional space we need to continue our planned expansion" says David Walker, Sales Director for Livewire Connections Ltd.
"The past year has seen tough trading conditions for many but our diversified portfolio and new products have enabled us to continue to grow profitably."

The new premises provide larger offices for up to 30 staff, stores and a clean workshop area for building onboard computer networks. They cater for the increased production requirements of their latest Access Controller FB-10 product range, which is witnessing continuous growth in the Megayacht sector. Livewire Connections Ltd are also seeing significant numbers being sold into the
Merchant sector too, where shipping companies see the value of simple installation and user control, with the vessels Captain’s being able to maintain visibility and control of all communications and their costs.

Livewire Connections pride themselves in continuously developing the products and services they offer. A new onboard "spend control" feature on the Access Controller will be launched in late April this year, specifically assisting Inmarsat Fleet Broadband users, as all usage will be monitored helping to prevent unexpected bills. The company has taken on additional sales and engineering staff so they can continue to meet the demand and deliver the high standards of service their customers have come to expect.

New contact details
Livewire Connections Ltd
Unit 41, Barwell Business Park
Leatherhead Road
Chessington
Surrey, KT9 2NY
Tel: +44 (0) 208 974 0900
Fax: +44 (0) 208 974 0949
Web: www.livewire-connections.com
Email: info@livewire-connections.com

More on Livewire Connections Ltd
Established in 2004 by two previous Inmarsat Ltd employees Livewire Connections Ltd dedicate themselves in providing an unrivalled portfolio of products and satellite services, including Inmarsat, Iridium and VSAT, IT and Networking to the Maritime and Land mobile sectors. Specialising in turnkey installations Livewire Connections Ltd are a main SeaTel VSAT dealer and Thrane reseller, providing airtime along with complete IT integration,email solutions and unmatched technical support for Racing Yachts, Megayachts and Merchant vessels.

Livewire Connections has moved!

We are pleased to announce that as of 2010 Livewire Connections will be operating out of our new larger premises based in Chessington Surrey. Please note our new details below for your reference and if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact any member of our team.

Happy New Year

Livewire Connections


We have moved…
Our new details are:

Unit 41
Barwell Business Park
Leatherhead Road
Chessington
Surrey
KT9 2NY
United Kingdom

Switchboard
+44 (0)208 9740 900
info@livewire-connections.com

Sales
+44 (0)208 9740 930
sales@livewire-connections.com

Accounts
+44 (0)208 9740 935
accounts@livewire-connections.com

Technical Support
+44 (0)208 9740 940
support@livewire-connections.com

Fax
+44 (0)208 9740 949
www.livewire-connections.com

Livewire Connections appoint new addition to their sales team

Livewire Connections, communications and IT supplier for the luxury superyacht market, have appointed Nicola Lee as a new addition to their sales team. Lee has spent the past three years at ANT and is well known within the industry. She will join the company as communications sales manager and will be responsible for managing the company’s growing airtime customer base. David Walker, sales director says, "Nicola’s knowledge and skill set will be a useful addition to the team and will help us to continue to deliver the high service levels our customers demand."

With many new exciting services and the growing success of the Access Controller FB-10 product range, the company is also in the process of moving to new larger premises in the Chessington area of Surrey, just south of London, which is where Lee will be based.

For further information on the Access Controller FB-10 product range please click here for the full story on synfo.

Livewire Connections support Mike Perham, the Youngest Person Ever to Sail Around the World!

Mike Perham became the youngest person ever to sail round the world on Thursday 27th of August 2009 as he crossed the line between Lizard Point and Ushant in France at 09:47 UTC.

Livewire Connections provided full Inmarsat and Iridium satellite communications for Mike throughout his 9 month odyssey full of technical and navigational challenges. Mike stayed in touch with his father and supporters with stills and video blogs, as well as voice communication for remote technical assistance. Mike reported after returning to Portsmouth:

"Communications were vital to the success of this trip and my sanity. Livewire Connections did a really good job setting up all the comms and were always ready to help."

Repeated autopilot failures put Mike’s record attempt at risk, forcing him to stop for repairs in Portugal, Gran Canaria and Cape Town. After finally overcoming those problems, Mike crossed the Southern Indian Ocean in March, celebrating his 17th birthday enroute, but was forced to stop again in Tasmania and then Aukland after serious rudder problems emerged.

Horrendous weather in the Southern Ocean saw Mike surfing down 50 foot waves in 50 knot winds at speeds up to 28 knots. His vessel was knocked down and damaged forcing Mike to make emergency repairs up the mast and pushing him much farther North than he originally intended.

Mike’s next challenge is to recreate the incredible voyage of the bounty boat crew. This is a 4,000-mile re-enactment 221 years after Capt William Bligh and his supporting crew were forced into an open-boat by the mutineering crew on HMS Bounty and successfully sailed from Tonga to Timor in the Pacific. Livewire Connections looks forward to assisting Mike in the voyage with perhaps slightly more advanced satellite communication equipment than that of Captain Bligh.

For more information about Mike’s challenge visit http://www.totallymoney.com/sailmike/

Successful Volvo Ocean Race with support from Livewire Connections

The latest edition of the Volvo Ocean Race 08/09 has come to a close and Livewire Connections were there every leg of the race to support the teams in their satellite communications as well as providing tracking and communication services to the Volvo Race HQ.

Building on Livewire Connection’s experience with the Volvo Ocean Race 05/06 there were new challenges using the new Inmarsat I4 satellites providing the boats with FleetBroadband connectivity. This enabled transfer rates of up to 492Kbps with guaranteed streaming rates of 256Kbps. With these speeds hours of HD video footage was sent to the world’s media and to the Volvo Ocean Race website www.volvooceanrace.tv

Over the last 8 months Livewire Connections has been coordinating Inmarsat, Stratos, and Thrane & Thrane to ensure that the not a moment of ocean action is missed in the latest edition of the Volvo Ocean Race. In addition to the FleetBroadband 500 terminals each vessel has a Thrane Sailor Fleet 33+ terminal to provide backup internet and email using the existing Inmarsat I3 satellites. In addition the vessel also have 2 Inmarsat C Thrane Sailor TT-3022D terminals for Stratos C-Email communications with Race HQ , GMDSS safety services and 15 minute tracking. Livewire Connections have setup DNID data report delivery via IP to enable 15 minute position data to be sent with onboard NMEA data to provide an excellent onboard insight for the race fans and VOR officials.

Debbie Hadwen, Chief Duty Officer of the Volvo Ocean Race comments:

"Livewire Connections have worked with the Volvo Ocean Race since 2001; a total of 3 editions of the race and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the team and commend them on their professional and helpful service.

Livewire Connections have never failed to deliver for the Volvo Ocean Race; they always manage to find solutions not problems, even when the problems that arose, or the questions raised were slightly out of their remit.

The team have always been on hand 24 hours a day, far beyond contractual obligations; they have great attention to detail and are always willing to help with friendly professional service and advice. We hope to work with them again in the future"

Photo Credits: Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race

For more information about the Volvo Ocean Race visit www.volvooceanrace.org

MY Slipstream & MY Cloud 9 – Two 60m CMN New Builds

Livewire Connections has recently completed the installation of two new IT and Communications management systems aboard MY Slipstream & MY Cloud 9, two brand new 60M mega yachts built by CMN in France. Both vessels have entered service this season and Livewire Connections provided the complete IT system including Servers, desktop PCs, Laptops, a fully managed Wi-Fi system throughout the vessel, email, electronic newspapers and all off vessel comms.

Livewire was able to provide a turnkey solution for the yachts, which includes ongoing IT support and airtime service provision for the VSAT service, Inmarsat communications, which are all controlled via a new state of the art Access Controller FB-10 system, which is designed to simplify the management and control of all off vessel communications.

David Walker, Sales Director for Livewire Connections Ltd said that the projects came at short notice and we were very pleased to have completed the installations on time for the Captain and owners and it is great to see these fabulous new yachts entering service. We wish the two Captains and crew an excellent season.

M/Y Slipstream Captain Phil Stephens describes the experience of working with Livewire Connections…

"I was introduced to Livewire fairly late in the build of Slipstream and having no clear direction where the IT / Comms system needed to go at this stage the decision soon became an easy one.

Livewire gave me numerous options as to what would be available for the yacht with regards our cruising program and owner / charter requirements and having compared these to the market I felt that Livewire were in it for the duration, rather than just the short term installation which was in my opinion vital to a new yacht.

Having experienced their on site approach and prior to this their time management with the yacht and the yard I felt comfortable that almost all of the time on board for installation was utilised to the optimum.
Where the system may have fallen short before their involvement, their advice and understanding of our needs were pitched perfectly and I am confident that we departed the yard with a very good basis with which to go forward.
The few ’teething’ issues that we have experienced have all been dealt with expediently and their after sales tech service was also another good investment from the yacht.

I can see a long relationship forming between Slipstream and Livewire if the past year has been any indication."

Access Controller Firmware v2.00 Released

Livewire Connections Ltd is pleased to announce the release of the Access Controller version 2.00. This firmware upgrade adds a range of powerful new features designed to enhance the product further. The patch is marked as "critical" as it also increases system stability and performance. Please see the release note below for more information on how to install this upgrade and what new features it includes.

New Features:

• Added three new user levels:
      • User - Restricted: These users have full firewall access in the User GUI. This user level can be used to restrict certain services so that this user cannot enable them.
      • User - Firewall Group: These users can change the Firewall Groups, but not disable or enable the firewall in the User GUI.
      • User - No Firewall: These users cannot change anything on the firewall in the User GUI.
• Added the ability to configure a minimum user level requirement (per services basis) required to enable that service.
• Added the ability to set a default firewall group. This group will be selected automatically after a restart/power failure.
• IP address reservations have now been added so that IP addresses can be reserved to specific computers by its MAC address.
• Added a file system scan on start up to correct any file system errors which might occur after repeated power failures.

The release notes are available from here
The firmware upgrade is available from here.

Inmarsat BGAN X-Stream™ delivers fastest video streaming

Inmarsat has launched BGAN X-Stream - a new service which offers broadcasters access to the world's fastest on-demand video streaming via satellite.

BGAN X-Stream guarantees streaming data rates from a minimum of 384kbps to around 450kbps. It has been developed as an enhancement to the streaming service already offered via Inmarsat's ground-breaking BGAN service - which has enabled broadcasters to deliver thousands of media reports.

The new premium IP streaming service is accessible through existing hardware - single, highly-compact and lightweight BGAN terminals from manufacturers Hughes and Thrane & Thrane - without the need for external antenna or any additional hardware.

Drew Brandy, head of land mobile services at Inmarsat, said: "We developed BGAN X-Stream in response to demands from broadcasters.

"This enhancement represents an increase in BGAN's streaming rate of at least 50 per cent. It means that we can meet the demand for higher guaranteed data rates, and offer a service that moves closer to broadcast quality.

"No matter where the story breaks, the global reach of BGAN X-Stream will deliver higher quality video to the studio."

BGAN X-Stream is commercially available from 20 April 2009 - initially in the region covered by the Inmarsat-4 EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) satellite, and globally from June 2009.

If you would like further information about the BGAN X-Stream service please contact us on +44 (0) 1372 734900

Expected effects of Inmarsat satellite repositioning for BGAN, FleetBroadband and SwiftBroadband - UPDATED

Inmarsat plans to optimize its satellite constellation with the launch of the third Inmarsat-4 satellite (I4F3). The exact date is currently being defined but the launch is expected to take place during the 3rd week of August 2008.

This will provide global coverage for BGAN, FleetBroadband (FBB) and SwiftBroadband (SBB) enhancing service and accessibility quality through improved inclination angles over the land masses.

In late February 2009, the BGAN service is scheduled to become available throughout Asia-Pacific including China, Japan, New Zealand and Australia. Inmarsat will also be able to concentrate more spot beams over the EMEA regions, which is expected to improve the quality of the BGAN service.

To realize the benefits of the satellite repositioning, 2 short term outages affecting BGAN, FBB and SBB are necessary:

1. The 1st will affect users in the mid-east Atlantic region, far western Africa, Ireland, and certain parts of the UK. If the launch of the I4F3 occurs as scheduled end August, this outage is expected to extend from mid-January 2009 through mid-February 2009.
2. The second will affect users in eastern Asia, Western Australia, and the far western regions of the Pacific Ocean. This outage is expected to begin mid-February 2009 and last for just under 3 weeks.

In addition, users of Existing & Evolved spot beam services (i.e. GAN, Swift, Fleet 33, Fleet 55 and Mini-M) in the Atlantic Ocean Region-West region will see a change in the spot beam coverage areas in mid January 2009.

Land portable BGAN users will need to repoint their antennas to access the I4 satellites at their new positions. Existing & Evolved, SBB, FBB and vehicular BGAN antennas should adjust automatically to the appropriate satellites in their new locations.

LaunchPad Update

The latest release (v3.9.0) of Inmarsat LaunchPad releases contain a tool to help end users understand the impact and benefits of I-4 satellite repositioning. The latest version of LaunchPad can be downloaded here.

Please note that users can still connect and use the I-4 satellites after repositioning with older versions of LaunchPad as the embedded tool is a useful visual guide rather than a connection enabler.

For more information please contact us at support@livewire-connections.com or +44 (0) 1372734917

Inmarsat R-BGAN Service Closure

Inmarsat has announced the dates for the closure of the R-BGAN service at the end of 2008. They are:

South America - 15th December, 2008

Rest of world - 31st December, 2008

R-BGAN, also known as Regional BGAN, was Inmarsat's first "always-on" IP data service for the land-mobile market, launched in 2002.

It has now been superseded by Inmarsat's BGAN service, which offers simultaneous voice and broadband data connectivity at up to 492kbps. Users are advised to contact their service provider to discuss upgrading.

The R-BGAN service closure coverage map provides a visual overview of the regions affected by the closure. (Download Full Closure Map)

 Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the R-BGAN service closing down?
R-BGAN has now been replaced by Inmarsat's BGAN service, which offers simultaneous voice and broadband data connectivity at up to 492kbps. Users are advised to contact their service provider to discuss upgrading.

When does the service close down?
Americas (midnight UTC, 15 December, 2008)
Rest of the world (Midnight UTC, 31 December, 2008)

What impact will the closure have on the R-BGAN end-user?
As per the dates mentioned, the R-BGAN service will no longer be available.

Will my R-BGAN user terminal (UT) work with the BGAN service?
No. In order to get access to the BGAN service, customers will need to purchase a BGAN terminal. R-BGAN UTs are not compatible with the BGAN service.

What do end-users do with their R-BGAN terminal after the service is closed?
Inmarsat recommends customers to re-cycle any unwanted equipment locally.

How do I continue using the Inmarsat IP network after the R-BGAN service is shut down?
Inmarsat offers new IP solutions on the BGAN service. BGAN is a packet switched enabled service, so we expect applications running on R-BGAN to work on BGAN. Please contact us to find out which BGAN device is best suited to your needs.

Livewire Connections support successful start to Volvo Ocean Race

As the last of the Volvo 70s disappear over the horizon from the start in Alicante, Spain all eyes are now focused on the tracking, footage, images and stories being beamed back with the help of Livewire Connections. Over the last few months Livewire Connections has been coordinating Inmarsat, Stratos, and Thrane & Thrane to ensure that the not a moment of wave slamming action is missed in the latest edition of the Volvo Ocean Race.

There have been new challenges with the implementation of the new Inmarsat I4 satellites providing the boats with FleetBroadband connectivity. This enables transfer rates of up to 492Kbps with guaranteed streaming rates of 256Kbps. With these speeds hours of HD video footage will be sent to the world’s media and through the Volvo Ocean Race website www.volvooceanrace.tv

In addition to the FleetBroadband 500 terminals each vessel has a Thrane Sailor Fleet 33+ terminal to provide backup internet and email using the existing Inmarsat I3 satellites. In addition the vessel also have 2 Inmarsat C Thrane Sailor TT-3022D terminals for Stratos C-Email communications with Race HQ , GMDSS safety services and 15 minute tracking. Livewire Connections have setup DNID data report delivery via IP to enable 15 minute position data to be sent with onboard NMEA data to provide an excellent onboard insight for the race fans and VOR officials.

David Walker, Sales Director at Livewire Connections commented “This is a prestigious event to be associated with and we are enjoying the challenges this ‘formula one’ yacht racing event is providing. Using the latest state of the art communications technology is really allowing arm-chair viewers to reach yachts racing in the worlds harshest oceans”

Photo Credits: Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race

For more information about the Volvo Ocean Race visit www.volvooceanrace.org

Volvo Ocean Race gets Livewire Connected!

Livewire Connections has won the contract from Volvo Event Management UK Limited to manage the satellite communications for all the teams competing in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008/9. Livewire Connections will coordinate the race communications sponsorship being provided by Inmarsat, Stratos and Thrane & Thrane. This is to ensure that 9 months of extreme ocean racing is successfully delivered to the fans, media and sponsors through HD TV and web footage, live video conferences, vessel tracking and onboard data stats.

The race, starting in October 2008, will see the cutting edge Volvo 70s raced to the limits around the world. For the first time each yacht will have a dedicated media specialist onboard to transmit edited footage back via Inmarsat FleetBroadband.

Photo Credits: Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race

For more information about the Volvo Ocean Race visit www.volvooceanrace.org

KVH appointed US distributor for the Livewire Service Selector

Livewire Connections have appointed KVH Industries as the exclusive US distributor for the Service Selector. KVH’s extensive US sales and support network will ensure that US end users will be given first line support by KVH locally in the US.

The Service Selector brings the growing number of communications platforms onboard merchant and leisure vessels under control. Designed around a simple, intuitive interface, the user can easily choose the most appropriate data connection from the comfort of their PC.

Inmarsat Launch FleetBroadband

Today Inmarsat announced the commercial service introduction of FleetBroadband, its new voice and high-speed data service for maritime users.

The newest member of Inmarsat’s highly-successful Fleet family of services, FleetBroadband is the first fully IP-based service, capable of supporting simultaneous voice and broadband IP data connectivity at up to 432kbpsFleetBroadband

From today, approved FleetBroadband equipment is available from manufacturers JRC and Thrane & Thrane, with service provided by Bezeq, KDDI, Korea Telecom, MCN, Morsviazsputnik, OTESAT-Maritel, SingTel, Stratos and Vizada. Inmarsat expects partners to commence terminal shipments in the next few weeks.

FleetBroadband uses the advanced capability of Inmarsat’s latest-generation satellites, the Inmarsat-4s. The service will initially be available on the two Inmarsat-4 satellites currently in orbit over the Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean regions. Following the successful launch of the third Inmarsat-4, currently planned for April 2008, FleetBroadband will be available globally later that year.

"Today we complete our broadband portfolio by delivering FleetBroadband to our most significant market," said Michael Butler, President and Chief Operating Officer, Inmarsat. "The development of FleetBroadband is part of our strategy to keep innovating, to develop new services that are faster, smaller, cheaper and more accessible for a range of maritime users globally. We have had tremendous success with the Fleet service, with sustained growth since its launch, which has provided a very strong platform from which to launch FleetBroadband."

There are two types of FleetBroadband service available:

• FB500 offers standard IP connectivity of up to 432kbps, with guaranteed or ’streaming’ IP data rates of 32, 64, 128 and 256kbps. It also supports 64kbps ISDN connectivity for legacy applications. The above-deck dome diameter is around 57cm, and weighs about 18kg.
• FB250 delivers a standard IP connection of up to 284kbps, with streaming IP available at 32, 64 and 128kbps. Its dome diameter is about 25cm and weighs around 2.5kg.

Both services support 4kbps voice, Group 3 fax and standard 3G SMS functionality.

"We know that many parts of the maritime industry want increased bandwidth - whether to support crew communications, meet new regulations for shipping, or to explore new ways of working and enhance operational efficiency," said Piers Cunningham, Head of Maritime Business, Inmarsat. "But we also know that they want compact terminals, with simple shipboard installation and use, available seamlessly on a global basis, and accessed through equipment that is type approved to a trusted standard.

"FleetBroadband is the first service to meet all of these demanding requirements, and in a highly cost-effective manner. We are targeting existing Inmarsat users who want increased bandwidth, and new users who will see FleetBroadband’s compelling combination of form and function as a reason to move to broadband".

Livewire Connections becomes Thrane Reseller

Livewire Connections has been appointed a Registered Reseller for the distribution of Thrane & Thrane enabling us to supply, install and service all Land Mobile and Maritime products.

With this new relationship Livewire Connections can give the end user more support and service as well as ensuring that Livewire Connections are providing competitive pricing and value for their services.

The VELUX 5 OCEANS Race depends on Livewire Connections tracking

The VELUX 5 OCEANS Race is called the ’The Ultimate Solo Challenge’ and that’s just what it is. Sailing a yacht on your own is challenging at the best of times but when that’s a full blown racing yacht and it’s against the clock, anything can go wrong. Access to the racers current position is therefore of vital importance especially in a potential rescue situation.

Thanks to the real time and near real time tracking services provided by Livewire Connections this can be achieved. Data reports are sent at regular intervals from the vessels onboard Inmarsat C terminals to race HQ and the fleet view online tracking portal. This gives the race HQ an overview of the fleet’s relative positions and also overlays weather information so that impending situations can be anticipated and planned for.

For more information visit www.velux5oceans.com

Photo Credit: VELUX 5 OCEANS / ON EDITION

Tony Bullimore attempts to break Ellen MacArthur around the world record with help from Livewire Connections.

Livewire Connections Ltd is proud to sponsor Tony Bullimore’s quest to break the Around The World speed record, which started in Tasmania today (1st May 2007). Sailing his 102ft catamaran "Doha", Tony aims to beat the existing record set by Dame Ellen MacArthur in 2005 by sailing the 27,000 nautical miles in under 70 days.

With the forecasts indicating winds building to 25 knots and gusting nearer 35 the 68 years old yachtsman crossed the start line to begin what can hopefully be described as his epic journey into the record books. Tony Bullimore prepares to leave Livewire Connections is providing and managing the Inmarsat C tracking for the event, which Tony’s shore team will use to keep track of his progress.

By logging into the fleet view online secure tracking portal the team can access details on Doha’s current position including her speed and course, the current sea state and prevailing weather conditions. This will be used to update Tony’s position every 12 hours on the www.teambullimore.com website where you can track his progress.

In order to break the record Tony will have to average over 17 Knots and endure some of the harshest weather conditions on the planet for which we wish him the best of luck.

Livewire launches M-Link Voyager H.264

Livewire Digital Ltd has just launched its new range of M-Link store & forward video software, MLink H.264. The systems provide broadcast quality video solution for rapid and comprehensive news gathering via satellite, mobile, IP, and ISDN networks.

Using the latest H.264 AVC video codecs, M-Link Voyager H.264 offers fully interlaced PAL and NTSC Standard Definition formats, with optional High Definition support. M-Link Voyager H.264 also supports Live H.264 AVC video delivery, providing high quality, low-latency live video, direct to the M-Link Exchange server.