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November 2010 Edition
MENA, Latin America + Africa
 
Beam
InfoBeam: Africa, Latin America, MENA, by the editors...
The latest news regarding these important satellite markets.
Beam... Inmarsat’s Challenging Transition, author: Alan Gottlieb, Managing Director, Gottlieb International Group, Inc.
For Inmarsat, the move into the maritime VSAT world is a leap far beyond the scope of a difficult technological transition. The Company’s bold move will require a re-make of its traditional business and financial structure. To be successful, Inmarsat must morph from a traditional communications provider that sells by the byte and by the minute to a solutions provider skilled in systems integration and consultative selling. This challenge, if properly met, will insure Inmarsat’s dominance in the maritime communications world, or if unmet, could relegate the Company to the ranks of other corporate giants who missed a critical turn in the market...and are no more.
Beam... The Obama Space Policy, 2010, author: Victoria Samson, Secure World Foundation
The Barack Obama administration’s new National Space Policy (NSP), released on June 28, 2010, strives to ensure that outer space remains usable over the long-term for the benefit of all, thus setting the stage for future, cooperative efforts in space. Specifically, the NSP sets forth the challenge to make space sustainability a priority through global engagement and cooperation, as well as through responsible space behavior. However, the policy’s ultimate success will depend on how the rest of the U.S. government interprets and implements the principles contained within the NSP. Furthermore, its efficacy is tied to both how much cooperation the United States receives internationally, and what bilateral and multilateral transparency and confidence-building measures are undertaken.
Executive Spotlight
Executive Spotlight... Patrick Henry, President + CEO, Entropic
experience to Entropic. He has served in executive management roles in companies ranging from small, innovative startups to large multinationals. Just prior to Entropic, he served as president and CEO of Pictos Technologies, developers of digital imaging products — he exited after completing a multimillion-dollar sale of the company. Prior to Pictos Technologies, Henry was CEO of LinCom Wireless, a chip company focused on Wi-Fi products. He also served as a vice president and general manager at LSI Logic and was a senior vice president at C-Cube Microsystems, a pioneer in the development of digital video ICs. Henry also held sales and marketing management positions at Hyundai Electronics America (now Hynix) and AMD. Henry serves on the board of directors of CommNexus, a San Diego technology industry trade association, and has been recognized by Ernst & Young as Entrepreneur of the Year, named one of San Diego’s “Top Influentials” and named Most Admired CEO by the San Diego Business Journal. He earned his MBA from the University of Southern California, and holds a Bachelor in Engineering Science and Mechanics, with high honors, from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Executive Spotlight... Mark Pisani, Vice President + GM, Positioning, Navigation & Timing, ITT Geospatial Systems
Mark Pisani is responsible for the overall performance of the business, which includes order inputs, revenue, and gross profit as well as business development, new program pursuits and performance on existing contracts. ITT Geospatial Systems is a global supplier of innovative night vision, remote sensing and navigation solutions that provide sight and situational awareness at the space, airborne, ground and soldier levels. Prior to assuming his current position, Pisani was vice president and director, Navigation Systems at ITT Space Systems Division, a position held since 2008. He joined the company in June 2007 as a senior program manager for the Navigation business unit. Pisani has more than 20 years of experience in project engineering, program management and product line management at both Allied Signal Aerospace Defense & Space Systems and L-3 Communications. Immediately before joining ITT, he was L-3 Communication’s director of space programs, reporting directly to the company’s president. In this position he was responsible for the design, build and test of critical NASA manned space flight hardware in support of the Space Station and Space Shuttle platforms as well as key components for the Hubble Space Telescope and Delta launch vehicles.
Executive Spotlight... Jaime Dickinson, President + CEO, NewCom International
honored as the World Teleport Association’s 2010 Teleport Executive of the Year for his global vision and commitment to fostering education and development through 21st century communications. As president and COO, Jaime oversees all operations and drives the company’s strategic partnership efforts — working to expand NewCom’s presence around the globe. Under his direction, NewCom has emerged as a leading force in the global telecommunications marketplace to be recognized as the second fastest growing teleport operator in the world. Jaime got his start in the telecom sector in the early 1990s as a founding partner of Vannamei, a satellite equipment distribution company. While at Vannamei, he was instrumental in launching sister companies, Publicom and Networldtron, which offered installation and Internet services and gave Vannamei customers a one-stop communications solution. In the late 1990s, Jaime, together with his family, sold the companies to American Tower and joined the telecom giant’s newly formed Verestar. In 2004, Jaime returned to his entrepreneurial roots by launching NewCom International.
Focus
Focus... Harvesting Efficiency For Brazilian Agriculture, author: John R. "Ted" O'Brien, Vice President, Americas, Iridium Communications, Inc.
Brazil has the fourth largest agricultural system in number of square kilometers in the world. It’s also the world’s largest producer of sugar cane and the second largest producer of soybeans. Both sugar cane and soy bean harvesting work is concentrated on certain specific periods of the year, requiring machinery to be fully operational, sometimes 24 hours a day for more than three months at a time. Constant monitoring of the machines is critical to maintain harvesting operations and to identify and respond to any problems that may arise.
Focus... MENA = MegaMarket For Thuraya,
The beauty of mobile satellite communications is that customers are able to move and still maintain the ability to communicate effectively even in the most remote of areas. Despite the fact that terrestrial networks are on the rise, there are still many areas which have limited infrastructure thus leading to a dependence on satellite communications to stay in touch with the rest of the world. With ubiquitous coverage in 140 countries in Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia and Australia, Thuraya is able to provide reliable and mobile satellite based communications to a range of market segments and customer types regardless of their location. The Company achieves this through a versatile and growing portfolio of voice, data, fleet tracking and maritime solutions. Mega markets for the operator are in the Middle East and Africa which have seen extensive use of Thuraya products since the Company’s inception in 1997.
Focus... Going SatPostal, author: Jonathan Lee, C-COM Satellite Systems
At the turn of the 21st century, postal services worldwide are facing more challenges than ever before. Electronic communications is one of most profound challenges that postal services have encountered. Postal service revenues shrunk sharply when fax machines became standard office equipment in almost every company and then they took another hit when the Internet became an indispensable tool for just about everyone. In addition, postal operations are hampered by problems such as limited access to remote locations and continual losses of revenues due to inefficient operations of some of its outlets.
Focus... SatRadio Impetus, author: Ernst Eberlein, Communications Department Head, Fraunhofer IIS
With the seamless coverage of large areas, satellite-based broadcasting to mobile users has become more and more popular in recent years. Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) also offers large coverage areas and, therefore, these systems are sometimes considered as competing technologies. However, with each system’s benefits, the two approaches can actually complement one another in certain scenarios.
Focus... Solving Satellite Interference... VSAT Terminal Commissioning, author: Bob Estus, Vice President of Operations, Glowlink Communications Technology
Traditionally, the process for commissioning VSAT terminals tends be labor-intensive and time consuming, prone to causing unintentional yet highly disruptive interferences. The underlying causes are many: Multiple parties that must be involved and well coordinated; complexity of the tasks themselves; the need for relatively high skill-levels; and extensive training for the installers and others.
Focus... Maritime Interoperability, author: Christian Bergan, Director of Maritime Marketing, iDirect
Over the past five years, the use of VSAT technology to support mobility applications has expanded greatly. High-speed broadband communications has become a constant, universal requirement for end-users who need to stay connected from demanding and remote locations on land, at sea, or in the air.
Insight
Insight... African Extremes, authors: Max Tangen, Marketing Director, Vizada Networks, and... Mike Hennessey, Managing Director, Spidersat Communications
The challenges of communication on the African continent mean that wildly different industries depend upon the same technology base and service for safe, secure and efficient operations, according to Max Tangen, Marketing Director, Vizada Networks and Mike Hennessey, Managing Director, Spidersat Communications.
Insight... A 90-Day Wonder, author: Chris Forrester, Editorial Director, RapidTV
Imagine the challenges of setting up a sophisticated DTH payTV operation in just 90 days! That was the task faced by Astra Platform Services (APS) earlier this year. Their client was TopTV, a new multichannel operator based in Johannesburg, and set up to rival the local incumbent — and monopoly DTH player — Multichoice’s DStv. In truth TopTV is looking not so much to challenge DStv head to head, but to create a new market in South Africa, targeting new viewers to DTH and a lower-priced bundle of channels.
Insight... The ABCs Of The M2M Switch, author: Stratton J. Nicolaides, CEO + Chairman of the Board, NUMEREX Corporation
Nicholas Negroponte is a fellow Greek-American best known as the founder and Chairman Emeritus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab, and, more recently, as the founder of the One Laptop per Child Association (OLPC). He is also recognized as a visionary who can aptly decipher telecom trends.
 
Insight... Aviation Safety... Enhanced, author: Viraf Kapadia, CEO + Acting Chairman of the Board, Star Navigation
STAR-ISMS™ has been tested and certified for airworthiness by world transport authorities including the United States Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and Transport Canada. Star owns the worldwide license — ground, air and marine — for this technology and Star is actively developing new applications for in-flight medical monitoring, environmental monitoring, and ground-based systems.
SatBroadcasting™
SatBroadcasting™ — The Alsumaria Advantage, author: Laurent Roussel, Managing Director, IMEA Branch Office, Newtec
Alsumaria TV is an independent privately owned Iraqi TV broadcaster established in September of 2004. It has a highly skilled team of more than 500 working throughout Iraq, and includes Kurdistan, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates and Jordan. Since its inception, Alsumaria has established itself as the most dynamic and popular broadcaster in Iraq, broadcasting 24 hours a day with a line-up of entertainment, culture, politics, and news, in addition to social programs and live shows.
SatBroadcasting™ — The Global Importance Of Politics, author: John Graham, Commercial Manager, GlobeCast Australia
Australia’s 2010 Election Campaign became the most watched political event ever experienced by GlobeCast Australia, with interest from all corners of the globe drawing upon the resources of the Company.
SatBroadcasting™ — Securing Hybrid Digital TV Networks, author: Bo Ferm, Director of Product Marketing, Verimatrix
The rapid growth in broadband and mobile communications is creating new opportunities, while also posing interesting challenges, for digital TV operators at large, not least the traditional broadcasters. In this era of users increasingly demanding “everything, here and now,” consumers expect more control over the viewing experience, taking a cue from PCs and other connected devices. Technology is advancing continuously to assure subscriber loyalty while, if operators are successful, increasing average revenue per user (ARPU). Subscriber churn can thus be reduced, improving business results.