KVH to deliver AWT’s global weather data to vessels via mini-VSAT Broadband network
KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq: KVHI) announced that Applied Weather Technology, Inc., (AWT) has become the WEATHERlink launch partner for KVH’s IP-MobileCast content delivery service. KVH will use IP-MobileCast, a breakthrough service utilizing multicasting technology, to deliver AWT’s high-resolution weather and ocean data to ships at sea for a low fixed monthly fee. AWT is a marine industry leader in weather forecasting and ship routing. The AWT data, which includes forecasts with wind, wave, visibility, and currents with tidal stream data, will be updated up to four times per day to help ships optimize voyage planning and safety, the KVHI press release said.
The IP-MobileCast service will support AWT’s recent new release, BonVoyage System 7 (BVS 7), a powerful onboard voyage optimization system. With more than 5,000 ships already under contract, AWT is the voyage optimization software market leader. KVH’s content delivery service will also provide AWT’s frequent, detailed port vicinity forecasts as well as pirate attack information and rogue wave forecasts.
The WEATHERlink content delivery is scheduled to begin beta testing this month and to be commercially available by September. All installed KVH TracPhone V-IP series satellite communications systems will support this new content after a free over-the-air software upgrade. The IP-MobileCast service has been live since May, delivering a wide range of news and entertainment content, such as daily digital newspapers, television news, sports updates, music, new-release blockbuster movies, and TV shows and series, via KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband network.
The IP-MobileCast service utilizes multicasting technology to deliver large amounts of content to many ships at once, overcoming the prohibitively high satellite communications costs typically charged to deliver files for individual use. The new service (patent pending) is notable for technological advancements that enable the content to be delivered over the top of KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband network, while also ensuring that the multicasting transmission does not affect the vessel’s mini-VSAT Broadband onboard data speed.
KVH’s strategy for adding more operations content for IP-MobileCast delivery is to establish partnerships with leading applications providers in the maritime industry. Other types of operations content that are planned for IP-MobileCast delivery include weekly electronic chart database updates from Jeppesen, KVH’s CHARTlink launch collaborator.
About Applied Weather Technology, Inc.
AWT is a leading provider of shore-based ship route advisory services, onboard voyage management systems, and fleet management systems. Its award-winning products and services are designed to help ship owners, charterers, operators, fleet managers, and captains identify the safest, most time-efficient or fuel-efficient routes for their fleets. Its products include onboard voyage management systems BVS, Seaware EnRoute, and EnRoute Live, and shore-based Fleet Decision Support System (FleetDSS). AWT is headquartered in California’s Silicon Valley, with worldwide offices in the United Kingdom, Germany, New York, New Jersey, Japan, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, and Korea. AWT is a StormGeo company. The StormGeo Group is headquartered in Bergen, Norway, and operates out of 22 offices in 14 countries.
About KVH Industries, Inc.
KVH Industries is a leading provider of in-motion satellite TV and communications systems, having designed, manufactured, and sold more than 175,000 mobile satellite antennas for applications on vessels, vehicles, and aircraft. KVH is also a leading news, music, and entertainment content provider to many industries including maritime, retail, and leisure. KVH is based in Middletown, RI, with research, development, and manufacturing operations in Middletown, RI, and Tinley Park, IL. The company’s global presence includes subsidiaries in Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Cyprus, Denmark, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
