MILPITAS, Calif., April 22, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Globalstar, Inc. (Nasdaq:GSAT), the world's largest provider of mobile satellite voice and data services to businesses, governments and individuals, today announced that Globalstar Panama Corp. and leading Simplex data integrator Blue Oceans Satellite Systems Inc. have launched the Skyhawk M9601, a satellite-based global asset tracking and vessel monitoring system (VMS) solution. Available today, the Skyhawk M9601 utilizes the highly reliable Globalstar Simplex data network for transmission of vessel position, and enables commercial fishing operators to meet government vessel monitoring and tracking requirements in coastal waters to more than 300 miles at sea.
The Skyhawk M9601 transmits real-time GPS location monitoring data over the Globalstar Simplex data network to a government-based tracking office, providing maritime authorities with the ability to monitor the location of commercial fishing vessels operating in regulated waters. If a vessel is found to be in restricted waters, then it is contacted with an appropriate message or instructions.
"In Panama the Skyhawk M9601 provides commercial operators with a method of economically meeting the VMS requirements mandated by the government based Autoridad de Recursos Acuaticos de Panama or ARAP," said Tom Colby, Chief Operating Officer of Globalstar, Inc. Mr. Colby added, "Our previous vessel monitoring solutions have been successful in other maritime markets and last year we began marketing Blue Oceans' newest product in Panama. In just a few short months Globalstar Panama has managed to capture approximately 40 percent of the Panamanian commercial fishing market. We anticipate continued growth in this business segment and increased market share, and we expect to replicate our success in Panama in other maritime commercial fishing markets in Latin America."
"We are extremely pleased Globalstar has chosen our Skyhawk M9601 as the go-to technology for today's VMS markets," says Paul Anderson, President of Blue Oceans. "The M9601 VMS exceeds the standard set by the United Nations FAO (Fisheries and Oceans) Blue Book for VMS systems, and combined with an attractive price point and highly flexible architecture is well suited for adoption by other countries implementing vessel monitoring programs."
The Globalstar Simplex data offering is a low cost, one-way satellite data service that permits customers to use satellite modems and integrated back-office management solutions to track maritime-based mobile assets, such as commercial fishing vessels, vehicles, trailers and cargo containers using GPS or other location-based software. Simplex data service can also be used for a wide variety of industrial and security applications to monitor and send information from fixed assets, such as environmental measuring instruments or utility meters, or for reporting the state of various mobile sensor devices and their locations. What's more, it can provide personal tracking and messaging solutions for commercial and recreational customers using products such as the SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger(tm).
For more information regarding the Globalstar Simplex data network and the Skyhawk M9601 VMS product please contact Mayra Arosemena at Globalstar Panama via email at Mayra.arosemena@globalstar.com.
About Globalstar, Inc.
With over 325,000 subscribers, Globalstar is the world's largest provider of mobile satellite voice and data services. Globalstar offers these services to commercial and recreational users in more than 120 countries around the world. The Company's products include mobile and fixed satellite telephones, simplex and duplex satellite data modems and flexible service packages. Many land based and maritime industries benefit from Globalstar with increased productivity from remote areas beyond cellular and landline service. Global customer segments include: oil and gas, government, mining, forestry, commercial fishing, utilities, military, transportation, heavy construction, emergency preparedness, and business continuity as well as individual recreational users. Globalstar data solutions are ideal for various asset and personal tracking, data monitoring and SCADA applications.
For more information regarding Globalstar, please visit Globalstar's web site at www.globalstar.com
About Blue Oceans Satellite Systems, Inc.
Blue Oceans provides cutting edge capabilities for vessel monitoring, explosive magazine monitoring and other innovative asset tracking and remote data communications projects. Specializing in marine and harsh environments, Blue Oceans provides approved Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) and related services to meet the needs of commercial fisheries and professional mariners. Other markets served include offshore and onshore oil and gas production, long haul fleet management, natural resource exploration and forestry/pulp and paper.
With over 50 years combined experience in satellite and wireless product design and service Blue Oceans supplies stock products, or custom hardware and applications tailored to our clients' needs. We partner with the most reliable satellite networks in the world to provide cost effective, value added solutions for over-the-horizon remote applications.
For more information regarding Blue Oceans, please visit www.blueoceans.ca.
Safe Harbor Language for Globalstar Releases
This press release contains certain statements such as, "We anticipate continued growth in this business segment and increased market share, and we expect to replicate our success in Panama in other maritime commercial fishing markets in Latin America," that are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, including demand for our products and services, including commercial acceptance of our new Simplex products, including SPOT Satellite Messenger, and the ability to retain and migrate our two-way communications services subscribers to our second-generation constellation when it is deployed; problems relating to the construction, launch or in-orbit performance of our existing and future satellites; including the effects of the degrading ability of our first-generation satellite constellation to support two-way communication; problems relating to the ground-based facilities operated by us or by independent gateway operators; our ability to attract sufficient additional funding to meet our future capital requirements including deployment of our second-generation constellation; competition and its competitiveness vis-a-vis other providers of satellite and ground-based communications products and services; the pace and effects of industry consolidation; the continued availability of launch insurance on commercially reasonable terms, and the effects of any insurance exclusions; changes in technology; our ability to continue to attract and retain qualified personnel; worldwide economic, geopolitical and business conditions and risks associated with doing business on a global basis; and legal, regulatory, and tax developments, including changes in domestic and international government regulation.
Any forward-looking statements made in this press release speak as of the date made and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results or developments may differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, and we undertake no obligation to update any such statements. Additional information on factors that could influence our financial results is included in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.