MIDDLETOWN, R.I., March 27, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- To meet growing bandwidth usage and Internet demand onboard its tanker fleet, RHL Hamburger Lloyd Tanker GmbH & Co. KG, of Hamburg, Germany, an international shipping company known for managing sophisticated, innovative tankers, has chosen KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq:KVHI) for its mini-VSAT Broadbandsm satellite communications solution. Twelve oil and chemical tankers will be outfitted with KVH's TracPhone® V7-IP satellite antenna systems in the next month, with a potential for 16 additional container vessels to receive KVH systems.
"We needed a solution for the growing bandwidth usage onboard our vessels, for operational tasks such as fuel consumption monitoring and electronic chart updates and also for crew access to Internet," says Peter Fromming, fleet director for RHL Hamburger Lloyd Tanker. "KVH provides a reliable satellite communications solution with global coverage and also the onboard network management that is essential for controlling access onboard and staying within budget. We regard the KVH systems as having the most suitable airtime plans and return on investment for our needs."
The KVH systems will be installed on sophisticated tankers known as Safety Chemical Oil Tanker (SCOT) 8000s, which are considered environmentally friendly because their advanced design is intended to minimize the risk of a spill. RHL Hamburger Lloyd Tanker was heavily involved in the design and construction of the SCOT 8000 tankers, which are propelled and maneuvered by two separate drive systems and are built with a double hull; the tankers have a capacity of 8,000 tons.
"RHL Hamburger Lloyd Tanker is known as a leader and innovator with its involvement in the SCOT 8000 tankers, and they are showing forward thinking again by choosing KVH's end-to-end solution for onboard management and connectivity," says Brent Bruun, executive vice president of KVH's Mobile Broadband Group. "We are excited about the opportunity to work with them to provide a world-class maritime broadband solution for their vessels."
KVH's TracPhone V7-IP is a 60 cm (24 inch) diameter, enterprise-grade, 3-axis, gyro-stabilized antenna for Ku-band service worldwide. The system provides data rates as fast as 2 Mbps shore-to-ship, and 1 Mbps ship-to-shore, and high-quality VoIP phone service. TracPhone V7-IP is designed and optimized for mini-VSAT Broadband service, which is the market share leader in maritime VSAT, according to independent industry reports published in 2012. TracPhone V7-IP includes the Integrated CommBoxTM Modem (ICM), a streamlined belowdecks unit that replaces the need for a rack full of components and integrates all antenna control, onboard network management, and modem functions in one small box. This makes installation fast and easy, significantly reducing deployment costs.
Onboard network management is increasingly important for commercial vessels, where there is a need to manage demand for broadband and ensure that operational data usage is prioritized. Maritime operators also face the challenge of complying with industry regulations such as MLC-2006, which was implemented last year and requires operators to provide crew welfare in the form of access to satellite phone and Internet services. KVH's end-to-end solution is designed to address those needs, and is unique in the maritime industry in that KVH designs and manufactures the TracPhone antenna hardware, operates the mini-VSAT Broadband network, manages the airtime service, and provides 24/7 global support. In addition, KVH is introducing a content delivery service, IP-MobileCastTM, for multicasting delivery of entertainment and operations content directly to subscribing vessels.
Note to Editors: High-resolution images of KVH's TracPhone V7-IP satellite communications system and mini-VSAT Broadband coverage maps are available for download and editorial use at the KVH Press Room, www.kvh.com/press-room. For more information about KVH's broadband connectivity solution, please visit the mini-VSAT Broadband website (www.minivsat.com/vip).
About RHL Hamburger Lloyd Tanker GmbH & Co. KG
Based in Hamburg, Germany, RHL Hamburger Lloyd Tanker specializes in managing sophisticated commercial vessels for a wide variety of customers. State-of-the-art SCOT 8000 oil and chemical tankers, featuring ultra-safe redundant propulsion systems, form the backbone of the fleet. The company was established in 2002 by a group of Hamburg-based shipping-sector professionals and businessmen, and has been a leading proponent for environmental responsibility and safety in shipping.
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 provider of commercially-licensed news, music, and entertainment content to many industries including maritime, retail, and leisure. KVH is based in Middletown, RI, U.S.A., with facilities in Illinois, Denmark, Norway, the U.K., Singapore, the Philippines, Cyprus, and Japan.
This release may contain certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include, for example, statements regarding the timing and occurrence of new service rollout plans, the functionality, characteristics, quality and performance of KVH's products and technology; anticipated innovation and product orders; and customer preferences, requirements and expectations. The actual results could differ materially from the statements made in this press release. Factors that may cause such differences include, among others, potential unanticipated technical or legal impediments that could delay or impede new service rollout plans or expected strategic relationships, unanticipated declines or changes in customer demand, due to competitive, economic, seasonal, and other factors, particularly with respect to the TracPhone V-IP series products. These and other risk factors are discussed in more detail in our most recent Form 10-K filed with the SEC. KVH does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect new information or developments.
KVH, TracPhone, CommBox, and IP-MobileCast are trademarks of KVH Industries, Inc. mini-VSAT Broadband is a service mark of KVH Industries, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies.