MIDDLETOWN, R.I., and CORK, Ireland, Sept. 9, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq:KVHI) and Transas announced today a strategic relationship designed to ensure vessels at sea receive affordable, timely updates of mandatory electronic chart data. The CHARTlinkTM channel of KVH's IP-MobileCastTM content delivery service will support delivery of chart and other data updates from Transas, a leading producer of electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS) and a leading provider of electronic navigation charts (ENC) and data services. This is the first of many steps envisioned by Transas for delivery of value-added data for shipboard use with the IP-MobileCast service.
International maritime regulations mandate the use of ECDIS for commercial and passenger vessels. To meet regulations, ECDIS must have up-to-date ENCs, but the process of updating these large chart databases via the Internet can drive up satellite communications costs while a vessel is at sea. Delivery of updates by DVD causes delays due to a vessel's remote ports of call and associated logistical issues. KVH's IP-MobileCast content delivery service, which utilizes multicasting technology, is designed to provide an affordable way for ships to receive the chart updates.
A ship equipped with KVH's TracPhone® V-series or V-IP series satellite communications antenna systems, which are designed for the mini-VSAT Broadbandsm network, can subscribe to IP-MobileCast's CHARTlink service and receive chart updates automatically. The Transas ENC updates are designed so that they can be received, unpacked, and deployed without user intervention, a key aspect of compliance with maritime regulations and overall service quality.
"Transas is a leader in the ECDIS segment because they both manufacture the hardware systems that are installed in the ship's bridge, and encode the digital files that national hydrographic offices create," says Martin Kits van Heyningen, KVH chief executive officer. "Transas has integrated the electronic assets with the hardware platform. Our role is to provide the connectivity and file server platform to allow secure, inexpensive, and guaranteed delivery of the chart files from Transas to the ships. We are thrilled to be working with them."
"For our customers, CHARTlink represents a perfect solution for an automated, guaranteed, and auditable method of delivery and regular update of ENCs onboard," says Jens Pfeiffer, Transas Marine navigation division director.
KVH and Transas will test the CHARTlink service on ships at sea starting immediately and plan for a commercial rollout of the service before the end of the year, subject to ongoing cooperation and final agreement between the parties.
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 is notable for technological advancements that enable 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 continues to establish partnerships with leading applications providers, such as Transas, in the maritime industry to provide critical content and valued-added services to their mini-VSAT Broadband customers.
Note to Editors: For additional details, visit the KVH outdoor booth (B5.FG.002) at the SMM maritime trade show in Hamburg, Germany, for special presentations from KVH and Transas on Tuesday, September 9, 16:00-17:00, and Wednesday, September 10, 13:00-14:00.
In addition, information about CHARTlink and live demos of IP-MobileCast will be available for the duration of the show, September 9-12, at the KVH outdoor booth as well as the KVH indoor booth (B6.405). Information about Transas products will be available in the Transas booth at SMM (B6.208).
For more information about Transas, please visit www.transas.com. For more information about KVH's IP-MobileCast content delivery service, please visit www.ipmobilecast.com. High-resolution images of KVH products are available at the KVH Press Room Image Library, http://www.kvh.com/press-room/image-library.
About Transas
Transas Marine is a world-leading developer and supplier of high technology software and hardware solutions for transport, oil-and-gas, security, and education industries. Transas offers state-of-the-art navigation, simulation, vessel traffic, and port management solutions, as well as interactive 3D and augmented reality technologies backed up by a worldwide distribution, service, and support network of 23 offices and more than 260 distributors around the globe. The production process is certified according to the ISO 9001 international standard.
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. Videotel, a KVH company, is the leader in maritime e-Learning. 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 offices in Belgium, Brazil, Cyprus, Denmark, Hong Kong, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
This release contains 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 anticipated strategic relationship between Transas and KVH; the functionality, characteristics, quality, and performance of KVH's and Transas products, services, and technology; as well as customer demand, 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, but are not limited to, the possibility that the parties will be unable to agree upon the contractual terms of the anticipated strategic relationship; uncertainties regarding the time needed to complete negotiations; potential unanticipated technical or legal impediments that could delay or impede service rollout plans; the need for, or delays in, qualification of products to customer or regulatory standards; unanticipated declines or changes in customer demand due to competitive, economic, seasonal, and other factors; unanticipated increases in media costs or loss of distribution rights; risks associated with the delivery or performance of critical hardware; and changes in the costs and capabilities of competing offerings. These and other risk factors are discussed in KVH's most recent Form 10-Q filed with the SEC. KVH does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect new information or developments.
KVH, IP-MobileCast, CHARTlink, and TracPhone 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.